News Archives

Bowers Memorial West Coast Nationals slated this weekend at Antioch

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2022) – This weekend marks the biggest race of the year for the IMCA sanctioned divisions at Antioch Speedway. It’s the third running of the Bill Bowers Memorial West Coast Nationals. The popular Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars will be competing on the 3/8 mile clay oval. The race pays tribute to long-time engine man Bill Bowers. He and JD Willis teamed up for many wins through the years and both are members of the Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame. Bill continued to be involved with son Billy’s team, which has won several more championships, including five with driver Troy Foulger. When Bill passed away, long-time employer and new promoter Chad Chadwick decided to rename the West Coast Nationals in his honor. The event is as much a gathering of racing friends as it is a competition itself. To highlight that, Thursday night will be the pit party, complete with a pizza feed, cornhole tournament and karaoke. The drivers [Read More]

Morris has whale of a weekend at Ocean with Pettit Shootout IMCA Modified sweep

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 23-24, 2022) – Troy Morris III had a pair of DNQ’s to show for his first Pettit Shootout outings in 2020. He has a pair of Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature wins to show from his second trip to Ocean Speedway’s season-ending special. The Bakersfield driver led every lap of Friday’s $1,003 to win main event and the last 18 circuits while checking out in Saturday’s $3,006 to win 53-lapper. “I was super pumped,” said Morris, who won ahead of Bobby Hogge IV and Cody Burke on night one, and was six seconds in front of Nick DeCarlo and then Burke on night two. “I was feeling good after Friday but to be able to win again on Saturday was really special.” “I grew up watching my dad race there and his birthday is the week after the Pettit,” continued Morris, who celebrates his 19th birthday in early October. “It was fun to go up there and win for him.” Morris started outside row one on Friday and had Hogge, a double winner [Read More]

Raffurty wraps up 30-win season with checkers at father’s IMCA STARS Mod Lite memorial race

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. (Sept. 24, 2022) – Dillon Raffurty’s 30th win of the 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season will be the one he’ll treasure most. Raffurty put the wraps on the IMCA STARS Mod Lite campaign with the $2,064 checkers at Valley Speedway’s inaugural David Raffurty Memorial, held in honor of Raffurty’s late father and fellow driver, who died in January. “This is the one I wanted to win most of all,” he said. “All kinds of friends and family were there and it was a great show. Winning Super Nationals and the race of champions again was amazing but this win was closer to home.” The checkers were his 16th straight since July 9 and 17th in as many Grain Valley starts this season. After his uncle Rick piloted his father’s racer as the pace car, Raffurty started the 20-lapper from seventh. Following multiple cautions in the early going, he was in the lead by lap five and then had his hands full with challenger Brandon Freeburg, running side-by-side with the Illinois challenger after midway. [Read More]

Denning, Veloz, Wauters are IMCA winners at East Moline

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (Sept. 25, 2022) – Travis Denning sped to the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified 20-lap checkers Sunday at East Moline Speedway, beating Brandon Durbin, B.J. Jackson, Anthony Guss and Jim Sandusky. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods have become the class with excitement and diversity over the last few weeks. Even after two weeks off due to weather, Logan Veloz continued that trend with the 15-lap win. He passed Quincy visitor Logan Cumby on a green, white, checkered finish for the victory. David Engelkens, Keith Wiersema and Ryan Reed followed. Daniel Wauters passed Randy Lamar and cruised to the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock 12-lap win. Lamar, Tucker Richardson, Billy Stanford and Keith Lilly followed. The 2022 season concludes with a two-day special Oct. 8 and 9. Details will be announced. Sunday, Oct. 9 also will be Hall of Fame induction for the 2022 honorees.

Natural Bridge checkers are second of season for Leavell

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (Sept. 24, 2022) – A clear autumn race night had an unexpected rain delay but it didn’t slow Joe Leavell from jetting to the front to take his second Virginia Sprint Series win of the year Saturday at Natural Bridge Speedway. Fan Appreciation Night at Natural Bridge had a fan meet and greet, after which a rain delay had the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars run a feature-only event. Caleb Harris and Bill Rice paced the field to green. Rice shot out front up high on the start and had Harris and Mike Leraas chasing. The track surface had changed from warmups after the shower and it was lightning fast as Rice continued to fly out front. Leavell, winner of the May 28 feature at Natural Bridge Speedway, found a groove and was closing in getting to second. Right before halfway, Leavell was there and not long after into the lead with Rice keeping up with him as they entered traffic in the closing laps. Lerass made it to third and was [Read More]

Championship Night ends season at Arlington

ARLINGTON, Minn. (Sept. 24, 2022) – Season championship races did not disappoint Saturday at Arlington Raceway as there was great racing action all night long. The Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature saw 20 drivers start the race. Marschall Robinson was the early leader but soon had to hold off Nate Coopman and the two traded spots for the first four laps before Coopman went pit side with a flat tire. Robinson led the next two laps before Jason Bolte, who had started 12th, got around him. On lap 10, a yellow came out for Logan Kelly, who had moved into second and Alan Lahr, who was right with him along with Brock Braunworth. The checkers were thrown with Bolte winning, Justin Dose second and Josh Backstrom third. Chris Hansen won the mechanics’ race. A first lap yellow flag came out in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature when a flat tire sent Cory Probst to the pits for the rest of the night. Taylor Manderfield stayed in front following the first of the next two restarts. [Read More]

Jordan Page Memorial this weekend at Southern Oklahoma

ARDMORE, Okla. (Sept. 27, 2022) – Three IMCA divisions take to the 3/8-mile clay oval at Southern Oklahoma Speedway this weekend for the 18th annual Jordan Page Memorial Winter Nationals. Main events on Saturday, Oct. 1 see Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds run for $2,500 to win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods chase a $1,500 top check and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for $1,000 to win and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Top 12 drivers are locked in during Friday qualifying and the final 12 cars in last-chance races on Saturday. Minimum start money is $300 for Modifieds, $200 for Southern SportMods and $175 for Stock Cars. Pit gates open at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. both days. Spectator admission is $15 for adults and $10 for kids ages 6-12 on Friday and $20 for adults and $15 for kids ages 6-12 on Saturday. Pit passes are $35 for one day or $65 for two days. Pit passes for the Thursday, Sept. [Read More]

Inaugural Gil Short Memorial wraps up Maquoketa Speedway season

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Sept. 23-24, 2022) – The 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season at Maquoketa Speedway came to a close with two big nights of racing Friday and Saturday. The Friday night racing program was headlined by the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. The 25-lap feature saw Spencer Diercks race to the front from his fourth starting position and go on to score a very impressive $1,200 win. Diercks took the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible win ahead of Kelly Shryock and Jason Schueller. The Modified feature saw a star studded field of 21 drivers take the initial green flag. Twenty-one Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods took the green flag in their main event. Former national champion Tyler Soppe set sail on the top side and scored the win ahead of Levi Laymon and Jarrett Franzen. The IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock main event was won by Daniel Wauters. A recently purchased car and the combination of Wauters skills proved to be successful. Kile Vohringer was also in an unfamiliar car and [Read More]

DeBenedetti makes rare Skagit visit pay with $10,000 IMCA Survive the 55 victory

ALGER, Wash. (Sept. 24, 2022) – After picking his way through lapped traffic, Jon DeBenedetti picked up a $10,000 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified paycheck. The Rogue River, Ore., driver made a rare visit to Skagit Speedway pay off big time on Saturday night, leading the last half of the Survive the 55 special at Alger. “At this point in my career, to be at the top of my game pushing 25 years and win this race is really special,” said DeBenedetti, newly eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “To come up here and be able to go against the best of the Pacific Northwest means a lot.” SDMF Chassis teammate Jesse Williamson was next to the checkers in the 55-lapper. Eston Whisler, Bricen James and Ian Whisler rounded out the top five. DeBenedetti was making just his second career start at Skagit after a runner-up finish in a weekly show there eight years ago and compared the Alger oval to Arkansas’ Batesville Motor Speedway. “It’s a very racy place,” he said. “I [Read More]

US 36 extends deadline for IMCA Missouri Nationals early entry

OSBORN, Mo. (Sept. 26, 2022) – Drivers will have until midnight tonight (Monday) to pre-enter for this weekend’s IMCA Missouri Nationals at US 36 Raceway. IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod drivers can go to MyRacePass to pay that $40 fee. Entry for all three divisions is $50 after midnight or at the gate. RaceSaver Sprint Cars race for $2,000 to win and a minimum of $200 to start, Stock Cars for $2,000 to win, B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility and a minimum of $125 to start, and Northern SportMods for $1,500 to win and a minimum of $100 to start on Oct. 1 at Osborn. Payouts are based on full fields of 24 cars. Hobby Stocks can run with local pure stocks. Total payout for the fourth annual Missouri Nationals, to be broadcast by IMCA.TV, is $55,000. An open practice is on the Thursday night card. The pit gates open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7 p.m. and racing at [Read More]