Newswire

Memorial services are Saturday for Bill Zwanziger

WATERLOO, Iowa – Long-time driver and retired IMCA director of competition Bill Zwanziger died Monday morning, Nov. 18 at University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City. He was 82. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Friday at Hagarty-Waychoff-Grarup Funeral Home, located at 300 West Ridgeway in Waterloo. Memorial services are at 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home with inurnment at Waterloo Memorial Park Cemetery. Full military rites will be conducted by Evansdale Amvets Post 31, Waterloo Amvets Post 19 and the Iowa Army Honor Guard. IMCA’s director of competition from March of 1989 through the 1996 race season, Zwanziger helped write rules and oversaw their enforcement during the time that saw the IMCA Modified become the most popular class of race car in the country. “Bill left an indelible mark on racing as a driver and as our director of competition,” said IMCA President Kathy Root. “He played a key role in the growth of IMCA and particularly our Modified division for many years.” “More importantly, he was a friend to everyone [Read More]

Thunder Hill Speedway continues IMCA sanction through 2015

MAYETTA, Kan. – Thunder Hill Speedway owners and promoters Mike and Pam Conkwright have announced they will continue their association with IMCA after signing a two-year agreement to continue sanctioning through the 2015 race season. Thunder Hill has been IMCA sanctioned since being reopened by the Conkwright family in 2010. Weekly divisions returning to the Mayetta, Kan., venue are the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. “We’re increasing both car counts and fan attendance and we’ll keep improving the facility and the racers’ and fan experience as much as possible every week,” said Mike Conkwright. “Fans want to see fast and competitive racing and our facility supports that for sure. Racers want to be competitive at a reasonable cost and IMCA provides a consistent rules package to support that. “ “IMCA sanctioning also allows racers to compete for a variety of championships at the track, state, regional and national level.” Pam Conkwright added “IMCA provides us technical and procedural support [Read More]

Third tour win of season gives Wilmot first World Products Empire State Series crown

KIRKWOOD, N.Y. (Nov. 9) – Mike Wilmot clinched his career first World Products Empire State Series title with his third tour win of the season Saturday at Five Mile Point Speedway. After avoiding early race collisions that slowed the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified finale, Wilmot raced from eighth to third before getting caught up by a spun car. He restarted at the rear, used the high side of the oval to make his way back toward the front and was running side-by-side with Gary Roberts for the lead by the 15th of 25 circuits. Finally pulling ahead, Wilmot beat Roberts to the $600 checkers by less than a car length. Matt Cole, Kevin Cole and Matt Jones rounded out the top five. Dirt Works Eastern Region champion and former tour titleist Chris Fleming had the best shot mathematically at displacing Wilmot atop the standings but was slowed twice by trips to the pit to fix flat tires. He still managed to finish 11th. The regular season champion at 5MP, Wilmot had also won the [Read More]

Thornell paces Pahrump’s Day After The Duel

PAHRUMP, Nev. (Nov. 10) – Randy Thornell enjoyed two long runs at the front of the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified field before departing from Pahrump Valley Speedway with a $1,500 paycheck. Thornell led 15 laps before midway of Sunday’s Day After The Duel special before bobbling after a restart and watching Kyle Brown drive by. He stayed close and returned the favor just five circuits later, however, leading to the finish and racing his way onto the ballot for the 2014 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Thornell’s car, engine and even his trailer are homebuilt. He’s pared back his own racing schedule this season while traveling the go-cart circuit with son Blake. “We won the first night out when this car was new in 2010,” he said. “We experimented more with setup this year and got faster as the season came to an end. We learned a lot of stuff. Sunday night was very sweet.” Tony Kinkade Jr., Jesse Williamson, Joe Wabsis and Jason Pike completed the top five. Ben Kates was the Karl Chevrolet [Read More]

Payne hits another jackpot with fourth IMCA Duel In the Desert victory

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 9) – On a record-setting weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Jeremy Payne extended his own Duel In The Desert record to four. Payne won the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified special at the LVMS half-mile Dirt Track for the fourth time Saturday night in a 40-lapper that ran green to checkered. The $7,777 victory put the Missouri hotshoe on the ballot for the 2014 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Terry Phillips, Jeff Taylor, Aaron Turnbull and Dominic Ursetta completed the Modified top five. Justin O’Brien started 15th and finished sixth. Dean Abbey was the $777 IMCA SportMod winner, ahead of Tyler Frye, Chad Dolan, Robert Elliott and Ben Kates. Total car count for the 16th annual Duel was a record 320. That total includes a best-ever 74 SportMod entries. Phillips, a two-time Duel winner, started the main event from the pole, flanked by Dominic Ursetta. Phillips jumped out to an early lead as Payne moved past Ursetta for second place. Payne caught Phillips on lap seven and the battle for the [Read More]

Payne, Ursetta, Frye are night two winners at Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 8) – Jeremy Payne and Dominic Ursetta were IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified winners during a record-breaking Duel In The Desert program Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The three-time and defending Duel winner, Payne paced the first of two qualifying features on the LVMS half-mile Dirt Track while Ursetta topped the second race. Tyler Frye scored the IMCA SportMod checkers. Both Modified features paid $777 to win, the SportMod feature $500. An event record 320 entries, including 247 Modifieds and 73 SportMods, have now competed at the 16th annual event. The top four finishers from each Modified qualifier advance to the outside row of Saturday’s $7,777 to win main event. Dustin Boney, Travis Sherfick and Zane DeVilbiss followed Payne across the stripe. Benji LaCrosse, Paul Stone and Tim Ward completed the top four behind Ursetta. Ward made his way to fourth from the 20th starting spot. Dean Abbey flew from 11th starting to second in the SportMod feature. Last-chance races will add the final 12 Modifieds to that starting grid. [Read More]

Phillips, Turnbull win opening night qualifiers at Duel In the Desert

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 7) – Terry Phillips and Aaron Turnbull won IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified qualifying features Thursday, on opening night of the Duel In The Desert special at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The top four from each race advance to Saturday’s $7,777 to win main event on the LVMS Dirt Track. Winner of the 2010 and 2011 Duels, Phillips led Jeff Taylor, Justen Yeager and Kyle Rohleder across the stripe. Turnbull won ahead of Dylan Smith, Jordan Grabouski and Justin O’Brien. Two hundred and forty-seven drivers, representing 21 states and three Canadian provinces, vied on opening night of the 16th annual special. Drivers from six different states and one province are already on Saturday’s grid. Both qualifiers paid $777 to win. Two more qualifying features for the Modifieds are on tap Friday, along with the first action for IMCA SportMods. A dozen Modifieds will be added through last-chance events on Saturday. If not already on the ballot, the Modified winner at Las Vegas will become vote eligible for the 2014 Fast Shafts [Read More]

Record 290 pre-entries for Duel In The Desert

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 4) – A record 290 pre-entries have been received for this weekend’s IMCA Duel In The Desert special at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Two hundred and twenty-five IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified drivers from 19 states and three Canadian provinces, and 65 IMCA SportMod drivers from 16 states and two provinces are entered in the Nov. 6-9 special. Modifieds race for $7,777 to win and a minimum of $777 to start their Saturday, Nov. 9 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier on the half-mile Dirt Track at LVMS. “There are only two events in the country that draw this many Modifieds and both are IMCA sanctioned. The number of cars and the quality of competition mean the best of the best are coming to the Duel In The Desert this weekend,” said IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root. “The quality of racing is exceptional and there’s no better place to hold a special event like this than Las Vegas.” Preliminary Modified features on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 7 and 8 [Read More]

Van Genderen takes Desert Classic title

By Lonnie Wheatley PEORIA, Ariz. (Nov. 1-2) – After making his first visit to Canyon Speedway Park, Mike Van Genderen is probably already looking forward to his second. Van Genderen made the most of the 1,500 mile trek from Newton, Iowa, by taking the $5,000 winner’s share in Saturday night’s 40-lap IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified main event that put the wraps on Canyon’s 25th annual Desert Classic special. The payday was Van Genderen’s biggest in the open-wheeled division and put him on the ballot for the 2014 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. He raced from his front row outside starting position and led every circuit before taking the checkered flag. Cautions slowed the early going but the last half of the feature stayed green. Van Genderen used the top line and led by a straightaway much of the distance before getting slowed by heavy lapped traffic in the late going. While negotiating that traffic on the final circuit, Van Genderen send sparks flying as he got into the front stretch wall at the flag stand. [Read More]

Cotton Bowl sanctions four IMCA divisions in 2014

PAIGE, Texas – Cotton Bowl Speedway at Paige will sanction IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks beginning in 2014. The 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval is approximately 30 miles east of Austin on Highway 290. The Saturday night venue opened this year and has a seating capacity of 5,000. “We’re already excited about next season and sanctioning our Modifieds and SportMods with IMCA,” promoter Danny Bennett said. “We had a good weekly car count this year around 20 Modifieds and 18-21 SportMods. Hopefully we can have the same type of results with the sanctioned Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks as new classes for Cotton Bowl in 2014.” An opening night date and special event dates for 2014 are to be announced. The Cotton Bowl will be part of IMCA’s ButlerBuilt Southern Region for Modifieds, the Arnold Motor Supply Southern Region for Stock Cars and Stephenville Starter Southern Region for Hobby Stocks. “I like IMCA as an organization. A level of sportsmanship is expected [Read More]