News Archives

Frostbuster champ, middle schooler Mallicoat takes Boone foes to class in first SportMod win

BOONE, Iowa – Izac Mallicoat’s first Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod championship preceded his first win in the IMCA division by not quite two weeks. The top driver in point standings for the four-race Frostbuster, Mallicoat won his first feature at hometown Boone Speedway on April 17, holding off Johnathon Logue. The magnitude of the accomplishment didn’t escape the 14-year-old, a baby in the stands when his father Jason was crowned SportMod champion at the 2006 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “It was pretty exciting. It was cool to get my first win at Boone, which I think is one of the hardest tracks to win at,” said Mallicoat, an eighth grader at Boone Middle School. “I never thought I’d get my first win so soon.” Mallicoat was a grade schooler when he started racing go karts on dirt and asphalt, progressing to winged carts before getting his feet wet in a SportMod. His feature win came in his ninth start of the season. Lonnie Hodges led early on before Mallicoat slipped into [Read More]

IMCA STARS Mod Lites join opening night show at Salina

SALINA, Kan. (April 22) – IMCA STARS Mod Lites join the lineup just in time for opening night at Salina Speedway. The newly-sanctioned division joins IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts on the Friday, April 23 card at America’s Fast Track To Fun. “We’ve run Mod Lites for 10 years. The fans really like them and the drivers asked for the sanction,” promoter Tommy Hendrickson said. “They’re a good group that’s willing to travel. We get drivers from Iowa and the Kansas City area who come here.” STARS Mod Lites, he adds, are a good complement to the IMCA five divisions already running at Salina. A track champion will be crowned after April 23, May 28, June 11, July 2 and 30, Aug. 13, and Sept. 3 and 17 dates for the newly-sanctioned class.

Bethany Speedway starts 2021 season on May 22

By Myron Proudfoot BETHANY, Mo. – Bethany Speedway will open the gates for the fourth straight year in 2021. The same regular divisions will race for the fans, including IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. The United Rebel Sprint Series will also make two appearances. After the May 22 race, there will be two races each month in June (5 and 26), two in July (10 and 24), two in August (7 and 21), then September will have races during the Northwest Missouri State Fair on the 5th and 6th and championship night on the 25th. Bethany Speedway reopened in 2018 after 17 years of only having two races in 2010 and Labor Day weekend fair races for that period of time. Each year crowd numbers continue to grow as new fans come into the sport and old fans return. The same can be said for drivers. New, young drivers continue to write their names in the list of drivers at Bethany, while veterans who raced there in the 1990’s also continue to throw the dirt [Read More]

Paul prevails in opener at Petaluma

By Ben Deatherage PETALUMA, Calif. (April 17) – IMCA Modifieds made their 2021 debut at Petaluma Speedway on Saturday and Michael Paul Jr. was the driver showing the fastest way around the historic Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds adobe clay facility. Bobby Montalvo opened the main event up by procuring the lead on the opening start before being forced to deal with a restart after a caution on lap three. On the ensuing restart, it was Paul bringing the heat on the leader. Paul captured the top spot, on lap four. The Petaluma veteran had to worry about handling two restarts once he took over the lead. After some brief heavy pressure briefly after one of the returns to green flag action, it was pretty much pure dominance by Paul in the 20-lap affair. Tim Balding ended his night second while Anthony Slaney placed third. The rest of the top five consisted of Montalvo and Paul’s wife Michelle.

Springfield Raceway hosts EMS Night at the Races

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – IMCA Modifieds sponsored locally by Bad Boy Mowers swing back into action Saturday night at The Quick Quarter of the action-packed Springfield Raceway. It will be EMS Night at the Races as Emergency Service Personnel receive free grandstand admission to the Dirt track racing action. Those who put it all on the line for us, including law enforcement, fire and rescue personnel, ambulance and those who keep us safe and sound need to bring ID for the door-to-door action that Springfield provides. Former track champion James Thompson has scored a win and runner up split with Steven Bowers thus far. Pit gates open at 2:45 p.m., with the grandstands opening and driver check-in ending at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are at 5:30 p.m. with racing to start at 6 p.m. Grandstand admission for adults is just $15 with kids school age $2 and five and under is Free. Adult pit passes are $35. More information is at Springfield Raceway Facebook and the website to the track “Where the racing never disappoints.”

Bob Harris Enterprises gives special event awards in ninth IMCA sponsorship season

AMES, Iowa – Special events competitors in five IMCA divisions are in the running for awards from Bob Harris Enterprises again in 2021. The Ames, Iowa, company and nine-year sponsor gives two free shock rebuilds to a top five finisher at each of 30 IMCA Modified, 15 Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod, 15 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and 10 IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock special events. And a drawing will be held following the regular point season to award Race Tech Info Dirt Chassis School packages to one driver in the Modified, Stock Car, Hobby Stock and SportMod divisions. Drawing winners last year were Chris Elliott, Modified; Jeff Mueller, Stock Car; Eric Knutson, Hobby Stock; and Darren Medler, SportMod. Certificates for shock rebuilds are mailed after special events results are received at the IMCA home office. Race Tech Info seminar certificates will be sent in December. Bob Harris Enterprises also awards two free shock rebuilds to drivers with fastest, and slowest green lap times in the Modified, Stock Car, Hobby Stock [Read More]

URSS starts season Saturday at Dodge City

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Last week’s originally scheduled season opener at 81 Speedway for the Drive to Zero POWRi United Rebel Sprint Series presented by Mel Hambelton Ford Racing was postponed due to inclement weather. As a result, the season is now slated to kick off this Saturday, April 24 at Dodge City Raceway Park in Dodge City, Kan. The 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval opens this year under new management. Long-time Sprint Car driver Craig Dollansky and his team have devoted hours of time and enhancements to the facility leading up to the season. A great field of cars is expected as drivers and teams look forward to racing under the new improvements and promoter. Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday with the green flag flying over competition at 7 p.m. Grandstand admission is $10 with kids 12 and under admitted free of charge. The United Rebel Sprint Series will also award last year’s competitors with their respective trophies during or after the competition Saturday night. The series has partnered with the Drive to Zero [Read More]

PASS joins Open Wheel Madness at Port Royal

PORT ROYAL, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Sprint Series will be a part of Open Wheel Madness Saturday, April 24 at Port Royal Speedway. It’s the first of three Madness shows for PASS IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car teams; the others will be July 17 and Aug. 21. PASS will run a 20-lap feature each night at the Juniata County Speed Palace. This weekend’s show will be the second of 11 scheduled for PASS at Port Royal this season. ‘Nitro’ Nick Sweigart took the first on April 3. In the COVID-abbreviated 2020 season, PASS raced at the Port seven times, with Garrett Bard winning four of those events on his way to series, KMJ Performance State and IMCA RaceSaver National titles; he also was Port Royal track champ. Sweigart captured two wins and Derek Hauck won once. Sweigart and Bard are pre-registered for Saturday’s race, as is 2019 PASS, IMCA RaceSaver National and Port Royal Speedway champion Ken Duke Jr. Nathan Gramley, the 2016 track champion, also is expected. All total, more than 50 teams have pre-registered for the race. Gates open [Read More]

Drager, Bloom are IMCA winners at Cottage Grove

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (April 17) – Cottage Grove Speedway got back to its racing ways on Saturday, April 17 with feature wins going to Matthew Drager in the IMCA Modifieds and Aaron Bloom in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. The Modified main event was an absolute thriller. Chad Groves got his mount to the early race lead before Drager managed to hunt him down and overtake him at the line on the third complete circuit. On lap four, Groves went back in front but Drager reclaimed the position on the following lap. However, a caution would be waved before the fifth trip could be officially completed, giving the first place position back to Groves. On the upcoming restart, Drager was able to make it around Groves for the fifth lead change in as many laps. Drager had his hands full with both Groves and Jake Mayden turning up the heat. A couple yellow flags waved around the halfway mark, which kept the field tightly knit together. After a lap 14 restart, Groves stormed past Drager which [Read More]

Ferrando captures Grays Harbor opener

By Ben Deatherage ELMA, Wash. (April 17) – Engines fired up for the first time in 2021 at Grays Harbor Raceway on Saturday with 21 IMCA Modifieds contesting the evening’s main event. Tyson Blood moved his way into first place on the first lap. Devan West hunted down Blood in lapped traffic and overtook him for the lead. However, the pass was negated due to a yellow flag coming out before the lap could get registered, handing the top spot back to Blood. Several late-race restarts turned up the intensity for Blood. A lap 23 restart resumed the race and set up an opportunity for Grey Ferrando to have a shot at the coveted position. Despite starting all the way back in 18th, Ferrando worked his way patiently and methodically towards the front. As the white flag dropped, Ferrando found the opening he needed to challenge Blood. The two raced each other hard but it was Ferrando who had the advantage coming off the second corner and down the back straightaway. Ferrando went on to become the first driver to [Read More]