Newswire

First Washington entry getting back on track at Super Nationals

PUYALLUP, Wash. – Nine years after his last race, Will Taylor became the first Washington State driver to register for the 41st annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. An Arkansas native and traveling respiratory therapist by profession, Taylor is now working out of Puyallup. He’ll make the trip to Boone Speedway via Batesville, where Kevin Shaw is getting his 2005 Shaw ride race-ready. “This was a track championship winning car for Shawn Walsh,” said Taylor. “I’m hoping some of his good luck rubs off on me.” The upcoming Super Nationals are a bucket list race for Taylor, a proud member of the Shaw racing family and three-time spectator at America’s Racin’ Vacation, most recently in 2019. “I’ve been a part-time racer. I have no sponsors. I’ve raced when I could and picked up another shift when I needed to pay for it,” he said. “I want to finish my races at Boone, not go out on the wrecker and take the car home in one piece.” Taylor grew up going to races every weekend, [Read More]

Rescheduled Sunoco Bonus nights next at Davenport, 34

DAVENPORT, Iowa (Aug. 16, 2023) – A pair of Sunoco Race Fuels bonus nights rained out earlier this month are on the IMC Late Model schedule for the upcoming weekend. The division title sponsor awards $250 bonuses to feature winners Friday, Aug. 18 at Davenport Speedway and Saturday, Aug. 19 at 34 Raceway in West Burlington. Drivers can receive the bonus one time in a season so the $250 would be given to the top finishing non-winning driver either night, if the winner has already earned the bonus at another track. Friday’s season championship night show at Davenport also features Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, along with the Ryan McDermott Memorial Race for the local 4-cylinder class. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. and racing follows 6:30 p.m. hot laps. Pit passes are $30 for adults and $15 for kids. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $5 for kids ages 5-12 and free for four and under. Saturday is the [Read More]

Champions to be crowned this Sunday at Benton County Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (Aug. 16, 2023) – The IMCA Weekly Racing points season comes to an end this Sunday at Benton County Speedway. Season championship racing will be held in all six divisions August 20, with points champions decided by night’s end at The Bullring. A number of close points battles will highlight Sunday night action, including three drivers who hold leads of fewer than five points. Leah Wroten holds a three point edge over defending track champion Kaden Reynolds in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars presented by Christie Door Company. Wroten, the 2018 Hobby Stock track champion, is looking for her first Stock Car title on the Vinton oval. Also maintaining a three point edge is Sam Wieben in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods presented by Houdek Auto Center. Wieben, in search of his first track title at The Bullring, holds the slim advantage over five-time track titlist Tony Olson. Joren Fisher is in search of his second title in three years in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks presented by Vermedahl Logisitcs. Fisher, who [Read More]

First Arlington wins of season for Becker, Schumacher

ARLINGTON, Minn. (Aug. 12, 2023) – New cars in victory lane gave the fans some exciting races Saturday for the Northfork Custom Meats Back to School Kids Night. Almost 200 kids received some awesome prizes donated by Arlington Raceway, fans and race teams. Brad Becker led the entire caution-free IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature from his pole start to win his first main event of the year. Fighting behind him were Jordan Robinson, Taylor Manderfield and Cory Probst. The three cars exchanged positions throughout the race but on the white flag lap, Probst got around Manderfield to take second. Gary Schumacher led the distance as he won his first Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature of the year. Cars were four-wide around the track and got together causing a yellow on lap seven, which sent Justin Dose to the pits. With only one lap remaining, Schumacher pulled off the win with Alan Lahr and David Marshall right behind. Gary Schumacher led the distance Saturday in earning his first Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature win of the [Read More]

First IMCA checkers for Van Straten fly at Shawano

SHAWANO, Wis. (Aug. 12, 2023) – On a beautiful August evening Saturday, Mother Nature allowed Shawano Speedway to host the first annual Retro Night. Several teams put together a few throwback schemes from yesteryear and oh did it bring back a lot of emotional memories of the cars and stars that once raced at the legendary half mile. In the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature, pole sitter and former limited late model champion Dave Lytie and Andrew Engels, who had his dad’s no. 33 on the side of his usual no. 29 machine, set the pace for what would become a caution-plagued feature. Taylor Sorenson used his fourth place starting spot to jump out to an early lead. Michael Springborn was on the move to contest for a bid for the win as well. The hot shoes of Tyler Sobiesczyk and Jeffery Teske found their way to the front. As Sobiesczyk grabbed the lead the top four of Sobiesczyk, Teske, J.J. Vanderloop and Bryce Clements started to break away from field. As the laps ticked away, [Read More]

Larson rolls out banner for 100th IMCA Modified win

FREEPORT, Ill. (Aug. 13, 2023) – Jeff Larson was beginning to wonder if they’d ever get to roll out that Friesen Performance IMCA Modified 100 Wins banner. The answer became a resounding yes on Sunday night. From Freeport, Larson became the 69th driver in division history, and the first from Illinois, to reach the 100 career win mark Sunday night at East Moline Speedway. “We weren’t running for points at the start of the season. I knew we were getting close but didn’t know how close we were until IMCA called me,” Larson said following his 14th checkers of 2023 in a TCE Team car. “Once we found out it became a goal we wanted to get to.” “Getting 100 IMCA wins was not ever a goal back when we started,” noted Larson, who’d become a first-time IMCA Modified winner in 2016. “We never kept track of all our wins when we started racing. Now I wish we would have.” The wins started to accumulate with 15 in 2019. He followed with 22 checkers and the national [Read More]

Services for Bill Haglund are Aug. 29

DES MOINES, Iowa – Funeral services for racing writer, historian and hall of famer Bill Haglund will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29 at Iles Westover Chapel, at 6337 Hickman Road in Des Moines. The editor of Hawkeye Racing News and IMCA executive secretary during a long and distinguished career that covered journalism, racing and all subjects related passed away Aug. 10 at the age of 79. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28 at the Westover Chapel. Burial will be Tuesday afternoon at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery. A complete obituary will be posted when all that information is available.

Bound for Boone? Be part of Boone Bound promotion

BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 14, 2023) – Bound for Boone and the 41st annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s? Let your fans, friends and all of the IMCA Racing Nation know by getting in on the Boone Bound promotion. Send a high-quality on-track photo of your car along with your name, hometown, division and the name of the photographer to boonebound@imca.com and it will be posted on the IMCA Facebook page. Car photos of drivers who have pre-registered for the Sept. 4-9 Super Nationals are posted in the order they’re received. “Boone Bound is a great way to let everybody know you’re going to be a part of the biggest dirt track racing event on the planet,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “And we are doing our very best to keep up with submissions. The sooner they’re sent in the better.” “Byron Fichter originated the Boone Bound idea and continues to do all the work on it,” continued Root. “We can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done to promote IMCA, our drivers and the IMCA [Read More]

Maquoketa Speedway hosts season high 135 race teams

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Aug. 12, 2023) – Saturday night, the Maquoketa Speedway hosted 135 race teams on Kinion Auto Sales Season Championships for the IMCA Sunoco Late Models. The Late Models took the green with 20 drivers in attendance on the quick ¼-mile oval. The battle was on at the dropping of the green between the two high point drivers, Andy Nezworski and Dalton Simonsen. Nezworski was recorded as the leader on lap one before Simonsen took over the top spot. Simonsen has been a top five car all year but was yet to record a win. Saturday night saw the Fairfax driver’s fortune change as he battled Nezworski the entire race and went on to record a very impressive win. A late-race caution set up a dash to the finish and Bryce Garnhart was able to nip Nezworski at the finish line for second. Nezworski was crowned the 2023 track champion after completing a stellar season. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event was action packed to say the least with a [Read More]

Thornton takes Bald Tire Bash checkers at Benton County Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (Aug. 13, 2023) – Dylan Thornton raced the top groove to a big payday in Sunday’s Bald Tire Bash at Benton County Speedway. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car special, which required a tread depth of no greater than 5/32 of an inch on any tire, featured a 50-lap headliner at The Bullring that resulted in a $2,500 winner’s share for the Keystone driver. From a row two start, Thornton battled pole-sitter Leah Wroten early for the top spot in the Christie Door Company main event. Working the top side of the fast, smooth quarter-mile, Thornton assumed command just prior to a lap five caution. He maintained the point on the restart and built a five-plus second advantage by the time the race was slowed again just past midway. As Thornton led, Kyle Olson, Kaden Reynolds, Tom Berry Jr. and Dallon Murty pursued. Murty made his way into second before a stoppage that put him on Thornton’s rear bumper for a late restart. While pressuring Thornton with just two laps to go, Murty spun [Read More]