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New Kennedale promoter going old school with emphasis on Weekly IMCA Racing, fan interaction

KENNEDALE, Texas – New Kennedale Speedway Park promoter James Lopez looks forward to a return to “old school racing” at the famed Texas race track.  A former driver and car builder, Lopez takes charge after a lengthy stint heading tech inspection at KSP, where Saturday shows will feature IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. The IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season starts on March 6 and runs through Sept. 25. “We just want our drivers and our fans to have fun. We want to get back to old school racing this year,” Lopez explained. “We have worked with other tracks on scheduling, we’re raising the start money because we want to give back more to the guys who race for fun, and we want to find ways to get more fans involved.”  Driver interviews and fan giveaways are in plans for each race night. Fans, along with family members and sponsors, will be invited to join drivers in victory lane photos and a Summit Racing [Read More]

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IMCA sanction strengthens Mod Lites of Arkansas

MARION, Ark. – The sky’s the limit this season for STARS Mod Lites of Arkansas. The club-run series will be IMCA sanctioned for the first time, with 15 race dates scheduled at home track I-30 Speedway and five other Arkansas and Mississippi venues. “We’re averaging about 24 cars a night and the class has been continually growing. Becoming part of IMCA only makes us stronger,” president Bryce Vowan said. “Mod Lites have really been taking off and there’s no end in sight.” Opening night for the MLA is scheduled Feb. 26 at the Small Car Nationals, the first of nine Little Rock dates. Shows at Diamond Park Speedway, Greenville Speedway, Riverside International Speedway, Old No. 1 Speedway and Crawford County Speedway. The finale is I-30’s Mod Lite Madness Sept. 17-18.  “We are fortunate to have one of the best track owners around in Tracey Clay at I-30,” Vowan said, with dates at other tracks also helping the division grow in driver numbers and popularity with fans. “This class is very economical, very competitive, and the [Read More]

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IMCA STARS Mod Lites have new home at Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Race programs at Bakersfield Speedway will feature a fourth IMCA division this season. Half a dozen dates for newly-sanctioned IMCA STARS Mod Lites are on the schedule at Bakersfield, the first California track to add the class and already a weekly home to IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. “We’ve run Mod Lites the last five or six years, the last three years with rules very similar to STARS,” promoter Scott Schweitzer explained. “When we got news that the division would be IMCA, we knew it would be a natural fit for us. It’s an affordable and entertaining class.”  Most of the Mod Lite competitors at Bakersfield are hometown drivers, with a variety of experience represented on track. “We have a good combination of younger drivers and drivers who have raced a while, took a liking to this class and made the switch,” Schweitzer said. “One of the things that’s unique about it here are the numbers of fathers and sons, and husbands and wives who race [Read More]

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Batesville celebrating 50th season with new IMCA Stock Car sanction, rich special events

BATESVILLE, Ark. – IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers will be big winners all season long as Batesville Motor Speedway celebrates an event 50 years in the making. The newly sanctioned Stock Car division joins IMCA Modifieds on Friday nights during the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season that runs from April 2 through Sept. 17. Batesville then puts the finishing touches on its 50th anniversary season with the $50,000 to win Race For Hope 71 for IMCA Modifieds Sept. 23-25 and the $50,000 IMCA Stock Car spectacular Oct. 14-16.  “My wife Connie and I have promoted this track since 1993 and we want the 50th anniversary season to be really special,” said Batesville boss Mooney Starr. “These events pay a massive amount of money, especially for the Stock Cars.” This season marks the 22nd that IMCA Modifieds will race weekly at Batesville while the IMCA Stock Cars replace a local street stock class. “That had been a great class and we’d get 100-120 cars at the end of the season for a $10,000 to win [Read More]

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Ventura brings Mach-1 Sport Compacts back to California

VENTURA, Calif. – A second IMCA division runs at Ventura Raceway this season, with five races dates scheduled for Mach-1 Sport Compacts. The 4-cylinder class is on Saturday programs March 13, April 10, May 22, June 19 and Sept. 25. “This is a division we wanted to run last year,” said promoter Jim Naylor, who saw his 2020 season end in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We like the rules and we’re excited about them. We want to get this division going and see it be successful.” Ventura is the first California track to sanction the Sport Compacts, which last ran a full season in The Golden State in 2009, this year. IMCA Modifieds have run at Ventura since 1992. The IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season for that division opens March 6 and also ends Sept. 25.  “We appreciate the long-time support our Modified division has enjoyed at Ventura,” noted IMCA Vice President of Operations Jim Stannard, “and look forward to new success there with the Sport Compacts.” 

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Four are new to Fast Shafts All-Star ballot

VINTON, Iowa – Their recent feature wins at three different Arizona race tracks have put four more IMCA Modified drivers on the 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Arizona Speedway was the site of both Collen Winebarger’s Wild Wing Shootout victory and Jake O’Neil’s two Superstition Showdown checkers.  Lance Mari topped the Winter Nationals Hangover at Cocopah Speedway and Casey Skyberg bested a Winter Challenge Series show at Canyon Speedway AZ. Drivers already vote eligible winning qualifying events were Casey Arneson, Chaz Baca, Tanner Black, Ethan Dotson and Tripp Gaylord. The 86 drivers on the All-Star ballot now include:  Jeff Aikey, Austin Arneson, Casey Arneson, Chaz Baca, Eric Barnes, Brandon Beckendorf, Eddie Belec, Chad Bennett, Tom Berry Jr., Tanner Black, Steven Bowers Jr., Ethan Braaksma, John Campos, Cayden Carter, Chris Carter, Kellen Chadwick and Ty Clemens. Nick DeCarlo, Casey Delp, Shane DeVolder, Spencer Diercks, Ethan Dotson, Tommy Dove, Chris Elliott, Shawn Fletcher, Troy Foulger, Tripp Gaylord, Mike Goodson, Jordan Grabouski, Matt Guillaume, Michael Hale, Chase Hansen, Kyle Heckman and Toby Herring. Ryan Heskett, Kollin Hibdon, [Read More]

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Latture prepares for third IMCA season while pending deployment with Nebraska National Guard

OMAHA, Neb. – While preparing for her third Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod season, Staff Sergeant Melissa Latture is preparing to do her job deploying with the Nebraska National Guard.  Latture has served for eight years, five of them on active duty with the Guard. The human resources spe­cialist will go as fast as she can as many nights as she can before beginning her first overseas deployment. “I am preparing to be prepared to do my job. I’m excited about it. I think it’s going to be a cool opportunity,” the Omaha driver said. “I joined the military knowing this was a possibility. I got married last April and found out about the deployment soon after. A lot of life-changing things happened all at once. It was a whirlwind.” The Wood River native grew up in a family that enjoyed building and restoring classic automobiles – one of her father’s projects was featured on the cover of Ol’ Skool Rodz magazine – and cheered on her favorite drivers as a fan at Doniphan’s Mid-Nebraska Raceway. Two of her [Read More]

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Fans ready to welcome IMCA STARS Mod Lites to Texana Raceway Park

EDNA, Texas – IMCA STARS Mod Lites can look forward to a warm welcome from fans at Texana Raceway Park. The division makes its debut on the 5/16-mile dirt oval at Edna and runs along with IMCA Modifieds on every weekly program beginning with opening night March 6. The IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season championship night is scheduled for Sept. 25. “We had a local mod lite class with rules that were similar to STARS the last three or four years. We like the competition and entertainment value. These cars are extremely fast on this track and the car count is very good,” Promoter Owen Pittman said. “We jumped on sanctioning the division as soon as we saw the announcement by IMCA.”  “I’m an IMCA fan. They have consistent rules and a consistent way of business,” he added. “You need that consistency to grow and not become stagnant, and I believe our Mod Lite class is going to continue to grow even more.” Their distinct appearance is part of the division’s appeal. “Mod Lites [Read More]

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Mackenthun adds pink to Stock Car, promotes breast cancer awareness in 20th IMCA season

HAMBURG, Minn. – Weeks before the first race of his 20th IMCA Sunoco Stock Car season, Dan Mackenthun was already getting compliments on his 2021 ride. The Hamburg, Minn., driver debuts a pink-themed breast cancer awareness car, complete with ribbons in the hood and side panel schemes, when he heads south for the Ice Breaker Challenge at Abilene Speedway and the Sniper Speed Lone Star Tour. “A group of us were sitting around, trying to decide what color to go with this year. I never thought I’d have a pink car but it turned out pretty nice,” said Mackenthun. “The tie-in is breast cancer awareness. We’ve had family and friends deal with it in the past and present and this is one way we can pay tribute to them.” Car owner Don Gosch jumped on board with the idea and the compliments have in come steadily since the car was finished. “We’ve had a lot of people stop by and they’ve really liked it,” Mackenthun reported. “I can’t wait to get to the track where people [Read More]