Weekly Archives

Strayer is quickest at Quad City’s Reinhart Memorial

By Brad Hines EAST MOLINE, Ill. (May 25) – Sunday was a night of firsts for Jake Strayer. The IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified rookie made his first-ever visit to Quad City Speedway and won the 21st annual Gary Reinhart Memorial. The $1,200 victory was his first in just eight career starts in the class and put Strayer on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “Going to East Moline was a spur of the moment thing,” he said. “We pulled off the heat win and then won the feature. Everything went in our favor. It was definitely a night I’ll never forget.” Strayer started 10th in the 30-lapper and did most of his passing on the lower line coming out of the turns. He was in front just before midway and was pressured most of the way, holding off a late challenge from two-time defending track champion Greg Durbin, who had started 18th. Jim Sandusky, who came of out retirement for the race, finished third followed by Leland Bushong and Jason Buss. Strayer [Read More]

Spring Challenge checkers fly for Foster at Sunset Speedway Park

By Ben Deatherage BANKS, Ore. (May 24) – Bubba Foster led the entire distance of the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified feature Saturday, on opening night of Sunset Speedway Park’s Memorial Weekend Spring Challenge. Foster got out in front on the first lap and hold of the likes of Mark Carrell in the final laps to earn the victory, his first of the season. Carrell was a close second while third place went to Kenny Miller.

Cornell doubles up at Five Mile Point

KIRKWOOD, N.Y. (May 24) – James Cornell was a double winner Saturday at Five Mile Point Speedway. The IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds ran two 20-lap features as the first was a makeup race after being washed out on May 10. Cornell won ahead of Gary Smith and Matt Cole in that contest, and ahead of Scott Bennett and Cole in the scheduled feature. Cornell’s first victory at Kirkwood this season came in the Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series race back on April 13.

Nathan Bouche Memorial checkers fly for Havel

STURGEON BAY, Wis. (May 24) – Shawn Havel raced his way through a tight lead pack en route to a $1,500 payday in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car Nathan Bouche Memorial Saturday night at Thunderhill Raceway. While Havel had solid control of the second half of the extended 27 lap feature, the first few laps were anything but. John Anschutz paced the opening laps, the front man in a tight pack of cars racing two- and three-wide behind him. Havel found himself in the middle of a three-wide battle for fourth, with two cars running side by side ahead of him. With virtually nowhere else to run and little room to move up or down, Havel was forced to stay put in the middle and make the best of the situation. He was able to move forward from one three-wide contest into the middle of another, eventually breaking free to set his sights on Anschutz. Sweeping outside of the leader, he finished off the final pass a few laps before the midway point, then cruised [Read More]

Ginest, Hager, Watts win at RPM

By Mike Hughes HAYS, Kan. (May 24) – Nate Ginest, Garrett Hager and Tim Watts were first-time winners this season at RPM Speedway Saturday night. The Golden Plains Trucking IMCA Northern Sport Mod 20-lap feature got off to a rough start as Michael Copper and Brandon Belvill crashed into the frontstretch wall on the opening lap. Both drivers were okay but done for the night. Jeremy Couse led the first two laps before a caution waved for a spinning Ryan Gier. On the restart, Ginest shot to the lead and never looked back. Several cautions kept the field close and Tyler Frye stayed on the back bumper but could not make a pass and settled for the runner-up spot. Brady Bencken led the first half of the 20-lap Rebel Tank Service IMCA Hobby Stock feature before Hager took the lead at the halfway mark. Hager was able to hold off a late charge by Ron Wehling to make his first trip to the winner’s circle with Monte Honas second. Watts took the lead on lap [Read More]

Irvine collects IMCA Stock Car checkers at Independence

By Ryan Clark INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (May 24) – Brian Irvine took the lead on the sixth of 18 laps, then pulled away to a dominant win in the Saturday Showcase for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars at Independence Motor Speedway. In the first o f four installments this season, the Saturday Showcase offers increased prize money once a month to one featured division. It was Irvine’s first win in Independence since May of 2010. Irvine, who started inside row five, raced through traffic and entered a four-car breakaway at the front of the pack with Jarod Weepie, Norman Chesmore and Justin Temeyer. He slipped past Weepie to steal the lead a couple laps before a pair of mid-race cautions. Following the final restart on lap nine, Irvine pulled away from the field to win in convincing fashion and earn the $500 payday. Weepie ran second ahead of Temeyer. Mike Burbridge held the early lead in the 20-lap Performance Bodies IMCA Modified feature. Burbridge ran the low groove of the fast, smooth oval while J.D. Auringer worked [Read More]

Stand Packer Night lives on at Salina

By Dusty Wiegert SALINA, Kan. – With the recent rainout on May 23, the popular Stand Packer Night at Salina Speedway was originally canceled. With the popular demand to still have it, the speedway is happy to announce that plans have changed and the new date for the first Stand Packer Night of 2014 will be Friday, June 27. Race fans are asked to keep their tickets as any Stand Packer Night ticket with the May 23 date on them will be good for admission on June 27. If tickets are lost before then, we will have a limited amount to give away again for the event, but they won’t be through the drivers for their prizes. The following week after Stand Packer Night, which coincidentally is our fourth annual Topless Challenge, we will be giving away some huge prizes to those who got a ticket the week before and returned for the Topless Challenge. Among them are a Traeger Grill and 42” LG flat screen TV plus many more from area merchants. So keep [Read More]

Kroll wins big at Luxemburg

By Greg Aregoni LUXEMBURG, Wis. (May 23) – Charlie Kroll cashed in during the 30-lap IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature event at Luxemburg Speedway Friday Night. Kroll charged from his third place starting position into the lead after the first lap. Rod Snellenberger made his way to Kroll’s back bumper after the second lap and the duo played a game of cat and mouse in front of the field. Brandon Czarapata moved from seventh to third in a lap and a half as he bolted to the top of the race track. A couple cautions kept the field close with a 10-lap dash for the $550 cash. Kroll fought off both challenges from Czarapata and Snellenberger as they each took turns running second. Kroll picked up the win in front of the field. Czarapata increased his point lead over Snellenberger by beating him to the line for second. Other feature winners included Johnny Whitman in the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, Tracy Wassenberg in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, Dan Van Pay in the IMCA [Read More]

Heinz is May winner for fendered division voting

GREEN BAY, Wis. – No stranger to victory lane, John Heinz has earned another win, this time as voted on by the fans. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car driver from Green Bay earned the most votes in the Sybesma Graphics Facebook Fan Favorite Contest for fendered divisions for the month of May. He’ll receive a mini hood from Sybesma. The four-time track champion and defending Allstar Performance Wisconsin State titlist is planning another aggressive schedule in 2014 as he expects to compete weekly at Oshkosh Speedzone on Fridays, 141 Speedway in Francis Creek on Saturdays and Seymour Speedway on Sundays. Heinz hopes his busy weekends this season will lead to a national title. “It’s our second year of chasing national points,” said Heinz. “We chased points for the first time last season and ended up fifth.” Simply changing his approach to weekly racing is what Heinz credits as his recent desire to chase national points. “We just wanted to try it once and see what happened,” he stated. “We ran against defending national champion Brandon [Read More]

Hogan drives home with top Modified Madness cash

By Mike McGuire DAVENPORT, Iowa (May 23) – A very long green flag run ended with Scott Hogan in victory lane Friday night at Davenport Speedway. Hogan caught race-long leader Darin Duffy with three circuits left in the 50-lapper and held on to the checkers in the $2,000 to win IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified Madness feature. The green light stayed on for the last 34 laps and the main event had the look of its first repeat winner in Duffy. He started on the pole and led the first 47 laps before the third-starting Hogan charged by coming to the flagstand. “Fifty laps is a long time and there were just two yellows. It got really dicey there for a while,” admitted Hogan, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “(Doug) Crampton was right there, too, but we got through the lapped traffic OK and then got spread out again.” Duffy was higher up on the oval when Hogan used the middle line to complete the pass for the lead. He’d go on [Read More]