News Archives

Dominant run rewards Olmstead at North Platte

By Kelly Ninas NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (April 23) – Running like the wind was the formula for success at Lincoln County Raceway Saturday night in front of a capacity crowd. Colton Osborn, Josh Leonard, Casey Werkmeister, Jacob Olmstead and Richard Crow all earned trips to the winner’s circle. Putting on a dominating performance, Olmstead grabbed the lead on the fourth circuit and never looked back to capture his second straight IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock victory at North Platte. Starting in the fourth row left Osborn some work to do to get to the front of the field in the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified feature. Osborn snared the lead on the third lap and led the rest of the way to the repeat checkers. Leonard collected the checkered flag in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature along with the dash for cash. Leonard started the feature in the fifth row and worked the cushion to his advantage to drive his way to the point on the eighth lap and hold off all challenges to earn [Read More]

Top honors at Topeka go to Haid

TOPEKA, Kan. (April 24) – The era of IMCA Racing got underway Sunday night as Heartland Park Topeka played host to opening night and a total of 82 cars checked in to battle it out in four divisions. One of the most exciting races of the night happened in the Cars 4 Less IMCA Stock Car division. Bryan Rigsby, who has multiple feature wins at HPT, jumped out to the early lead but would saw his car fade as a problem developed. This problem for Rigsby would be a big gain for Matt Haid. Haid had been keeping pace with Rigsby and was ready to pounce on the moment. Haid took the lead and never looked back. Jim Powell Jr. and Dominic Thyfault gave him a run for his money, but Haid was just too tough on this night as he went on to the opening night win. It was a star-studded field in the BillsBuilt Race Cars IMCA Modified feature. Mike Striegel got the drop on the competition and took the lead early while [Read More]

Martens holds off Wood for Sprint Series of Oklahoma victory at Brill

By David Smith Jr. MEEKER, Okla. (April 23) – Jake Martens took the lead at the start and then held off a hard-charging Joe Wood Jr. to capture his first Sprint Series of Oklahoma IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Car victory of the season at Brill Motor Speedway on Saturday night. Martens started on the pole for the 20-lap feature and quickly jumped out front as Andy Shouse and Sterling Hoff battled for second. Martens opened a half-stretch advantage before reaching slower cars on lap seven. The fifth starting Wood had worked his way past Shouse for third on lap five and on lap eight passed Hoff. The first and only caution fell on lap 12. Martens got the jump on Wood on the ensuing restart and opened a five car length lead. Martens approached slower cars on lap 18, which allowed Wood to cut his deficit down to three car lengths. Heading down the backstretch on the final lap, Wood got a run on Martens coming out of turn four but the leader held on [Read More]

Jerald Harris does a wing dance at Waynesboro

By Jim Haines WAYNESBORO, Va. (April 23) – The Harris boys are trying some new wing mounts on their cars and they seem to be working as Jerald Harris went to the front and stayed there in Saturday’s Virginia Sprint Series feature at Eastside Speedway. Harris became the third different winner in as many IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Car events this season when the tour made its first of four visits to Waynesboro. Tony Harris and Bill Rice paced the field at the start with Tony Harris out front on the low line with Rice taking his high line. Jerald Harris made his way to third and worked on Rice until getting by on lap five, taking off after Tony leaving Rice to battle Humphries. Jerald Harris dove low and to the lead as Tony Harris was getting loose and had to hold off Humphries. Jerald Harris was pacing the field as Humphries got under Tony Harris, but lost it the following turn and took Tony Harris with him. Jerald Harris took off after the [Read More]

Dubuque Late Model opener goes to Merfeld

By Jerry Mackey DUBUQUE, Iowa (April 24) – The 2016 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season got underway Sunday night at the Dubuque County Fairgrounds Speedway. The racing action was very good and an added bonus, the final checkered flag of the night waved at approximately 8:30 p.m., allowing fans plenty of time to get home for a good night’s rest before starting the work week. The Out Pace Racing Products IMCA Late Model feature ran 25 very fast, caution-free laps with Dubuque racer Luke Merfeld taking his new Trackstar chassis to a very impressive win. Merfeld ran away from the field in scoring the win ahead of Jason Rauen and Luke Goedert. The Merfeld Brothers Automotive IMCA Modifieds also ran a caution-free race with Matt Gansen taking the checkers. Gansen was pressured for the majority of the 20-lap race by Jeremiah Hurst, who was waiting for Gansen to make a mistake that did not happen. Tyler Soppe scored his second consecutive feature win in the GSI Collision Specialists IMCA Northern SportMod main event. [Read More]

Schwein, Gottschalk repeat at RPM Speedway

By Mike Hughes HAYS, Kan. (April 23) – Jakob Schwein and Daniel Gottschalk both made it two in a row in their respective divisions in racing action at RPM Speedway Saturday evening. Schwein made it two in a row in the Cutting Edge Collision IMCA Sport Compact main event. Schwein led all 12 laps to make his way to the winner’s circle. Amber Bird finished in the runner-up spot, trailed by Brandon Wise, Toby Schwein and Billy Turner. Gottschalk made it two in a row in the Golden B Hydra Drilling IMCA Northern SportMod feature. Brenden Damon took the early lead and appeared to have the race well in hand, but car problems sent him to the infield on lap eight, handing over the lead to Blaine Walt. Walt’s lead was short-lived as Brian Davidson took the lead at the halfway mark of the 20-lap race. A caution on lap 15 put 11th starting Gottschalk behind Davidson on the restart and Gottschalk, who won Friday night at Oberlin, took advantage as he took the lead [Read More]

Berry impresses with Benton County checkers

VINTON, Iowa (April 24) – Tom Berry Jr. was impressed by the quality of drivers he raced with each and every night out this season, in his first 11 Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified starts in Nebraska and Iowa. On Sunday, the Medford, Ore., native impressed with his first Hawkeye State win at Benton County Speedway. After starting second, Berry worked his way out front of a star-filled field and took the checkers with J.D. Auringer, Scott Hogan, Ronn Lauritzen, Patrick Flannagan and Darin Duffy scored in that order behind him. “The car got better and we hit our marks,” said Berry, who found the best bite on the higher line in turns three and four. “We built a new car and once we get this thing figured out, it’s going to be a rocket ship.” He chatted with Auringer, a former track champion, for half an hour in the pits at Vinton after the races. “I was really impressed with how he drove. It was about the best I’d ever seen,” Berry said. “There are [Read More]

Van Genderen victorious at Boone

BOONE, Iowa (April 23) – It was night number two of IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly points racing at Boone Speedway on Saturday. Close racing, and exciting finishes gave the fans their money’s worth. In the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified division, Mike Van Genderen took the win from his eighth place starting position. He ran down Josh Truman after several laps of tormenting him high and then low, and finally taking command at lap 10. Truman kept Van Genderen within striking distance but to no avail and had to settle for the runner-up spot. Russ Dickerson charged through the field from starting 10th to take third place. Veteran Denny Pittman was fourth and Jimmy Gustin finished fifth from starting 12th. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature win went to Wayne Gifford. Gifford had the lead at lap two, and never relinquished it the rest of the way. Jay Schmidt had him in his sights for most of the 18-lap event but was never able to make the pass, and had to be content with second. [Read More]

Hughes, Struck capture CJ Speedway opening night wins

COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (April 22) – The 2016 racing season at CJ Speedway kicked off Friday with the action sponsored by the Louisa County Fair Association. Feature winners included Mike Hughes in the Kauffman Electric IMCA Stock Cars and Steven Struck in the Louisa Communications IMCA Sport Compacts. Adam Bell and Tad Payne led the field to green in the 20-lap Stock Car feature, with Bell jumping out front on lap one over Payne and Blaine Dopler. Bell held the top spot until lap four when Payne slipped by for the lead. The 11th starting Hughes took the top spot away from Payne on lap six and then pulled away to the win. Rod Staats was second, Dopler was third, Payne was fourth with Kirk Kinsley rounding out the top 5. Shane Wright and Bill Whalen Jr. paced the Sport Compact field to green. Whalen took advantage of his front row start to grab the lead over Brendon Schultheis and Jake Benischek. Mechanical troubles on lap 10 forced Whale to pull in and handed the lead over [Read More]

Abelson flies fastest at Eagle

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (April 23) – Defending national champion Chris Abelson was back in the winner’s circle Saturday at Eagle Raceway. Abelson held off Shane Hiatt for top honors in the Kaplan University IMCA Modified headliner. Roger Hadan and Bob Zoubek rounded out the top four. “It’s always easier when you start on the front row,” acknowledged Abelson. “It was a little rough in spots tonight because of the rain but there were different lines you could run to avoid them.” A total of 180 cars were in the pits. Jason Martin also parlayed a good starting spot into a run to the checkers, winning the IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Car feature ahead of Tyler Drueke and Shayle Bade. “I’ll say the same thing that Trevor said last week: It’s easier to win when you start on the front row,” Martin said. “We felt we had the car to win last week so we kept the same set-up. Next week it won’t be so easy when the handicap starts up. But that just [Read More]