Newswire

Sheppard repeats IMCA Modified sweep at Tonopah

TONOPAH, Nev. (May 23) – Jeff Sheppard Jr.’s second visit to Tonopah this season turned out a lot like his first. The difference was that Saturday’s Jim Butler Day Classic feature for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds paid $1,000 to win and landed the Arizona long tow on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Piloting a house car as part of the Dream Racing Chassis house program, Sheppard won both his heat race and the dash for cash, then started from the pole and led all 25 laps of the main event. Cautions kept the field close throughout the feature. James Thibodeaux stayed closed after a restart with two to go but couldn’t reel in Sheppard. Completing the top five were Jerry Buesig, Bryan Wulfenstein and Justin Miller. “It’s nice when you travel 5-1/2 hours when you can win that much money,” said Sheppard, who had also scored heat, dash and feature wins in sweeping the May 9 program at Tonopah in a Dream ride. “My regular track will be closing for the [Read More]

Bob Valencia named Wild West Modified Speedweek race director

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. – Bob Valencia has been named race director for the 2015 Wild West Modified Speedweek. Touring IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds vie for $1,000 to win at seven events during the June 13-20 Speedweek. “I’m super excited,” said Valencia, race director at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash., for 15 years. “I really enjoy the Modifieds and the people that are involved with the teams. These guys are serious about racing but know how to fun at the same time.” Valencia brings considerable experience to the tour, especially when it comes to officiating big events such as the annual Shipwreck Beads Northwest Modified Nationals. The tour opens Saturday, June 13 at Southern Oregon Speedway followed by the Sunday, June 14 show at California’s Siskiyou Motor Speedway. Coos Bay Speedway hosts the Monday, June 15 event and Cottage Grove Speedway the Tuesday, June 16 show. Wednesday, June 17 action is at Sunset Speedway Park. A travel date on Thursday, June 18 precedes Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20 shows [Read More]

Rescheduled Skip Rose Memorial Sunday at I-35

MASON CITY, Iowa – Two $1,000 to win features headline I-35 Speedway’s rescheduled Skip Rose Memorial this Sunday, May 31. Winners of both the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main events take home $1,000. If not already on the ballot, the Modified winner also becomes a candidate for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational starting field. Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks both race for top prizes of $500, Mach-1 Sport Compacts for $200. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, Allstar Performance State and local track points will be awarded. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., the grandstand opens at 5 p.m., the draw closes at 5:45 p.m. and racing follows 6 p.m. hot laps. Grandstand admission is $15 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12 and free for five and under. Family passes are $40. Pit passes are $30. More information is available at the www.I-35speedway.com website or by calling 641 424-6515. The Skip Rose Memorial was rescheduled from May 24 because of inclement weather.

Thornton dominates Arizona Speedway’s John Morris Classic

APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. (May 23-24) – After extending his win streak at Arizona Speedway to five, Ricky Thornton Jr. made a beeline to the bank to deposit a pair of $1,000 checks. Thornton rocketed from mid-pack to win both nights of the third annual John Morris Classic special for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds at Apache Junction. The victories were the 15th and 16th in just 25 starts this season for the national championship hopeful. Current national and Larry Shaw Racing Western Region point leader Brian Schultz also started deep in the field and ran second each night. Thornton started 15th on opening night, passed Don Earven with three laps left and pulled away to win by four car lengths following a restart with two to go. Eric Center, two days shy of celebrating his 52nd birthday, was third. John Morris Jr. was fourth in the memorial event held for his father and Chaz Baca Jr. was fifth. Picking the middle line paid off on night two for Thornton, who took the initial green from 12th [Read More]

Location is perfect for 100th IMCA Modified win by Cordes

DUNKERTON, Iowa (May 23) – While he’d preferred to have done so sooner, Troy Cordes couldn’t have picked a better track to win his career 100th IMCA Modified feature at. Cordes ended an uncharacteristic three-week absence from victory lane with a more typical run to the checkers from the 10th starting spot in Saturday’s IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified field at Independence Motor Speedway. Indee is the same track where the Dunkerton driver first won in an IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock in 1994 and in a sanctioned Modified in 1996. “I was glad I was able to get my 100th at Independence because that’s where I won for the first time. We raced back then because we just liked doing it and we still do,” said Cordes. “Everyone had been asking me when I was going to get my 100th. I wasn’t even sure how long it had been since the last time we won.” “We’ve been struggling some and the rainouts haven’t helped,” he continued, “but the car was phenomenal and we finally got it done.” He [Read More]

IMCA Late Model veterans chase $500 bonuses at Marshalltown Deery

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (May 27) – Veterans of the IMCA Late Model division are in the running for a pair of $500 bonuses when Marshalltown Speedway hosts the Deery Brothers Summer Series on Tuesday, June 2. The Miller Lite 50 tour event pays $3,000 to win and a minimum of $300 to start. Former promoter Steve Priske, now the owner of Rumour’s Bar & Grill in Marshalltown, will also pay a $500 bonus to the highest finishing Late Model driver who competed at Marshalltown between 1985 and 1990, plus another $500 bonus if that driver can win the main event. Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls, a seven-time tour champion, took home both bonuses from the Deery feature held last year, during the track’s 50th anniversary season. The first of 23 Deery Series events at Marshalltown was held in 1987. The division was sanctioned there weekly from 1987 through 1990. Deery drivers with roots in the 1985-1990 Late Model era at Marshalltown have enjoyed their share of success there: Curt Martin of Independence has won five local Deery [Read More]

Fox Shocks builds market with new IMCA Modified, Stock, Northern SportMod awards

EL CAJON, Calif. – A company that got its start in the two-wheeled market looks to build its four-wheeled niche through a new partnership with IMCA. Fox Shocks gives contingency awards beginning this season to drivers in the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod divisions. The El Cajon, Calif., manufacturer began building shocks for motocross competitors in 1974. Product lines for vehicles ranging from ATVs to snowmobiles were added before Fox put its first prototype shock designed for a race car on the track, just five weeks after expanding into the dirt market in 2013. “We hit the ground running,” acknowledged Track Program Manager Pat Macaulay, a 20-year veteran of the industry hired to direct growth into another new market. “We are a recognized brand and want to align ourselves with the right sanctioning bodies and the right drivers.” “I knew the value of what IMCA brought to the table. That was a draw for us,” he explained. “With all the different sanctioning bodies out there, we [Read More]

Schauer collects first North Star checkers at Arlington

ARLINGTON, Minn. (May 23) – Matt Schauer’s 14th career series start ended with his first North Star Tour victory Saturday at Arlington Raceway. Schauer topped the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car headliner, beating Brent Uecker and Brent Reierson across the stripe. After starting third, Schauer had the lead going down the backstretch and stayed in front until midway through the 15-lapper. After getting out of his groove, Schauer fell back to fourth. He rallied, driving between Uecker and Ken Tietz to take the lead back for good on lap 10. The win was his first in seven starts this season, and first since the 2013 campaign. Curt Lund made his first local appearance for the season, drew the pole and pulled away from the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified pack, winning ahead of Aaron Krohn and Mat Hollerich. Two-time Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod defending champion Matthew Looft landed his division-leading seventh career checkers. Runner-up was Justin Remus and Jared Boumeester took third. Jamie Songer’s road trip ended in victory lane, as he took the IMCA Sunoco [Read More]

Reisdorfer, Lonneman score first North Star Tour wins at Murray County

SLAYTON, Minn. (May 22) – Hometown heroes David Reisdorfer and Chad Lonneman had them dancing in the streets Friday night in Adrian. Both drivers won for the first time in their respective careers when the IMCA North Star Tour opened at Murray County Speedway. Reisdorfer started from the pole and led the distance in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. Dan Mackenthun tried to stay close but had to settle for second. Levi Feltman was third. Lonneman also drew the inside row one start. He outran Matt Hanson and John Ross for the checkers. “It’s kind of neat that we’d both win the same night,” said Lonneman, who pits next to Reisdorfer and noted the number of sanctioned tracks in the area they’d be able to race at this season. “We knew there would be a good group of local cars going there Friday.” Mat Hollerich won his second career IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified tour feature, in front of eighth starting Jeff Ignaszewski and 10th starting Jason Fisher. Jake Simpson scored North Star Series career [Read More]

Cleveland, Crompe top IMCA Modified mains at Santa Maria Spring Nationals

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (May 23-24) – Duane Cleveland led every lap on Saturday, Christopher Crompe got the lead back on the last lap Sunday and both drivers earned $1,200 for their IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified feature wins at Santa Maria Raceway’s Budweiser Spring Nationals. Cleveland made the long tow from northern California worth his while, starting from the pole and avoiding a late-race hiccup when a lapped car got sideways just ahead of him. Josh Vogt made up ground as Cleveland ran in traffic but had to settle for second. Roger Holder completed the top three finishers on opening night. Another 25-lapper on Sunday saw Crompe in and out of the lead before the final circuit heroics. Crompe led the first seven laps before giving way to Danny Lauer. He stayed close behind, running the inside line and saving his tires, before regaining the front spot on the white flag lap. “This was my first win at my home track,” the new Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier said. “”This was a big one. [Read More]