Newswire

“Healthy” wins and repeated history Friday at Wagner

WAGNER, S.D. (June 4) – Race car drivers and crews sometimes fall into a stereotype, that they are mechanics or some other type of “blue collar” professions. But two of the winners Friday night at Wagner Speedway followed a different career path. A big crown braved the elements on a hot and windy evening. Following two weeks of action being limited on the track’s time limit, the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks went the distance with a masterful performance from a driver who has shown that patience and consistency can pay off. Tony Fetterman, who has been in the top five a total of four times in five races, finally broke through for the win, coming from outside the fourth row. Once he got by leader Dennis Powers, it was smooth sailing from there. Following Fetterman and Powers across the line was the driver who had won the last two races, Jordan Vosika, with Kaylb Brunssen fourth and Matt Rezac picking up his first top five finish of the season. When the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods took the green, [Read More]

Ross, Ryan roar to East Moline IMCA Late Model wins

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (June 6) – Joe Ross looked up and then said he couldn’t remember when he won last. “Especially at East Moline,” he said in winner’s circle and laughed. The Ross family special was a bullet on the high side. The Thomson, Ill., veteran passed Gary Webb about halfway through and cruised to the 25-lap IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature Sunday evening at East Moline Speedway. “I found it good on the high side in (turns) one and two and the bottom was better in three and four,” Ross added. “I had no idea where anyone was behind me so I just kept rolling.” There were several cautions early, but the field settled down and put on good battles. Webb held off Andy Nezworski, followed by early leader Leroy Brenner and Chuck Hanna. Earlier in the evening, Matt Ryan flew to the make-up feature from May 16, beating Nezworski, Ross, Hanna and Webb. Jeff Larson kept the hot streak going with his third straight IMCA Modified 20-lap finale. Larson passed [Read More]

Pettit, Prauner, Arduser top Off Road features

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (June 5) – Ron Pettitt picked up his first win of the season at Off Road Speedway, leading all 18 laps of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. Ryan Harris took second place, with Chad Bruns finishing third. Another local driver, Kyle Prauner, moved up from a starting position in the sixth row to take the lead with 12 laps left in the IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature, then won by several car lengths Nelson Vollbrecht and Robert Osborne, who finished in second and third, respectively. Mark Arduser came out of a four-wide battle with the lead in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature and won handily over Nate Buck–who came out on top of a multiple-car competition that lasted for several laps to take second place. Jason Wilkinson finished third.

Tharp, Dedrick, Weepie among winners at Independence

By Jeremy Fox INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (June 5) – Brandon Tharp raced to his career first Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod win, Jerry Dedrick’s IMCA Modified victory paid $1,000 and Jarod Weepie topped yet another milestone IMCA Sunoco Stock Car event on mid-season championship night Saturday at Independence Motor Speedway. Tharp hit his marks and fended off multiple challenges for a win he said was five years in the making. Brady Hilmer finished second ahead of Kenny Wyman Jr., Kyle Olson and Tony Olson. The Modified feature paid $1,000 to win after last week’s scheduled Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier got rained out. Dedrick started on the pole and held off several challenges from Jarrett Brown. New All-Star candidate Dedrick led Brown, Mike Burbridge, Ryan Maitland and Jason Morehouse across the line. Stock Cars were running their 400th feature event in Independence and Kevin Rose led the first four laps of the 20-lapper. Weepie grabbed the race lead on the second of two ensuing restarts and held on to take the 400th checkers ahead of Philip [Read More]

Yarie, Schmidt, Christians cruise to Shawano wins

By Dave Buss SHAWANO, Wis. (June 5) – While last week was the unofficial start to summer, the weather took a week to catch up. Marcus Yarie, Jeremy Christians and Jayden Schmidt all beat the heat and their respective fields to find victory lane Saturday at Shawano Speedway. The IMCA Modifieds saw Yarie power past Marcus Hoeppner and Kevin Feck in the early laps to grab the top spot. Behind Yarie, Wyatt Block was trying to get into the battle for his second straight feature win as he got by Feck for the runner-up spot as Hoeppner slipped to fourth. Jordan Bartz charged to fifth but ran out of laps in the quest for more. Christians decided he’d be the one to steal the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car spotlight. Christians motored to the front early and never looked back as he picked up another win in The Class Too Tough To Tame. Travis Van Straten secured the runner-up spot, getting by Chucky Forstner and Kyle Frederick. Forstner took third with Frederick fourth. Dan Michonski overcame mechanical issues in his heat race to take fifth. And in the [Read More]

Jennings holds off heavyweights for first IMCA Stock Car feature win

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (June 3) – It was a memorable night for McCain Jennings as the Algona driver picked up IMCA Sunoco Stock Car career feature win number one on June 3 to highlight an exciting night of dirt track racing at the Kossuth County Speedway. Jennings started on the outside of the third row before working his way to the front and holding off a challenge of three much accomplished drivers in Derek Green, Donovan Smith and Kelly Shryock to win the main event. Kevin Opheim was the early leader in the feature as the yellow flag came out on the second lap. Loren Pesicka became the new leader after the restart and held that spot until Jennings took over the lead on lap number four and refused to give it up for career win number one. Shryock ended up second with Green placing third as Smith took fourth and Calvin Lange rounded out the top five. The Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature was another entertaining race as Matthew Hanson was the [Read More]

Braathun takes first-ever Boone Speedway win

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (June 5) – Jon Braathun became a first-time Boone Speedway winner in the first Saturday night feature at Iowa’s Action Track. The IMCA STARS Mod Lite 15-lap feature was led from start to finish by Story City’s Braathun. Joel Huggins made it interesting at the finish when his slide under the leader out of the final corner fell just short and he had to settle for second. Third went to 10th place starter Mike Kennedy. It was another exciting IMCA Modified 20-lap feature that had the crowd cheering. Dylan Thornton grabbed the lead from Tim Love on lap 10 but then had to fend off the advances of the rapidly advancing Jimmy Gustin, Jake McBirnie, and Nick Roberts, who were locked into an intense battle for second. That battle resulted in some contact being made between McBirnie and Roberts which sent McBirnie out of the race while Roberts able to gather it back in and continue on. A late yellow sent cars scrambling for position in the final run to the [Read More]

Wroten recovers, wins IMCA Stock Car thriller at the Bullring

VINTON, Iowa (June 6) – When Damon Murty takes the lead of an event at Benton County Speedway, the race is typically for second. Someone failed to mention that to Leah Wroten. Wroten, who led throughout the 15-lapper for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars presented by Albert Auto, lost the lead late to Murty, then took advantage of a caution with two laps to go to drive to her first division win on the Vinton quarter-mile. From her second row start, Wroten quickly raced past front row starters Shaun Bistline and Riley Hanson while the field gave chase. Damon Murty, Jeff Mueller, Dallon Murty and Miciah Hidlebaugh kept pace as the pack of five remained in tight formation with Wroten leading the way. Just prior to a caution with three laps remaining, Damon Murty inched around the outside of Wroten to assume command. On the restart, Wroten quickly went back to work on the bottom groove, making her way past Murty and back into the top spot. She held off a late surge from Mueller to [Read More]

Top Don Gumke Racers’ Memorial check for IMCA Modifieds is $2,222

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – IMCA Modifieds run for $2,222 to win, with a berth on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot on the line as well at Jamestown Speedway’s Saturday, June 12 Don Gumke Racers’ Memorial. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. for the second annual event. The grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m., draw cutoff is at 6 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Side Biter Chassis North Central Region and KMJ Performance State points will be awarded. Grandstand admission is $20 for adults, $5 for students ages 12-17 and free for kids 11 and under. Pit passes are $30. Car and driver is $50. More information is available on Facebook and at www.jamestownspeedway.com. The Don Gumke Racers’ Memorial will be broadcast by DacotahSpeedwayTV.

Hibdon gets biggest IMCA Modified win at Dacotah Speedway’s Iron Man

MANDAN, N.D. (June 5) – Kollin Hibdon brought a simple strategy into Saturday night’s 100-lap Iron Man main event for IMCA Modifieds at Dacotah Speedway. And after staying patient and “not burning stuff up,” the 17-year-old from Pahrump, Nev., had a career highlight-type win and $5,000 to show for his first visit to the quick North Dakota oval. “This was my biggest win ever. I’ve won $1,500 to win and $1,700 to win races but nothing over $2,000,” said Hibdon, who chased teammate Casey Arneson over the first half of the race, then caught and held off Jeremy Keller the last 21 laps. “I kept looking at the leader board late in the race and knew if I didn’t burn stuff up that I had a pretty good chance.” Arneson and Hibdon ran 1-2 to the mandatory caution at midway. Keller had moved to third on lap 25, right before top five running Tom Berry and Marly Seidler were part of a multi-car tangle. Defending national champion Berry exited for the pits and Spencer Wilson [Read More]