Newswire

Emerson, Sherbon, Brown continue trend of first-time winners in Independence

By Ryan Clark INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (May 10) – For the third straight week, three drivers became first-time winners at Independence Motor Speedway. For two of them, the victories were the first of their careers in their respective divisions. John Emerson had won numerous IMCA Sunoco Stock Car features in recent years in Independence, but it took just the third night of the season for the first-year IMCA Late Model driver to find victory lane. From his second row starting spot, Emerson quickly worked past front row starters Joel Brasch and Rick Wendling to assume command. He paced the field through a handful of cautions over the first six laps before the race went non-stop over the final 19 circuits of the 25-lap feature. Emerson held the point while Wendling and Dean Wagner tussled for second following the final restart. He pulled away from the pack until Wendling broke free from Wagner. Wendling chased down the leader and pulled to within a car-length as Emerson worked lapped traffic late in the event. Emerson held on to [Read More]

IMCA Modified, Stock Car, Late Model drivers pursue Penske Racing Shocks prizes

READING, Pa. – Penske Racing Shocks builds on a strong first season of sponsorship with renewed contingency awards for three IMCA divisions in 2014. Product certificates good for $350, $250 and $150, respectively, go to top three eligible finishers in each of the five regions for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds and in both IMCA Sunoco Stock Car regions. Certificates in the same increments will be awarded to eighth, ninth and 10th place finishers in national standings for IMCA Late Models. Modified and Stock Car competitors must compete with four Penske shocks, display two Penske decals on their race car and return a sign-up form to the IMCA home office by Aug. 1. Awards will be presented during the national IMCA banquet in November or mailed beginning the following week. “We are excited to renew the relationship with Penske Shocks for the 2014 racing season and I have already had new drivers return contingency sign-up sheets and register for the program,” said IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “Anyone using Penske shocks should definitely let me [Read More]

DeYoung denies Shanteau in Crystal Modified main

CRYSTAL, Mich. (May 10) – Saturday’s Port City Racing IMCA Modified feature at Crystal Motor Speedway proved to a battle of attrition due to and when the last lap was put in the books, JohnDeYoung, Jr. chalked up the win over Mike Shanteau. Brody Bowser, A.J. Ward and Chad Wernette rounded out the top five. More than 125 cars were in the pits for one of the best race nights of the young season at Crystal.

Watts holds off Cook for first trip to victory lane

By Dana Royer/34 Raceway WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa (May 10) – Shane Watts has been racing stock cars for eight years and never won a feature. That changed Saturday night when Watts held off Jason Cook to get his first IMCA Sunoco Stock Car victory at 34 Raceway. Watts took the lead from John Brockway on lap five while there was a three and sometimes four car battle going on behind him. With five laps to go, Cook moved into the second spot. Watts and Cook passed the flagstand nearly bumper to bumper with just two laps to go. On the final lap Watts was able to get some breathing room and took the checkered flag for the first time. Despite having a fire in his car during heat race action, Cook was still able to make the field and moved up from his sixth row start to finish second. Rich Smith was the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified feature winner. Bobby Anders topped the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod main.

Riviera races proceed with ‘cautions’

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (May 10) – The yellow caution light was a determining factor throughout the four main events run Saturday night at Riviera Raceway as multiple restarts kept races up-for-grabs. Winning his first Riviera race ever was Karl Brewer, who took the lead with seven laps remaining in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod division and held off a late challenge from Cameron Meyer. “I was here a couple times last year but didn’t do very good,” Brewer said. “Those two guys got out in front of me quite a ways at the beginning, but I was able to reel them back in when they were fighting it out with each other and it worked out. I don’t know about skill, but it was maybe luck.” Brewer’s “luck” began with a third-row starting position but, following two restarts needed to get the race underway, he found himself five cars behind leader Neil Bruns, who soon became locked in a duel with Meyer. After slipping past Meyer during lap eight, Brewer went by [Read More]

Wanninger is the main man for Marshalltown Modifieds

By Jeremy Fox MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (May 9) – Luke Wanninger was the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified winner on UAW 893 Cliff Chambers Memorial Night at Marshalltown Speedway. Rookie Eric Elliott led to lap 14 before giving way to Wanninger, who started to pull away before a caution produced a four-lap shootout. Wanninger got a great restart and went on to take the win over 10th place starter Joel Rust. Persistent Donavon Smith stayed in the chase. Saw his opportunity with two laps to go and passed long-time leader Steve Meyer for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers. Austin Luellen held off late-race challenges from John Watson to win the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature. Brett Lowry was promoted to first when the apparent Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod winner was disqualified in post-race tech. John Gill made a much-anticipated return to victory lane following the Mach-1 Sport Compact main. Roger Ceilsiski was the Nostalgia Car winner. Charlie Brown topped the mod lite main. Next Friday night, all Scouts are asked to wear their uniforms as [Read More]

Absence ends in winner’s circle for Van Straten

By Dave Panske OSHKOSH, Wis. (May 9) – He’s been out of the sport for a while but Travis Van Straten hasn’t forgotten how to get to the winner’s circle. Van Straten picked up his first feature win ever at Oshkosh Speed Zone Raceway Friday, also his first Total Power Sales IMCA Stock Car victory in only four nights out since ending a 2½-year retirement this season. Larry Karcz Jr. took the lead for the first two laps before Van Straten moved in front. Jake Lunderby, John Heinz and Larry Parshen bunched up in a battle for second as Van Straten pulled away from the field. Van Straten held a quarter-lap lead at the mid-point of the race. Heinz was running second and was starting to close the gap with Karcz Parshen and Harley Simon behind. A lone caution on lap 12 bunched the field and Karcz retook the runner-up spot on the restart with Heinz, Simon and Parshen behind. Karcz Hounded Van Straten for a couple laps before a battle for second allowed Van [Read More]

Lautenbach, Czarapata, Long, Moede and collect opening night IMCA wins at Luxemburg

By Greg Aregoni LUXEMBURG, Wis. (May 9) – Five drivers put the first win tallies in the column for their respective divisions on opening night Friday at Luxemburg Speedway The race winner of the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified feature passed three cars on his way to victory. All three were on lap one when Brad Lautenbach shot like a cannon from fourth to first. Twenty caution-free laps later he found himself in victory lane for the first time in his career in the division at Luxemburg. Two-time defending champion Brandon Czarapata blew into the lead on the second lap of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event and led the rest of the way in another caution-free feature. Rod Snellenberger started 11th and was able to grab the runner-up spot but could not track down the winner. Brandon Long took the lead on lap eight and enjoyed a long run at the front en route to the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod checkers. Brotherly love was put aside to determine the finish of the IMCA [Read More]

Scorpion rewards IMCA Modified, Stock Car drivers with top win totals in each region

OCALA, Fla. – Modified and Stock Car drivers racking up the most IMCA feature wins in their respective regions receive Scorpion Racing Products awards again in 2014. The Ocala, Fla., high performance parts manufacturer will gives a set of Race Series rocker arms to drivers with the most 40-point feature wins in each of the five regions for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds and in both regions for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Second through fifth place finishers with the most regional feature wins for the two divisions all receive $100 product certificates. Scorpion, in its sixth year as a marketing partner with IMCA, also returns to the national decal program for Modifieds for a second consecutive season. All Modified drivers are required to display two Scorpion decals in a designated location on their race car, and provide proof of decal placement to IMCA to be eligible for national point fund shares. The product line at Scorpion also includes lifters, pushrods, valves and valve springs, as well as fuel rail kits and throttle bodies. More information [Read More]

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings Through May 7

IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds – 1. Ryan Roath, Phoenix, Ariz., 828; 2. Keith White, Little River Academy, Texas, 743; 3. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz., 690; 4. Brian Schultz, Casa Grande, Ariz., and Dean Abbey, Waco, Texas, both 676; 6. Ronnie Welborn, Princeton, Texas, 668; 7. Glen Hibbard, Euless, Texas, 641; 8. Ben Ketteman, Pflugerville, Texas, 608; 9. Larry Hood, Bakersfield, Calif., 602; 10. William Gould, Calera, Okla., 574; 11. Alexander Wilson, Salinas, Calif., 571; 12. Joe Spillman, Marble Falls, Texas, and Kyle Wilson, Monterey, Calif., both 565; 14. Jeff Streeter, Madera, Calif., 541; 15. Tim Ward, Gilbert, Ariz., 524; 16. Tommy Fain, Abilene, Texas, 520; 17. Zane DeVilbiss, Farmington, N.M., 509; 18. Brad Pounds, Bakersfield, Calif., 497; 19. Chad Melton, Springtown, Texas, 491; 20. Josh Vogt, Santa Maria, Calif., 490. IMCA Late Models – 1. Todd Cooney, Des Moines, Iowa, 192; 2. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown, Iowa, 181; 3. Ryan R. Griffith, Webster City, Iowa, 153; 4. Colby Springsteen, Wapello, Iowa, 150; 5. Curt Schroeder, Ames, Iowa, 143; 6. Jason Hahne, Webster City, Iowa, [Read More]