Events

Deer Creek is destination for history-making 27th an­nual Harris Clash 

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. – History will be made when one of the premier events for IMCA Modi­fieds travels to one of the premier tracks in the Midwest this summer. Deer Creek Speedway hosts the 27th annual Harris Clash on Tuesday, Aug. 7. Modifieds race for $3,000 to win, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods for $1,000 to win when the first-ever IMCA-sanc­tioned event is held at the Spring Valley, Minn., oval. “This will be a historical event. Deer Creek is one of the tracks that ranks right up there when you talk about dirt track facilities,” IMCA President Brett Root said. “I think this is going to be a stellar event, possibly the biggest one-day event Deer Creek experi­ences this year. The history of the Clash and the reputation of Deer Creek set the stage for a pretty impressive night of IMCA racing.” While a career’s worth of bragging rights are on the line, the Modified feature is a qualifier for the 2019 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “Bob Harris, in his efforts to promote this event, [Read More]

Feature

Richie Gustin checks out on IMCA Harris Clash foes 

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (Aug. 8) – Richie Gustin made sure the race was for second Tuesday night at Hamilton County Speedway. Gustin led all 25 laps of the Harris Clash for IMCA Modifieds, earning $2,000 for a dominating performance. Tim Ward took over second late in the contest but didn’t have enough laps left to reel in Gustin. Ryan Ruter chased Gustin early and ended in third while Hunter Marriott was fourth. Kelly Shryock and Joel Rust came out of “B” features to finish fifth and sixth, respectively. Gustin had started outside Todd Shute on the front row and quickly moved into the front spot, run­ning the extreme lower line with Ruter. A couple cautions were all that slowed Gustin as he pulled away from the rest of the field after each restart. Ward found success on the high side in working his way to the runner-up spot. Shryock started 16th, Rust 18th. Already on the ballot for next year’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invita­tional, Gustin had previously won the Harris Clash in 2010. Rust, the [Read More]

Feature

IMCA Harris Clash set for Aug. 8 at Hamilton County Speedway

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa – Hamilton County Speedway plays host to the 26th annual Harris Clash on Tuesday, Aug. 8 when IMCA Modifieds and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods travel to Webster City. The 25-lap Modified main event pays $2,000 to win, a minimum of $250 to start and is a qualifier for the 2018 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Twenty-five cars start the Modified main. Tow money is $75. A 10-lap dash for cash, open to Modified winners on designated nights at 10 area tracks, returns to the Clash program and pays $500 to win and a minimum of $100 to take the green flag. Northern SportMods race for $1,000 to win and a minimum of $80 to start their 20-lapper. SportMod tow is $50. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and Allstar Performance State points will be awarded in both divisions. Modified drivers also earn Side Biter Chassis North Central Region points. Registration forms can be downloaded from the www.bobharrisent.com website. Entry fees are now $100 for Modifieds and $70 for Northern SportMods. Pit gates open at 3 [Read More]

Feature

Rust wins thriller at 25th annual Harris Clash

By Ryan Clark WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (Aug. 9) – Joel Rust had the greatest seat for the best race in the house for most of 25 laps Tuesday night at Hamilton County Speedway. Little did he know, a short time later it would lead the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified driver to a victory lane celebration as the winner of the Harris Clash. Rust, who started inside of row two, chased front row starters Chris Abelson and Kelly Shryock for all but three-quarters of a lap in the 25th annual event. Contact between the front-runners allowed Rust to escape to the first Harris Clash win of his career. Abelson built an early lead while Shryock pursued multiple car-lengths behind him. Shryock closed to within a car-length by lap 10 and searched high and low to work past the leader. While the former Clash winners engaged in a battle for the lead, Rust cut a half-straightaway deficit into just a couple car-lengths in the waning laps. Contact between Abelson and Shryock forced Abelson into a spin in [Read More]

Events

Modified dash is new to IMCA Harris Clash

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (Aug. 5) – Promoter Bob Harris has found a new twist for one of the longest running specials for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds. Drivers from eight states are now pre-entered for the 25th annual Harris Clash, which will pay $2,000 to win next Tuesday, Aug. 9 at Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City. The Clash is the second nightly installment of IMCA Speedweek and a qualifying event for the 2017 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. What’s new this year is a 10-lap dash that pays $500 to win and $100 to start. The drivers who will start that event – Chris Abelson, Ethan Dotson, Scott Hogan, Luke Lemmens, John Logue, Jeremy Mills, Josh Ruby, Kelly Shryock, Ricky Thornton Jr. and Rob VanMil – won or finished second on designated race nights at 10 area tracks. “Years and years ago, before the (Clash) was at Knoxville, there were about eight tracks where drivers had to have won a weekly feature at to be able to race at what was then called the Modified Race [Read More]

2015 Super Nationals

Harris Clash conqueror aims to continue Iowa success in return to Super Nationals

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Ethan Dotson has found IMCA success in his last two visits to the Midwest. He’s hoping that storyline continues a third time, when he returns for the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Dotson finished fourth in the Saturday night Northern SportMod main event at Boone Speedway last September. Now a rookie in the Modified division, the 16-year-old from Bakersfield, Calif., turned heads all around the racing world by winning the Aug. 4 Harris Clash at Hamilton County Speedway. “I’d always dreamed of driving a Modified and it’s the class I plan on staying in,” said Dotson, who will start his junior year at Independence High School two and a half weeks before open night at Super Nation­als. “Hopefully I can keep on learning and getting better.” The decision was made last September to send Dotson back to Iowa in early summer. He got his career first Modified win on April 17 at Kings Speedway, one of 19 starts he made to start the season in the Larry Shaw Racing [Read More]

Feature

California rookie Dotson delivers with flag to flag run to Harris Clash checkers

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (Aug. 4) – The first thing Ethan Dotson did when he pulled into victory lane at Hamilton County Speedway Tuesday night was call his folks back home in Bakersfield, Calif. When he got out of his Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified, the 16-year-old rookie shared more details about his flag-to-flag run at the front of the Harris Clash field. “It’s always been a dream to run the Clash. Winning it is like a dream come true,” he said after taking the $2,000 checkers. “I never pictured myself winning this race.” The victory, just his career second in the division, came in a new GRT ride. Dotson had finished ninth in the regular season finale at Webster City three days earlier, still trying to figure out fuel pressure problems. After starting outside Justin Medler on the front row, Dotson set a torrid pace throughout the 25-lapper. Former race winner Kelly Shryock ran second most of the way on his home track and looked to reel in Dotson following the final restart with eight [Read More]

Feature

Hamilton County Speedway brings back Harris Clash

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa – Promoter Bob Harris is feeling a bit nostalgic these days, with the return next week of the Harris Clash to Hamilton County Speedway. The special for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds was held at Webster City during its inaugural and second seasons in 1992 and 1993. After stops at Boone and Harlan, the event found a more permanent home at Knoxville Raceway. When the July 16 event was rained out, however, Harris had to make the decision to cancel altogether or find a different venue with an open date. That’s where Hamilton County Speedway and the new race date of Tuesday, Aug. 4 come in. “It’s a neat deal. We had plenty of offers to host a rescheduled event and one of them came from Webster City,” Harris said. “I thought ‘What the heck, that’s where it all started.’” “Back in the day (the late 1970s and early 1980s) I raced a Late Model there,” he continued. “I’m pretty excited about this. It’s going to be a lot of fun. The [Read More]

Feature

Harris Clash rained out

KNOXVILLE, Iowa – After two-and-a-half inches of rain fell overnight and with more rain in the forecast throughout the morning hours, Knoxville Raceway officials have canceled tonight’s Harris Clash. Next up for the Hawkeye Dirt Tour is a stop at Buena Vista Raceway in Alta next Wednesday, July 22.

Feature

Abelson conquers Harris Clash IMCA Modifieds at Knoxville

KNOXVILLE, Iowa (July 17) – Chris Abelson was plenty fast in winning his Thursday night “B” feature during the Harris Clash at Knoxville. He proved even faster in the evening’s IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified main event, racing from 17th starting to the lead on the 19th of 25 laps. Abelson pulled away in the final circuits to the $2,000 payday. The Clash was also an XSAN Hawkeye Dirt Tour event and the final race of IMCA’s Hawkeye State Modified Speedweek. Eighty drivers from 11 states and Canada contended. Brett Lowry was the $1,000 Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod winner. That division drew 59 entries from six states. Eric Dailey drew the Modified pole but it was Canadian visitor Aaron Turnbull in the lead when the opening lap was scored. Cautions slowed the early going before a long green flag run that saw Mike Van Genderen race from mid-pack to second. Kurt Kile, Jeff Jodersma and the hard-charging Abelson were running close behind when the yellow came back out on lap 16. The opportunistic Abelson shot [Read More]