Hobby Stock

Bellm begins building process at Lincoln County with five IMCA divisions

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (March 18, 2024) – Joe Bellm brings his 37 years of promotion expertise to a third track beginning this season, taking charge at Lincoln County Raceway. Five sanctioned divisions, the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts, run at the North Platte, Neb., venue, on eight dates complementary to those at Bellm-promoted El Paso County Raceway in Calhan and Phillips County Raceway in Holyoke, both in northeast Colorado. “We have had North Platte on our radar. Fifty percent of the people in this town are race fans and will support a dirt race track,” Bellm said. “And the schedules will make sense for drivers want to travel and race for IMCA championships.” Lincoln County opens with the April 19-20 Cornhusker Classic, followed by the May 4 Nascar Night show and June 1, June 28-29 Sandhills Shootout Summer Nationals, July 6 and Aug. 3 season championship dates. Lincoln County and Phillips County each have three BST Northern Challenge Series [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Future at Saltcity begins with four IMCA divisions

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (March 14, 2024) – While he’s yet to promote his first race at Saltcity Racing, Phil Nightingale has already started looking to the future of the big half-mile dirt race track. Nightingale takes charge of Saltcity Racing-branded programs that feature four IMCA divisions this season at the venerable Kansas State Fairgrounds facility. “My whole life has been in the automotive world,” explained Nightingale, first a spectator and later a competitor at Hutchinson. “The fair board voted in 2022 to tear the track down  but we went to them with a proposal last September.” “I don’t want to see this track die. I want to see it thrive,” the new Saltcity general manager continued. “I want to go back to the fair board in October with a three-year plan for 2025-2027, with proof that drivers and fans will support the track and keep it alive.” Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods run April 26, May 24, June 21, July 19, Aug. 3 and Sept. [Read More]

Hobby Stock

New promoter wants to deliver first-rate racing at Hancock County

BRITT, Iowa (Feb. 22, 2024) – Back when Hancock County Speedway was being built, Darin Toot used to take breaks from his job delivering milk and eat his lunch at the track so he could follow the work in progress. Beginning this season, he’ll focus his energies on delivering first-rate race programs at Britt. Toot takes over as new promoter of the 4/10-mile dirt oval, where Friday night shows will feature Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. “Racing has been in my life since I bought my first car in 1989. It’s what I do, It’s what I enjoy, it’s what’s in my heart,” said Toot, who raced IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars along with a nine-year stint as owner and promoter of Chateau Speedway in Minnesota. “We want Hancock County to be a place where racers want to race, and where fans can come to watch good racing.” “Our goals are to get numbers up in the grandstand and pit side,” [Read More]

Hobby Stock

IMCA Late Model sanction is first for Park Jefferson, South Dakota

JEFFERSON, S.D. (Feb. 21, 2024) – Park Jefferson Speedway will crown its first-ever IMCA Sunoco Late Model track champion this season. Sanctioned Late Models join five other IMCA divisions at PJ and run on six select nights in 2024. The class will also crown its first state champion in South Dakota. “We wanted to add a division that was maybe a little different than anything that was running around here,” explained promoter Wayne Becker. “I have a soft spot in my heart for the Late Models. They ran here back in the day and were very entertaining.” “We’re trying to bring a little bit of the 1990s back, and all the feedback we’ve received so far has been positive.” IMCA Late Models made their last and what was believed only previous appearance at Park Jefferson as part of the Summer Series in June of 2007. They’re on the schedule for April 25, May 16, May 23, June 6, Aug. 15 and Aug. 29, all nights the division is not running at US 30 Speedway in [Read More]

Modified

Former track champion Peery primed to promote Yreka Speedway

YREKA, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2024) – The last laps Travis Peery turned at Yreka Speedway took him to a track championship. The laps he’ll turn this year will be getting the big quarter-mile clay oval ready for Saturday night race programs featuring Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. “The track was closed and did not open in 2023 and that was tough. I can see the lights from my shop,” said Peery, Modified champion at Yreka in 2020. “A lot of people in the community missed having racing here. I’m a race guy and I wanted to bring it back.” Located on the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds and just 22 miles from the Oregon state line, Yreka will host seven dates for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and 13 for Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. Specials on the calendar are the $5,000 to win Rich and Nicky Biehn Memorial for Modifieds on June 14, which also features SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars; the Wild West Speedweek date June 15 for Modifieds, SportMods [Read More]

Modified

IMCA Modifieds return to Wisconsin’s Wilmot Raceway

WILMOT, Wis. (Feb. 7, 2024) – An absence of nearly two decades ends this season, with the return of Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds to Wilmot Raceway. The IMCA class is on Saturday programs at the 3/8 mile clay oval, located in extreme southeast Wisconsin and just a couple miles from the Illinois state line, from May 4 to Sept. 21. “A lot of our Modified drivers were interested in sanctioning,” explained executive promoter Chris Klemko, one of the seven members of the board that oversees racing at the Kenosha County Fairgrounds. “We like the IMCA rules and the point structure, and that we’ll be able to share drivers with other tracks. We know there are a lot of them interested in racing here.” “I really enjoy watching a good Modified race,” continued Klemko, on the board at Wilmot for six years and a sprint car driver himself. “A lot of times they go green to checkered and that’s good racing.” IMCA Modifieds ran at the former Wilmot Speedway from 1995-2005. Points earned there beginning in [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Sheyenne Speedway adds four IMCA divisions for 2024

LISBON, N.D. (Feb. 2, 2024) – Four IMCA track champions will be crowned this season at Sheyenne Speedway. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks are on May 29, June 9, July 12 and July 28 programs at the quarter-mile dirt oval in Lisbon, N.D. Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks will be joined by Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods for the Ransom County Fair show on Aug. 22. New promoters for the 51st season of racing at Sheyenne Speedway are Jake and Sharnel Bitker, who also promote IMCA venues Norman County Raceway in Ada, Minn., and Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, and Nick Skalicky. “The fair board has been very supportive – they’re good people – and the community has been very supportive. We look forward to working with them this year,” Jake Bitker said. “This new sanction will give drivers in the Fargo-Jamestown hub to race for IMCA points another four or five nights.” Dirt work began last fall and will be completed [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Perfect opportunity brings Sunday racing back to Redwood Speedway

REDWOOD FALLS, Minn. (Jan. 23, 2024) – What Velvet Dostal called “a perfect opportunity” brings Sunday night IMCA racing back to Minnesota’s Redwood Speedway. The upcoming 2024 Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts runs from June 2 through Sept. 29. IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars are also on the June 23 card and a $750 to win B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible special is scheduled on July 14. “When Princeton Speedway changed hands last fall, promoting Redwood was a perfect opportunity for us to jump on,” said Dostal, who had worked with husband Ricky at Princeton and at North Central Speedway the past 10-plus years. “When we saw the Facebook post that they were looking for a new promoter at Redwood, it’s like one door closed and another one opened.” Redwood named its first IMCA champions in 1991 and held its most recent sanctioned events three years ago. The big half-mile [Read More]

Modified

IMCA Modified, Stock Car All-Star qualifiers on Saturday card at Abilene

ABILENE, Texas (Aug. 17, 2023) – A pair of All-Star Invitational qualifying features are on the Saturday card at Abilene Speedway. The Aug. 19 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature pays $1,000, the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature $750, making those winners eligible to qualify for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational, respectively. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, Texas State and track points will be awarded. Pit passes are $30. Pit gates open at 5 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 6 p.m. Hot laps are at 7:30 p.m. with racing to follow. Both All-Star races are sponsored by Snappy Lube of Abilene.

Hobby Stock

Champions to be crowned this Sunday at Benton County Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (Aug. 16, 2023) – The IMCA Weekly Racing points season comes to an end this Sunday at Benton County Speedway. Season championship racing will be held in all six divisions August 20, with points champions decided by night’s end at The Bullring. A number of close points battles will highlight Sunday night action, including three drivers who hold leads of fewer than five points. Leah Wroten holds a three point edge over defending track champion Kaden Reynolds in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars presented by Christie Door Company. Wroten, the 2018 Hobby Stock track champion, is looking for her first Stock Car title on the Vinton oval. Also maintaining a three point edge is Sam Wieben in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods presented by Houdek Auto Center. Wieben, in search of his first track title at The Bullring, holds the slim advantage over five-time track titlist Tony Olson. Joren Fisher is in search of his second title in three years in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks presented by Vermedahl Logisitcs. Fisher, who [Read More]