Newswire

Perris fans salute Morris following Saturday IMCA Modified win

PERRIS, Calif, (May 28, 2022) – Kyle Morris took the lead on lap nine and led the remaining 11 circuits to claim the $1,000 to win Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event during Perris Auto Speedway’s Salute to Indy Saturday night. April winner Matt Hicks and Randy Thornell rounded out the top three. “You need to have interviews with me more often about how much I don’t win because obviously, it’s good luck,” the happy winner, who was resplendent in red suspenders, joked to infield announcer Chris Holt. “Every time I saw a car down there (running on the bottom) I was holding my breath. It has been so long since I have been up here, I tried to keep that out of my mind.” The IMCA Modifieds will be back at Perris Auto Speedway on June 25 for the first annual Bubby Jones/Ray Sheetz Memorial.

Local favorite Leavell sprints to first series win at Natural Bridge

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (May 28, 2022) – The second trip for the Virginia Sprint Series to Natural Bridge Speedway on a perfect day had a first-time winner as local favorite Joe Leavell was first to the checkers. Bill Rice and Caleb Harris paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature with Rice like a bullet out first leading but soon to be joined up front by Jerald Harris and Leavell not letting. Harris and Leavell were closing in, leaving Rice no room for error as the three were all under a blanket with Leavell low and Harris up high. With the end coming quick Leavell made his move low on Rice while Harris made a move high, slipped and brushed the wall. Leavell came out with the lead but Harris regrouped and challenged for the front spot. Harris edged closer with traffic everywhere as the lead group made its way through but ran out of time to catch up and deny Leavell the career-first win. Rice took third. The series takes a few [Read More]

Lapped traffic factors into Off Road finishes

By Randy Pospishilsports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (May 28, 2022) – Oddly enough, sometimes being in the lead of a main event can mean being equally concerned about the cars in front as the cars in pursuit. In other words, when the race leader catches up to cars that trail the field, those cars, who are expected to maintain the line their drivers are using, become “lapped traffic” and can factor into the race’s outcome. On Saturday night at Off Road Speedway, the winner of two races, Devin Johnson in the IMCA Sunoco Late Models and Colby Langenberg in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, were able to navigate lapped cars successfully and earn spots in victory lane. Johnson chased race leader Robert Osborne for 21 laps. Osborne maintained a significant lead of until catching up to cars at the back of the pack. Johnson seized the opportunity to close the gap, then got his chance at the lead when a caution with four laps left placed him on Osborne’s rear bumper. Johnson wasted no time getting [Read More]

Former track champ Armstrong returns, takes Hobby Stock checkers at Eagle

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (May 28, 2022) – A rare visit to his old stomping grounds saw Roy Armstrong back in victory lane at Eagle Raceway Saturday night. The five-time track champion scored his first IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock victory of the season in the Memorial Weekend show at America’s Home Track. “It’s such a special night to win on Memorial Weekend, not just to win the feature but to remember all of those that we’ve lost, especially the veterans and those in the Armed Forces who fought for our freedom,” Armstrong said post-race. “It’s just awesome to win here. It’s been a while since I won up here (July 24 of 2021) but we are only running one night a week.” “Beatrice canceled last night so we headed up here tonight,” he explained. “That’s kind of how our schedule will be this year. We probably won’t be here every week, so we’ll just be hit and miss. It’s always great to win here with the great competition every week.” Career win number 73 in [Read More]

Brewer, Miller stay red hot, spotlight Memorial Duels

By Mark AdkinsMedia Relations Director JEFFERSON, S.D. (May 28) – Two drivers familiar with the Park Jefferson International Speedway victory lane made themselves at home there again Saturday night. For a fourth time in only five weeks, David Miller was the feature victor in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Similar to the race storyline from the week prior, Miller and Florida native Joel Magee fought it out for first. Nathan Regnerus placed third. Karl Brewer put his no. 13K Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod first across the finish line, winning the feature for the second time this year. He captured heat one and kept on going. Willy Kirk captured his fifth top 10 and first five finish in as many weeks, ending second. Rusty Montagne took third. Sid Mosher thrilled the local fans on hand as he stepped up for a feature trophy, claiming his first Park Jefferson IMCA Sunoco Stock Car victory of the year by topping runner-up Travis Barker for first. In the $1,000-to-win Friesen Performance IMCA Modified finale, Chris Abelson found his [Read More]

Doug Smith scores first Modified win of season at Boone

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (May 28, 2022) – Boone Speedway saw some of the best racing of the year on Saturday night, with close racing and thrilling finishes all night long among the 161 race cars filling the pits. Doug Smith scored his first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory of the season at the speedway in a close one at the line. It was Michael Jaennette coming out on top of a thrilling IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature and Jake Sachau got win number two of the year in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. Mike Smith went back-to-back in winning the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature in yet another close finish, and Joe Glick took the win in a Corn Belt Clash Series race for the IMCA STARS Mod Lites. The STARS Mod Lites ran their second of three weekend Cornbelt Clash races, vying for the $500 prize. Bryan Zehm jumped to the immediate lead and appeared to be gone in the 20-lap feature. His good run ended, however, when he had to [Read More]

A Memorable Weekend of Racing at Sweetwater

By Jayson KlepperWWCC Student Intern ROCK SPRINGS, Wy. (May 31, 2022) – Friday, May 27, and Saturday, May 28 marked the first two races of the season at Sweetwater Speedway and they did not disappoint. The track was as fast as ever even with the rainy weather leading into the races both nights. The crowd was also treated to an impressive car count of over 114 cars with many being first-time racers at the track. With this many racers it was bound to be a special opening weekend, but this was only the beginning of what became some of the best nights of racing this county has ever seen. This weekend of racing was particularly special because it was also the Paul Trent/Rudy Yeager Memorial Race. Paul Trent and Rudy Yeager were essential to Sweetwater Speedway and without all their hard work and dedication, many believe we would not have racing in the county or this great facility. Trent was instrumental in promoting the races throughout the years and drew a lot of attention to [Read More]

Berry tops IMCA Modifieds, Wieben rallies for Northern SportMod win at Anniversary special

VINTON, Iowa (May 30, 2022) – Tom Berry Jr. led all the laps and Sam Wieben led the most important one in the Monday night 43rd Anniversary special at Benton County Speedway. Berry led all 43 laps in winning the star-filled Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature, while Wieben lost, then got the lead back from Taylor Kuehl on the final circuit to win the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature. “It’s always pretty special to win at the home track of IMCA,” said Berry, who was checking and double checking his car while crewman and right hand man Josh Capalla got the ace in the intermission card draw that gave him the inside front row start. “I don’t get to start on the front row that often. I’m glad I was able to take advantage of it.” Fast from the drop of the green in the Memorial Day show, Berry had five lapped cars as a buffer between his back bumper and Richie Gustin when the first caution came on lap 26. Ethan Dotson and Sunday [Read More]

Fast start to season lands Looft career 200th IMCA Northern SportMod victory

ARLINGTON, Minn. (May 28, 2022) – Matt Looft joined another of IMCA’s most exclusive clubs Saturday night at Arlington Raceway. Looft won for the 200th time in his Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod career, becoming just the 16th driver in the sanctioning body’s modern era began in 1979 to achieve that feat. “This wasn’t something I ever expected to be able to do,” the Swea City, Iowa, driver said the next day during a break from making ice cream for son’s Brysen’s fourth birthday party. “It took me like three years to get my first win in a ‘B’ mod. We’ve worked hard at this and I’ve had a good support system, which really helps. I’ve got a good car (a 2022 Skyrocket) and good tech support.” Now a four-time national champion in the division, Looft raced to his first Northern SportMod victory in 2010. He’s been in double figure wins every season since 2012 and comes off a career-best 27 checkers and his latest national title in 2021. “Getting our 200th win was not something we were [Read More]

Emerson, Harcrow, Smith win HO’T features, All Star Shootout titles to Pirkle, Abbey, Geurin

WACO, Texas (May 29, 2022) – Three drivers won features and three drivers won championships on the final night of the IMCA All Star Shootout Sunday at Heart O’ Texas Speedway. Jeff Emerson earned $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility for his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified win while Markiss Harcrow collected $750 and became B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible for his IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers. Cody Smith was also a $750 winner, in the Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod main. Jacob Pirkle ran eighth in repeating as the Shootout Modified champion. Stock Car champion Jeffrey Abbey was sixth and Southern SportMod champion Brandon Geurin eighth in their respective finales at Waco. A regular visitor to HO’T with the Texas Sprint Series, Emerson got to watch son Kaleb finish fourth in the SportMod feature before taking his turn on the track. He started third and stalked leader Beau Collins before making his move to the front on the 16th of 25 circuits. Home track hotshoe and defending track champion [Read More]