Feature Archives

Salute to Veterans win at home track Boone is a pretty big deal for McBirnie

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (July 30, 2022) – It was a pretty big deal when Jake McBirnie won Saturday’s rescheduled Hunting With Heroes Salute to Veterans feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at Boone Speedway. And the money wasn’t the biggest reason. McBirnie was fast from the get-go in this one, never really being challenged and winning the 25-lapper going away. Jeremy Mills started 10th and finished a distant second, followed by ninth starting Mike VanGenderen, Cory Sauerman and Chris Snyder. “This was a pretty big deal, getting $5,000 to put back into your program this late in the season,” said McBirnie already eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “It was very special when I was asked to put a veterans’ wrap on my car. I was very honored to do that and to win this event at my hometown track means a lot.” There were 178 cars packing the pits for double feature night. Also winning Salute to Veterans features postponed from the previous week by inclement weather were Josh Daniels [Read More]

String of seconds ends at Willamette as Berkeley wins $5,000 IMCA Stock special

LEBANON, Ore. (July 30, 2022) – Chase Berkeley put an end to his string of second-place finishes and put his IMCA Sunoco Stock Car in victory lane Saturday night at Willamette Speedway. Then he put $5,000 in the bank after his career-best payday. Berkeley raced from ninth starting and led the last 18 times around the track in the 50-lap marathon at Lebanon, holding Jesse Williamson at bay after a restart with six to go. “The best part about winning was that I’d had a streak of second place finishes coming into the night,” said the Colville, Wash., hotshoe, who’d clinched the Wild West Shootout crown with runner-up showings at Willamette and at Sunset Speedway Park, then ran second behind Collen Winebarger at Sunset’s 50-lap, $5,000 to win show on July 16. “It felt good to be back in the top spot.” Berkeley’s first win on the season, at Coos Bay Speedway, paved the way to the Wild West Shootout crown. His second earned him a guaranteed starting spot in the B & B Racing [Read More]

In stride, Winebarger tops Shipwreck Beads Nationals

ELMA, Wash. (July 23, 2022) – Collen Winebarger is hitting his stride at just the right time. Just a week after topping the $5,000 to win special for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars at Sunset Speedway Park, the two division star from Corbett, Ore., scored another $5,000 checkers Saturday night at Grays Harbor Raceway’s Shipwreck Beads Nationals. The July 23 win was the richest in his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified career. “We had some DNFs and some other dumb stuff that happened earlier this season whenever it wasn’t raining,” said Winebarger, who’d gone winless in just 10 starts between April 2 and July 3 before sweeping the July 16 program at Sunset. “Now we’re hitting our stride and running well, and fortunately we’re doing it at races that pay well.” Already guaranteed to start the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational for Stock Cars, Winebarger’s second Modified win of 2022 also earned him Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility at the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “We traveled more the last [Read More]

IMCA Modified stars shine at Aug. 5, 6 Hancock County Speedway specials

BRITT, Iowa (July 26, 2022) – The stars of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified division get top billing at Hancock County Speedway specials on Aug. 5 and 6. The Friday Night of 1,000 Stars special at Britt pays $1,500 to win and $1,000 to second, third and fourth place finishers while Saturday’s Night of 10,000 Stars pays $2,000 to the winner and $1,000 to each driver finishing second through 10th. Both main events will start 30 cars three-wide with mandatory pit stops at half way of each 50-lapper. Drivers will be introduced on the front stretch both nights. Pre-entry is $150 for both nights in mailed before July 29 to PO Box 55 in Britt, Iowa, 50423, or $100 a night at the track. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks run for $1,000 to win and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts for $250 to win each night. There is no entry fee for any of those divisions. Modified winners become eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, Stock Car winners [Read More]

Salute to Veterans checkers fly for Logue following first Kossuth County feature win

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (July 21, 2022) – It was great night that started early with a loud bang that most people thought was fireworks and ended in the wee hours of the next morning with a louder bang after a great evening of dirt track racing. The sixth annual Salute to Veterans Hunting with Heroes Night on Thursday at the Kossuth County Speedway was another home run. The event that has become the biggest event of the year of the track took place in front of a grandstand full of veterans and fans. Johnathon Logue and Randy Brands were $3,500 winners in the evening’s headline events, the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, respectively. Logue and Jesse Rogotzke brought the 24-car Modified field to the flag stand for the green flag and while Logue led all 25 laps, his first-ever trip to victory lane at Algona did not come easily. Brandon Beckendorf, winner of the Wednesday night Salute to Veterans feature at Spencer, was right on Logue’s back bumper the [Read More]

Clay County Salute to Veterans win gets IMCA career top ranking from Beckendorf

SPENCER, Iowa (July 20, 2022) – He’s won a lot of races in a Friesen Performance IMCA Modified but Brandon Beckendorf didn’t hesitate when asked just where to rank his run to the checkers at Wednesday night’s Hunting With Heroes Salute to Veterans at Clay County Fair Speedway. “This is number one. It means a lot to me and it’s the highest paying race I’ve won,” Beckendorf said following the $3,500 feature victory, his fifth of the season and IMCA career 183rd. “It’s a pretty neat deal. This is a bucket list race every year.” A late charge took ninth starting Jake McBirnie to second. Tom Berry Jr. swapped the lead with Beckendorf on laps 15 and 16 before finishing third and Tim Ward and Jeremy Mills completed the top five. Mills led the first three laps from the pole before Beckendorf was scored inches ahead at the end of the fourth circuit. Berry came calling after a lap 10 restart; Chris Abelson spun out of third to bring out the next yellow, then Beckendorf [Read More]

Barbecue, a band and bag tossing on the weekend card at IMCA Southern SportMod Super Nationals

KENNEDALE, Texas (July 21, 2022) – Even when they’re not racing for shares of a $20,000-plus purse, drivers can look forward to plenty of fun off the track at the Sept. 8-10 IMCA Southern SportMod Super Nationals. Kennedale Speedway Park and event promoter James Lopez reports that Fox Mechanical Air Conditioning & Heating out of Springtown has signed on as sponsor for the barbecue party in the pits Thursday night, with the Jeff Martin Band taking the stage that evening. The South Dallas Cornhole Club sponsors the Saturday bag tossing tournament that starts at 11 a.m. “We want to make this a fun event for drivers and fans of all ages,” said Lopez. “We’re looking at some other different things for folks to do during the weekend and will announce the when and where when we get the details ironed out.” Divisional title sponsor Smiley’s Racing Products sponsors the inaugural event, which pays $3,000 to win and a minimum of $300 to start. Main event qualifiers take home more than $16,000 while qualifiers for the [Read More]

Big wings, big excitement of 10th annual RaceSaver Nationals at Eagle Sept. 1-4

EAGLE, Neb. (July 21, 2022) – The big wings and big excitement of the 10th annual RaceSaver Nationals are at Eagle Raceway Sept. 1-4. IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars race for $3,000 to win and a minimum of $1,500 to start the Sunday main event, with IMCA adding a $1,500 bonus to the winning driver provided they had made at least one 2022 sanctioned start coming into the weekend. Friday, Sept. 2 and Saturday, Sept. 3 qualifying features both pay $700 to win while drivers who don’t make the big show will see something extra in their pay envelope both nights. “We realize that inflation and gas prices have been a challenge to the racing community this season,” said Eagle promoter Roger Hadan. “Hopefully, we can help ease the pain of those costs to drivers traveling to our event by raising the non-qualifier purse money for both Friday and Saturday to $200 each of those nights.” The Sunday, Sept. 4 non-qualifier purse remains unchanged, noted Hadan, with the ‘B’ feature paying $1,000 to the first non-qualifier, $500 [Read More]

Fine tuning schedule aims at earlier finish to Prelude, Super Nationals race programs

BOONE, Iowa (July 21, 2022) – Some fine tuning to the schedule should mean earlier endings to night two of the Prelude and to the final night of the 40th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. The Sport Compact portion of the Prelude moves to the Saturday, Sept. 3 program at Boone Speedway. And IMCA and track officials had announced earlier this month that qualifying for Hobby Stock and Northern SportMod race of champions events will be Monday, Sept. 5 with both ROCs held on Tuesday, Sept. 6. “Moving Sport Compacts to Saturday of the Prelude means Hobby Stocks and Northern SportMods won’t be racing so late in their Prelude show the next night,” IMCA President Brett Root explained. “That will help Hobby Stock and Northern SportMod drivers in their preparation for main event and race of champion qualifying on Monday, and gives Sport Compact drivers another day to get ready for their Tuesday program.” “We’re also considering starting both Prelude events an hour earlier,” added Root, noting that Cody Hicks performs in [Read More]

Waterman tops East Moline’s Tribute to Ron Gustaf

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (July 20, 2022) – The emotion was real on the face of Jacob Waterman in the winner’s circle at East Moline Speedway. Waterman outdueled Chuck Hanna on a lap 19 restart and won the midweek Tribute to Ron Gustaf IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature. “(Ron) built my motor when I first started racing,” Waterman said post-race. “What he meant to us and racing is great.” That caution had flown for race long leader Gary Webb, who went too wide off turn two and smacked the wall while on the point. Waterman started on the tail and worked his way through the field to restart on the double front row. The race went caution free the rest of the way with Waterman pocketing $2,090.86 for the 30-lapper, using the top groove especially in turns one and two. “I just had to be patient. I was actually hoping (Hanna) would take the top on that restart. I thought I could get by him on the bottom easier but it worked out,” [Read More]