Newswire

Foulger doubles up an Antioch

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (Sept. 21, 2024) – Troy Foulger won both the 20 lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main events Saturday at Antioch Speedway. The championship night format put point Kellen Chadwick on the pole of the Modified race and he bolted into the lead ahead of Foulger and Jacob Mallet Jr. Andrew Pearce spun on lap two, collecting Tyler Browne. Chadwick continued to lead Mallet and Foulger on the restart, and an intense battle ensued. A low pass in turn three of the eighth lap briefly gained Mallet the lead, but Chadwick came rushing by on the outside down the back stretch a lap later. A three-wide battle on lap 10 saw Foulger make an inside pass for second, but Mallet went inside on the front stretch on lap 11 to get by both Chadwick and Foulger. A high pass on lap 12 gained Foulger the lead from Mallet. Foulger would lead the remaining laps for the impressive victory, followed by Mallet, new track champion Chadwick, Katelynn [Read More]

Moore dominates Grays Harbor finale

By Ben Deatherage ELMA, Wash. (Sept. 21, 2024) – Craig Moore started from fourth place in Saturday’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at Grays Harbor Raceway and the only time he didn’t lead was the first lap. Once he took the lead, the Seabeck veteran built a commanding advantage, winning a main event for the second time this year at the Grays Harbor Fairgrounds 3/8-mile oval. Ryen Haney and Josh Muller engaged in a thrilling battle on the contest’s opening circuit, with Haney leading lap one. Determined to break away from the pack, Haney found himself in Moore’s sights. Moore, relentless in his pursuit, overtook Haney at the flag stand on the second lap. From there, Moore gave it full steam and sail and took off from his nearest opponent. Despite some heavy lapped traffic, he cruised to victory with a margin of 4.595 seconds. Zach Simpson moved into third on lap 13 before making a late charge for second, obtaining the position on the 18th circuit and finishing there. Grey Ferrando was [Read More]

Mallicoat speeds to topless win at Interstate

By Ben Deatherage JEFFERSON, S.D. (Sept. 22, 2024) – The topless Friesen Performance IMCA Modified finale was a thrilling spectacle Sunday at Interstate Speedway, culminating in an exciting green, white, checkered finish. Izac Mallicoat’s daring fighter pilot moves from the top shelf to secure the lead and the win added an extra dose of excitement to the race. The race kicked off with Bob Fleshman taking an early lead, only to be overtaken by Jason Schneiders on the next lap. As Schneiders battled to maintain his lead against Jace Whitt, Chris Abelson entered the fray, intensifying the competition. Abelson’s incredible double overtake pass in turn three was a display of skill and strategy. It was a moment that left the audience in awe of his racing prowess. As the race progressed, Mallicoat steadily closed the gap with Abelson, but it seemed he might run out of time. However, the game changed when a caution was raised with only two laps remaining, giving Mallicoat the opportunity he needed to make his move. Just when it seemed [Read More]

Patterson prevails in photo finish at Southern Oregon

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (Sept. 21, 2024) – The 2024 season championship at Southern Oregon Speedway came down to the last lap in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Carter Patterson beat title contender Ray Kniffen Jr. to the checkered flag by 0.043 seconds. The 17-year-old Lebanon driver now has two wins this season in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. Albert Gill started the main event off as the leader. Setting a quick pace, he unfortunately experienced issues that forced him to pull in the infield on lap eight. That transformed a three-car race for second into a contest for the lead, with Patterson picking up the position. The race for the runner-up spot ended up being a battle for the championship between Kniffen and Kenny Boardman Jr. Kniffen would secure second with six to go and reeled in the leader with a couple of circuits left to cover. Patterson and Kniffen would go side-by-side in the final two laps, with neither driver letting the other gain the upper hand. The defending [Read More]

Baca reigns supreme at Central Arizona

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Sept. 21, 2024) – In sheer dominance, defending Friesen Performance IMCA Modified national champion Chaz Baca put together a fantastic drive Saturday at Central Arizona Raceway. He seized the race lead from the very start of the feature and built a nearly six second advantage over the second-place finisher, securing his 26th open-wheeled victory of the season. Marvin Mueller and Bill Miller were second and third, respectively. Five other Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing divisions attended the Pinal County Fairgrounds 3/8-mile clay oval. They included the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Winners were Bo Partain, Eric Winemiller, Nathan DeRagon, A.J. Whisler and Steve Carter. Partain made the high side work in his favor in the Stock Car main as he grabbed the torch and ran away from the rest of the field. Frustratingly, he did have to deal with three stoppages, which didn’t allow him to get too far ahead, [Read More]

Points powers to Saturday win at Willamette

By Ben Deatherage LEBANON, Ore. (Sept. 21, 2024) – After taking the lead in the first handful of laps, Salem sensation Trevor Points was victorious in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature at Willamette Speedway. It is the eighth time the 20-year-old has won in 2024, but the first time he’s done so at the Lebanon 1/3-mile clay oval. The main event began with Michael Lavery and Don Moore fighting it out for the lead. Moore won the race to the line but fell immediately under pressure from Nate Turnidge. Just as Turnidge seemed to be in a position to take over the top spot, a caution came out. Points strategically maneuvered into second on the restart and began to close the gap with Moore. Utilizing the inside line on the backstretch, Points made a brilliant move to seize control in turn three on the fourth circuit. The race would stay incident-free, allowing the new leader to assert his dominance with a significant lead. Even the race’s final yellow flag on lap 18 couldn’t [Read More]

McKellar wins battle at Bakersfield

By Ben Deatherage BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Sept. 21, 2024) – In a display of sheer determination, Chris McKellar, starting from the ninth position, clinched a thrilling victory on the last corner of the last lap in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature at Bakersfield Speedway. After a relentless chase throughout the main event, the hometown driver, with unwavering faith in the high side, overtook the race leader to secure his first win of the season. Markus Frazier was the dominant force for much of the race, skillfully fending off occasional challenges and striving to widen the gap from the rest of the pack. The race took a dramatic turn when the final caution was displayed, setting the stage for a thrilling four-lap shootout. As the race neared its end, McKellar maintained a steady pace at the top of the track, while Adam Baker fiercely battled on the bottom for second place. The outcome seemed set until McKellar summoned his last burst of energy for a dramatic overtake for the lead on the final lap. Frazier [Read More]

Hearty wins two races on emotional Saturday night at Shelby County

HARLAN, Iowa (Sept. 21, 2024) – Jack Hearty won two races on Saturday night at Shelby County Speedway. The first was just to get his IMCA Sunoco Late Model on the track. The second was to win the Tiny Lund Memorial and Brandon Saltzman Showdown main event. Hearty, just 22 and from Omaha, won his career-first IMCA Late Model feature and $3,098 on a night dedicated to both the hometown hero and 1963 Daytona 500 champion and to the late 2021 track champion. “There have been a couple races where I’ve led late and had a tire blow out, or lost the lead after a late caution,” said Hearty, who got up at sunrise Sunday, walked from his camper and sat at the track, letting everything from the night before set in. “We had a caution with four to go and I knew Cory Dumpert was right behind me. I just told myself ‘Let’s go do what we know we can’ and it all worked out.” Dumpert, the five-time defending national champion, and Sterling Perkins [Read More]

Former regional director Ed Billings passes at 76

WAVERLY, N.Y. (Sept. 22, 2024) – Ed Billings, long-time director for IMCA’s Eastern Region, passed away Sunday night at Robert Packer Hospital, following a brief illness. He was 76. Retired from the Sheltered Workshop in Binghamton, Billings was involved in all aspects of dirt track racing and was with IMCA from 1999 to 2013, playing an integral role in the sanctioning body’s growth in terms of sanctioned tracks and membership in the northeast as well as filling the director’s role for the Empire State Series. “When Ed made the decision to step down from his duties with IMCA, I said he was one of the best hires this organization ever made,” commented IMCA President Brett Root. “That is still true today. While I appreciated his contributions to our sport in general and to IMCA in particular, I valued his friendship even more.” In addition to his parents Mitchell and Marion, he was preceded in death by his wife Janis (Jagger) Billings; two brothers and three sisters. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Jason [Read More]

Sweep at Skyline nets NY-Penn Series crown for Morgan

CORTLAND, N.Y. (Sept. 20-21, 2024) – Going into the two night Turbo Blue Weekend at Skyline Motorsports Park, Rodney Morgan was second in points in the Close Racing Supply NY-Penn IMCA Modified Series standings with two wins on the season. At the end of the second night of racing, he had doubled his win total and was not only the points leader but his two feature wins clinched the title of the 2024 series for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Morgan also becomes the first driver to have two championships in the four-year history ofthe series. Prior to this weekend’s racing, Morgan trailed Keith Lamphere by 15 points, but Lamphere became a new father this weekend and did not make the trip north. Twenty-two cars signed in for the Friday night show. The redraw put heat winners Tyler Belcher, Rich Michaels Jr. and Morgan all mid-pack. Logan Terry and Jason Butler led the lineup to the green flag. Butler was on top during the early laps, but Terry kept the pressure on and had the lead [Read More]