Results Archives

Estevan is back on schedule for 2023 IMCA Dakota Tour

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (Dec. 19, 2022) – History teacher turned tour director John Gartner channeled his inner Douglas MacArthur when he promised a return to Estevan Motor Speedway. And like the general who made good on his promise to return to the Philippines, Gartner and the IMCA Dakota Classic Modified Tour will return to the Saskatchewan track in 2023. “I’m a history major and always talked to kids about MacArthur’s promise,” he explained. “The tour hasn’t been to Canada since 2019, the year before COVID, and I told people we would go back as soon as we could.” “We made that promise and we’re going to keep it,” he continued. “We will be back in Estevan on July 10.” Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds run for $2,000 to win, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $1,000 to win each night of the July 8-13 tour. Opening night is Saturday, July 8 at Jamestown Speedway. The tour is at Nodak Speedway in Minot on July 9 and Estevan the next night. Williston Basin Speedway hosts the July 11 show. [Read More]

Billy Ward Jr. services set for Saturday

CARLISLE, N.Y. (Dec. 6, 2022) – William “Billy” D. Ward, Jr., 65, of Ward Road died Sunday, December 4, 2022 at his residence following a brief illness. The former IMCA Modified driver was born April 5, 1957 in Cobleskill, the son of the late Roslyn (Walsh) and William D. Ward, Sr. He was a 1975 graduate of the former Cobleskill Central School and the successful, proud owner of WDW Trucking LLC, which he operated several years. His first love was his family, especially being with his grandchildren. His second priority in life were his trucks, then his race cars and most recently his new construction equipment and all the people he met and interacted with whether working or playing. Visitation is Friday, Dec. 9 from 5-7 p.m. at Mereness-Putnam Funeral Home, 171 Elm St., Cobleskill. A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Ward Residence, at 170 Ward Road in Carlisle. Survivors include his wife Debra (Madl) Ward, whom he married June 7, 1978; his children and [Read More]

2023 IMCA rules released after banquet weekend

VINTON, Iowa (Nov. 23, 2022) – The 2023 divisional rules will be posted on the IMCA website after the national banquet weekend. Accompanying stories on changes and/or clarifications in each division will be posted the same days. “The biggest single issue we have to address is phasing out the current Late Model tire with the new Hoosier manufactured National Late Model Tire,” noted IMCA President Brett Root. “We will make no major changes to rules that remain within our control.” “We try every year to eliminate any confusion in how rules are written and interpreted,” he continued, “and that remains a focus for 2023.”

Results

IMCA Mod Lite star Wilson set to race ‘Down Under’ this holiday season

By Justin Newman MABELVALE, Ark. (Nov. 22, 2022) – Arkansas IMCA STARS Mod Lite hotshoe Blake Wilson is poised and ready to take his talents to the “Land of the Long Weekend” in late December, where he will compete in three events in Queensland, Australia. Locally and nationally, Wilson is a perennial favorite any time he unloads his STARS Mod Lite. Wilson has raced with and beat some of the United States and Canada’s best racers in the Mod Lite division. It was only fitting he head down under to see how the Aussies stack up. Just the same, the racing surfaces and facilities are not quite like the wide-open racy tracks here. Wilson will be hosted by Australian Mod Lite race team ABI2RACE from North Queensland. Abi Meehan, who drives the no. 23 Mod Lite, and her family have been planning this trip with Blake for a couple years now and are keen to see how the young USA racer handles their unforgiving Aussie tracks. Wilson will be thrown into the mix with some veteran drivers [Read More]

Top billing for IMCA Modifieds at Central Arizona’s November Grand Re-reopening, Showdown specials

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Oct. 28, 2022) – IMCA drivers will be Central Arizona Raceway bound for a pair of rich November specials. First is the Saturday, Nov. 5 Grand Re-reopening at Casa Grande, when fan favorite Ken Schrader joins the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds running for $2,000 to win. Then it’s the Nov. 18-20 Showdown, highlighted by a $3,000 to win feature for the Modifieds on the final night. IMCA.TV broadcasts both specials. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods both chase $1,000 top checks, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks run for $600 to win and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts for $300 to win at the promoter Brad Whitfield’s Grand Re-reopening show. An open practice runs from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4. Pits open at 3 p.m. and the front gate opens at 5 p.m. and the first green flag flies at 6 p.m. on race day. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and military and free for kids ages 12 and under. Friday and Saturday [Read More]

Grabouski and Jaxon Saathoff are IMCA Modified winners at Octoberfest

BEATRICE, Neb. (Oct. 21-22, 2022) – Jordan Grabouski added to his Octoberfest hardware collection on opening night, while Jaxon Saathoff started his on night two of Beatrice Speedway’s traditional season-ending special. Grabouski topped Friday’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event and earned $1,000 for his career 11th Octoberfest victory since 2012. Saathoff checked out on everybody in winning the Saturday feature and $2,000. Grabouski started the opening night 25-lapper from ninth and caught Trey Duensing for the lead with three circuits left. His career seventh Modified win at Beatrice’s fall show is complemented by another four Stock Car triumphs. “We have had a lot of success here,” said the now five-time national and eight-time Modified track champion. “I was able to get around Trey after a restart and were able to pull away once we got in front. This might have been our last race of the year and if so, it was a good way to end the season.” Duensing, Saathoff’s father Johnny – another multi-time national and Beatrice champion and Octoberfest winner – Anthony [Read More]

Spahr in right place at right time to capitalize at Keystone RaceSaver Challenge

By Frank Buhrman PORT ROYAL, Pa. (Oct. 21, 2022) – Logan Spahr put himself in the right position to take advantage of Kenny Heffner’s misfortune, then kept his car in the right position despite a determined challenge by Garrett Bard, and those moves earned him the Keystone RaceSaver Challenge victory Friday at Port Royal Speedway. Also known as the Blue Collar Classic, the Keystone race ended the 2022 season for the IMCA RaceSaver Pennsylvania Sprint Series and capped a tremendous finish to the season for the former micro-sprint champion. A third-place finish in the season opener at Lincoln Speedway in March showed the team’s potential, but an early summer run of mechanical woes threatened the positive outlook. That all turned around in August, and at the end of that month, Spahr claimed the team’s first victory, at Selinsgrove Speedway, then added another Selinsgrove win four weekends later. After struggling most of the season at Port Royal, there was a fourth-place finish two weeks ago, setting the stage for Friday’s race. Still, it might not have happened [Read More]

Weaver wins sprint to Founder’s Cup

By Frank Buhrman PORT ROYAL, Pa. (Oct. 21, 2022) – Jeff Weaver outdueled fellow front-row starter Reed Thompson for the initial lead and held the advantage for the next 15 laps to win the Founder’s Cup feature for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars Friday at Port Royal Speedway. The event is held as part of the River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series Keystone RaceSaver Challenge, giving non-qualifiers for the Keystone race itself a meaningful event, which for most is their last of the season. Weaver, Thompson and several other front-runners provided some hot racing for fans who braved temperatures dipping into the 30s for the night’s final race. D.J. Cassler stoutly challenged Thompson for the runner-up spot, while third- and fourth-finishing Branstin Shue and Jarrett Rosencrance waged a laps-long war for those positions. Thompson mounted challenges following restarts on the first and eighth laps but Weaver was able to hold onto the top spot and score the win. Thompson’s runner-up finish came about 4-1/2 hours after he was inducted into the Pennsylvania RaceSaver Hall of Fame [Read More]

Diamond Park Speedway family suffers huge and sudden loss

NASHVILLE, Ark. (Oct. 18, 2022) – The owners and staff of the Diamond Park Speedway suffered a huge loss this past week with the sudden and tragic passing of head scorer Miki Godwin. Miki had been a speedway employee under current ownership since 2017 and was a familiar face both when the gates were open and even when they were not. Godwin was more than just a scorer on race nights. She also handled driver 1099, sponsorship opportunities, really wherever help was needed – she was always willing to lend a hand to make her second home the best it could be. Survivors include her mother Brenda Godwin and Thomas Free of Murfreesboro; her son Austin White of Nashville (Nathan Johnson) of Russellville; daughter Morgan White of Nashville; special daughters Bailey Goldman of Nashville; Makayla Huffman of Delight; as well as her brother and sister Garry (Tammy) Nichols of Paragould. The family will receive friends and family from 6-8 p.m. tonight (Tuesday) at Latimer Funeral Home in Nashville. Funeral services will be 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 19, [Read More]

Raffurty takes Texas-sized check home from inaugural Texas Mod Lite Nationals

WACO, Texas (Oct. 15, 2022) – After he consulted Google Maps to decide on gear for the weekend, Dillon Raffurty didn’t need any help finding the fastest way around Heart O’ Texas Speedway. Raffurty’s first visit to the Waco speedplant paid off with the $10,000 checkers at the first annual Texas Mod Lite Nationals. “It was a pretty good weekend,” understated Raffurty, who had collected 30 wins in defending his IMCA STARS Mod Lite national championship this season. “It was exciting. I couldn’t have asked for much more.” The Kansas City, Mo., star won both heat races and the Joe Butler Jr. Invitational, and finished fourth in the qualifying feature on Friday night. Satisfied with his setup, Raffurty eschewed hot laps before Saturday’s main event. He advanced to second early in the 30-lapper, closed on home state speedster Taylor Hunter in lapped traffic and made his pass to the front just pass midway. Hunter chased Raffurty to the checkers in a race that ran caution-free. “Size-wise, Heart O’ Texas is a combination on my home [Read More]