Results Archives

Fraction of a second makes Saturday difference in Canyon Modified feature

By Lonnie Wheatley PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan. 24) – A tenth of a second made the difference between first place and second Saturday at Canyon Speedway Park. Ricky Thornton Jr. beat Tim Ward to the finish line by that blink of an eye margin in Saturday’s 25-lap Winter Challenge feature for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, which drew 46 entries. The 17th starting Thornton earned $1,250 for his efforts; he was already on the ballot for September’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Ward had scored Friday Winter Challenge honors at Canyon Winner of the second ‘B’ feature, Thornton ran multiple lines early on, was in the top four by lap 10 and was second when the 15th circuit was scored. Ward and Thornton had both taken the white flag before a spun car brought out what proved to be the final caution. Thornton, in Marlyn Seidler’s back-up car, moved off the bottom and higher on the track for the last two laps. “It was kind of a Hail Mary thing. I’ve won close races before but never [Read More]

Ward opens Winter Challenge weekend with win at Canyon

By Lonnie Wheatley PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan. 23) – Tim Ward raced forward from the seventh starting position to take IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified honors over a stout field of 41 competitors on opening night of the Winter Challenge Weekend at Canyon Speedway Park. The new Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier earned $1,250 and took the checkered flag ahead of defending track champion Ricky Thornton Jr. as Missouri’s Hunter Marriott topped his “B” feature and rallied from 18th to take third. Brian Schultz raced from 15th to fourth with defending national champion Zane DeVilbiss rounded out the top five. Ward was quickly up to second and led briefly before a couple early cautions. Thornton passed him for the front spot before two more yellows came out. After falling back to third, Ward got his opportunity when the caution flag waved again late in the contest. He went high to pass Schultz and then Thornton coming out of turn two and down the back straightaway, and drove to his first feature win of the season. [Read More]

Checkers fly for Baldiviez in Cocopah’s first IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 16) – The checkered flag flew Friday for Manny Baldiviez, on a night of firsts at Cocopah Speedway. Baldiviez won the first-ever weekly IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature held at Cocopah and in Arizona. The victory was also his first in sanctioned competition and followed an inadvertent 360 degree turn after the race was over. “The fans enjoyed it,” the Chula Vista, Calif., driver reported good-naturedly. “It was a pretty fun race and I really enjoyed it.” Baldiviez started fifth and had the lead midway through the 15-lapper. Nine cars comprised the inaugural field and runner-up honors went to Joey Essary. Local street stocks give way to IMCA Stock Cars this season at Cocopah. Just two points had separated Baldiviez from the final title awarded in that class last year. “I’m really going to focus on the championship this season,” said Baldiviez, a six-time street stock feature winner in 2014. “This track has been getting better every year. Their name has been getting out more in the racing world, which is great [Read More]

Seidler, Marriott rule Snowbird Classic IMCA features

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. (Jan. 17-18) – Travelers Marlyn Seidler and Hunter Marriott both experienced racing highs and lows over the course of Arizona Speedway’s Snowbird Classic. North Dakota veteran Seidler topped Saturday’s IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified main event despite a late-race collision with a lapped car, then fashioned a third-place finish after starting 10th on Sunday with a banged-up ride. Missourian Marriott cut his right front tire while leading midway through the opening night show and was scored last. He started 16th, charged through the field and passed defending national champion Zane DeVilbiss for the night two checkers. Both features paid $1,250 to win. Seidler’s victory put him on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational; Marriott was already vote eligible. An early shakeout left pole starter Seidler in fourth in the Saturday show. Following a caution with 10 circuits left in the 25-lapper, he shot to the front using the middle line and was still in the lead when the white flag was out. That’s when it got exciting. Seidler was unable [Read More]

High line takes Lawson to Virginia Sprint Series checkers

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (Oct. 4) – Brian Lawson used a high line move to take over the top spot and hold on for his third Virginia Sprint Series win of the year Saturday evening at Shenandoah Speedway. Chris Ware and Anthony Linkenhoker paced the IMCA Eagle Motorsports RaceSaver Sprint Car field with Linkenhoker out first and looking strong. Lawson showed speed early, getting around Ware and setting his sights on Linkenhoker. Laps clicked away with Jerald Harris and Tony Harris joining top four. Lap 12 was a rough one for French Grimes as debris cut his right front tire, causing him to pound the concrete wall in turn one. Linkenhoker took off following the ensuing restart but Lawson got going a little better was around to top side and into the lead on the next circuit. Jerald Harris moved in as Tony Harris faded. Jerald Harris made his way to second and with five to go and the fight at the front was on. He tried every line from top to bottom but [Read More]

Pounds, Hogge pace Pettit Memorial features

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Oct. 3-4) – Brad Pounds was in the right place at the right time to win Friday’s Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout feature for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds at Ocean Speedway. A morning spent in the shop put Bobby Hogge IV in Watsonville’s victory lane on Saturday. Pounds earned $2,003 and a berth on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot for his opening night triumph; Hogge, already vote eligible, went home from night two with a $3,003 paycheck. After starting outside Albert Gill on the front row, Pounds fell back in the field and had to work his way back up to second behind Kellen Chadwick. Just before midway in the 30-lapper, Chadwick pulled off under caution, Pounds inherited the lead and checked out on most of the pack. Thirteenth starting Alex Wilson, Kenny Nott, Jeff Decker and Austin Burke rounded out the top five. Hogge had won his Friday heat in a car “that didn’t feel right,” restarted at the rear of the feature after leaving to fix a flat and then [Read More]

Flatlander IMCA Modified checkers fly for Gemmill, Heim

GOODLAND, Kan. (Sept. 26-27) – Long runs at the front ended with Brendon Gemmill and Chris Heim $1,500 richer for their IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified efforts at Sherman County Speedway’s Flatlander special. Gemmill was scored first on all but the first circuit on Friday night at Goodland despite a souring power plant. Heim, a weekly regular at Goodland, was even more dominating with a flag-to-flag run on Saturday. Their victories put both drivers on the ballot for the 2015 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. A single caution slowed the opening night Modified main seven laps in. Gemmill’s motor started missing and it took a couple circuits for him to get his momentum back. “I thought something was goofy. I thought it was a fuel issue but I was down a cylinder,” said Gemmill, who nonetheless caught up with the back of the pack the last time around. “We’ve struggled a bit this year but made a lot of changes and now I think we’re competitive again.” Brady Coen, Clay Sellard, Jeremy Frenier and Bubba Alvarado [Read More]

Ed Turnbull tops IMCA Modifieds at Estevan’s Race For Life

ESTEVAN, Sask. (Sept. 21) – Ed Turnbull banked $3,000 after a mistake-free run to the checkers in Sunday’s Race For Life main event for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds at Estevan Motor Speedway. Turnbull started the 25-lapper from the sixth spot and passed Jett Big Eagle and then Mason Big Eagle for the lead on lap 11. He led to the finish, putting some distance on Mason Big Eagle in the late going. Steven Pfeifer, Travis Hagen and Jett Big Eagle completed the top five. “Late in the race I met lapped traffic in my line and went lower to get by,” Turnbull said. “Not knowing how far Mason was behind me, I figured one mistake and the party would be over. It was an interesting race.” He had compliments for Mason and Jett as well. “They ran a really good race and they ran me clean,” said Turnbull. “I kept the car on the high line and gained a little every lap.” Joe Flory earned $1,300 for his IMCA Sunoco Stock Car win at [Read More]

Thornton, Noll top Canyon’s Desert Classic main events

By Lonnie Wheatley PEORIA, Ariz. (Sept. 19-20) – Ricky Thornton Jr. and Jason Noll were $1,500 IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified feature winners at Canyon Speedway Park’s Desert Classic. Thornton’s 13th win of the year at Canyon came on Friday, opening night of the 26th annual special. Noll became a 2015 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational candidate when he collected the Saturday checkers. Chased to the line by ninth-starter George Fronsman, Thornton had drawn the outside front row spot on the grid for Friday’s feature. Mike Strobl raced from 19th to take the show position. Mark Stewart and Jason Noll rounded out the top five. Noll put a stop to Thornton’s CSP domination on night two. He raced from the third position to snare his first CSP feature win since topping the Winter Classic opener on Jan. 24. Noll crossed the stripe ahead of Ryan Roath with Eric Center, James Webster and Cody Graham in the top five. After tangling with a lapped car while leading early, Thornton charged through the field before cutting a tire [Read More]

Johnny DeYoung wins “awesome” Great Lakes Nationals

CRYSTAL, Mich. (Sept. 13) – Johnny DeYoung was the first and the final leader in Crystal Motor Speedway’s season-ending Great Lakes Nationals. Saturday’s $3,000 IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified victory Saturday night put him on the ballot for the 2015 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Chad Wernette was second, a couple car lengths off the pace, and Vern Buskirk, Kenny Playter and Jimmy Hale Jr. rounded out the top five. “We had a pretty good season to say the least,” DeYoung exclaimed, following his sixth checkered flag run of the year at Crystal. “It was an awesome race and it was awesome to win it.” He’d rocketed from dead last to win his heat race, then drew the outside front row starting spot for the 50-lap main event and led the first four circuits. That’s when DeYoung’s brother Myron shot by and set sail. In pursuit of a fourth straight Great Lakes Nationals title, Myron was pulling away from the rest of the field before his car slowed with ignition woes following a restart after midway. [Read More]