Sport Compact News

VINTON, Iowa (Nov. 21, 2024) – As promised, few changes have been made in rules for seven other IMCA divisions. “We had announced this summer that the 1978-87 General Motors OEM replacement frame manufactured by Speedway Motors would be legal for use in the Stock Car, Hobby Stocks and Southern SportMod divisions, and that Stock Car drivers could compete using the MD3 Camaro kit,” stated IMCA President Brett Root. “No other changes were made in rules for any of those three divisions.” New to 2025 rules are: •A one piece rear spoiler is allowed the Northern SportMods, a maximum of five inches for crate engines and a maximum of three inches for claim engines. •STARS Mod Lite fuel cell vents must have check valves. One spring rubber is allowed per wheel and a minimum 2” x .083” steel drive shaft must be used from the transmission adapter to the automotive rear end. •Skirting is allowed between the tires only on Sport Compacts and while belt driven accessories may be removed, the crank balancer must remain [Read More]

BOONE, Iowa (Nov. 20, 2024) – Didn’t get enough of the action at Boone Speedway and the 42nd annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s ? You can enjoy encore presentations of highlights from America’s Racin’ Vacation four nights this week, beginning tonight (Wednesday) on the SPEED SPORT 1 channel. Three-hour produced shows broadcast at 9 p.m. EST and feature highlights from IMCA.TV from Day 4 at Boone this evening, Day 5 on Thursday and Day 6 on Friday. A nine-hour broadcast marathon begins at noon Sunday, Nov. 24. SPEED SPORT 1 is available for free on Amazon Prime, PlutoTV, SlingTV and more.

BEATRICE, Neb. (Nov. 17, 2024) – After a lifetime around the sport, Johnny Thomas got an offer he couldn’t refuse. Thomas made the most of that offer, to drive a Dillon Richards-built Mach-1 Sport Compact, and raced to rookie of the year honors in the 4-cylinder class and a runner-up finish in national point standings, second only to Richards’ wife Kaylee. “Two feature wins was my goal. I just wanted to have fun and see what happened,” said Thomas, who had made just a handful of starts in the Richards-built ride in 2023. “I went out to have a little fun and everything turned out pretty good really quick.” “When someone like Dillon makes you an offer like that, you can’t say no, especially when you already love the sport,” added Thomas, who dates Richards’ aunt Michelle Moore. “I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d get to race a car, let alone have the success I did this year.” He’d total 10 feature wins and 30 top five finishes in his 42 starts, along with [Read More]

Kaylee Richards raced to a unique championship double this season, earning both Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact national and Lady Eagle titles. (Photo by Joe Orth) WYMORE, Neb. – Kaylee Richards wasn’t even thinking about racing for points in 2024. Now she’s thinking about knocking out walls to make room for an expanded trophy room in the basement. Richards capped a 24-Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature win season with a unique double, becoming the first driver to win both a national championship and the Lady Eagle award the same season. “Originally, I didn’t even want to race for points this year. I’d done it for so long I kind of wanted to take a step back and race for fun and not for points,” said Richards, from Wymore, Neb., and just the second female driver to win an IMCA national crown. “My husband Dillon talked me into racing for national points and to give it everything I had.” IMCA’s first husband and wife national champions – Dillon won the Sport Compact crown in 2017 and topped [Read More]

ABILENE, Texas (Oct. 19, 2024) – Kyle Wisdom had impressed at last year’s Southern Challenge Ryan Bard Memorial, racing from his ‘B’ feature to finish fourth in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature. He turned heads again at Abilene Speedway’s 30th annual season-ending event on Saturday night, this time winning the main event and $2,000. “I’ve run second here in a SportMod a couple times and raced the Southern Challenge in a Modified four times but have never been able to win it before,” said the hometown hotshoe, newly eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “It’s something every driver around here wants to do. It means a lot.” Wisdom had started from the pole in the Friday night qualifier but was a DNF after getting into the wall with six laps left. Returning to the speedway the next day, he made the most of Scotty Cook’s expertise and the track wrecker “to correct the geometry” and got the wheels and tires on with all of three minutes to spare before hot laps. Wisdom [Read More]

VINTON, Iowa (Oct. 15, 2024) – Record-setting racers and first-time kings and a queen are among the 2024 national champions announced today by IMCA. Mike Nichols’ 13th IMCA Sunoco Stock Car crown is the most all-time in IMCA while Cory Dumpert’s sixth straight IMCA Sunoco Late Model title sets a new record for the sanctioning body in its modern (1979-) era. Kaylee Richards became the first driver to win both a national championship, in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts, and Lady Eagle award. Other first-time national champs were Lee Goos Jr. in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car and Jeff Shepperd in the Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMods. Matthew Looft’s Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod title was his career seventh, Dillon Raffurty’s Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite crown his career fourth. Chaz Baca went back-to-back in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Cory Probst topped the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock standings for the second time. A 30-time feature winner, Nichols complemented his latest national title with EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region and Crawford County Speedway, [Read More]

BEATRICE, Neb. (Oct. 11-12, 2024) – Cory Wray checked the forecast, then he checked out. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified hotshoe from Trenton, Mo., made his first visit to Beatrice Speedway in five years for the season-ending Octoberfest special, leading all 25 laps of Saturday’s $2,000 to win feature. “We looked at the weather, saw it was going to be nice and decided to race one more weekend,” said Wray, newly eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “It was a good way to end the season.” He’d started third and took the lead coming to the line at the end of lap one. A lap four caution bunched the field back together but Wray pulled away and was running in traffic late in the contest. Johnny Saathoff was second, Braxton Yeager third. Justin Zeitner motored from 15th starting to fourth for hard charger honors. Jordan Grabouski, most recently a three-time Octoberfest main event winner in 2020, topped Friday’s $1,000 to win feature for the Modifieds and both $750 to win features for the [Read More]

By Joe Verdegan FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (Oct. 11, 2024) – 2024 track champion Cole Czarneski stormed past Shawn Kilgore on a lap nine restart into the lead and cruised to victory in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at 141 Speedway’s Car Wars curtain closer. The victory was worth $2,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility for the second-generation ace. Kilgore swapped the lead with fellow front row starter Cody Apfelbeck for the first several circuits. While that scrum was going on up front, Czarneski, who started 10th on the grid, quickly threaded his way through traffic, jumping into the third spot on lap four. Czarneski quickly closed in on the lead duo and a three car duel quickly evolved for the lead.  Czarneski worked the high line inches from the concrete retaining wall and the lead trio began weaving through lapped cars by lap eight. A lap nine yellow tightened up the field and when racing resumed, Czarneski made his move. Czarneski skillfully weaved his way through those lapped cars and fought off a [Read More]

Ties are broken by 40 point finishes, then 39 point finishes, 38, 37, etc.  Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds – 1. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 1,027; 2. Chris Zogg, New Liberty, Iowa, 993; 3. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton, Iowa, 992; 4. Grey Ferrando, Stayton, Ore., 991; 5. Ethan Braaksma, Newton, Iowa, 989; 6. Jed Freiburger, Dubuque, Iowa, 986; 7. Myron DeYoung, Stanton, Mich., 980; 8. Tim Ward, Harcourt, Iowa, 979; 9. Jeremy Mills, Clear Lake, Iowa, 975; 10. Troy Morris III, Bakersfield, Calif., 973; 11. Jeffrey Reay, Portland, Mich., 972; 12. Jeff Larson, Freeport, Ill., 971; 13. Austin Harnick, Clare, Mich., 964; 14. Jake McBirnie, Boone, Iowa, 957; 15. Matt Werner, Geneseo, Ill., 957; 16. Jake Nightingale, Maize, Kan., 956; 17. Todd Shute, Norwalk, Iowa, 954; 18. Ben Chapman, Clarence, Iowa, 953; 19. Cole Czarneski, Denmark, Wis., 952; 20. Ty Clemens, Belgrade, Mont., 945. IMCA Sunoco Late Models – 1. Cory Dumpert, Newman Grove, Neb., 810; 2. Travis Denning, Sterling, Ill., 809; 3. Anthony Roth, Platte Center, Neb., 791; 4. Zach Zeitner, Bellevue, Neb., 785; 5. Evan Miller, Davenport, [Read More]

BEATRICE, Neb. (Oct. 7, 2024) – Six IMCA divisions are in action both nights of Beatrice Speedway’s season-ending Octoberfest special Oct. 11 and 12. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win on Friday and $2,000 to win on Saturday. A minimum of $200 will be paid to start and winners of both features become Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible. Both IMCA Sunoco Stock Car features pay $750 to win with those drivers earning B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod features pay $750 to win, Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock features $500 to win, and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact features $200 to win. Entry fees each day are $50 for the Modifieds, $25 for the Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and Northern SportMods, and $20 for the Mod Lites.  An open practice runs from 7-9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10. Pit passes are $15. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., the draw closes at 6:30 p.m. and racing starts at [Read More]

HAYS, Kan. (Oct. 5, 2024) – Clay Money put the demons of 2024 behind him Saturday night at Hays. After going winless in 14 sanctioned starts during the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season, Money motored to a career-best $5,000 payday in topping the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at RPM Speedway’s Fall Nationals. He passed Jeremy Frenier for the lead midway through the 30-lapper, earning Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility in addition to the big check. “Hays is my home track and we’ve run this event since at least 2012,” said Money, who had started at the back of Saturday night ‘B’ SportMod qualifiers after playing high school football on Friday night early in his career. “We been running a Modified here since 2016 (he was fourth in 2020 after starting 16th) but were just never able to get it done until this year.” Tanner Black, Clay Sellard, Frenier and John Hansen rounded out the top five. “They did track prep right before the feature and that probably helped us,” Money [Read More]

By Ben Deatherage PRICE, Utah (Sept. 28, 2024) – Waylon Hale’s roller coaster weekend ended with a win Saturday, on the final night of the Castle Country Clash at Desert Thunder Raceway. The Mancos, Colo., speedster, second on Thursday and 15th on Friday at Price, was a man on a mission in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main event.  Taking control from the opening start, the 17-year-old chauffeur dominated the entire distance ahead of the rest of the competition. Camron Spangler and Shawn Parish completed the rest of the podium in second and third, respectively. Jacob Vasquez was the weekend’s overall champion in the division. Chaz Baca Jr. capped off the last night of the Clash, dominating the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature to earn his second weekend win. The Mesa, Ariz., driver got the lead early and did not look back once, despite a couple of stoppages as he would win the overall title of the weekend. Kelly Smith started the main event off as the pacesetter but could not hold back the advances [Read More]

ARLINGTON, Minn. (Sept. 28, 2024) – The last race of the season saw some spectacular action in both heats and features at Arlington Raceway.  Trent Loverude continued his winning ways as he drew the pole, started up front and stayed there in winning the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event. Dalton Magers and Todd Stinehart were switching positions for the first 10 laps before Magers brought out a caution and then went into the pit area. By the 12th lap, Dan Menk was challenging but Loverude was able to gain quite a distance and went onto win the race. Menk took second with Stinehart taking third. Loverude won the track championship.  The Rice Companies IMCA RaceSaver Sprint car feature saw several yellow flag, the first when Andrew Allen got sideways in turn four and Kyla Anderson got collected into him. Both done for the night. On the restart, another yellow came out when Brett Allen was leading and Matt Johnson came from behind. Both were vying for the same spot in turn four and neither driver [Read More]

By Sheldon Wickwar GOODLAND, Kan. (Sept. 28, 2024) – After finishing top three on opening night, Trevor Geist topped the night two feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at the Sherman County Speedway Flatlander. Geist started outside the front row in the 20-lapper, took the lead at the drop of the green and controlled the feature start to finish on the bottom dominant oval. A couple late race cautions allowed hard charger Jake Nightingale to advance on restarts but was he was unable to track down Geist, who earned $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility with the win. Third was Anthony Rhoades. A caution around midway opened the door for Tathan Burkhart in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. That 20-lap grind started with a front row of Burkhart and Cole Younger. Burkhart led until lap seven, when Jason Rogers got around him. They battled side-by-side for a few laps before Tubbs went for a spin. The restart saw Burkhart get a great run to take charge of the race. He survived a [Read More]

By Sheldon Wickwar GOODLAND, Kan. (Sept. 27, 2024) – Kyle Rohleder kept up his winning ways on opening night of the 35th annual Flatlander at Sherman County Speedway. Rohleder’s third Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory of the season at Goodland was good for $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Seventy-nine race teams checked in for the night and joining Rohleder in victory lane were Troy Burkhart in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Cody Williams in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Blaine Walt in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Gage Porter in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. The Modified 20-lap feature event started with a front row of Marshal Hoppe and Trevor Geist, with the latter leading until lap three, the circuit that saw a multi-car pileup that ended the night for four of the seven drivers involved. Geist restarted the field but Rohleder sped by to take the lead. There was no catching his Zero numbered machine from that point as the WaKeeney hotshoe was flawless through lapped traffic. Second was [Read More]