Northern SportMod

Out of the ashes

After trailer fire cuts 2023 season short, Philpott tops opener at Cottage Grove La PINE, Ore. (April 20, 2024) – Standing by the side of Interstate 5 and surveying what was left of his burned out trailer and blackened remains of his race car last August, Landyn Philpott had to wonder what came next in his motorsports career,  if anything. Fast forward to opening night Saturday at Cottage Grove Speedway and the youngster from La Pine was standing in victory lane, following his career-first Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature win. “The win meant a lot to me because it was my first, but to be honest it meant more because of everything we had to do just to be able to race this year,” said Philpott, 17 years old and a junior at La Pine High School. “And because Cottage Grove was the last track we raced at last year.” That last start, on Aug. 5, saw Philpott win his first heat race and run second in the main event, the best of his rookie [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Fantastic finishes highlight season opener at Benton County Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (April 21, 2024) – If Sunday night’s IMCA Weekly Racing season opener was an indication of things to come, it’s going to be an exciting year at Benton County Speedway. Multiple events were decided by late-race passes as fans were provided with 109 race teams in action on the fast, multi-groove quarter mile in an efficient show that took just over three hours to complete. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars presented by Christie Door Company led the list of exciting finishes at The Bullring as 18 entries competed in the first night of action. Gage Neal, Dustin Griffiths and John Oliver Jr. shared time out front throughout the 20-lapper before Kaden Reynolds made a last corner pass to work the low side by Oliver to score the opening night win. Kyle Olson raced from a fifth row start to finish third ahead of Jay Schmidt. Reynolds, who started eighth and raced to his career 10th Stock Car win on the Vinton oval Sunday night, was also the winner on championship night last season. The [Read More]

Results

Sweigart rides high side to Port Royal PASS victory

By Frank Buhrman PORT ROYAL, Pa. (April 20, 2024) – Two weeks ago, Nick Sweigart committed to the high side of Port Royal Speedway’s racing surface, and while his racing line thrilled the crowd, he needed some late attrition among other front-runners for it to result in a fourth-place finish in the River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series makeup of the 2023 Keystone RaceSaver Challenge. This Saturday night was very different. Hanging high, and hitting the wall once, the Myerstown veteran shot from his sixth starting position into second on the opening lap, then got past early leader Ken Duke at the beginning of lap three. From that point on, Sweigart was atop the Speed Palace leaderboard and despite his critical appraisal of his driving over the last half of the race, he held his lead in traffic and scored a 2.159-second victory over defending PASS champion Logan Spahr, who took the runner-up spot from Duke on the final circuit of the 20-lap feature. The feature ran non-stop and was completed in less than seven minutes. Only [Read More]

Modified

Grays Harbor checkers are IMCA Modified first for Scherer

ELMA, Wash. (April 20, 2024) – While he’d race to track rookie of the year honors, the 2023 season was admittedly a learning one for Grays Harbor Raceway regular Riley Scherer. The Tenino hotshoe put those lessons to use on Saturday, racing to his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified career-first feature win in the 2024 opener at Elma. “It still hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t exactly know how to describe it,” Scherer said of the main event shortened by cautions and impending weather. “It’s kind of like racing from Motel 6 to the Hilton.” Wheeling a new-to-him 2018 GRT car themed Hammerin’ Down in Pound Town and Doin’ It for Bobby,’ in memory of childhood friend Bobby Orr who passed away last November, Scherer started fifth and ran third most of the way. He’d worked his way to the front just before the race ended. Two-time defending track champion Tyson Blood started 13th and finished second.

Mod Lite

Winning continues for Reid in MLA opener

PLUMERVILLE, Ark. (April 20, 2024) – Jace Reid continued his winning ways Saturday night, as he led from the opening lap en route to the checkers in the first Mod Lites of Arkansas event of 2024 at Two Dollar Pistol Motor Speedway. The Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite victory was the third in as many consecutive starts for Reid, from Nashville, at the Plumerville speed factory. Reid led from the pole and was unchallenged throughout most of the 25-lapper but that didn’t mean the win was not without some drama as his car started to show signs of overheating and smoke emerging in the closing circuits. Son and father Blake and Jeromy Wilson completed the top three with Blake being the evening’s hard charger as he raced from 11th starting to finish in the runner-up position. The Mod Lites of Arkansas return to action April 27 at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis.

Results

Harris hustles to Hagerstown IMCA RaceSaver win

By Jim Haines HAGERSTOWN, Md. (April 20, 2024) – Jerald Harris finished the race right where he started it: At the front. Harris led the distance of Saturday’s IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car main event at Hagerstown Speedway, in the first of five races at the Maryland oval co-sanctioned by the Virginia Sprint Series and Laurel Highland Sprint Series. After running second in his heat, Harris and Jay Fry paced the 25-car field to green with Harris out first before Fry got too high in the loose stuff and spun to a stop. On the second start, Harris was out again with Dylan Shatzer now in second followed by Caleb Harris, John Scarborough and Ben Miklos. Following another caution, Harris and Shatzer were joined by Scarborough and Caleb Harris. The leader was stretching it out with Shatzer and Scarborough battling for second and behind them it was sprinters swapping every spot every lap. A stalled car slowed the field bunching it up as the end was near but Harris took off and left second place up [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Pestotnik, Gifford among IMCA winners at Boone

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (April 20, 2024) – Boone Speedway held its second weekly racing series on Saturday night, and despite the chilling temperatures, 140 drivers checked in for racing action. Jake McBirnie saw his first checkers of the 2024 season in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. It was Doug Smith going to victory lane in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Cory Pestotnik got the monkey off his back and took the win in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. Veteran Wayne Gifford was the winner in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Ben George took the win in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites. Mod Lites kicked off feature racing with their 15 lap “A” main. When the race went green, pole sitter George immediately jumped to the lead while Chelsea Ladurini got a good start and tagged in to run second. Unfortunately, her run was cut short very quickly when she took a tumble in corner two and her night ended just after lap one went into the books. When the race restarted, George [Read More]

Modified

Opportunistic LaCrosse tops IMCA Modified feature at 141

By Greg Aregoni FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (April 20, 2024) – On a cold night with hot racing, Benji LaCrosse used some misfortune of the leader to take home the checkered flag at 141 Speedway.  Rob Charapata put himself up front right off the bat in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature while LaCrosse and Brandon Schmitt made their respective ways toward the front from mid-pack starting spots, with Schmitt getting to the leader first. Schmitt made quick work of Charapata and set sail with LaCrosse making his way to second.  Schmitt seemed to be destined for the checkered flag even after he entered lapped traffic but made contact with another car and bent up his front suspension. He was able to maintain the lead until LaCrosse came storming past.  A caution before the final flag set up a dash to the finish. Cole Czarneski used the final restart to his advantage and stay with LaCrosse for the lead. The two would put on a great battle over the final two laps with LaCrosse edging Czarneski.  Johnny Whitman ran out [Read More]

Modified

Car counts, racing, even T-shirt sales good at start of South Texas IMCA Modified Series

HUFFMAN, Texas (April 19, 2024) – It’s four races into the inaugural South Texas IMCA Modified Series and Promoter Jacob Hortch has already seen a lot that he likes. The inaugural series is averaging better than 20 Modified entries, with competitive racing every night and just one repeat winner so far. Even the T-shirt sales have been pretty good. “We’re definitely proud of the car counts we’re bringing. These drivers are definitely putting on good shows,” Hortch said after watching Logan Dinsmore race from ninth to win the latest STIMS event, at Cotton Bowl Speedway. “We’ve seen a lot of different cars every night. I think drivers like the level of competition and the fans have been happy to see competitive IMCA Modified racing.” “I think the tracks are happy, too.” Logan Dinsmore tells all about his ninth to first run in the April 13 South Texas IMCA Modified Series main event at Cotton Bowl Speedway. (Photo by Rachel Plant) Chris Morris was the winner of features at I-37 Speedway and Jared Maupin topped the [Read More]

Events

Stuart Speedway hosts May 1 Dynamic Drivelines Dirt Duel

STUART, Iowa (April 18, 2024) – Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for potential All-Star berths at Stuart Speedway’s Dynamic Drivelines Dirt Duel. The eighth annual event is Wednesday, May 1. Modifieds chase a $1,000 top check and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility, Stock Cars a top prize of $750 and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Rounding out the sanctioned card are Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods in a $750 to win feature, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks in a $500 to win main and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, Iowa State and track points will be awarded at the draw/redraw show. Hot laps are at 6:45 p.m. with racing to follow. Pit passes are $30, $15 for non-competing children ages 6-13 and free for kids ages five and under; minor waivers must be filled out at the pit shack. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $5 for kids ages 11-16 and free for 10 and under. The Dirt Duel will [Read More]