Results Archives

New promoter brings great expectations to Central Arizona

CASA Grande, Ariz. – New promoter David Ellis has great expectations for Central Arizona Speedway. Ellis took charge of the 3/8-mile clay oval late last year. He quickly began getting the facility shipshape for the first appearance of the year by IMCA Modifieds and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods at Casa Grande, during the Arizona IMCA Modified Tour. “I have a vision. I want Central Arizona to be one of the tracks in the country that people want to go to,” Ellis said. “When I jumped on this thing, there was a list of things I wanted to do.” A new speaker system for both the pit area and grandstand has been installed and new lighting put up in the pit and spectator parking areas. Ellis raced in a stock car class in his native state of Massachusetts before moving to Arizona in the mid-1970s. The former car owner describes himself as “an open-wheel guy” and builds sprint cars and midgets. He started a local micro sprint class designed for younger drivers and promoted a number [Read More]

Vlasity starts season with three straight wins at Canyon Winter Challenge Series

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Joe Vlasity’s main goal this season is just to get his new IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock built. After starting 2018 with three straight feature wins and then a runner-up finish in the Winter Challenge Series finale at home track Canyon Speedway Park, he’s started to think more about a couple other objectives. “Last year, we bought an Eliminator Chassis out of Iowa. Our main goal this year is to get that built, hopefully by the end of February,” said Vlasity, who won seven of 12 starts in 2017 in a older home-built car he’d bought and then converted from the local factory stock class. “What I want to do this year is run for state and track championships.” Early season track conditions favored the Illinois native, by profession a mechanic for the City of Glendale and a regular at Canyon for most of 10 years. “I’m pretty used to dryslick and that’s the way the track went all four nights,” Vlasity said following his Jan. 20, 21 and 27 wins and the [Read More]

IMCA Sport Compacts make March debut at Canyon

PEORIA, Ariz. – A Facebook page has already been started for the class in Arizona, plenty of time before Mach-1 Sport Compacts make their debut at Canyon Speedway Park on March 3. The four-cylinder class also runs there March 9, 10 and 24, April 13 and 14, May 26 and 27, and Sept. 29. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Allstar Performance State and track points will be awarded each night and Canyon promoter Doug Gabbard is confident the economy of the division will lead to a great race for those first-ever state and track championships. “It’s a division young drivers can start their careers in. We really don’t have an entry level division so these cars will really fill a void,” he explained. “We’re comfortable with IMCA’s philosophy. One of the things we like best is that they keep the rules the same from one year to the next. They’re very focused on cost,” Gabbard continued. “Once people see these cars, they’ll really take off.” Canyon also sanctions the IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Stock [Read More]

Crate engine purchase in February is good for $250 rebate from Chevrolet Performance

VINTON, Iowa – It’s like Christmas in February. Chevrolet Performance is giving $250 rebates to IMCA drivers purchasing GM 602 or GM 604 crate engines during the month of February. Drivers planning to buy a 602 or 604 crate can contact an authorized dealer, such as Karl Performance, Friesen Chevrolet or Kupper Chevrolet, for Deal Of The Month details and a rebate form. The offer is good from Feb. 1 through Feb. 28; rebate forms must be postmarked no later than March 31, 2018 and it should take six to eight weeks for drivers to receive a $250 debit card. A rebate form and more information about the Deal Of The Month is available at the Chevrolet.com/performance/offers website.

Dodge City primed for big 2018 season with awards banquet in the books

By Lonnie Wheatley DODGE CITY, Kan. (Jan. 27) – Setting the stage for a stellar 2018 racing season, Dodge City Raceway Park competitors and fans celebrated the recently-completed 2017 season with Saturday night’s annual Awards Banquet. More than 200 attendees took in Saturday night’s festivities at the Western State Bank Expo adjacent to the 3/8-mile Dodge City clay oval with the top contenders in each of the track’s five championship chase divisions recognized during the evening. Taking top accolades in each division were Clay Sellard in the IMCA Modifieds, Jeff Kaup in the IMCA SportMods, Angel Munoz in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Reagan Sellard in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Taylor Velasquez in Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars, While others among the top 10 and each champion also picked up their hardware and point fund monies, Munoz picked up an extra $100 and the 2017 DCRP Feature Winner board for racking up the most feature wins over the course of the season. Munoz racked up six wins to top the overall win charts [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]

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]

Celebration of life planned Sunday for Bill Davis Sr.

DES MOINES, Iowa – His family and friends will have a lifetime of memories to share at Bill Davis Sr.’s celebration of life. Davis, 75 years old and a two-time IMCA Modified national champion, died Wednesday afternoon at Mercy Hospital in his hometown of Des Moines. The celebration of his very full life will be held Sunday, Jan. 14 from 1-4 p.m. at Hamilton’s Southtown Funeral Home, 5400 SW 9th Street in Des Moines. Those attending are welcome to wear racing shirts and bring stories and pictures to share. “Bill was another of the drivers who began racing an IMCA Modified in the early days of the division and really helped us lay the foundation for its success,” said former IMCA president Kathy Root, now chair of the sanctioning body’s executive committee. “He remains one of our most accomplished drivers. We extend our most sincere condolences to his family and friends.” Davis began racing an IMCA Modified in the mid-1980s. He won 27 features in 1989 and again in 1990 to become the first driver [Read More]

Flinn earns Promoter of the Year nomination

CRYSTAL, Mich. – Crystal Motor Speedway promoter Ron Flinn is one of six nominees for Racing Promotion Monthly’s Auto Racing Promoter of the Year award. The ARPY is short track racing’s most prestigious annual award. Nominees hail from six different regions, with Flinn the promoter of the year in RPM’s Central Region. Crystal was recognized with a 30-year Modified sanction award at the IMCA banquet last fall. The Auto Racing Promoter of the Year will be revealed during the 45th annual RPM Workshop at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort at Daytona Beach, Fla., on Feb. 12.