Newswire

Berry now one win from IMCA Dakota Classic Tour perfection

By Becca Pelkey MANDAN, N.D. (July 13, 2022) – Tom Berry Jr. is just 30 laps from unprecedented Corral Sales IMCA Dakota Classic Tour perfection. Berry won his fifth Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature and $2,000 in as many nights Wednesday at Dacotah Speedway, matching Steve Arpin’s 5-for-5 tour in 2007. He’ll chase that record-breaking sixth win when the tour concludes Thursday at Mandan. “We’ve been good. I don’t know what else to say. We’ve been up here every night,” Berry said from victory lane. “Luck’s been on our side. I’ve got a lot of good help backing me and that makes it all go around.” “It was overall a good night. Now we’ve got one more night.” Hometown driver Shawn Strand led early from the pole with Berry moving quickly toward the front from his sixth starting spot. The 2019 tour and 2020 national champion Berry caught and passed Strand before a lap three caution regrouped the field. On the restart, Berry ran away with the lead, quickly putting cars a lap down. The [Read More]

Blume scores big win at Maquoketa Speedway

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (July 9, 2022) – Saturday saw perfect weather conditions for an action-packed night of racing at the Maquoketa Speedway. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature saw Austin Blume score his first win of the 2022 season at Maquoketa. Blume took off from his outside front row start and sailed on to the win by leading flag to flag. Blume took the win ahead of Jaden Fryer and last week’s feature winner, Matt Werner. A strong field of 22 IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars took the green flag for their 15-lap feature. Chase Zaruba also joined the list of first time winners in 2022. Zaruba took the win ahead of 12th starter Tom Schmitt with Jerry Miles advancing from the fifth row to take third. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods provided another action-packed race as drivers ran three- and four-wide throughout their main event. When the checkers flew it was Jesse Bodin taking the win by a slim margin ahead of Jacob Arp and Shane Paris. The IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks saw the [Read More]

Arlington IMCA Modified checkers fly for Magers

ARLINGTON, Minn. (July 9, 2022) – Dalton Magers found victory lane for the first time this season at Arlington Raceway Saturday night. Magers took the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified lead on the sixth lap from Rick Schroeder and stayed in front for the duration in the flag-to-flag main event. Chad Porter took second while Trent Loverude was third. Payton Harazin led the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock field until the third lap when he encountered troubles and ended up in the pits. That handed the lead to Cory Probst. Chad Volk tried diligently to gain on Probst but ran out of time and settled for second. Marschall Robinson led the first lap of the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature but soon Brett McConnell was side-by-side and managed to get by him to take over the race. McConnell then had to contend with Nate Coopman as the two battled for several laps, again maneuvering around lapped traffic. In the end, Coopman finished in first, McConnell in second and Alan Lahr took third. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern [Read More]

Berry makes run at IMCA Dakota Tour record book tonight

By Becca Pelkey DICKINSON, N.D. (July 12, 2022) – Tom Berry Jr. will make his run at the Corral Sales IMCA Dakota Classic Tour record book Wednesday night in Mandan. Berry won a fourth consecutive Friesen Performance IMCA Modified tour feature Tuesday at Southwest Speedway. Those checkers, good for $2,000, put him in position to match Steve Arpin’s perfect 5-for-5 tour campaign in 2007. Ricky Alvarado led the Modified field to green, but yellows came early and often and helped Berry move quickly through the field from his 10th starting spot. While battling to stay in the top spot, Alvarado had a mechanical failure and handed the lead over to Berry. Although cautions continued to slow the pace, Berry pulled away on each restart to win in front of the 11th starting Dakota Sproul, former national champion Jason Wolla, Eddie Belec and Tanner Black. Four different drivers, the most recent of them Ricky Thornton Jr. in both 2019 and 2020, had won three Modified features on tour since 2009. While Berry continued his string of perfection, consistent [Read More]

2nd annual Eric Van Iten Memorial is Sunday at The ‘Burg

LUXEMBURG, Wis. (July 12, 2022) – Friends and fellow drivers will remember Eric Van Iten at the second annual memorial race in his honor this Sunday at The ’Burg Speedway. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars race for $5,000 to win and a guaranteed starting berth in the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational while Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds run for a top check of $2,500 and qualifying eligibility for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods run for $800 to win. Total purse for the July 17 show is already $35,000 and growing. Bucket drawings and the 50/50 raffle will benefit one of Van Iten’s favorite charities, the Denmark chapter of Wings Over Wisconsin. Anyone interested in contributing to the purse through sponsorship or donations can contact Troy DeGrave at 920 371 2679 or the track on how to get involved. Pits open at 1 p.m. with the grandstand opening at 3 p.m. and racing at 5 p.m. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly racing National, regional and KMJ Performance State, but not track [Read More]

Jenkins gets IMCA Modified job done at Eagle

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (July 9, 2022) – Ryan Jenkins has the distinction of winning his first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Eagle Raceway in front of a pair of former national champions. Saturday’s finale at America’s Home Track saw Jenkins put his number 6 out front early. Jordan Grabouski advanced to second with nine laps left and Johnny Saathoff took over third with five to go but neither could deny Jenkins the checkers. “Luckily we started outside pole tonight and were able to get it done,” Jenkins said post-race. “I didn’t really know how far ahead I was so I just tried to keep the car straight, keep getting through traffic clean and hoped to get to the checkers with no cautions. I’ve had a lot of seconds here, a lot of thirds, but tonight was my first win.” Kyle Vanover vanquished his IMCA Sunoco Stock Car foes, Dillon Richards won again in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Adam Armstrong was back in victory lane following the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature. [Read More]

Points leaders in strong position at Off Road Speedway

By Randy Pospishilsports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (July 9, 2022) – With just five regular nights of points racing remaining in the 2022 season at Off Road Speedway, four drivers have established leads in their respective divisions, and three of those four won again Saturday night. Cory Dumpert secured his fourth IMCA Sunoco Late Models feature win of the season at the Norfolk track, needing just three laps to move up from a starting position on the outside of the fifth row to the front of the 16-car field. The three-time defending national champion promptly forged a straightaway-length lead over Joey Haase and Kyle Prauner for the next 18 laps but neither finished among the top three. Ben Sukup, who had started alongside Dumpert and spent numerous laps in a battle over fourth place with Eric Vanosdall, exchanging slide jobs seemingly at every corner, joined the leaders after passing both Vanosdall and Prauner. Sukup then inherited second place after Haase’s car broke down, which also caused a caution and restart with four laps remaining; however, Sukup couldn’t [Read More]

Beat Inflation this Saturday at Park Jefferson

By Mark Adkins JEFFERSON, S.D. (July 12, 2022) – The racing will be as hot as the sultry July temperatures Saturday, July 16, at Park Jefferson International Speedway. However, the ticket prices will be cool as a cucumber for fans of all ages. As part of a special Beat Inflation promotion, tickets are $9 for adults and just one dollar for kids. Gates open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing getting underway at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.parkjeff.com/, the Internet home of Park Jefferson International Speedway. A full show of season points competition in Friesen Performance IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact divisions is on Saturday’s schedule.

Funeral services are Thursday for Greg Hunter

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa – Funeral services for long-time IMCA Late Model driver Greg Hunter are at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 14 at the White Funeral Home in Independence. Hunter, 64, died Saturday, July 9 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. The 1988 and 1992 track champion at hometown Independence Motor Speedway, he was a 20-time feature winner at Indee and still ranks in the top 10 in career wins for the division there. He and his father Leonard Hunter Sr. were both inducted into the Independence Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 2018. Hunter was born on June 21, 1958, in Independence, the son of Leonard Romaine and Margaret Ellen (Coons) Hunter Sr. He graduated from high school in Independence with the Class of 1976. He and the former Jenny Lynn Rechkemmer were married on May 30, 1998 in Winthrop. They later divorced. He worked as an assemblyman for John Deere in Waterloo for many years. He was a member of the U.A.W. Local #838. Survivors are two daughters, Tonya Hunter of Cumberland, Md., and Madelyn Hunter of Independence; two [Read More]

Berry three-peats, Speckman tops Stocks in IMCA Dakota Classic Tour at Williston Basin

By Becca Pelkey WILLISTON, N.D. (July 11, 2022) – Tom Berry Jr. went back-to-back-to-back and Matt Speckman went back to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2019 when the Corral Sales IMCA Dakota Classic Tour traveled to Williston Basin Speedway on Monday night. Berry raced to a third $2,000 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win in as many tour starts. Speckman’s $1,000 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers were his career 89th in the division and earned him B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility as well. Entries again topped 90 with 13 states and Canada represented in the Modified main event. Veterans Ed Turnbull and Hank Berry started on the front row in the Modified feature. Turnbull led from the initial green flag as Lucas Lambreries, Ricky Alvarado and Berry tussled three-wide close behind him. Using the high line around the speedway, Berry grabbed the second position and quickly caught Turnbull. He took over the top spot on lap nine and pulled away from the field, dominating from that point to win [Read More]