News Archives

Record number of champions honored at 2021 IMCA banquet

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nov. 27) – A record 700 champions and rookies of the year were honored as IMCA returned to Lincoln for the 2021 national awards banquet. National champions from both the 2021 and 2020 seasons took their turn at the podium during the Saturday night celebration of dirt track success. 2021 national champions were Jeff Larson, IMCA Modified; Cory Dumpert, IMCA Sunoco Late Model; Justin Clark, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car; Mike Nichols, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car; Dillon Raffurty, IMCA STARS Mod Lite; Kaden Reynolds, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock; Matthew Looft, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod; Matthew Day, Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod; and Caine Mahlberg, Mach-1 Sport Compact. Raffurty is the first-ever Mod Lite national champion. Dumpert and Nichols both defended titles won in 2020, when the banquet was canceled because of Covid. Also winning national crowns last season were Tom Berry Jr., Modified; Garrett Bard, Sprint Car; Cory Probst, Hobby Stock; Doug Smith, Northern SportMod; and Ramsey Meyer, Sport Compact. Both a video tribute to the late Jason Smith and remarks by Speedway Motors [Read More]

GRT Race Cars inked as new sponsor for IMCA Modified South Central Region

GREENBRIER, Ark. – GRT Race Cars returns the support in 2022 as new title sponsor of IMCA’s South Central Region for Modifieds. Now the four consecutive time Manufacturer’s Cup winner in the region, GRT will provide a portion of the $6,000 point fund to be paid to top 10 drivers in point standings for drivers competing at tracks in Texas, southern Oklahoma and southern New Mexico. “Approximately 70 to 75 percent of the cars we build are IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars and SportMods,” said GRT owner Wes Wise. “We want to support the drivers who support us.” Wise has worn many other hats during his career in motorsports, from driver and car owner to promoter at Central Arkansas Motor Speedway. He purchased the Greenbrier, Ark., chassis builder early this year, taking ownership on Feb. 1. “I’ve always been around GRT. It was local to us and things worked out where I had the opportunity to buy it,” explained Wise, also the owner of an excavation business. “It’s definitely a change of pace with a different [Read More]

NY-Penn IMCA Modified Series ready to invade New Jersey

BRIDGEPORT, N.J. – You know what they say, there’s a first time for everything. In the spirit of that, the 2022 season will start at the Bridgeport Speedway with a first for the state of New Jersey. For the first time since the IMCA-sanctioned Modified division was created in 1979, the open-wheeled beasts will slide around a track in The Garden State. After a successful 2021 season, NY-Penn IMCA Modified Series officials have come to an agreement with the Bridgeport Speedway to open their season at the famed New Jersey oval on March 26, 2022. Since the date was released, anticipation for the event has been high among drivers and fans alike. “From what I have been reading and heard from the banquet we had, drivers seem excited for this opportunity,” said Series Director Jake Maynard. “The fans in New Jersey are thrilled to see the IMCA Modifieds for the first time in person. Who knows, this could become something bigger than expected!” Not only will this event kick off the series’ season, it will [Read More]

Razor Chassis is new title sponsor in IMCA Modified North Central Region

PLATTE CENTER, Neb. – Razor Chassis becomes the new title sponsor of IMCA’s North Central Region for Modifieds in 2022. The Platte Center, Neb., chassis builder and high performance parts retailer will provide a portion of the $6,000 point fund to be paid to top 10 drivers in the region encompassing Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Saskatchewan, South Dakota and Wisconsin. “We already have a number of cars and customers in this region,” said Razor Chassis owner Travis Roth. “We build a lot of Modified and Northern SportMod chassis for drivers in the North Central Region and look forward to continuing to work with them in this new role.” Champion of the Razor Chassis North Central Region will earn $2,500, with $1,250 paid to the runner-up and $625 for third, $325 for fourth, $300 for fifth and $200 for sixth through 10th places. Drivers in the region will be required to display two Razor logos on their race car to be eligible for point fund shares. Information about Razor Chassis is available by calling 402 246-2021 [Read More]

Reese sets new goal, races to rookie honors in Big Daddy Southern Hobby Stock Region

SPANISH FORK, Utah – Just 10 races into the season, Haiden Reese set a different goal for his rookie IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock campaign. That mission accomplished, the Spanish Fork, Utah, speedster already has a new goal for 2022. Reese became the first driver from Utah to win Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region rookie honors, logging all 35 of his starts in his home state. Team Reese also produced a pair of state champions with Haiden topping KMJ Performance State standings for the Hobbies and his father Jason leading the way in Utah points for Modifieds. “I hadn’t raced anything before but my dad has been with IMCA for six years, the last three of them in a Modified, so I’ve been around it for a while,” Reese said. ”IMCA has a great rookie program going on and I needed to get into a class where I could learn. I spent November through April building a car and got it race-ready.” “The first time I practiced it was more car than I expected,” he [Read More]

Brigner’s EQ Southern Region rookie award is IMCA Stock Car first for Arizona

APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. – A driver who likes to travel raced his way into the IMCA history book this season. Larry Brigner became the first driver from Arizona to earn rookie of the year honors in the EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. While supporting three tracks in his home state and a fourth in Colorado, he complemented his first feature win in The Class Too Tough To Tame with 17 top five finishes “National and regional rookie of the year awards were what I really wanted to go for at the start of the season. We had a lot of fun and we were able to race at a lot of different tracks,” said Brigner, from Apache Junction. “I like the close racing in this class and that you don’t tear too much stuff up.” The runner-up in KMJ Performance State standings, Brigner finished second in point standings at Arizona Speedway and third at Cocopah Speedway. Career win number one came on opening night at Cocopah, in front of eventual [Read More]

25-year sponsor Jet Racing renews support of IMCA Modified Central Region

BEATRICE, Neb. – Jet Racing will mark its 25th season of IMCA support in 2022, returning as title sponsor of the Central Region for Modifieds. The Beatrice, Neb., chassis manufacturer provides a portion of the $6,000 point fund to be paid to top 10 drivers in the region that includes tracks in Arkansas, eastern Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. The champion earns $2,500 with the runner-up receiving $1,250 and $625 paid for third, $325 for fourth, $300 for fifth and $200 for each of sixth through 10th places. Drivers in the Central Region will be required to display two Jet Racing logos on their race car to be eligible for shares of that point fund. Owned by four-time IMCA national champion Johnny Saathoff, Jet Racing had sponsored special events, and also Stock Car and Hobby Stock regions from 2004-2009 and 2007-2009, respectively, before becoming the Central Region title sponsor in 2012. Jet Racing also builds Northern SportMod, Stock Car, Hobby Stock and Sport Compact chassis and sells a wide range of high performance parts and accessories. More [Read More]

Barnhill brings Dirt Works Eastern Region rookie of the year award back to Florida

MILTON, Fla. – Owen Barnhill started the season winning in the IMCA Modified his father Jesse drove to a regional championship before he was born. He ended it winning rookie of the year honors in the Dirt Works Eastern Region. “We set the standards pretty high for this season. I never like to finish second,” said Barnhill, 16 years old, from Milton, Fla., and now a sophomore at Central High School. “We had about five races left in the season and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to win the rookie award. I was worried about getting torn up and messing up in points.” Barnhill didn’t mess up much in his rookie campaign, totaling seven feature victories and another 15 top five finishes in just 26 starts. He was track champion at Northwest Florida Speedway and hometown Southern Raceway, as well as the KMJ Performance Florida State champion. His first three feature wins came in the 2001 Pro Chassis that his dad won the 2004 Gulf Coast Region crown with. That car had [Read More]

Askew returns to racing after 31 years, wins ROY in Razor Chassis South Central Region

PROSPER, Texas – Thirty-one years after he last wheeled a race car, Steve Askew raced to rookie of the year honors in IMCA’s Razor Chassis South Central Region for Modifieds. The Prosper, Texas, driver, teammate to five-time regional champion William Gould and two-time regional champ Matt Guillaume, made 39 starts at six different tracks, earning his career first feature win in IMCA Modified on Aug. 21 at Grayson County Speedway. “I knew I had the potential. Everything just fell into place that evening,” said Askew, who had posted what was then a career-best finish by running third the night before at Boyd Raceway. “I raced with William almost every night and was more excited that I beat him. He and (Gould’s wife) Dana were in victory lane with my wife Michelle and I and we got pictures. It was a cool night, very cool.” Askew had raced late models in Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas in 1990-91, earning rookie of the years at home track County Line Speedway. He stepped away from the sport, [Read More]

IMCA releases 2022 Hobby Stock, Southern SportMod, Sport Compact rules

VINTON, Iowa – IMCA has announced 2022 rules for the Hobby Stock, Southern SportMod and Sport Compact divisions. “There are a number of clarifications and revisions for the Hobby Stocks, and Sport Compacts are an all-OEM car,” said IMCA President Brett Root, “so we wanted to get the announcement made for those divisions as soon as possible. As expected, changes for the Sport Compacts and Southern SportMods were very minimal.” OEM or aluminum aftermarket replacement hoods, maximum 63×58 inches, and trunk lids, maximum 35×62 inches, will be allowed in the Hobby Stocks. All body panels, including the trunk, may be gutted and the use of unaltered aftermarket tail pieces will be allowed. “The supply of OEM trunks in particular is becoming an issue,” Root said. “They are becoming more expensive and harder to find.” The shock body, stroke and extended length must match both sides, with a maximum eight inch stroke and 20 inch extended length. There is a maximum 13 inch free height for springs and both rear springs and both rear shocks must [Read More]