Weekly Archives

CJ Speedway season opener set for April 26

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (April 18, 2024) – The 2024 racing season at CJ Speedway, located on the Louisa County Fairgrounds in Columbus Junction is about to see the first official green flag of the season. Friday, April 26 will be the first night of the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season at the popular 4/10-mile dirt track. Racing that evening is sponsored by Oveson Refuse & Recycling and will see classes of IMCA sanctioned race cars in competition. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds headline the program and will be joined by IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. All drivers will be racing for valuable, track, state, regional and national points. The Louisa County Fair Board has hired Dan Keltner to be the track manager for the 2024 season. He brings a lengthy background in racing not only as a driver but also as a track official to the post. “I would like to thank the Louisa County Fair Board for this opportunity and I would [Read More]

Joey Hergott Memorial starts IMCA weekly point season at Beatrice

BEATRICE, Neb. (April 12, 2024) – Beatrice Speedway remembers a long-time race fan and racing supporter on opening night Friday, April 26. The inaugural Joey Hergott Memorial sees Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods in the spotlight, running for $2,024 to win and a minimum of $200 to start. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds run for $1,224 to win, $100 to start and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for $1,024 to win, $124 to start and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star qualifying eligibility. Rounding out the race card are IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks in a $524 to win feature, Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts in a $175 to win main event and Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites. Purses will be increased as additional donations are received. A new Hoosier racing tire will be awarded to both hard charger and a mystery position finisher in Modified, Stock Car and Northern SportMod features, a new Primewell tire to the hard charger and mystery position finisher in the Hobby Stock main. Zeitner & [Read More]

WaKeeney opens with IMCA Blizzard Bash Dash

WaKEENEY, Kan. (April 9, 2024) – The green flag flies again this season at WaKeeney Speedway, with five IMCA divisions running at the Friday and Saturday, April 19 and 20 Buzzard Bash Dash. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds run for $1,000 to win, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $750 to win and both IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods for $600 to win each night. Modified winners become eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, Stock Car winners for the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts run Friday only for $200 to win. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, Kansas State and track points will be awarded for both draw/redraw shows. Entry fee for the weekend is $100 for Modifieds, $75 for Stock Cars, $50 for SportMods and Hobby Stocks, and $20 for Sport Compacts. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. Friday. The grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the pits open [Read More]

Racing returns to Antioch after two straight rainouts

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (April 3, 2024) – The weather has not been kind to Antioch Speedway thus far in 2024. After two consecutive practices were rained out, the speedway has lost three of its first four races due to inclement weather. Making matters worse is the fact that it only rained a little bit on Friday night for the past couple of weeks, but that was enough to soak the pits and make racing impossible for the weekend. However, there’s good news. This Saturday, April 6 will see exciting racing on the 3/8 mile clay oval at the Contra Costa County Event Center in the form of the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. When it comes to the MVP divisions on the Antioch Speedway roster, it’s hard to find a division with a bigger impact in recent years than the IMCA Northern SportMods. At the opener, Kenny Shrader of Pacheco showed why he is the reigning champion after winning a battle with last season’s point runner-up, Jason Ryan Jr. of Oakley. While that [Read More]

Middleford sanction is Delaware first for IMCA, STARS Mod Lites

SEAFORD, DE. (March 27, 2024) – There’s big news coming out of the nation’s second smallest state this season for drivers in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite division. Middleford Speedway in Seaford becomes the first track in Delaware to sanction the STARS Mod Lites, or any IMCA division for that matter, in 2024. “We’ve been running a class here similar to the Mod Lites since about 1994,” said promoter Greg Mitchell, hearkening to the days of dwarf cars and racing pioneer Walt Breeding. “This will be my fourth year here and we’ve run Mod Lites the last three seasons, using the STARS rules with an open tire rule.” “Our drivers wanted to go to the IMCA sanction,” he continued. “We get mostly Delaware and Maryland cars now, and I think it will help us get even more on a weekly basis.” The IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season at Seaford will be from May 4 through Sept. 28. Two specials for the Mod Lites are on that schedule, the Walt Breeding Memorial Twin [Read More]

Wulf jumps at chance to promote Junction Motor Speedway

McCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. (March 21, 2024) – Randy Wulf Jr. still remembers helping load up a race car for the first-ever opening night at Junction Motor Speedway years ago. He’ll remember the excitement surrounding the opening night show at McCool Junction this season from an entirely different perspective. Wulf is the new promoter at Junction, where IMCA Sunoco Late Models, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts fill Saturday night race cards. “Promoting a race track is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” said Wulf. “I have been taking to (Junction owner) Delmar Friesen and jumped at this chance.” Co-owner with brother Chad of Prowler Chassis, Wulf is “a dirt guy by trade” and will handle track prep for the 3/8-mile dirt oval personally. “I want to get the track as smooth as I can,” he said. “We’ve been trying to make sure the crew coordination is there and everyone knows their job, and make this a good place for lots of [Read More]

New Davenport promoter already impressed by local support

DAVENPORT, Iowa (March 20, 2024) – Jeff Struck puts a check on his bucket list this season, as the new promoter at Davenport Speedway. The former driver and now Davenport business owner takes charge at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds venue, where IMCA Sunoco Late Models, Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods will run on Friday nights. The 2024 point season at Davenport runs from April 12 to Aug. 23. “I’ve been impressed by the number of local drivers and local businesses that support racing,” Struck said. “The community has shown that Davenport is a racing staple, locally, regionally and nationally.” Sanctioned Late Models have proven to be a weekly staple there since 1998, joined by Modifieds in 2009, Northern SportMods in 2013 and the Hobby Stocks this season. “What I like most about IMCA is that their rules keep everyone on the same level. I think IMCA racing is closer than open-style racing,” said Struck. “Open-style does have its share of good, side-by-side racing but it seems more [Read More]

Sanction is new for IMCA Mod Lites at Missouri’s Benton Speedway

BENTON, Mo. (March 20, 2024) – The slogan at Benton Speedway is You Name It, We Race It. Beginning this season, Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites will race at the Missouri track, located two hours from St. Louis on Interstate 55, in the southeast tip of the Show-Me State. The sanctioned class will run two Saturdays a month from April 13 to Sept. 28. “We had Mod Lites here six nights last year, averaged about 15 cars a night and had 28 of them for our special event at the end of the season,” said promoter Justin Johnson. “We want to build this class more in Southeast Missouri and felt that sanctioning was the best way to do that. Collaborating with Friday night tracks means drivers in the area will be able to race twice a week.” “There are a good chunk of drivers in east Central Missouri,” he added. “We’ll definitely pull drivers from Arkansas and there’s another good group in Southern Illinois.” The Johnson family farmed nearby and donated the gumbo for the [Read More]

Late life adventure brings Fairchild back as promoter at Salina

SALINA, Kan. (March 19, 2024) – A “late life adventure” brings Chuck Fairchild back to Salina Speedway. Five IMCA divisions and Johnny Cash and his Ring of Fire classic are coming back, too. Fairchild, who bought the 3/8-mile clay oval midway through his first stint promoting the central Kansas track from 1997-2008, returns to the helm at Salina this season. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts are on Friday night cards from May 3 to Sept. 27. “Call it a late life adventure,” explained Fairchild, who answered his cell phone while doing mid-morning laps on a grader. “I’d been retired to Florida the last six years but this came up and my wife Lisa told me I could go back and run the track. We’ll lock the house up and live here eight months of the year.” Fairchild grew up at Salina, where his dad owned cars, and raced a sprint car before promoting and then buying the track. He promised [Read More]

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]