News Archives

Underwood overcomes motor issues in regional rookie of the year award pursuit

TEMPLE, Texas – Not even motor issues over the last half of the season could slow Larry Underwood in his race to Charger Chassis Southern Region rookie of the year honors. The driver from Temple made the quick transition from the local Texas Twister class to the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock division, finishing second in the regional points race, fifth at Cotton Bowl Speedway – where he scored his first career win in the class – and sixth at Heart O’ Texas Speedway. “My goal at the start of the year was to race for national rookie but with Mother Nature, we just couldn’t get in more starts (he had 34),” Underwood said. “But this year was still great. I had a lot of fun going to the Hobby Stock after two years in a 4-cylinder class.” “I mothered a half-blown engine the last half of the season,” he added, “but my season still couldn’t have been much better.” Largely self-funded, Underwood is a truck driver by occupation so there were Fridays when he got [Read More]

Shoemaker sharp in first Razor Chassis South Central Region campaign

PARADISE, Texas – Cody Shoemaker decided he wanted to try something different after five seasons in a Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod. What he’ll try to decide next is where to display the trophy he received as rookie of the year in the Razor Chassis South Central Region for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds. “We had been in a SportMod for a few years and just wanted to try something different,” explained the Paradise, Texas, pilot. “The Modified handles a lot different than a SportMod but it’s a lot of fun.” Shoemaker won three of 42 starts, taking the first checkers of his career in the class on March 26 at Kennedale Speedway Park. He was runner-up to regional king Matt Guillaume at Boyd Raceway and finished eighth in the points at KSP. “We ran with a lot of good guys, like Matt, Kevin Sustaire, William Gould and John Gober,” Shoemaker said. “Our goal at the start of the season was to get some top 10’s or maybe some top five’s but we outran ‘em [Read More]

Foley scores IMCA first with regional rookie prize

TUCSON, Ariz. – The first female driver to win IMCA regional rookie of the year honors knew all about going someplace fast long before her first Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified season. Kelsie Foley, 19 years old and the top rookie in the Larry Shaw Racing Western Region, completed EMT certification during her senior year of high school. She started attending summer fire academies at the age of 16, going on ride-alongs during eight hour shifts with local fire crews and emergency personnel. On track, Foley follows in the tire tracks of her father John, who raced on asphalt and then dune buggies before taking over as her crew chief. They traveled in an old Dodge pickup and towed an open trailer to six different tracks in Arizona and California. “Our goal this season was to win the Western Region rookie. We looked at this year as a learning experience,” said Foley, who logged 28 starts. “My dad and I both had asphalt backgrounds so we came out with our eyes open and our ears [Read More]

Mighty Axe checkers highlight Kendall’s regional rookie of the year season

BAXTER, Minn. – Billy Kendall didn’t hesitate to answer when asked about the highlight of his first Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified season. The BMS North Central Region rookie of the year won the night two main event at North Central Speedway’s Mighty Axe Nationals, earning $1,200 and a spot on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “I finally got a win at the Mighty Axe and it came in a Modified,” said Kendall, who celebrated his 18th birthday a month after the point season ended. That was a pretty big deal for me.” Now a senior at Brainerd High School, Kendall started racing go-karts at the age of six and worked his way through the hornet, pure stock, street stock and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod ranks. He won five of his 37 Modified starts this season. “It was time for us to go to a new car and with the crate engine option, we decided to make the jump to a Modified. We had a really good season,” he said. “At the start of the [Read More]

Spearling makes late-season repairs to complete Eastern Region rookie quest

CLIO, Mich. – A former track champion on asphalt is now a rookie of the year on dirt. Aaron Spearling paced first-year drivers in the Dirt Works Eastern Region despite being forced to limp to the end of his first Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified season by a late August wreck. “We learned a lot this season and that’s what we expected,” said Spearling, from Clio, Mich., and a regular at Tri-City Motor Speedway and Crystal Motor Speedway. “We knew what we were getting into when we signed up for this class. You know you’ve done something when you have a good finish running with these guys.” He started racing in 2004 and won the pure stock championship at Spartan Speedway in Lansing three years later. After Tri-City re-opened, Spearling raced a street stock there on Friday nights and made two or three visits to Crystal every season. “We had decent success in the street stocks and were ready for a new challenge. The big thing we had to learn with the Modified was keeping [Read More]

IMCA crate engine track champions earn $39,500 in Chevrolet Performance bonuses

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Bonuses totaling $39,500 have been paid by Chevrolet Performance to IMCA drivers winning 2016 track championships while competing exclusively with crate engines. One hundred and twenty-one different drivers in the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod, Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock divisions won a total of 158 track titles with crate engines this season. Bonuses of $250 per track championship were mailed this month from the IMCA home office. This was the third season in the latest three-year bonus agreement with Chevrolet Performance, which has now awarded some $200,000 to eligible drivers over the course of the bonus program. “This has been a lucrative program for our members since its inception over a decade ago and we appreciate the support Chevrolet has shown IMCA racers during that time,” noted IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “We’ll continue to structure this program to put cash in the pockets of IMCA drivers and recognize track championships.” The 52 crate-powered Modified drivers winning 66 track titles and [Read More]

Further clarifications announced to 2017 IMCA rules

VINTON, Iowa – Several further clarifications have been announced to 2017 rules initially released by IMCA in November. A left front take-up spring will now be allowed in the Late Model division. The maximum spoiler width was increased from 72 to 72-1/2 inches while the maximum diagonal measurement from the center of the rear axle to the top of the interior deck was upped from 52 to 54 inches. No tolerance will be allowed in measuring either dimension, emphasized IMCA President Brett Root. Wording regarding standard weight axles tubes has also been added for Late Models and Modifieds and Root said drivers in both divisions should read those rules again. The rule implemented during the 2016 season allowing a claim/exchange for Stock Cars with the 350 cfm carburetor option but not the 500 cfm option will be continued. And wording allowing flat milling on the combustion side of the head only in the Stock class has been removed. “With the PRI trade show held after the release of our rules and proof reading by our [Read More]

Opening night checkers a sign of success to come for top rookie Johnson

MOORHEAD, Minn. – Luke Johnson accomplished the rare feat of winning his first race in a new division. After the May 6 victory at Norman County Raceway, he followed with six more checkers on the way to earning the national Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod award. “Winning rookie of the year and my first-ever feature were definitely the highlights of my season,” said the Moorhead, Minn., driver. “It didn’t get any easier after the first win but after we got some more things figured out with the car, we got six more wins.” He won three times in all at Norman County and twice each at Buffalo River Race Park and Red River Valley Speedway. Johnson has been a regular at all three tracks since his mod-4 days and is partial to the West Fargo oval, where he finished third in the point standings this season. “I wanted to go to a Northern SportMod and made the switch to IMCA, and I’m glad I did,” said Johnson. “I like the way these cars drive and handle. [Read More]

Crow rescues old car from weeds, wins Sport Compact rookie award

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – A car rescued from the weeds carried Richard Crow to the national rookie of the year award in IMCA’s Mach-1 Sport Compact division. “I had wrecked late in the season so I got my old car out of the weeds to finish the year,” he said. “I won three times in that car, twice at RPM Speedway and once at Salina Speedway.” From Grand Island, Neb., Crow had opted to race with IMCA because of the number of sanctioned tracks. He collected nine wins in all, with victories at five of the 10 different tracks in four states that he raced at. “We didn’t decide to race for rookie points until about a month into the season,” said Crow, sparked by back-to-back April checkers at U.S. 30 Speedway and Lincoln County Raceway. “We told ourselves ‘Let’s go for it.’” RPM ranks as his favorite venue. “It’s like my home track that I used to race at but has way more cars,” explained Crow. “I’d rather race against a lot of cars. [Read More]

Rust, Armstrong win drawings to attend 2017 Bob Harris Race Tech Info chassis schools

AMES, Iowa – Joel Rust and Adam Armstrong were winners of drawings to attend Bob Harris Enterprises Race Tech Info dirt chassis schools next month. Winners of 30 designated events for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds and 15 specials for Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods were entered in that drawing. Rust will attend the Jan. 13-14 session while Armstrong can look forward to the Jan. 27-28 school. All race winners received certificates good for two shock rebuilds. Modified winners were Chris Abelson, Kyle Brown, John Corell, Myron DeYoung, Tracy Domagala, Kevin Green, Richie Gustin, John Hansen, Bobby Hogge IV, Jeff James, Justin Kay, Benji LaCrosse, Josh McGaha, Hunter Marriott, Jay Noteboom, Jeremy Payne, Reed Payne, Travis Peery, Robby Sawyer, Johnny Scott, Brad Sites, Dylan Smith, Alex Stanford, Kevin Sustaire, Ricky Thornton Jr., A.J. Ward and Justin Zeitner. And SportMod drivers included Jeffrey Abbey, Justin Addison, Travis Arenz, Lance Borgman, Darren DeLoach, Kinzer Edwards, Daniel Gottschalk, Shawn Harker, Levi Kiefer, Johnathon Logue, Tony Olson, Tyler Soppe and Nick Spainhoward.