Feature Archives

Cocopah dates are Arizona first for IMCA Wild West Tour

SOMERTON, Ariz. – An IMCA event 14 years in the making takes place March 19-20 at Cocopah Speedway. The Pitt Stop Motorsports IMCA Wild West Tour travels to Somerton in its first-ever visit to Arizona. IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win their Friday and Saturday features, with Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berths at stake both nights of the season-opening doubleheader. Ken Schrader joins the Modified field, piloting the car that carried Chaz Baca to the 2020 Shaw Race Cars Western Region crown. Both IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods run for $750 to win each night at Cocopah. The Wild West Tour has frequented tracks in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming throughout a 115-race history dating to 2007. The twinbill scheduled at Cocopah last spring was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We were really looking forward to running at Somerton last April and are pleased that we were able to schedule these 2021 dates,” said Tour Director Ken Hansen. “Cocopah will be a great site to [Read More]

Green makes good on pre-race promise to make a show of it at Jack Bagby Memorial

WACO, Texas (March 5) – Recognizing the tall task he faced, Kevin Green promised to make a show of it before lining up ninth on the IMCA Modified grid at Heart O’ Texas Speedway’s season-opening Jack Bagby Memorial. Then he made good on that promise, earning $1,000 and a spot of the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot along with the Friday night checkers. “We ran around the bottom a couple laps, then moved to the top and started passing some cars,” Green said. “We had drawn good for the heat, then went out and drew ninth for the feature. I figured I had to make a show of it and wound up doing pretty good.” Running third when the caution flew just after midway, he passed Eric Tomlinson on the restart and then caught David Goode Jr. for the lead, pulling away in the final circuits. “This is a race we’ve always wanted to win, and it’s always good to get the win your first night out,” said Green. The three-time, and two-time defending track [Read More]

Whiteaker, Williams are first at I-37 Frostbuster

By J.M. Hallas PLEASANTON, Texas (Feb. 27) Oh, the irony of the show title. After suffering through a week of weather better suited for the Arctic, it was time for the roar of race engines as I-37 Speedway kicked off the 2021 season with its Frostbuster Saturday night after an open practice on Friday. With north Texas tracks suffering rain outs to their opening weekend shows, some drivers took the opportunity to travel south, or further south as was the case for several out of state teams. The track was also able to add the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars to the night’s slate running for IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing national, EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region and KMJ Performance State points. Debuting a new car can be tough sometimes getting all the bugs worked out but Steve Whiteaker Jr. proved that wrong, taking home the IMCA Modified 20-lap feature win on its maiden voyage. Danny Patterson was first to turn one but it was former track champion Rick Green going around him to lead lap one. Robby [Read More]

100 year storm forces cancellation of Lone Star Stock Car Tour

VINTON, Iowa – One of the worst storm systems the state of Texas has seen in a century has forced officials to cancel the Lone Star Stock Car Tour. Originally slated for Feb. 20-27, it will not be rescheduled in 2021. Significant snowfall throughout the state, power outages and lingering extreme cold temperatures for the region led to the cancellation. Drivers who pre-entered are asked to contact tour officials regarding refunds. “With over 70 IMCA Stock Car drivers pre-entered, the 2021 version of the Sniper Lone Star Tour was on pace to surpass 2020’s record setting year,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “The collective hard work by the race tracks involved with this annual IMCA Series in Texas, along with the effort of Jon and Jill Courchaine at Sniper Chassis has created a set of circumstances that are hard to accomplish and impossible to duplicate. Mother Nature was the only person who could spoil it.” The 2022 Lone Star Stock Car Tour will begin on February 19, 2022 on day two of Abilene Speedway’s 26th [Read More]

Sweet weekend for Gonzales with sweep of IMCA STARS Sugar Bowl Winter Nationals

CLEWISTON, Fla. (Feb. 13) – A last-minute decision led to the biggest win of R.J. Gonzales’ career. Gonzales swept the IMCA STARS Mod Lite Sugar Bowl Winter Nationals weekend at Hendry County Motorsports Park, pocketing $850 on Friday and then outrunning everybody for the big $5,750 checkers on Saturday evening. “That was the biggest win of my career right there,” the Colona, Ill., driver said following his first-ever visit to the Florida oval. “It took a while for it to set in that I’d done it. We started driving home Sunday morning and probably talked about it for the first two hours.” Gonzales started the weekend at Clewiston with a second place showing in Thursday’s race of champions. He led the last 10 laps in winning on Friday, then drew the pole and led all 30 laps of the Saturday main event. “We ran really good in the feature on Friday night so I put the exact same setup on Saturday,” he said. “We had a late restart and Austin Martin was right there. I [Read More]

Dotson hits paydirt in Superstition finale, Hollatz, Ryland also grab IMCA victories

By Ben Deatherage SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. (Feb. 14) – Ethan Dotson’s timing was perfect on the final night of Arizona Speedway’s Superstition Showdown. Dotson started third and surged to the front at the start of the $5,000 to win IMCA Modified feature. A pair of cautions waved on the sixth lap but after that, it was smooth sailing. The Bakersfield, Calif., chauffeur checked out on the final restart and the race remained green for the balance of the distance. Lapped traffic came into play the last five laps and Dotson slowed while navigating through the slower cars. Dotson maintained his lead but experienced a bit of a scare when his driveline spat out of his car coming to the checkers. “I was lucky it happened there,” Dotson said following his fourth and latest Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying feature win of the season. “A lot of things go into winning and not breaking earlier and drawing well are part of a package deal.” Tanner Black finished second with third going to Friday and Saturday winner [Read More]

Partain takes two on Night 2 at Superstition, O’Neil repeats IMCA Modified checkered run

By Ben Deatherage SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. (Feb. 13) – The second night of Arizona Speedway’s Superstition Showdown saw Bo Partain make two more visits to victory lane. The Casa Grande maestro repeated his winning ways from Friday in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event, then ended his evening by topping a Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod nailbiter. Partain quickly scooted his way from third starting to the front of the Stock Car feature field. Three cautions kept the field bunched up in the first half of the 20-lapper and while Partain felt some heat he managed to keep his cool and cruise to victory. Chanse Hollatz rallied from a deep 22nd starting position to end the race second. Arizona transplant Andrew Burg was third across the finish line. One of several double-duty drivers on the weekend, Partain put his Northern SportMod mount into the top spot on the opening start and then had his hands full for much of the 20-lap race with challenges coming high and low. Five stoppages were evenly spread out, making [Read More]

O’Neil strikes first at Superstition Showdown

By Ben Deatherage SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. (Feb. 12) – Friday would be the opening leg of the three-night extravaganza of the inaugural Superstition Showdown at Arizona Speedway and 117 entries, including 56 IMCA Modifieds, filled the pit area for the evening. In the Modified feature, Cody Laney showed the way at the drop of the green. He has his hands full and several drivers shadowed his every move. A caution bunched the field up and on the ensuing restart Laney again was getting nipped at his heels. It turned out to be the final restart and as the long green flag run developed, Laney built a comfortable lead. With the race staying green for so long it brought lapped traffic into play. Jake O’Neil, who started sixth, managed to run down Laney and eventually made the pass. O’Neil went on to grab the checkers to score the $1,500 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying victory. Laney was second while 14th starting Ethan Dotson rounded out the podium. Cody Thompson placed fourth over fifth finishing Kellen Chadwick. Bo Partain took [Read More]

IMCA STARS Mod Lites head to Hendry County for $5,000 to win Winter Nationals main event

CLEWISTON, Fla. (Feb. 12) – IMCA STARS Mod Lites are Hendry County Motorsports Park bound and racing for $5,000 to win on the second night of their weekend Winter Nationals twinbill. Tonight’s feature at Clewiston pays $750 to win and $225 to start, with $50 tow while the Saturday, Feb. 13 main event, part of the Sugar Bowl program, pays $5,000 to win and a minimum of $250 to start. National special events sponsor Yoshimura adds another $500 in bonuses to eligible podium finishers on Saturday. Friday sees the drivers’ meeting at 7 p.m. and racing following 8 p.m. hot laps. On Saturday, racing follows the 6 p.m. drivers’ meeting and 7 p.m. hot laps. Both race programs will be broadcast by IMCA.TV. Cost is $24.99 each night or $39.99 for a two-day pass. Viewers can watch at IMCA.TV. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and KMJ Performance Florida State points will be given each night at The Southern-most dirt track in the United States. IMCA sponsors giving special events and/or post-season awards to Mod Lite drivers [Read More]

IMCA opens loyalty bonus to all pre-registered Lone Star Tour drivers

ABILENE, Texas (Feb. 9) – Due to the upcoming cancellation of the other stock car tour scheduled the week before the Sniper Speed Lone Star Tour, IMCA will extend the $500 loyalty bonus to all IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers registered to compete in the Lone Star Tour by 5 p.m. CST today (Tuesday). Registered drivers who ran in January at Corpus Christi will be eligible for that bonus. All tour races now pay those registered drivers a minimum of $1,500 to win. The big week of racing starts with the 24th annual Ice Breaker at Abilene Speedway on Feb. 19, followed by opening night of the fourth annual tour at Abilene. The winner of the Friday, Feb. 19 Stock Car feature earns $3,000 while the winner’s share of the Saturday, Feb. 20 feature will be $2,000. Increases are parts of Brett’s Birthday Bash Doubledown as we celebrate the birthday of IMCA President Brett Root with extra money to IMCA racers. From Abilene, the Lone Star Tour travels to Heart O’ Texas Speedway on Feb. 21, Cotton Bowl [Read More]