Newswire

California trip pays dividends for Thornton in IMCA Dakota Tour feature at Williston

WILLISTON, N.D. (July 7) – A trip to California earlier this season helped put first-time Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour contender Ricky Thornton Jr. in Williston Basin Speedway’s victory lane. Thornton made the most of the lower line and caught pole starter Kelly Shryock for the lead with six circuits left in Tuesday’s 30-lap Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified main event. After working his way around a lapped car, he collected the $2,100 checkers and took over the top spot in the tour point standings as the best of the best IMCA Modified drivers converged in North Dakota. “That was probably the biggest win of my career,” Thornton said following his 20th victory of the season. “The competition here is so good.” “Our goal coming in was to make the show every night and maybe make the top 10 in points,” he added. “It would be great if we could pull it off and win the tour championship.” The Arizona speedster had started seventh and ran a lower line than most of the rest of the [Read More]

Inaugural Thome Memorial is July 14 at Boone County Raceway

ALBION, Neb. – Boone County Raceway’s inaugural Shane Thome Memorial pays $2,000 to the winner of the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified main event. The Tuesday, July 14 special will be held during the Boone County Fair, is a qualifying event for the 2015 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational and pays a minimum of $100 to start. Additional money has been added to purses for other sanctioned divisions. Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods race for $400 to win, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $350 to win, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $300 to win and Mach-1 Sport Compacts for $180 to win. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Jet Racing Central Region and Allstar Performance State points, but not local track points, will be awarded. Non-sanctioned late models are also on the program. All divisions will be draw/redraw. Grandstand admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12 and free for five and under. Pit passes are $25. More information is available on Facebook or by calling 308 940-2972 or 402 615-0226. A long-time IMCA driver [Read More]

Harris overcomes ailing engine, edges Kay for West Liberty Deery win

WEST LIBERTY, Iowa (July 7) – Brian Harris overcame an ailing engine and beat Justin Kay to the checkers by less than half a car length to win the Deery Brothers Summer Series feature at West Liberty Raceway. The last two champions of the IMCA Late Model tour – Harris in 2013, Kay in 2014 – settled the Tuesday show with a drag race to the finish line. Harris had opened the door with a bobble in the final turn, but recovered in time to outrun Kay. The $3,000 victory was Harris’ career 11th and his third at West Liberty. Kay had won the last three, and four of the last five Deery events there. Kay and third place finisher Andy Nezworski are now tied for the lead in the point standings with nine of 18 series races in the book. Rob Moss and Tyler Droste complete the top five. Moss led the first three circuits from the pole before giving way to Harris. Three cautions waved before midway of the 40-lapper while Harris stayed in [Read More]

Nordman wins fourth feature at Hancock County

By Greg Grabianowski BRITT, Iowa (July 4) – George Nordman picked up his fourth local Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature win of the season Saturday at Hancock County Speedway. Nordman started on the inside of row three before piloting his No. 90 white rig into the winner’s circle. Levi Chipp was second with Cody Knecht placing third in the 18-car race. Kevin Stoa was the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified winner ahead of Jesse Hoeft and Josh Ruby. Point leader David Smith captured his third local feature win in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, coming from inside the third row. Scott Dobel won his second feature this season at Britt in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Devin Jones was the Mach-1 Sport Compact winner.

Huls, Birck, Phillips and Abbott seal the deal at Quincy

QUINCY, Ill. (July 5) – Abe Huls, Adam Birck, Patrick Phillips and Kimberley Abbott all took IMCA feature event wins Sunday at Quincy Raceway. Huls picked up his third feature win of the season in the Powder Coat Plus IMCA Stock Car division as he grabbed the lead from Michael Larsen on the 10th lap and held off hard-charging Beau Taylor. Taylor scored second followed by Jim Lynch in third. The Summy Tire and Auto Center IMCA Northern SportMods had a busy night as they started the evening’s racing action by running the completion of the rain delayed feature event from June 22. Birck captured that checkered flag followed by Austin Howes and Joey Gower. Phillips grabbed his first feature win in the scheduled event over Brandon Lennox in second and Tony Dunker in third. Abbott took home her fourth feature win of the year in the Mach-1 Sport Compact division, followed by Brandon Lambert and Spencer Coats.

Porter is photo finish winner at Arlington

ARLINGTON, Minn. (July 4) – Kyren Porter picked up her first Arlington Raceway won of the season on Saturday before enjoying NAPA Fireworks Spectacular Night. Porter started sixth place and had the Coors Light IMCA Sport Compact lead by lap three. A yellow flag came out the next time around but she was able to hold onto the lead following the restart, winning in a photo finish over Joe Regner. There were three leaders in the MN 93 IMCA Modified feature with Jeff Coon in front early. Clint Hatlestad got around Coon following a restart; Trent Loverude traded spots with Hatlestad for the following four laps and the two jockeyed back and forth for the remainder of the race with Hatlestad coming out the winner. Tim Bergerson won for the first time in his Unhinged Pizza IMCA Northern SportMod career. Trevor Serbus prevailed in a caution-marred 95.7 The Rock IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature. Dan Dhaene was the third and final leader in a B & B Racing Chassis IMCA Stock Car feature that ran [Read More]

Ward is mid-season king at Tri-City

AUBURN, Mich. (July 3) – A.J. Ward was the fourth and final Main Street Seed and Supply IMCA Modified leader on mid-season championship night at Tri-City Motor Speedway. Rich Young led the opening lap before pole sitter Frank Evans III tried his hand at the front of the field. By lap four, Craig Vance worked his way to the lead by using the bottom groove. Vance led until lap 12, when Ward used the high side momentum to carry his machine to the point. Ward then cruised to victory for the first time in five weeks. Vance, Joe Fowler, “B” winner Myron DeYoung and dash winner Toby Steele made up the remainder of the top five.

Van Straten makes it eight at Shawano

By Scott Owen SHAWANO, Wis. (July 4) – Travis Van Straten continued to dominate the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car division at Shawano Speedway with his seventh straight and eighth overall feature win Saturday night. Former Modified track champion Jeremie Hedrick led the first two laps before being overtaken by Van Straten. Hedrick continued to run second until lap seven, when he was passed by Scott Stewart. Stewart gave way on lap 12 to Dan Michonski. With Van Straten holding a big lead, Michonski set out to erase that advantage. Lap after lap, Michonski closed the gap and with two laps to go the lead was down to a car length. Michonski got a fender to the inside of Van Straten exiting turn two, but VanStraten was quicker down the back stretch. Michonski was right on the bumper of VanStraten as the white flag waved. VanStraten held on to win, Michonski finished a strong second after starting in 15th and Dustin Loberger and Justin Jacobsen rounded out the top four. Jamie Schmidt won for the first time this season at Shawano [Read More]

Career highlight accompanies $3,000 check for Sheen’s win at father’s memorial special

EUNICE, N.M. (July 4) – Michael Sheen traveled to Cardinal Speedway and came home with $3,000 and a new IMCA Sunoco Stock Car career highlight. He started from the pole and led all 30 laps at Cardinal’s sixth Kelly Sheen Memorial, the special held in honor of his father, a long-time Stock Car competitor at Eunice. “I’ve been trying to win this race for five years. My dad got me started racing a Stock Car at the age of 15 and my grandfather Don died last year, so I kind of got this win for both of them,” Sheen said. “A lot of my family was there Saturday and this meant a lot to all of us.” EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region points leader Kirk Martin, Tim Pfalzgraf, two-time defending regional champion Matt Guillaume and Steffan Carey rounded out the top five. “The cautions were making me nervous. Those always give you time to think about everything possible that could happen to make you lose,” said Sheen. “I think I’ve probably led more laps [Read More]

Taylor’s last-turn heroics at Estevan yield Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour win

ESTEVAN, Sask. (July 6) – First he raced from 19th to second in his “B” feature to advance to the Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic main event at Estevan Motor Speedway. Then Jeff Taylor started 13th and won Monday’s Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified headliner in dramatic fashion with a last-turn pass of Aaron Turnbull. “It was awesome,” the defending tour champion said from victory lane. “I had a good car and was able to get a line nobody else was running.” Turnbull, Spencer Wilson, new point leader Hunter Marriott and Ricky Thornton Jr. completed the top five. Thornton also came from the “B” features and advanced 10 spots. New series track records were set with 83 Modified and 39 Stock Car entries. As was the case on opening night at Nodak Speedway, drivers from 10 states and Canada filled out the Modified feature field. The 2013 tour king, Turnbull drew the pole start while Taylor worked his way up from mid-pack. He shot inside Turnbull coming out of the final turn to take the $2,100 win by [Read More]