Newswire

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]

Rust earns anniversary prelude honors at Benton Co. Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (May 29, 2022) – Joel Rust had 1,000 reasons to smile Sunday night. Rust drove the top side to victory and a $1,000 payday in the prelude to Monday’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified 43rd anniversary race. Starting in row seven, Rust quickly worked through the pack and, once he got to the top side, made an even faster march to the front. At around the 10 lap mark, Rust settled into the top five and set sail in the high groove of the fast, smooth, quarter-mile. A short time later, he reeled in race-long leader Ethan Braaksma. Just past the midway point of the 25-lapper, Rust powered around the outside of Braaksma, then navigated through lapped traffic to seal the win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Braaksma ran second ahead of Ethan Dotson and Tom Berry Jr., who also started mid-pack. A $1,000 winner’s share was also on the line for the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods presented by Christie Door Company. From a third row start, Ben Chapman quickly raced his [Read More]

Shryock shines in IMCA Modified classic at Stuart’s Whole Hog

By Josh Reynolds STUART, Iowa (May 29, 2022) – The two-day Whole Hog 50 fired up Sunday evening at Karl Chevrolet of Stuart International Speedway. Feature winners for the night were Justin Kinderknecht, Trent Reed, Colby Fett, and Kelly Shryock. IMCA Sunoco Stock Car qualifying feature winners for Monday’s Whole Hog 50 main event were Jeff Mueller, Troy Burkhart and Damon Murty. IMCA STARS Mod Lites were up first come feature time in their Cornbelt Clash finale with Darrick Knutson leading the first time around. Randy Bryan quickly shot into the lead on lap two and set the pace through a series of cautions. Justin Kinderknecht marched from his eighth starting spot to grab the lead on lap 10 and that would be the money pass as he went on to the $500 win, plus a $100 bonus from Stealth Racing. Jon Padilla finished second, racing with a battery borrowed from the STARS side-by-side, with Bryan third, Joe Glick fourth and Brandon Freeburg fifth. Yoshimura bonuses were paid to Kinderknecht, $250; Padilla, $150; and Bryan, [Read More]

Mather remains perfect in Indee

By Jeremy Fox INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (May 28, 2022) – After losing last week’s races to the victim of mother nature, it was back to action at the Independence Motor Speedway on Saturday Night for Weekly Points Night. It was Michael Pittman Memorial Night, a night to remember a competitor who lost his life in a work related accident in February. It was a picture perfect night to wrap up the month of May, that saw 106 race cars sign into tame the 3/8 mile bank race track on the Buchanan County Fairgrounds. They were going two, three and a few times four wide during the night. The final checkered flag was displayed at 9:47 p.m. The first feature of the night was the 15-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod event. Nate Albrant got the jump on Vern Jackson and took the early lead. Albrant fended off Jackson but then Tony Olson entered the mix on lap three. Olson took the lead away on lap five just before the caution came out. Olson got a great restart and [Read More]

Sewell continues Salina Highbanks success

By John Rittenoure SALINA, Kan. (May 28, 2022) – Over the past four years, Salina Highbanks Speedway has become one of Alex Sewell’s favorite places to race. But that has not always been the case. On Saturday, he won for the fifth time in six straight trips to the Highbanks. “Used to when we came here we kind of dreaded it, but now we look forward to it,” recalled Sewell after the Ameriflex/Oil Capital Racing Series IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature. In 2019 Sewell won at the one event held that year at the highbanks. Sewell swept both Salina races in 2020 and won again early in 2021 before losing the AmeriFlex Challenge VI to Blake Hahn in September. Sewell got off to a slow start Saturday night but came on strong in the final laps for the win. “When they dropped the green, I did not get off to a very good start,” said Sewell. “When we had that yellow, we had 17 or 18 laps left and I knew it was go time.” [Read More]