News Archives

First Arlington wins of season for Becker, Schumacher

ARLINGTON, Minn. (Aug. 12, 2023) – New cars in victory lane gave the fans some exciting races Saturday for the Northfork Custom Meats Back to School Kids Night. Almost 200 kids received some awesome prizes donated by Arlington Raceway, fans and race teams. Brad Becker led the entire caution-free IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature from his pole start to win his first main event of the year. Fighting behind him were Jordan Robinson, Taylor Manderfield and Cory Probst. The three cars exchanged positions throughout the race but on the white flag lap, Probst got around Manderfield to take second. Gary Schumacher led the distance as he won his first Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature of the year. Cars were four-wide around the track and got together causing a yellow on lap seven, which sent Justin Dose to the pits. With only one lap remaining, Schumacher pulled off the win with Alan Lahr and David Marshall right behind. Gary Schumacher led the distance Saturday in earning his first Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature win of the [Read More]

First IMCA checkers for Van Straten fly at Shawano

SHAWANO, Wis. (Aug. 12, 2023) – On a beautiful August evening Saturday, Mother Nature allowed Shawano Speedway to host the first annual Retro Night. Several teams put together a few throwback schemes from yesteryear and oh did it bring back a lot of emotional memories of the cars and stars that once raced at the legendary half mile. In the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature, pole sitter and former limited late model champion Dave Lytie and Andrew Engels, who had his dad’s no. 33 on the side of his usual no. 29 machine, set the pace for what would become a caution-plagued feature. Taylor Sorenson used his fourth place starting spot to jump out to an early lead. Michael Springborn was on the move to contest for a bid for the win as well. The hot shoes of Tyler Sobiesczyk and Jeffery Teske found their way to the front. As Sobiesczyk grabbed the lead the top four of Sobiesczyk, Teske, J.J. Vanderloop and Bryce Clements started to break away from field. As the laps ticked away, [Read More]

Larson rolls out banner for 100th IMCA Modified win

FREEPORT, Ill. (Aug. 13, 2023) – Jeff Larson was beginning to wonder if they’d ever get to roll out that Friesen Performance IMCA Modified 100 Wins banner. The answer became a resounding yes on Sunday night. From Freeport, Larson became the 69th driver in division history, and the first from Illinois, to reach the 100 career win mark Sunday night at East Moline Speedway. “We weren’t running for points at the start of the season. I knew we were getting close but didn’t know how close we were until IMCA called me,” Larson said following his 14th checkers of 2023 in a TCE Team car. “Once we found out it became a goal we wanted to get to.” “Getting 100 IMCA wins was not ever a goal back when we started,” noted Larson, who’d become a first-time IMCA Modified winner in 2016. “We never kept track of all our wins when we started racing. Now I wish we would have.” The wins started to accumulate with 15 in 2019. He followed with 22 checkers and the national [Read More]

Services for Bill Haglund are Aug. 29

DES MOINES, Iowa – Funeral services for racing writer, historian and hall of famer Bill Haglund will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29 at Iles Westover Chapel, at 6337 Hickman Road in Des Moines. The editor of Hawkeye Racing News and IMCA executive secretary during a long and distinguished career that covered journalism, racing and all subjects related passed away Aug. 10 at the age of 79. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28 at the Westover Chapel. Burial will be Tuesday afternoon at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery. A complete obituary will be posted when all that information is available.

Thornton takes Bald Tire Bash checkers at Benton County Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (Aug. 13, 2023) – Dylan Thornton raced the top groove to a big payday in Sunday’s Bald Tire Bash at Benton County Speedway. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car special, which required a tread depth of no greater than 5/32 of an inch on any tire, featured a 50-lap headliner at The Bullring that resulted in a $2,500 winner’s share for the Keystone driver. From a row two start, Thornton battled pole-sitter Leah Wroten early for the top spot in the Christie Door Company main event. Working the top side of the fast, smooth quarter-mile, Thornton assumed command just prior to a lap five caution. He maintained the point on the restart and built a five-plus second advantage by the time the race was slowed again just past midway. As Thornton led, Kyle Olson, Kaden Reynolds, Tom Berry Jr. and Dallon Murty pursued. Murty made his way into second before a stoppage that put him on Thornton’s rear bumper for a late restart. While pressuring Thornton with just two laps to go, Murty spun [Read More]

Schmitt crowned king at the King of the Park

By Zack Krueger SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (Aug. 13, 2023) – Brandon Schmitt was crowned the winner of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature, at the end of a grueling 20-lap event Sunday at Angell Park Speedway. Schmitt outdueled his teammate Dan Roedl to pick up the first IMCA sanctioned event in track history and his second Fast Shaft All-Star Invitational qualifier of the season. Twenty cars signed in to run the $1,000-to-win IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Razor Chassis North Central Region and Wisconsin State points event. Drivers who have picked up wins at other tracks in the area and made the trip included Schmitt, Jeff Schmuhl, Don Scheffler and Dave Schoenberger. Other drivers competing included Bart Sievert, Doyle Buzzell and even Spencer Diercks all the way from Davenport, Iowa. Matt Rechek found himself running double duty in a Modified and midget. The main event would see Scheffler line up from the pole with Schmitt alongside in second. Schmitt took the early race lead as Scheffler and Roedl battled for the second place spot. [Read More]

Berry doubles up with Watermelon Classic, P1P Challenge wins

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 12, 2023) – Boone Speedway was back in action on Saturday night with the running of the Watermelon Classic plus the P1P Challenge race for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. It was a draw/redraw night for all classes, with extra money on the line, plus many bonuses and giveaways to the drivers. And of course, all heat winners as well as feature winners were also awarded a watermelon. Tom Berry Jr. made it a clean sweep in two IMCA Modified features, winning both the regular feature and the P1P Challenge race. David Smith came out on top of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Curtis Veber won in the Friesen Performance IMC Northern SportMods. Andrew Berg saw victory lane in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, and it was Josh May returning to the winner’s circle in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites. The headliner P1P Challenge race for the Modifieds, saw the top 14 drivers qualify through group timing plus earn points in heat races. They ran 15 laps for a [Read More]

Carter takes $1,000 checkers at Marshalltown

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Aug. 11, 2023) – It was $1,000 to win for Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods at Marshalltown Speedway on Friday night, thanks to the BHE Night before the Creek special at the speedway’s sister track, 141 Speedway in Francis Creek, Wis. Brayton Carter went home $1,000 richer taking home that honor. Jarett Franzen led the opening lap of the race but by lap three, it was Sam Wieben leading the troops. Wieben was still leading when a caution flew at lap 12 but he had big-time company by now with a pair of Oskaloosa, Iowa drivers, Curtis Van Der Wal, and Carter on his tail. When the race returned to green, Van Der Wal was able to get the advantage by going topside and took command of the race at lap 13. Another yellow would fly at lap 14 and this time it would be Carter getting the advantage on the restart and flying into the lead. It was all Carter’s race the rest of the way to the checkers, matching his win [Read More]

CJ Speedway crowns season champions

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (Aug. 11, 2023) – Friday night, CJ Speedway held its final Friday night race of the 2023 season as Midwest Frame & Axle of Iowa City hosted the season championship races. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds had a season high of 24 drivers. Kyle Madden led the majority of the race from his outside front row start but a late caution brought the field to his rear bumper for the restart. Madden was unable to hold off Jarrett Brown who came from a 12th position start to take the lead. The 88 team of Brown has had a terrific season at CJ and the win on Friday night earned him the 2023 season championship title. Madden ran second ahead of Brandon Banks and Kurt Kile. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars had another strong field of contenders. Norman Bean led the first couple laps before Matt Picray took over the top spot. Picray, in search of his first win of the year at CJ, drove a flawless race in scoring an [Read More]

Grabouski schools IMCA Fair Street Face Off foes

ALGONA, Iowa (Aug. 10, 2023) – Jordan Grabouski had a couple good reasons to get to the end of Thursday’s Larry Evers Fair Street Face Off feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. First was the $5,000 that accompanied the checkers at Kossuth County Speedway’s Thursday night special. Second and more importantly was the little girl looking forward to her dad taking her to her first day of pre-school the next morning. Grabouski started on the pole and led start to finish of the 25-lap nightcap, said his thank you’s from victory late and loaded up and made that all-important quick trip back to Beatrice, Neb., where he had time for a quick nap before getting daughter Jorja to pre-school at 8:15 a.m. sharp. “I had never raced at Kossuth County Speedway before but everything went great,” said Grabouski, who queried track regular Jeremy Mills about the nuances of running at Algona. “It helped drawing the one, of course, but we had a really good car.” “The car felt best higher on the track,” added Grabouski, [Read More]