News Archives

Time gives Toland a new appreciation of IMCA title

DAVENPORT, Iowa – By no means is Rob Toland ready to hang up his racing helmet. But the oldest IMCA driver to win a national championship has definitely learned to better appreciate his on-track accomplishments. Toland won the national Late Model crown for the third time, as well as track titles at his hometown Davenport Speedway and Quad City Speedway, plus the Allstar Performance Illinois State championship. He turned 55 six weeks after the point season ended. Listen to “Episode 191 Rob Toland” on Spreaker. “With age, we always appreciate things better. This national championship was pretty special to me,” said Toland, who also topped 2001 and 2005 point standings for the premier division. “I was second in points at East Moline and Davenport when I got hurt at work and ended up missing the last half of 2014 and all of 2015, so it was good to be able to come back and be competitive.” “It was an amazing year. I would have never fathomed I would win the national championship and two track [Read More]

Lessons learned in first title chase pay off for Grabouski

BEATRICE, Neb. – The lessons he learned winning his first IMCA national championship paid off again this year for Jordan Grabouski. So did his success at a slew of early-season specials in Kansas and Nebraska. The Beatrice, Neb., hotshoe parlayed a division leading and single season career-best 33 feature wins and two local track titles into the 2016 Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified national title. “When I won my first national championship in 2011, the points really went down to the last weekend and I had to win my last race,” he said. “I had a better understanding that the point season was 50 races and was more patient this year.” “We only finished outside the top five eight times (in 51 starts) this year,” Grabouski noted. “A lot of that was because as you race more, you don’t put yourself in position to wreck or get a DNF.” “We’ve run a crate engine from Friesen Chevrolet for a couple years and that’s been a big boost for us,” he added. “We had another year [Read More]

IMCA national awards banquet honors 2016’s best

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nov. 26) – IMCA honored the best of the best Saturday night, during the national awards banquet in Lincoln, Neb. National champions taking their turns on stage and at the podium were Jordan Grabouski, Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified; Rob Toland, IMCA Late Model; Andy Shouse, IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Car; Mike Nichols, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car; Shannon Anderson, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock; Jeffrey Abbey, Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod; Tony Olson, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod; and Nate Coopman, Sport Compact. Nichols, who matched Coopman’s single-season record with 54 wins this season, and Anderson became the first drivers in IMCA’s modern era to win career sixth national crowns in the same division. Coopman raced to his career fourth crown, Toland to his third and Grabouski to his second. Shouse, Abbey and Olson all earned career-first national titles. Modified regional champions included Cory Sample, Larry Shaw Race Cars Western; Grabouski, Jet Racing Central; Matt Guillaume, Razor Chassis South Central; Chris Abelson, BMS North Central; and A.J. Ward, Dirt Works Eastern. Nichols reigned in the [Read More]

IMCA Manufacturer’s Cup winner has new name, seventh title in eight years

GREAT BEND, Kan. – While the name engraved on the trophy will be different, BMS by Xtreme continued its IMCA’s Manufacturer’s Cup success in 2016. The chassis builder now located in Great Bend, Kan., had the top point total for the sixth straight year, and for the seventh time in the program’s eight years. Points are awarded based on the make of chassis driven by drivers finishing in the top 10 in each of the five regions for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds. BMS by Xtreme paced both the Western and Eastern regions and finished with 49 points. Razor Chassis ruled in the North Central region and was second with 37 while GRT Race Cars led the way in the Central and South Central regions and totaled 36 points. Larry Shaw Race Cars was fourth with 20 points. Harris Auto Racing was fifth with 18 points and Victory by Moyer rounded out the top six builders with 13 points. All regional cup winners get plaques and BMS by Xtreme receives a $500 cash prize and [Read More]

Improved geometry helps Gray to 17 wins, spot in national Southern SportMod top 20

VERNAL, Utah – Scott Gray has a greater appreciation for geometry after the end of a career-type season that saw him crack the top 20 national standings for IMCA’s Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod division. The Vernal, Utah hotshoe won 17 of 20 starts, along with Diamond Mountain Speedway and Millard County Raceway track titles as well as the Allstar Performance State championship. “I got a car that was new to me, a 2006 Elite updated in 2013 by Jeff Emerson, and that helped a lot,” said Gray, 19th nationally despite the modest number of starts. “We put the setup on from the old car, minus the shock package, put it on the scale and moved the weights. The front end geometry was better than the old car’s and that helped a lot.” He won 11 of 12 starts at hometown Diamond Mountain, breaking before taking the green flag for the main event on the second night of the season. Gray was almost as good at Delta, with six wins, a second and a third in [Read More]

Central Arizona hosts Nov. 18-20 IMCA Desert Thunder Nationals

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18 and 19, and for $3,000 to win on Sunday, Nov. 20 during Central Arizona Speedway’s San Tan Ford Desert Thunder Nationals. All three features are 2017 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying events. A minimum of $100 will be paid to start on Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s runner-up earns $1,500 with $1,000 paid for third. Minimum start money is $150 for Sunday’s 30-lap feature. Non-qualifiers get $50. Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods race for $500 to win both Friday and Saturday and for $1,000 to win Sunday’s 25-lap feature. Entry fee for the weekend is $150 for Modifieds or $100 for Northern SportMods. IMCA legal mufflers are required in both divisions. Racing starts at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Adult grandstand admission is $15 for one day or $40 for all three days. Kids ages 11 and under get in the grandstands free. Pit passes are $35 for adults, $15 for kids ages 6-11 and free for five and under. More information is available on Facebook and at the track website, www.centralarizonaspeedway.net.

Payne prevails for fifth IMCA Duel In The Desert crown

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 12) – Jeremy Payne extended his Duel In The Desert record to five career championships Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Payne completed his charge from 10th starting to the lead just before midway in the 40-lap main event for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds on the half-mile Dirt Track, then ran away from a succession of challengers for the $7,777 payday. The new Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier was chased across the stripe by Tim Ward, Johnny Saathoff, Johnny Scott and Peyton Taylor. Ward had started 12th and Saathoff 13th, while Scott came out of a last-chance race and made the top four all the way from 27th starting. Defending race winner and pole starter Lucas Schott was the early leader, with Ricky Thornton Jr. and Bobby Hogge IV right behind. Thornton used the low line to take the front spot away on lap 11, then got together with Hogge during a three-wide battle to stay in the lead. Hogge exited with a flat tire, Thornton was sent pitside for [Read More]

Friday IMCA Modified Duel In The Desert qualifiers go to Most, Taylor

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 11) – Josh Most and Peyton Taylor started third and finished first in their respective Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified qualifying features on night two of Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s Duel in The Desert. Most led Jordan Grabouski, four-time Duel king Jeremy Payne and Rob Sanders across the stripe in Friday’s first 25-lapper while Taylor won ahead of Jason Noll, Tim Ward and Stormy Scott in the nightcap. Most and Taylor each earned $777; the top four from each qualifier advance to Saturday’s $7,777 to win Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying main event. Most ran the low side off turn four to take the lead from Sanders the second time around the half-mile Dirt Track. Following a lap seven caution, Most, Sanders and Grabouski pulled away while Todd Shute had his hands full holding off Payne and Benji LaCrosse for the final transfer position. Payne took over fourth with 10 laps left. Grabouski closed on the leader as the front pair neared traffic but Most held on to win [Read More]

Schott, Sobbing ace opening night IMCA Duel In The Desert qualifiers

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 10) – Two drivers who already knew the way to victory lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway returned there on opening night of the IMCA Duel In The Desert. Defending Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified race winner Lucas Schott topped Thursday’s first qualifying feature, ahead of Bobby Hogge IV, three-time Duel winner Terry Phillips and two-time winner Johnny Saathoff. Sobbing, winner of the 2011 Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod headliner at the half-mile Dirt Track, topped the second qualifier with Ricky Thornton Jr., Lance Mari and Chris Abelson next across the stripe. Each Modified qualifier paid $777 to win and sent the top four to Saturday’s $7,777 to win main event. Total car count for opening night was 256. Drivers from 22 states and three Canadian provinces competed at LVMS and 17 states and two provinces were represented in Thursday’s Modified qualifiers. Schott drew the pole start for the first qualifier and held off Benji LaCrosse before Hogge moved into the fray halfway through the 25-lapper. Coming up to traffic, Hogge [Read More]

45 consecutive years of sanction awards to be given at IMCA banquet

LINCOLN, Neb. – Marshalltown Speedway will be recognized for sanctioning its Modified division with IMCA for 35 consecutive seasons, during the national awards banquet Saturday, Nov. 26 in Lincoln, Neb. In all, 45 sanction awards will be given to 37 different tracks for five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 35 consecutive years of running an IMCA-sanctioned division during weekly race programs. Receiving 30-year awards will be Luxemburg Speedway for Modifieds and Independence Motor Speedway for Late Models. Twenty-five year plaques go to Lincoln County Raceway and Ventura Raceway for Modifieds and Stuart Speedway for Stock Cars. Nodak Speedway and Skyline Raceway Park receive 20-year plaques for Modifieds. Boone Speedway, the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Marshalltown, Shelby County Speedway and Stuart Speedway have all sanctioned Hobby Stocks with IMCA for 20 years. Fifteen-year awards will be presented to Barona Speedway and Battle Mountain Raceway for Modifieds, Lexington Raceway for Stock Cars and 281 Speedway and Benton County Speedway for Hobby Stocks. Awards for a decade of sanctioning go to Diamond Mountain Speedway in Utah and Southwest [Read More]