Modified

IMCA MODtana Madness win is top payday of career for Clemens

BELGRADE, Mont. (June 29, 2024) – A career-best payday awaited Ty Clemens at the conclusion of Gallatin Speedway’s 55-lap MODtana Madness main event. Clemens collected $5,000 plus qualifying eligibility for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational along with the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified checkers Saturday at his hometown track. “We worked really hard for this last year and again this year. When you win, it makes everything worth it,” said Clemens, the 2023 race runner-up. “It feels super good to win against a stout field, especially when the money is good and the grandstands are full.” Braxton Yeager, 16th starting Jeremy Meirhofer, Trayke Metz and 14th starting Michael Hale completed the top five.  Clemens had run first and third in his heat races, then fourth in the pole dash on Friday. He ran in the top three up to the mandatory fuel stop 17 laps into Saturday’s main event, then took over at the front as the track took rubber. “I focused on staying smooth and saving my right rear tire,” said Clemens, who wanted to have plenty [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Mix of new, repeat winners highlight action at Benton County Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (June 30, 2024) – A pair of first-time winners were joined by four return visitors to victory lane Sunday night at Benton County Speedway. Nearly 130 cars signed in to compete on a full night of racing at The Bullring. Ethan Braaksma earned his first Vinton win in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main. From a fourth row start, Braaksma ran the high side into the lead at around midway of the Wright Way Trailers 20-lapper. He then survived a couple late stoppages and pressure from Troy Cordes and Owen Barnhill to score the win. Braaksma, who won a SportMod feature in Vinton in 2017, became the 98th Modified winner in track history. Briar Kriegel earned his first win of the season in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks presented by iHeart Radio.  From his outside front row start, Kriegel took command at the drop of the green and held off late charges from Shane Richardson and Matt Brown to secure the victory. John Oliver Jr. became a four-time winner in the IMCA Sunoco Stock [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Mueller, Burg are best at Boone

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (June 29, 2024) – It was a full night of racing entertainment for the fans at Boone Speedway on Saturday night, with 183 cars packing the pits. Repeat wins went to Jake McBirnie in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Matt Avila in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, and Travis Stensland in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites.  First-time winners were Jeff Mueller in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Andrew Burg in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Things got off to a great start with the flag-to-flag running of the 15 lap feature for Mod Lites. Polesitter Jamie Bailey led the opening lap but Cliff Barber took over when lap two went into the books.  By lap eight, it was eighth place starter Stensland who was captain of the ship.  When Stensland got the lead, he drove off from the rest of the field and scored the easy win. Barber was a distant runner up, followed by Austin Gray in third. It was 18 laps of Northern Sport Mod [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Barnhart, Bencken win first features of season Friday at Thomas County

By Sheldon Wickwar COLBY, Kan. (June 28, 2024) – Josh Barnhart and Brady Bencken both won first IMCA features of the season Friday at Thomas County Speedway. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod 15-lap feature started with a front row of Barnhart and Monty Nordyke. Barnhart grabbed the early race and by lap five had pulled away. The race single filed out with Carson Lang and Blaine Walt making runs to third and fourth place but not being able to advance further. Barnhart ran away with the victory, ahead of Nordyke, Lang, Walt and Bencken. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks ran a 15-lap feature of their own with a front row of Mike Kennedy and Austin Janousek. Kennedy got the early jump, but quickly Bencken found himself passing for the lead in turn four.  The race stayed green until lap 10. Bencken led the restart and despite trying multiple lines, Trent Matson could not run him down. Bencken picked up win number one of the season with Matson, Bret Conness, Mitchell Fischer and Austin Janousek in [Read More]

Modified

James wins again at Douglas County

By Ben Deatherage ROSEBURG, Ore. (June 28, 2024) – Bricen James motored to his fourth Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win in his last five starts, and back-to-back triumphs at Douglas County Dirtrack Friday night. The Albany hotshoe, a winner at Roseburg on May 10, was back in victory lane following the first of what would become three IMCA Wild West Speedweek checkers on June 18. He clearly remembered the Fast was around the 3/10-mile oval, pulling away from the pack after gaining the lead on lap seven. Trevor LaBarge wound up second and Brett Muth ended the night third. Lane Zerbin and Carter Patterson got fourth and fifth, respectively. Jacob Shandy regained the lead and got the win with his last-lap pass of Jordan Henry in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature. Lapped traffic and then a caution with just three circuits to go set up that late drama. Lain McCoy, Don Moore and Chad Knee ran 3-4-5. Lastly, the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts hummed to life, with  Ryan Dickenson led early, then [Read More]

Northern SportMod

Friday Bigfoot checkers fly for Peery at Southern Oregon

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (June 28, 2024) – Twelve days after his first win this season at Southern Oregon Speedway, Ryan Peery raced his way back to victory lane at White City with another Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod triumph. Peery, winner of the IMCA Wild West Speedweek show on June 16, topped Friday’s opening night Bigfoot Weekend main event ahead of Ethan Killingsworth, Matt Sanders and Jorddon Braaten. Scott Chavez had taken an early lead, only to be challenged and passed by Peery with two laps down. Braaten quickly got into second a few laps later. Seven laps into the main event, Braaten began pressuring Peery for the lead. Jeffrey Hudson and Killingsworth battled for third, with Killingsworth eventually winning out. Braaten put up a brilliant crossover pass on Peery while exiting turn four on the eighth circuit but the race was far from over as Peery made a strong comeback. The competition heated up when a caution halted the race. On the restart, Peery made a swift move to slip underneath [Read More]

Modified

Mayden, Shandy, Kennerly are Midweek winners at Cottage Grove

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (June 26, 2024) – Cottage Grove Speedway hosted its first of six Midweek Madness shows with Wednesday night IMCA feature wins going to Jake Mayden, Jacob Shandy and Michael Kennerly In the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main, Braedon Hand and Curtis Towns battled for the top spot with Towns grabbing the early lead as Mayden got into the mix. Mayden tried unsuccessfully to slip underneath Towns on laps two and three. Lapped traffic came into play on the eighth circuit and Mayden saw his persistence pay dividends with a sweeping move to the front on lap 11. As the race progressed without any interruptions, the field began to spread out. Mayden drove to a dominating win, his first of the season, by a margin of 6.826 seconds.  Kevin Williamson caught Towns for second on lap 19. Shandy led the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods into the first set of turns but Matt Brown was the leader when the opening circuit was scored. The first of three cautions came out [Read More]

Results

One car, two winners as Ellis, Adams top IMCA Stocks at Kennedale on same night

KENNEDALE, Texas (June 22, 2024) – The same IMCA Sunoco Stock Car took two different drivers to the winner’s circle Saturday night at Kennedale Speedway Park. Shane Ellis won the make-up feature postponed from May 11 before Fully Involved Motorsports teammate Mark Adams parked in victory lane following the evening’s scheduled event. Both drivers led all 20 laps of their respective races in the Adams’ owned 2013 Terminator. The win by Ellis was his career first in the class while Adams’ was his first in a Stock Car since 2018. “Normally we do not allow two drivers to race one car the same night but these were two separate shows,” noted IMCA President Brett Root. “And the unique set of circumstances allowed both to win in the same car.” “It was quite an event,” said Ellis, who’d also become a first-time heat winner before rain brought an early end to the Mothers’ Day Eve show. “It’s something that happens once in a blue moon.” He’d started pitting for the late Kirk Martin 10 years ago [Read More]

Modified

Johnson shines at Electric City

By Ben Deatherage GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The parade of different Friesen Performance IMCA Modified winners continued Friday at Electric City Speedway with Taylor Johnson taking his turn in victory lane. Still looking to have its first repeat winner of 2024, the Modifieds saw Pacer Popham get ahead of Mike Pistelak to pace the pack on the initial green. Johnson tried to sneak inside of the leader in turn two but could not perform the overtake.  Popham held his ground against Johnson as the race unfolded, with Pistelak and Joey Price battling for third. Price passed Pistelak on lap three while Popham and Johnson were starting to inch closer to each other. Price suddenly got added to the mix, setting the stage for a brief three-car tussle. Popham experienced mechanical issues on lap six, forcing Price and Johnson into evasive action. Price won the race back to the line but the yellow came out for Popham before everyone crossed the wire, so Johnson inherited the top spot by reverting to the last completed lap. Johnson [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Leibhart, Kirchoff, Olmstead, Pfeifer, Frenier cash in at Colby

By Sheldon Wickwar COLBY, Kan. (June 21, 2024) – Mother Nature threw a bunch of wind at Thomas County Speedway on a Friday night that saw a couple close finishes, some dominant runs and a driver breaking through for a big win. Visiting victory lane were Brock Leibhart in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts, Morgan Olmstead in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Ryan Kirchoff in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, Kyle Pfeifer in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Jeremy Frenier in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Leibhart grabbed the lead early in the 4-cylinder feature, holding on to the point despite getting a little too high on lap five and losing some momentum. Mortensen got to the leader’s back bumper but could not deny Leibhart his third win of the season and ninth straight top-10 finish. Third was Gage Porter. Multiple restarts and the best efforts of Brady Bencken couldn’t shake Olmstead from the front spot in the Hobby Stock main. Olmstead picked up win number 10, returning to the Kansas dirt scene [Read More]