News Archives

Becker-Gramm named new IMCA marketing integration director

VINTON, Iowa (Feb. 8, 2022) – Carson Becker-Gramm brings a wealth of on- and off-track expertise to his new position as marketing integration and sponsorship director for IMCA. In addition to working with current and prospective sponsors in maintaining and creating new awards programs, he’ll attend select weekly as well as special events including the Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour and the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “I like the reach of IMCA and the opportunity of its sponsorship programs. I want to utilize IMCA.TV and bring in new sponsorships to benefit drivers and tracks,” said Becker-Gramm. “I like the platform that’s been built with IMCA’s social media and the stories they’ve written to publicize their drivers and races.” “I enjoy new ideas,” he added, “and definitely want to hear them.” A native of South Dakota, Becker-Gramm earned sports management and economics degrees at Minnesota State University in Mankato. He interned at Elko Speedway and worked at Granite City Motor Park before taking the executive director’s post with WISSOTA in 2018. “My [Read More]

Cain collects IMCA Modified checkers at Challenge finale

PEORIA, Ariz. (Feb. 6) – A car that was good enough took Josh Cain to victory lane on the final night of Canyon Speedway AZ’s Winter Series Challenge. Cain led all 20 laps of Sunday’s IMCA Modified main event, earning $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility along with his first win of 2022. “There was only one caution and it was a good thing it came when it did,” Cain said. “Don Shaw showed me the bottom about five laps in. After the caution I was able to take the bottom away.” Shaw had his hands full with Chaz Baca before ending in second. Baca took third after having won the previous two events at Peoria. A four-time winner last season, Shaw was to rebuild his 2021 DeVilbiss after a January wreck at Cocopah Speedway. “It wasn’t as good as I wanted but we got the car good enough,” said Cain. “We’ve made a lot of changes in the car from the first weekend to this one.” Chanse Hollatz, already eligible to qualify [Read More]

Baca keeps learning, wins again at Canyon Speedway AZ

PEORIA, Ariz. (Feb. 5) – As the learning continued, so did the winning. Chaz Baca won a second straight Winter Series Challenge IMCA Modified feature Saturday at Canyon Speedway AZ Saturday night. The victory was also his second in 13 starts aboard a 2022 DeVilbiss Chassis. “I had kind of an easy night,” said Baca, contending for a third consecutive Shaw Race Cars Western Region crown in 2022 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible six times over. “I won my heat race, started on the pole in the main event and just had to keep her straight and smooth and not make any mistakes.” Zachary Madrid, the first-night Winter Series Challenge winner, challenged for a couple laps later in the contest but couldn’t find his way by. “I feel like I’ve learned a lot about this new car. We’ve kept learning every night out,” Baca said. “It’s been a happy race car at Canyon. Hopefully we can take it to some other tracks and keep that going.” Baca’s winning efforts were good for $1,000. [Read More]

IMCA Modified sweep for Dotson at Mohave Valley’s Showdown special

BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. (Feb. 4-5) – Ethan Dotson won the IMCA Modified feature at $1,250 on opening night of Mohave Valley Raceway’s Bill & Shirley Meyer Showdown. He doubled that payout and swept the weekend with the Saturday night checkers at Bullhead City. Dotson saw his early season success continue in his first-ever visit to Mohave Valley, winning from the ninth starting spot on Friday and taking the $2,500 win from the fifth spot on night two. “This track is pretty different than anywhere I’ve run before,” Dotson said following wins number six and seven on the young season. “We had a pretty good cart both nights. The weekend was not bad at all.” Already eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, Dotson used a late restart to his advantage in winning the Friday feature. He started fourth after the caution waved with six laps left, then motored to the front with four laps to go and crossed the stripe ahead of Dalton Houghton and Kelsie Foley. Dotson needed 10 laps to get [Read More]

Extra 2021 IMCA champions’ jackets now available

VINTON, Iowa – IMCA drivers winning championship or rookie of the year titles in 2021 can now order extra jackets directly from Intensitee. Supply chain issues last fall limited the number of jackets available to those awarded by IMCA to individual drivers. “Those same issues prevented us from making extra jackets available for drivers to give to family, crew members and sponsors as we have done for a number of years,” stated IMCA President Brett Root. “Supplies have now been replenished and any 2021 IMCA champion who wants to do so can contact Intensitee.” Drivers can email Intensitee at imca@intensitee.com or call 515 432-9367, option 1 extension 3. The deadline to place all orders is Monday, Feb. 28. Intensitee has produced IMCA champions’ jackets for more than a decade.

IMCA announces final 2022 rule amendments

VINTON, Iowa – IMCA has announced final amendments to 2022 rules for three divisions. Those amendments, explained IMCA President Brett Root, result from supply and demand, as well as shipping, manufacturing and component issues specific to rules for those divisions. “We are not in the habit of amending our rules after the season has started,” Root said. “But most tracks are still six to eight weeks away from their opening nights. We need to address these issues and give everyone fair notice because they will impact the building of cars in these divisions.” All amendments are effective immediately and will be in effect throughout 2022. The wording no gas ported pistons has been removed from Hobby Stock, Stock Car and Northern SportMod divisional rules. For Hobby Stocks, the maximum extended length of shocks will be 21 inches. For Stock Cars, front fenders do not have to match the body. If fabricated, they must meet the definition of OEM replacement for that make and model (steel only). Additionally, IMCA approved OEM direct replacement Camaro and Chrysler 300-type fenders [Read More]

Long commute takes Felker to Cardinal promoter’s post

EUNICE, N.M. – The length of his commute tells you how much Gene Felker loves racing and loves promoting. Felker takes charge this season at Cardinal Motor Speedway, where seven IMCA divisions are on weekend doubleheader cards March 11 through July 29-30, plus a two-day show leading up to July Fourth. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, IMCA Northern SportMods and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods, Mach-1 Sport Compacts and IMCA STARS Mod Lites all run on the 3/8-mile clay oval at Eunice this season. “I talked to a lot of drivers about promoting here. There is a lot of IMCA history at Cardinal,” said Felker, now making regular eight hour trips from the Four Corners in Farmington to get ready for opening night. “I like the IMCA rules and the fact that drivers from other tracks will be able to come here and race for points.” Northern SportMods, Sport Compacts and Mod Lites all make their debut at Cardinal this season. “There’s been an interest from drivers in neighboring states [Read More]

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings through Feb. 2

IMCA Modifieds – 1. Zachary Madrid, Phoenix, Ariz., 354; 2. Cody Thompson, Sioux City, Iowa, 338; 3. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 315; 4. Grey Ferrando, Stayton, Ore., 273; 5. Matt Aukland, Glyndon, Minn., 262; 6. Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif., 252; 7. Tim Ward, Chandler, Ariz., 247; 8. Tanner Black, Otis, Kan., 244; 9. Kollin Hibdon, Pahrump, Nev., 228; 10. Tripp Gaylord, Lakewood, Colo., 219; 11. Jeremy Mills, Clear Lake, Iowa, 214; 12. Devin Fouquette, Saint Cloud, Minn., 209; 13. Jerry Flippo, Bakersfield, Calif., 200; 14. Mike McKinney, Plainfield, Ill., and Russell Allen, Brawley, Calif., both 199; 16. Don Shaw, Ham Lake, Minn., 191; 17. Ryan Roath, Peoria, Ariz., 188; 18. Austen Becerra, Carthage, Ill., 187; 19. Bricen James, Albany, Ore., 178; 20. Austin Kuehl, Cave Creek, Ariz., 176. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars – 1. Paul Stone, Winton, Calif., and Zachary Madrid, Phoenix, Ariz., both 355; 3. Chanse Hollatz, Clear Lake, Iowa, 353; 4. Joe Schmit, Ventura, Iowa, 324; 5. Scott Sluka, Casa Grande, Ariz., 313; 6. Jim Horejsi, Marshall, Minn., and Josh Most, Red Oak, Iowa, both [Read More]

IMCA Stock Car driver Danos takes break from dirt to help send satellite into space

LOGAN, Utah – Growing up, Jack Danos never saw himself driving a race car or helping send a satellite to space. Now he’s done both. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car driver from Logan is a senior at Utah State University and headed a student research team that designed and built a cube-shaped satellite delivered by a SpaceX resupply rocket to the International Space Station. Only about the size of a Holley 500 cfm carburetor, that satellite (called a CubeSat) is equipped with a computer, solar system, battery, radio and most importantly a boom that inflated to a length of about a yard and an inch in diameter which will ultimately help determine if similarly equipped and larger satellites could be used to build structures in space. Deployed on Jan. 26, the satellite is now in orbit and sending data and pictures from 250 miles above the earth while traveling some 15,000 miles an hour. “It was incredible. I still can’t describe the feeling,” Danos said, after the seeing the first pictures taken from the satellite, [Read More]

IMCA STARS Mod Lites are Florida bound for Winter Nationals presented by Sunoco Race Fuels

CLEWISTON, Fla. – The stars of the IMCA STARS Mod Lite division are Florida-bound in February for the $5,000 to win Sugar Bowl Winter Nationals presented by Sunoco Race Fuels at Hendry County Motorsports Park. The Saturday, Feb. 12 main event at Clewiston pays $500 to start while the non-qualifiers feature that evening pays $300 to win and $100 to start. The Winter Nationals Weekend at The Southern-Most Dirt Track in America begins Wednesday, Feb. 9 with an open practice and $500 to win and $100 to start Race of Champions Invitational. RoC qualifying is open to former national and Winter Nationals champions, and to 2021 track, state and series champions and national race winners. STARS Mod Lite features on Thursday, Feb. 10 and Friday, Feb. 11 both pay $500 to win and $150 to start. New to the Thursday card is a manufacturers’ race. All three nights of racing will be broadcast by IMCA.TV. Pre-tech starts at 2 p.m. with pit gates opening at 4 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m. each day. IMCA Speedway Motors [Read More]