News Archives

Opening night Winter Challenge checkers fly for Thornton

By Tony Steele PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan 20) – The last time we wrote about Chandler, Ariz., driver Ricky Thornton Jr., it was February of 2016. Thornton had just come off of three victories in five Winter Challenge events before sweeping two nights of the Desert Classic. After an almost two-year hiatus from Peoria, Thornton once again sat in victory lane at Canyon Speedway Park after taking the opening night $1,000 IMCA Modified Winter Challenge Series win. Jason Noll jumped to the lead at the start of the 25-lap feature before Thornton capitalized about a third of the way into the race. Once in front, Thornton never saw a true test for the lead even after a handful of restarts. “I knew when I got the lead on the bottom I had to stay there and just keep it as smooth as I could,” Thornton said from victory lane. Smooth was the story up front as Thornton, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, picked up the win in his new Jet Chassis. Missouri wheelman Hunter [Read More]

RACEceiver returns as official one-way radio of IMCA

GAINESVILLE, Ga. – RACEceiver returns this season as the official one-way radio of IMCA, renewing awards given in eight divisions and at two of the biggest events on the sanctioning body’s schedule. Designated as the official one-way radio of IMCA through the 2019 season, RACEceiver again gives Fusion Plus custom driver packages to the runners-up in national point standings for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Late Models, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, IMCA Southern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. The same awards go to second-place finishers in all main events at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s and the RaceSaver Sprint Car Nationals in September. “It’s a great pleasure to be partnered with IMCA again this year. We find there are so many benefits working with such a well-run organization,” sad RACEceiver’s Joe Vinson. “One of those benefits is the great feedback we get from IMCA and its racers, which help us develop new products and offer better service. We are looking forward [Read More]

Speedway Motors Racer Appreciation Week is Feb. 5-11

LINCOLN, Neb. – Speedway Motors is helping racers get a head start on the 2018 season with its annual Racer Appreciation Week Feb. 5-11. We’re packing the week full of expert tech tips, new products, exclusive looks into our manufacturing, great deals, giveaways and more! Be sure to join our email club, visit us at SpeedwayMotors.com and follow our Facebook page to catch all the action.

Sports Park Raceway achieves goal of IMCA sanction

FORT DODGE, Iowa – The promotional team at Sports Park Raceway can put a big check next to the third and final goal they set for the half-mile speedplant last year. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts will run Sundays this season at the Fort Dodge dirt track. Opening night is scheduled for April 22. “We ran the track last year with IMCA rules and goals to establish our car count and grandstand attendance,” explained Jason Vansickel, who co-promotes Sports Park Raceway with Marty Pringle and Dave Doughty. “We wanted to be IMCA sanctioned this year, so now we’ve accomplished all three of those goals.” “It’s huge that we’re sanctioned with IMCA. This is IMCA country and it’s what the drivers and fans wanted,” Vansickel added. “This track has never been sanctioned before and other sanctioning bodies were not the answer.” A test and tune session is planned for April 15. After taking the last weekend of July off, season championship night will [Read More]

Wehrs Machine gives awards at 80 IMCA specials

BANGOR, Wis. – IMCA drivers at 80 designated special events are in the running for $50 certificates, courtesy of Wehrs Machine and Racing Products. In its seventh year as an IMCA sponsor, the Bangor, Wis., high performance parts manufacturer awards those certificates to a cross section of drivers that includes Deery Brothers Summer Series for Late Models competitors as well as the IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and IMCA Southern SportMod divisions. “We are once again proud to be a part of IMCA Racing for 2018 and we take great pride in helping out such a great group of race car drivers, not only with winning parts, but also product certificates,” company founder and president Chad Wehrs said. Certificates will be mailed from the IMCA home office the week after official race results are received. Information about the complete line of products available from Wehrs can be obtained by calling 877 460-7211, on Facebook and at the www.wehrsmachine.com website. “Wehrs Machine sees a good volume of [Read More]

Funeral arrangements made for Bill Egleston

PERRIS, Calif. – IMCA Modified driver Bill Egleston has succumbed to injuries sustained in an on-track accident. The incident occurred Saturday, Jan. 13 at Perris Auto Speedway. “We extend our condolences to Bill’s family,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “Bill was one of those drivers who made a positive impression on everyone. This is a sad set of circumstances.” Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 27 at Lifegate Free Will Baptist Church, at 2217 Geer Road in Turlock. Burial will follow at Turlock Memorial Park, located at 425 North Soderquist Road. Fellowship will follow at the church. Those attending are asked to wear their favorite non-black (unless racing-related) race shirts, sweat shirts or race suits, or something comfortable. Egleston, 53, was from Atwater and began racing with IMCA in 2007. His home track was Merced Speedway. In addition to weekly events, the 13-time feature winner was a frequent competitor at IMCA specials such as the Duel In The Desert and the Pat Pettit Memorial.

Hoosier co-founder Joyce Newton dies at 85

LAKEVILLE, Ind. (Jan. 16) – The racing world lost a legendary figure on Tuesday morning as Hoosier Racing Tire Corp. co-founder Joyce Newton, the matriarch of the company, passed away at the age of 85. Joyce, along with her husband Bob, started Hoosier Racing Tire in South Bend, Ind., in 1957. They had grown the company they founded into the largest producer of race tires in the world. The company owes its success to the vision and lean practices that Bob and Joyce established right from the start. “The thoughts and prayers of Hoosier Tire employees and distributors are with Joyce’s family,” the company said in a statement. Bob and Joyce were great supporters of the community in numerous ways. The centerpiece of their giving was Newton Park ‘A Place for Kids’, a state-of-the-art sports complex started in 1999. Additionally, the Newtons revitalized the old Lakeville High School turning it into a beautiful community center. Bob Newton passed away in 2012. Joyce continued to successfully lead the company until 2016 when the family sold Hoosier Racing Tire Corp. to [Read More]

IMCA Modifieds headline four Winter Challenge Series dates at Canyon

PEORIA, Ariz. – IMCA Modifieds run for $1,000 to win and berths on the Fast Shafts Allstar Invitational all four nights of the 2018 Winter Challenge Series at Canyon Speedway Park. Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 20-21 and Jan. 27-28 programs also feature IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods in $500 to win features while IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks chase $250 top checks. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Allstar Performance State and special series, but no track points, will be given all four nights. Larry Shaw Race Cars Western Region points will also be awarded to Modifieds, EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region points to Stock Cars and Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region points to Hobby Stocks. Pill draw is $25 for the Modifieds, $20 for both Stock Cars and Northern SportMods, and $10 for Hobby Stocks. Pit gates will be open throughout both weekends and camping is available. Grandstands open at 11 a.m. and racing begins at 1 p.m. Pit passes are $35 for adults, $20 for kids ages 7-11 and [Read More]

Record number of IMCA RaceSaver track, series champions to receive EMi gift cards

LINCOLN, Neb. – Drivers in a division that continues to be one of IMCA’s fastest growing classes will earn $100 gift cards courtesy of EMi again in 2018. The Lincoln, Neb., chassis manufacturer and high performance parts retailer gives those awards to IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car track and series champions. A seven-year IMCA sponsor, EMi also gives $100 gift cards to drivers starting the main event at the Labor Day Weekend Sprint National at Eagle Raceway. Thirty track or series champions were crowned in 2017, the most in the 29 years the division has run during IMCA’s modern era. Track and series gift cards will be presented during the national IMCA awards banquet or mailed beginning the following week from the home office. Information about EMi chassis and parts is available at the www.eaglemotorsports.com website, by calling 855 525-1941 and on Facebook @EagleMotorsportsInc. “EMi remains a key supporter of the growing IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car division and another great brand within the Speedway Motors organization,” noted IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “We aim to set another record [Read More]

Carter turns potential of Arizona desert into 25-year sanctioned Mohave Valley

MOHAVE VALLEY, Ariz. – Where others might only have seen sand and mesquite trees, Walt Carter saw potential in 40 acres of Arizona desert. The promoter of what is now the longest continuously IMCA sanctioned track in the state and one of the longest such in the Larry Shaw Race Cars Western Region, Carter now looks forward to the 25th anniversary celebration at Mohave Valley Raceway this spring. IMCA Modifieds headline the Saturday, April 14 event. They’ll run for an expanded purse and be joined on the evening’s card by dwarf cars. “We have been IMCA sanctioned since day one. I’m not a big special event guy but we will have a little something special for our 25th anniversary,” Carter said. “Weekly racing has always been our bread and butter and it always will be.” Mohave Valley held four sanctioned events in 1993, the first won by Wyatt Ehrp before Don Berger won the last three features and the track championship. Remarkably, just a month and a half had separated the first day of work [Read More]