Newswire

First visits to LaSalle for One Night Stand yield wins for Behning, Hurst, Steenbergen

LaSALLE, Ill. (Aug. 1) – Three drivers making first-ever visits to LaSalle Speedway stood above the rest at the track’s inaugural One Night Stand special Saturday evening. Brunson Behning was fastest in a field of 19 IMCA Late Models and earned $2,000. Jeremiah Hurst prevailed in a field of 24 Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds for a $1,000 feature win and a spot on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Winner of the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature was Jeff Steenbergen, who took home $400. Behning had raced to his first win of the season on July 30 at Jackson County Speedway. He made it two checkers over three nights after setting fast time, topping his heat race and then drawing the pole for the 40-lap main event. “I knew we had a strong car,” said Behning, who now has Zach Frields heading his crew. “I was pretty confident going in, especially after getting the win at Maquoketa.” The front cars were quick to catch up with the back of the field. Behning [Read More]

Who needs notes? Gearhart is first in Thomas County Fair Modified feature

COLBY, Kan. (July 31) – Those copious notes Cody Gearhart had from his one previous visit to Colby didn’t apply when he returned to Thomas County Speedway for Friday’s fair special. It didn’t matter. Gearhart led the last 21 of 25 circuits in winning the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified main event. The $1,000 victory was accompanied by a spot on the ballot for the 2016 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “I won the one time I ran here last season. This was the first time I’ve been back this year,” said Gearhart, now giving serious thought to make more frequent trips to Thomas County. “They’d decreased the banking (this spring) since the last time I was here so the notes I took from last year didn’t apply.” Taking a more off the cuff approach, Gearhart started fourth in the field of 24 and avoided getting caught up in an early multi-car fracas. He caught pole starter Chris Heim four laps in and led to the checkers. “I tried some off the wall setup stuff and [Read More]

Night of 1,000 Stars first of three IMCA Modified specials this week at Hancock County Speedway

BRITT, Iowa– Thursday’s Night of 1,000 Stars is the first of three premier Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified special events this week at Hancock County Speedway. The Aug. 6 event pays a minimum of $3,500 and as much as $10,000 to win. In addition to $2,500 in lap money, a $1,000 bonus will be paid to the leader at midway of the 50-lap main event. Other bonuses are $2,000 if the winner has raced at Hancock County at least six times prior to Thursday and $1,000 if they have perfect attendance at Britt this season. A spot on the ballot for the 2016 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational is also at stake. Making the 33-car feature field pays a minimum of $300; 28 cars qualify with another five provisionals to be given. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for $700 to win, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks both for $500 to win. The Night of 10,000 Stars is Friday, Aug. 7 and the All Star Race is Saturday, Aug. 8 at Britt. Fireworks [Read More]

Night of 10,000 Stars is Friday at Hancock County Speedway

BRITT, Iowa – The second of three crown jewel events for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds this week at Hancock County Speedway is the Friday, Aug. 7 Night of 10,000 Stars. The winner earns $7,000, with $1,000 bonuses added if they’ve won the event previously, raced at least six times previously at Britt this season and if they’ve won a feature at Hancock County in 2015. That makes for a potential $10,000 payday. Minimum start money for the 2016 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier is $400 and tow money is $100. Distance for the main event is 50 laps with a mandatory pit stop on the front stretch on lap 25. Thirty cars will qualify with another six sponsor provisionals; the longest tow driver also receives a provisional if they do not qualify. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars will chase a $1,000 top prize Friday night. Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods race for $500 to win, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $400. Pit gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and racing [Read More]

Stock Car Challenge bragging rights belong to Nichols

By Kelly Ninas LEXINGTON, Neb. (Aug. 2) – Bragging rights belonged to Mike Nichols at Dawson County Raceway’s IMCA Sunoco Stock Car Challenge Sunday night. Nichols raced from 11th to win the pole dash, then from 12th to top the main event. He took home $2,360 for his efforts, an amount that included $1,500 for the main event victory, $500 when he agreed to invert the top 12 finishers from the pole dash and $360 in lap money. Kyle Clough led the first seven times around the oval from his pole start. Nichols passed his way toward the front on the high line, then went to the lowest line to drive by Clough. “B” feature qualifier Kyle Vanover raced from 14th starting to second but wasn’t able to catch Nichols. Jason Rogers also made the big show from his “B” race and made the most of the racy surface, driving from the eighth row to third. Casey Woken and Chad Sterling completed the top five. Nichols, who started last in his heat and just made the transfer, also [Read More]

Whitman wins fair feature at OshKosh

By Dave Panske OSHKOSH, Wis. (Aug. 4) – Johnny Whitman was the Automotive Supply Company IMCA Modified winner Tuesday, during the Winnebago County Fair show at Oshkosh SpeedZone Raceway. Eric Mahlik had settled into first with the white flag in the air but Whitman made a final lap move pay off, edging Mahlik a the line for his second feature win of the season here. Mahlik took second with Mike Wedelstadt scored next. Jeff Schmuhl held off Kleinschmidt over the final laps to record his second local Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature win of the season. The battle for the third was tight the entire second half of the race with Jon Schultz taking the position at the finish line. The stars came out for the Total Power Sales IMCA Stock Car feature. Travis Van Straten gained the lead for good on the 14th circuit and raced to is fourth straight and eighth overall OshKosh win this year ahead of Rod Snellenberger and Justin Jacobsen. All feature winners were presented with the Kim Parsons Memorial Trophy promoting organ [Read More]

DeYoung cruises at Crystal

CRYSTAL, Mich. (Aug. 1) – After disaster was averted, Johnny DeYoung raced to the Allstar Performance IMCA Modified checkers Saturday at Crystal Motor Speedway. Jerry Hunt’s engine had given up the ghost coming down the front stretch in front of most of the field but everyone except Hunt was able to continue. Kody Johnson took the point but gave it up to DeYoung a few laps in and he went on to cruise to the win. Johnson was second and Mitchell Hunt third.

Sunday wins for Wilson, Tucker at Merced Speedway

By Don Martin II MERCED, Calif. (Aug. 2) – Alex Wilson won Sunday’s 20-lap Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified feature at Merced Speedway. The lead trio of Bob Williamson, Wilson and Bill Egleston ran close early on. An inside move on the seventh lap gained Wilson the lead, but he got sideways a lap later as Egleston raced by. However, Wilson beat Egleston back to the line for the lead on lap nine. Alex Wilson started to pull away, Kyle Wilson began making his move, passing Ricky Thatcher for fourth on lap 11 and Williamson for third on lap 15. As Alex Wilson happily took the checkered flag, Kyle made a low move in the final turn to grab second from Egleston. After taking the lead from Dwayne Short and surviving a late challenge from Bruce Nelson, Gary Tucker won his second 20-lap Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod event of the season.

California rookie Dotson delivers with flag to flag run to Harris Clash checkers

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (Aug. 4) – The first thing Ethan Dotson did when he pulled into victory lane at Hamilton County Speedway Tuesday night was call his folks back home in Bakersfield, Calif. When he got out of his Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified, the 16-year-old rookie shared more details about his flag-to-flag run at the front of the Harris Clash field. “It’s always been a dream to run the Clash. Winning it is like a dream come true,” he said after taking the $2,000 checkers. “I never pictured myself winning this race.” The victory, just his career second in the division, came in a new GRT ride. Dotson had finished ninth in the regular season finale at Webster City three days earlier, still trying to figure out fuel pressure problems. After starting outside Justin Medler on the front row, Dotson set a torrid pace throughout the 25-lapper. Former race winner Kelly Shryock ran second most of the way on his home track and looked to reel in Dotson following the final restart with eight [Read More]

Mayden’s the Man at Cottage Grove

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (Aug. 1) – Career win number one in the class came Saturday at Cottage Grove Speedway for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified hotshoe Jake Mayden. Kinzer Cox was the early pace setter and remained in the lead until lap five, when Mayden joined him up front and the pair battled side-by-side. Cox regained the lead on lap eight only to have it taken away on the following circuit by Mayden. Mayden lost the lead on lap 14 to Cox but got back around him on lap 15. Mayden stayed in the lead the rest of the way. Cox was second while Mark Carrell took third.