Modified

Kaeding Classic is stage for Frazier’s first feature win

By Steven Blakesley Blakesley Sports Media WATSONVILLE, Calif. (July 12, 2024) – Opening night at Ocean Speedway’s 14th annual Howard Kaeding Classic saw Matthew Frazier collect top honors in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main event. The win was the career first for Frazier, 15 years old and a sophomore-to-be at St. Joseph High School in his hometown of Santa Maria. “It’s a pretty crazy feeling to get my first win in my second season” in the class, said Frazier, who topped the 20-lap contest over a 16-car field. “There was a lot of excitement at the end. I pretty much wanted to yell.” Jeff Mead led the opening lap after starting third. Frazier started seventh and used a restart on lap two to advance to second. A caution on lap four allowed Frazier to challenge Mead for the lead. Frazier jumped inside to lead lap five. Emali VanHoff and Mead battled for second place through a series of cautions in a challenging race. Frazier got away cleanly on a green, white, checkered finish attempt [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Mass fires on all cylinders at .38 Special

By Ben Deatherage RAPID CITY, S.D. (July 12, 2024) – The final checkers thrown Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric, Eric Mass made a beeline for his home turf and the .38 Special for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at Black Hills Speedway. Then he made a beeline for victory lane to collect the $1,000 payday and accompanying Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Mass led from lap 14 to the green, white, checkered finish, the win his ninth of 2024. Brent Nielsen and Travis Tooley were next across the stripe. Nielsen had grabbed the initial race lead going into the first set of corners and held on to first place while a melee for second occurred. Tooley stayed ahead of Connor Friske and Mass on the second circuit, with Mass in close proximity.  On lap three, Friske ripped the top to get around Mass and then worked on Tooley. With four circuits complete, Friske got a little too close to the outside wall, which killed his momentum, resulting in Mass getting around him [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Smith, Veber, Burg get first Boone wins of season

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (July 13, 2024) – Devin Smith, Curtis Veber and Keith Burg all won first features of the season at Boone Speedway Saturday evening. It was another top notch night of racing Saturday night, on a typical hot and humid July night in Iowa. Jimmy Gustin got the crown in the King of the Hill for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, while Jake McBirnie returned to victory lane for another feature win in the division and Travis Stensland kept racking up wins in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites. Smith took the high road in capturing the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature, Veber won in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Burg took the checkers in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Feature racing kicked off with the 15-lap main event for the Mod Lites. Stensland wasted no time in getting to the front. He started sixth, had the lead at lap one and never looked back in a race that went caution-free. He had no issues with lapped traffic as he pulled [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Vanderheiden sprints to first Eagle win

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (July 13, 2024) – Young fans got a chance to add some heft to their piggy banks with the $1,500 money grab on the front stretch sponsored by One Shot Auto Repair but the big winner Saturday night at Eagle Raceway was Cole Vanderheiden. Vanderheiden won for the first time in his career at America’s Home Track, snagging the lead on a mid-race restart and denying Trevor Grossenbacher’s mad slide job attempt in the final turn for the $1,300 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car checkers. “It’s been a long time coming. Over the past three years we’ve been second, had thirds and fourths all year. It just feels amazing to finally get a win here at Eagle,” Vanderheiden said. “That’s the longest lap (the last one) I’ve ever experienced in my three years of racing. Going down the back stretch I couldn’t see him (Grossenbacher). I hopped his wheel going into three, but luckily my car didn’t break and I didn’t pop a tire,” he continued. “I kept going into four and [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Tuttle, Reynolds, Ballard are best in rain-shortened Urbana 5

VINTON, Iowa (July 14, 2024) – Nolan Tuttle checked a must-win race off his bucket list while Kaden Reynolds and Nathan Ballard both raced to career-third Urbana 5 Memorial feature wins Sunday at Benton County Speedway. A cousin of three of the youth remembered during the 10th annual event, hometown driver Tuttle led the distance of the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature, running just ahead or alongside Lukas Rick much of the 12-lapper.  “This is everything I’ve ever wanted. Winning that race is something I’ve wanted to do since I was 14,” Tuttle said following the $400 victory, his second of the season at The Bullring. “I got out of my car and the first thing I could do was grab my mom and give her the biggest hug I could. I cried a little bit. It just means the world to me.” “I feel like I’m living our dream that they couldn’t do.” Cristin Grady ended a distant third. Jay Crabill was fourth and another cousin, Stephen Randall, rounded out the top five despite an ailing [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Off Road Speedway offers double features

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (July 12, 2024) – Racing fans were treated to a slate of double features in four of five divisions in a rare Friday night offering at Off Road Speedway. Likewise, with the season winding down, drivers were offered double the chances to make a move on the various points lists and none did more to improve their situation than Nate Buck, who won both features in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. The evening began with feature races postponed from last week’s weather-shortened special Ray Haase Tribute event including the sanctioned Hobby Stocks, Stock Cars and Northern SportMods before moving to the regular program of racing. Buck finished ahead of Mark Arduser and Parker Vollbrecht in the make-up feature then, in Friday’s scheduled event, moved quickly from the fifth row, keyed by momentum gained while exiting turn two on the outside during the fourth lap, that propelled his car down the backstretch and continued for two more laps before he finally wrestled the lead away from race leader Landyn Roebuck. The [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Hancock County Christmas in July Wins to Mills, Shryock, Fett, Sidles

By Chad Meyer BRITT, Iowa (July 12, 2024) – It felt like Christmas morning in more ways than one at Hancock County Speedway Friday night. After nearly a month off due to the July 4th holiday and persistent weather challenges, clear skies and warm temperatures greeted race fans for “Santa’s Christmas Spectacular.” Jeremy Mills navigated lapped traffic and a mid-race restart to capture the lead from Greg Elliott and win in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Clint Hatlestad was up front all night and finished second. Owen Barnhill charged from his 10th starting spot to third in the late going, finishing ahead of Stinehart and Elliott.  In the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Justin Ades led the first six circuits before Kelly Shryock, who started 10th, made the winning pass using the middle groove of the speedway. Over the last six laps, Shryock was a half-second a lap faster than the field to seal the win. Colby Fett surged from ninth to secure the second spot late over Ades and Kevin Opheim.  Nate Chodur was strong in the [Read More]

Northern SportMod

Night two Western SportMod Nationals checkers fly for Docekal

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (July 12, 2024) – The Finley Farms Western SportMod Nationals returned to racing with scorching temperatures outside and action on the track at Yreka Speedway on Friday night. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods were in attendance for the second of three nights of action, and the top eight finishers of the main event were locked into Saturday’s grand finale. Derek Murphy and Tate Loftis from Bakersfield engaged in a fierce battle for the early lead, with Murphy narrowly leading the opening lap. Loftis stuck to Murphy’s tail, maintaining his position on the inside line while Murphy ruled the top of the track.  Loftis got the necessary run on Murphy to take the lead on the seventh circuit. Shortly after the overtake, the new trailblazer started pulling away from the new runner-up as Joe Docekal occupied third. Docekal made a successful pass on lap 16 for second. The Dysart, Iowa driver quickly closed in on Loftis and challenged for the race lead. His sweeping move inside Loftis on the 20th trip [Read More]

2024 Super Nationals

Velocita offers custom fire suits for Super Nationals delivery

LEXINGTON, N.C. (July 12, 2024) – Drivers looking for a quality, custom fire suit and the opportunity to give one of their IMCA sponsors a big plug will be able to do just that. And Velocita makes it possible in time for those lightweight, two-layer SFI 5 fire suits to be worn while competing at the 42nd annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. These special custom fire suits sell for an incredible $499, discounted from the regular price of $799. Along with the driver’s name on the belt, they’ll feature both the large sponsor’s logo and smaller IMCA logo on the chest, and the familiar Velocita ‘V’ logo on the sleeve. Final day to order and pre-pay for Super Nationals delivery is July 31. Orders can be made through the Velocita website and entering the code SUPERNATIONALS42, or by contacting Randy Pettit at Velocita at 336 971-5400. “For less than a working man’s average wages, you can get something that will absolutely fit and protect you head to toe, pay homage to one [Read More]

Northern SportMod

Points paces opening night of Western SportMod Nationals

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (July 11, 2024) – Thursday was the inaugural Western SportMod Nationals opening leg at Yreka Speedway for one of the country’s biggest paying Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod races. Over 50 entries from across the country journeyed to the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds ¼-mile clay oval. Buddy Kniss took an early lead at the start of the feature. The race heated up a few laps in as Ethan Killingsworth moved unsuccessfully to overtake the second-running Trevor Points. The tension was broken when a caution was raised after six circuits. Points launched a challenge for the lead against Kniss as the race resumed.  The two engaged in a fierce battle, with Points eventually seizing the top spot, on lap nine.  Meanwhile, a race for third unfolded between Killingsworth and Jeffrey Hudson, who eventually secured the position. On lap 11, Killingsworth rebounded beautifully with a brilliant double overtake past Hudson and Kniss to become the new runner-up. The field was slowed down for the final time when the yellow flag reemerged on the 13th [Read More]