Weekly Archives

Laney repeats Make-A-Wish win at Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (May 31) – Cody Laney has to be wishing every race night could be like Make-A-Wish Night at Bakersfield Speedway. Laney repeated as winner of the Saturday evening IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified special, this time in a feature that ran caution-free for all of its 40 laps. “It was a pretty long race,” understated Laney, who’d won for the first time in his IMCA career at the 2013 event. “I wasn’t sure if I could win it back-to-back. It’s pretty cool.” The checkers were accompanied by a $1,000 check. Laney raced his way back onto the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot after starting fifth and running side-by-side with Larry Hood before taking the lead for good on lap 16. His lead was close to a straightaway for much of the race. Robert Sanders, Brad Pounds, Kyle Heckman and Hood rounded out the top five. Proceeds from the annual special go to Make-A-Wish of Kern County, with those funds going to grant wishes of local children with life-threatening medical conditions. Feature results – [Read More]

Funeral services are Thursday for Brandon Smith

QUASQUETON, Iowa – Brandon J. Smith, 25, of Quasqueton died Saturday, May 31 at his home as a result of an accident in his shop. Services for Smith are at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 5 at Orchard Hill Reformed Church with burial at Greenwood Cemetery, both in Cedar Falls. Visitation is from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday at Richardson Funeral Service and also for one hour prior to services at the church. Richardson Funeral Service is assisting the family. Smith was born Nov. 1, 1988 in Waterloo, the son of Scott and Amy Smith. He graduated from Northern University High School in 2007 and was a truck driver with Martin Brothers Distributing. Brandon was an avid race fan who started racing go-karts at a young age and went on to race Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods at Marshalltown, Independence and Vinton. He enjoyed spending his free time with family and friends and could often be found working in his garage. In addition to his parents, of Cedar Falls, he is survived by his fiancé, Stephanie King of Quasqueton; [Read More]

Aero Race Wheels awards go to IMCA special events drivers, state champions

ESTHERVILLE, Iowa – Special events competitors and state champions in five IMCA divisions earn awards again in 2014 courtesy of Aero Race Wheels. The Estherville, Iowa, manufacturer is in its 18th season as a marketing partner with IMCA and gives $40 product certificates, applicable toward the purchase of two wheels, to designated place finishers at 80 specials for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods. Allstar Performance state champions in the same divisions will receive $25 product certificates. Awards given to special events drivers will be mailed from the IMCA home office the week after results from those races are received. State champions get their awards during the national banquet in November or by mail in December. Aero also returns as sponsor of the popular feature win decal program for an eighth consecutive season. Those decals are to be given to drivers following sanctioned weekly or special events victories. Information about Aero-made wheels is available by calling 888 895-2376 [Read More]

Jerovetz captures Luxemburg IMCA Modified checkers

By Greg Aregoni LUXEMBURG, Wis. (May 30) – Troy Jerovetz returned to Luxemburg Speedway victory lane in Friday’s IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified main event in just his second night back at the track. Jeremy Jacobs led the opening lap and through the first caution on lap two. Johnny Whitman used the only caution of the race to make a move for the top spot. Whitman shot up top and used the outside berm to cruise into the lead. Whitman was well on his way to victory with a half straightaway lead but Jerovetz had other ideas. Jerovetz who started 11th on the field, ran the bottom to the front. He got past Jeremy Jacobs on top and then set his sights on the leader. Jerovetz went back to the bottom and caught Whitman with four laps remaining. Jerovetz made quick work of the leader and went on to take the impressive win. Whitman ran second with Jared Siefert all by himself in third. Jason Czarapata finished fourth and grabbed the point lead in the [Read More]

Point leader prevails in Eagle Modified main

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (May 31) – Point leader Shane Hiatt won his first Kaplan University IMCA Modified feature of the season Saturday at Eagle Raceway. Chad Anderson, Mike Densberger, Doug Deterding and Rik Gropp were the first four to the flag stand at the end of lap one. Justin Wulf drove around Deterding and Gropp and into third on lap two before giving the spot up to Hiatt the next time around. Densberger passed Anderson the following lap. Hiatt took advantage of a lap seven restart to move up to second. Wulf again moved to third and Hiatt took over the lead on the next circuit. Contact with another car on lap 10 sent Anderson spinning into the implement tire that guards the backstretch pit entrance. That made the top three Hiatt, Densberger and Wulf. Dylan Smith cracked the top four and advanced to third on lap 14. There was another caution on lap 15 for debris. Smith moved up to second on the restart and Wulf again moved to third with two [Read More]

Griffith finds his groove

By Jeremy Fox WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (May 31) – Ryan Griffith found his groove Saturday at Hamilton County Speedway. The result was his first win of the season at his hometown track. The Chalfant Plumbing and Neighbors Heating and Cooling IMCA Late Models 20 lap feature saw Al Johnson and then Jeremy Grady lead early before Todd Cooney took over. Cooney had pulled away until Griffith found a groove to his liking and chased him down just before the caution on lap 16. Griffith took the lead away from Cooney on restart and led to the checkers. Cooney, Jason Hahne, Darrel DeFrance and rookie John Emerson completed the top five. Adam Larson recorded his second local win of the season in the George White Chevrolet IMCA Modifieds. Aaron Benson bested a caution-slowed Conley’s Trucking IMCA Northern SportMod main event. After fixing a flat tire early on, Randy Embrey raced to the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock checkers. Matt Oberhelman won his career first Oberhelman Motorsports IMCA Sport Compact feature.

Theys tames IMCA Modified field at 141

By Greg Aregoni FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (May 31) – Brad Theys tamed the 29-car IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified field Saturday at 141 Speedway. Russ Reinwald started on the pole and looked to contend for a trip to the winner’s circle before lap eight mechanical woes ended his chances. Mark Joski inherited the lead with Theys and Kyle Kudick in tow. A three-wide battle on lap 11 proved the game changer. Theys powered by the duo on the bottom and set sail. A final caution was all that slowed Theys in his dash to the checkered flag. He jetted away from the field over the final five laps to pick up his first IMCA win of the season. Mike Mullen charged through the field and passed Kudick late in the race for the runner-up position. R.M. VanPay and Jared Siefert rounded out the top five. Troy Muench also picked up his first win of the season, in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Brian Bruechert was also a first-time winner in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods.

Spaulding ends absence from victory lane at Oshkosh

By Dave Panske OSHKOSH, Wis. (May 30) – Travis Spaulding moved into the top spot on lap nine and following a final caution on lap 11, settled in for a long run to the end of Friday’s Automotive Supply Company IMCA Modified feature at Oshkosh SpeedZone Raceway. Sean Jerovetz, Chris Engels, Brian Drexler and Eddie Muenster ran behind the leader to the finish. This win by Spaulding was his first here since Aug. 3, 2010. The Karl Chevrolet SportMods started off with Bernie Miller grabbing the lead and Cory Wegner, Brekken Kleinschmidt, Kevin Bethke and Jeff Schmuhl close behind. After a lap two caution, Bethke took the lead for one lap before Ryan Besaw took charge. A final caution on lap seven gave Colten Van Hierden a shot at the lead with Schmuhl, Besay and Steve Schneider behind. For the rest of the contest Van Hierden held off all challenges until lap 19, when Schmuhl was able to work into the top spot and drove to his first-ever feature win at the Speedzone. Besaw was [Read More]

Stanton wins Hobby Stock thriller at Marshalltown

By Jeremy Fox MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (May 30) – Eric Stanton was the winner in a 12-lap IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock thriller Friday evening at Marshalltown. Rookie Andy Hick led lap one. Just after the completion of that lap, Brice Udelhoven, Austin Luellen and Steve Fricke got together in turn two. Hick appeared to be no rookie as he got a great restart but Stanton chased him down and took the lead with one to go. Stanton went on to take the win while John Watson finished second. Hick, Gary Pfantz and last week’s winner Dustin Elliott finish third through fifth respectively. Adam Larson led the last 13 of 20 circuits in the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified main. Jay Schmidt caught Donavon Smith late in the contest to earn the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers. Jenae Gustin won her second local Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods feature of the season, regaining the lead from Clint Luellen on the final circuit. David Moorman led start to finish in the Mach-1 Sport Compact main and Charlie Brown was [Read More]

Sellers gets first career win on emotional night at Independence

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (May 31) – Emotions were strong Saturday night at Independence Motor Speedway as those in attendance honored the memory of Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod driver Brandon Smith. A weekly competitor in Independence throughout his career, Smith died in an accident in his garage over the weekend. Outside front row starter Lucas Lundry took the lead at the on-set of the 15-lap feature. He distanced himself from the pack while Matt McCahen and Dakoda Sellers pursued. While the race was already under caution on lap nine, a fire erupted from Lundry’s brakes which forced him to an early exit. That left McCahen and Sellers on the front row for the ensuing restart. Sellers shot into the lead when racing resumed and led the final six laps to score the first win of his career. McCahen ran second head of Kevin Hurst. Luke Pestka took the lead in lapped traffic to drive to his first win of the year in the IMCA Late Model feature. Russell Hesse led early and was pressured by Sean Johnson [Read More]