Newswire

Drake repeats in Sunday show at Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (May 23) – Trevor Drake came charging from his seventh starting spot Sunday night, and after some great three-wide racing captured the IMCA Modified feature to score his second straight win at The Quick Quarter of Springfield Raceway. Jackie Dalton set the early two- and three-wide racing action early as former track champion James Thompson was hanging tight up front along with Jimmy Greenway, Chris Tonoli and others. The pace slowed as Tonoli looped his car, forcing a yellow. On the restart, Drake went away from the top groove and found the bottom side of the track to his liking. After opening up a five car length advantage, a late-race caution placed Thompson on Drake’s back bumper with Dalton, a fast moving Michael Foster and a quick moving Tonoli closing ground. Thompson tried the top lane on the restart but Drake took his no. 12d to the bottom side and never gave up. Following Drake to the finish were Thompson, Dalton, Foster and Tonoli. The race program was postponed to Sunday due to inclement weather [Read More]

$250 Sunoco bonus moves to 34 Raceway this Saturday night

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa – A big payday is on the line for the winner of Saturday’s main event for IMCA Sunoco Late Models at 34 Raceway. The third $250 Sunoco Race Fuels bonus of the season will be paid to the May 29 Late Model winner in West Burlington, added to an already impressive $1,000 to win, making the top check a cool $1,250. Sunoco bonuses will be presented at Late Model sanctioned tracks again this year. Drivers are eligible for one bonus during the 2021 racing season. Matt Ryan was the first winner at 300 Raceway in Farley, followed by Sean Johnson last Saturday night at Independence Motor Speedway. IMCA will announce mid-week before the dates bonuses are to be awarded at each track. The grandstand opens at 5 p.m. and general admission is $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, & 10 and under getting in free. Racing is set to get underway following 6:30 p.m. hot laps.

Defending champ scores first 2021 PASS win at Selinsgrove

By Frank Buhrman and Stephanie Dodson SELINSGROVE, Pa. (May 22) – If the story of 2020 in the Pennsylvania Sprint Series was the dominance of Garrett Bard, the story in early 2021 has been the lack of that dominance. But Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway, the current story line may have changed. Bard, who won IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car national and PASS championships last year, grabbed the lead from Kenny Heffner on the feature’s final restart and collected his first PASS win of 2021 (he has won in other RaceSaver series). Heffner, looking for his first career PASS win, led most of the race for the second time this season and settled for a career-best second place finish. He battled Bard for nearly a full circuit after the lap 18 restart and was still fighting for the lead at the checkered flag. Hometown favorite Ken Duke, the 2019 national and PASS champion, charged from 10th starting to finish third, followed by Austin Reed and George Riden. Heffner took the early lead after he and polesitter [Read More]

Cottage Grove fans applaud Mayden, Schmidt, Martin

By Stephanie Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (May 22) – Fans had the IMCA winning efforts of Jake Mayden, David Schmidt and Brad Martin to appreciate on Fan Appreciation Night Saturday at Cottage Grove Speedway. The IMCA Modifieds had an action-packed, 25-lap feature. Jeffrey Hudson stormed to the front at the drop of the initial green flag and remained out in front for quite a bit of time until Mayden overtook him on lap 19. Mayden fended off a hard-charging Bricen James to earn his second consecutive win in the class. Curtis Towns ended the night third, Matthew Drager came to the line in fourth with fifth going to Chad Groves. Jordan Henry was the initial leader in the 20-lap Royalty Core Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod main event. Henry stayed there for most of the first half of the race but eventually was overtaken after a restart. Schmidt was the one to perform the pass after starting 14th and secured the top place position on lap nine. Schmidt wasn’t entirely out of the woods yet as he had to deal with [Read More]

Wilson gets confidence booster with Greenville Mod Lites of Arkansas win

GREENVILLE, Miss. (May 22) – Blake Wilson was fast from the opening lap and never looked back as he led every lap en route to his first Mod Lites of Arkansas feature win of 2021 at Greenville Speedway presented by Elite Glass. Wilson, from Mabelvale, Ark., started on the outside of the front row along with pole sitter James Rollins and work the high groove for the duration of the 20-lap IMCA STARS Mod Lite feature. While Wilson was out front, Rollins was challenged late by Bryce Vowan until an engine failure knocked Vowan back to fourth coming to the checkered flag. Rollins went on to record his best Mod Lites of Arkansas finish of second. Chris Tucker was second, Vowan and Chad Kirkpatrick rounded out the top five. “We’ve never won a national event before so it really boosted our confidence to carry over to the rest of the season,” Wilson said following the much-needed win. “It wouldn’t have been possible without the guys in the shop, they gave me a great car. “ The [Read More]

Bethany Speedway opening night to be rescheduled

BETHANY, Mo. – Mother Nature made it clear for several days that she had no intention of letting Bethany Speedway start the season on May 22. After off and on rain nearly all week, it was impossible to get vehicles in and out of the pit area. But this year, if there are rainouts, all efforts will be put into making that race up at some point during the season. So opening night will now be June 5. That will be the first of three appearances by Sprint Cars. The United Rebel Sprint Series and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods will be racing in the second race of a two day swing in Northwest Missouri as they will be at US 36 Raceway the night before. Look for a date to be added to the schedule as soon as Bethany Speedway gets that scheduled. Sprint Cars always put on a great show at Bethany Speedway. There’s plenty of room to pass and run high on the cushion or work the bottom. With more racing the last [Read More]

Smith sails to URSS vs. OCRS Showdown honors

PARK CITY, Kan. (May 22) – Oklahoma veteran Danny Smith came away with the $1,000 victory when the Drive to Zero United Rebel Sprint Series presented by Mel Hambelton Ford combined forces with the Oil Capital Racing Series for a dual sanctioned event at 81 Speedway. Smith started outside the front row in the 25-lapper and went the distance to win over URSS regular Jordan Knight. Another veteran campaigner, Danny Wood, raced to a third place finish while Jeremy Huish and Kyler Johnson finished fourth and fifth, respectively. A total of 35 competitors entered competition. The victory was Smith’s 11th in his Oil Capital career. Feature results – 1. Danny Smith; 2. Jordan Knight; 3. Danny Wood 4. Jeremy Huish; 5. Kyler Johnson; 6. Whit Gastineau; 7. Tanner Conn; 8. Alison Slaton; 9. Zach Blurton; 10. Kyle Clark; 11. Joe Bob Lee; 12. J.D. Johnson; 13. Connor Atkinson; 14. Terry Easum; 15. Shon Pointer; 16. Chris Kelly; 17. Koby Walters; 18. Tyler Knight; 19. Sheldon Barksdale; 20. Jase Randolph.

Justice Brothers/Gillund giving awards at special events in 25th IMCA sponsor season

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. –Justice Brothers and Gillund Enterprises mark a 25th season of IMCA sponsorship with awards for winners of select special events. IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Late Model, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod, Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod, Mach-1 Sport Compact and IMCA STARS Mod Lite specials winners all stand to receive variety bags of Justice Brothers car care products. All champions crowned at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s and at the RaceSaver Nationals receive deluxe boxes of JB products. Gillund Enterprises, located in Eden Prairie, Minn., distributes the JB car care products available from numerous automotive parts retailers throughout the Midwest. Information about the JB brand is available at justicebrothers.com and on Facebook. “We have never recognized as many sponsors in a single season celebrating 25 years of support as we do this year,” stated IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “Gillund Enterprises has been distributing JB products to IMCA racers for the duration of their sponsorship and [Read More]

Larson rides borrowed car to East Moline checkers

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (May 23) – Jeff Larson borrowed Kenny Kostenbader’s machine for the second straight night and won for the second evening in a row, dominating the Sunday evening IMCA Modified 20-lap main at East Moline Speedway. With the win from ninth starting the previous night at Maquoketa Speedway, he picked up a $100 bonus for the second time this year. Travis Denning, missing a lot of sheet metal, roared from near the back for second. Tim Hamburg, Brandon Durbin and Brandon Hamburg rounded out the top five. It was a rollercoaster race for Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod driver Justin Veloz. He started fifth, suffered an early flat tire and then raced the high groove from the rear after a restart to take the 15-lap finale. Jarett Franzen zipped to second, but could not chase down Veloz. Jacob Copley also came from the tail to take third, followed by Logan Veloz and C.J. Durbin. Blake Gonzales’ rough season hit a high note as he wheeled his brother R.J.’s IMCA STARS Mod [Read More]

Grube leads the way to Hagerstown checkers

By Jim Haines HAGERSTOWN, Md. (May 22) – Dave Grube topped the 25-car field Saturday night in a Hagerstown Speedway event co-sanctioned by the Virginia Sprint Series and Laurel Highland Sprint Series. Donny Hendershot and Alex Schmiedel paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green and Hendershot out first but nobody was getting away. While leading on lap three, Hendershot slowed to a stop and Grube took over on the restart, bringing Brad Mellott with him. The laps went by quickly on the wide smooth oval as Grube and Mellott entered lapped traffic with Jerald Harris and Dylan Shatzer closing in. Shatzer got by Harris for third and was working on Mellott, allowing Grube to start inching away as the two raced for second. Shatzer got second and was making up ground as his line on the bottom was working better. Time ran out, however, as Grube flashed under the waving checkered flag for his second win of the year, the first coming on May 1 with the Pennsylvania Sprint Series. Shatzer, Mellott, Jeff [Read More]