Newswire

IMCA Late Models, IMCA Modifieds will both Drive For Five, $5,000 paydays at Lee County

DONNELLSON, Iowa – IMCA Sunoco Late Model and IMCA Modified drivers will both Drive For Five at Pepsi Lee County Speedway in 2021. Seven qualifying features are scheduled for each division, with $5,000 to win main events for the Modifieds on Friday, Aug. 20 and for the Late Models on Saturday, Sept. 11. Drivers in both divisions must compete at a minimum of five qualifying features to be eligible for the $5,000 winner’s shares in the respective finales. All seven Late Model qualifiers will pay $1,000 to win; payout for the Modifieds is to be announced. The Aug. 20 finale will be a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. Drive For Five dates are Fridays April 2, April 30, May 14, June 25 and July 2; Saturday, July 31; and Friday, Aug. 6. Rain date for one or both $5,000 to win shows is Saturday, Sept. 18. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, KMJ Performance State and track points will be awarded each night; Modifieds also earn Side Biter Chassis North Central Region points at each Drive For Five event. [Read More]

IMCA adding to membership benefits, doubles excess medical coverage to $100,000

VINTON, Iowa – With no increase in cost to drivers, IMCA membership benefits will include excess medical coverage doubled to $100,000 beginning in the 2021 race season. “It has always been extremely important for IMCA to maintain membership costs while increasing the benefits our licensed drivers and sanctioned race tracks receive,” emphasized IMCA President Brett Root. “While no one ever wants to have to need or have to use it, it’s very important that such coverage is available and in place.” This excess medical policy that accompanies IMCA membership reimburses IMCA members racing in sanctioned events for covered excess medical expenses, including those incurred during travel to and from IMCA sanctioned events. Excess means the accident medical benefit is payable after benefits under any other health plan have been considered first. Also, there is a $5,000 policy deductible, usually track insurance, that needs to be satisfied before any payments can be made. Coverage is subject to policy terms, conditions and exclusions. The member’s policy purchased from Jones Birdsong includes $5,000 accidental death, dismemberment and paralysis coverage [Read More]

All 2020 IMCA awards in transit

VINTON, Iowa – All 2020 IMCA awards are now en route to destinations coast to coast, with the last of nearly 370 packages shipped Monday afternoon. Champions and rookie of the year trophies, plaques and jackets, plus point fund checks and contingency certificates/awards will arrive via UPS. In addition, the rest of more than 3,000 point fund checks, along with any contingency certificates, have been sent by U.S. Mail. Questions about awards or point fund amounts should be directed to the IMCA home office.

GRT captures IMCA Manufacturers’ Cup crown

GREENBRIER, Ark. – The company with the We Build Winners slogan is the winner of IMCA’s 2020 Manufacturers’ Cup contest. GRT Chassis of Greenbrier, Ark., paced the 16 chassis builders entered in the 12th annual contest with 49 points, awarded based on the make of chassis driven by racers finishing in the top 10 in each of the five regions for IMCA Modifieds. Nine drivers, including regional champions Mitchell Hunt in the Eastern and Jordan Grabouski, in the Central, contributed to the GRT point total. “It definitely means a lot to us being the Manufacturers’ Cup champion and winner of two regions,” said GRT’s Zach Wehlage. “It means a lot to our customer base and we look forward to serving them in the future.” Razor Chassis was second with 34 points, defending cup contest champion Rage Chassis third with 23. Both had five drivers finishing in regional top 10’s; national and North Central Region champion Tom Berry Jr. wheeled a Razor. Rounding out the top five in Manufacturers’ Cup points were Harris Auto Racing with 21 and Ingalls Racing [Read More]

New IMCA, STARS Mod Lite agreement hailed as win-win

VINTON, Iowa – Drivers, tracks and race fans across the United States and Canada are the winners of the new agreement between IMCA and the Modified Lite STARS Racing Series. The Mod Lites, a 5/8-scale Modified division of race car powered by a motorcycle engine, become the ninth division sanctioned by IMCA, which will provide administration, including points and point funds, while supporting current sanctions and promoting new sanctions of the class. STARS will continue to use rules now in place for weekly, regional and special events. Owner and President of Competition and Racing Operation Jimmy May also becomes IMCA’s division director for the Mod Lites. “This agreement is win-win,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “While Mod Lites run at many tracks we already sanction, it is a division that in almost every aspect we have nothing similar to now. There are a lot of things about STARS that appeal to IMCA.” “IMCA provides consistency in administration and benefits of membership,” he added. “Our goal is to grow this division across the United States and [Read More]

Consistent Kuehl captures championship of Arizona Northern SportMod Dirt Track Tour

CAVE CREEK, Ariz. – The most consistent driver of the Arizona Dirt Track Tour for Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods will hang a career-first IMCA championship plaque on the wall. Taylor Kuehl wrapped up the title with sixth- and seventh-place finishes in the final two tour events, at USA Raceway. “Winning the tour was really exciting. We didn’t expect to be in the running until the last two days,” said the second-year SportMod competitor from Cave Creek, Ariz. “Unfortunately we didn’t get any (feature) wins but we were consistent.” Kuehl logged 18 pre-pandemic starts in her home state. She relocated to Montana to work on a farm in the summer, getting in another 10 races in North Dakota and Wisconsin before heading to Boone for the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Her father Chuck raced and now serves as crew chief and mentor to Kuehl and brother Austin, who drives an IMCA Modified. Kuehl won the Arizona Ticket to the World Finals and was one of just three female drivers from across the [Read More]

Johnson enjoys chance to travel, dominates in IMCA Wild West Northern SportMod Tour

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Looking for a one-word description for Michael Johnson’s charge to the championship in the 1st Class Chassis Wild West Tour for Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods? Try dominating. The Bakersfield, Calif., driver won six of the eight events, towing nearly 3,000 miles one way to tour doubleheaders in Wyoming, Nevada and Utah. “I had never been to any of the four tracks before. My brother (and eventual tour runner-up) Kevin and I decided we wanted to have fun this year, do something different and take the family along,” Johnson said. “Winning this tour is something that I can look back on that was pretty cool and that we got to race at a bunch of tracks we normally wouldn’t have to do it.” After winning on opening night and running fourth at Sweetwater Speedway, Johnson swept twinbills at Winnemucca Regional Raceway and Diamond Mountain Speedway. He ran his winning streak to five, then finished second behind his brother in the finale at Desert Thunder Raceway. Johnson is the only driver with multiple wins in the [Read More]

Little changes lead to big week for Abbey in bid for Lone Star Stock Car Tour crown

COMANCHE, Texas – Some little changes led to a big week for Westin Abbey. The Comanche, Texas, speedster unveiled a new ride on opening night of the Ice Breaker at Abilene Speedway. Seven days and three feature wins later, he was $22,000 richer and champion of the Sniper Speed Lone Star Tour for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. “Honestly, I probably didn’t expect to be able to win the tour. You’re always fighting new car stuff,” said Abbey, who came into the season already a three-time champion of the EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region. “But our new B & B Chassis came out of the box fast.” “We made some little changes,” he added. “We set the car up close to what my old B & B was and we were fast.” Some tinkering followed his ninth place run on night one of the Ice Breaker. He topped the tour lidlifter at Abilene the following evening and raced from 17th starting to win at Texas Motor Speedway – taking the checkers at Grayson County Speedway in between [Read More]

Zevenbergen continues Dakota Tour success with five wins and career sixth championship

OCHEYEDAN, Iowa – A driver with a knack for coming up big on the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car stage returned to the top of the Moritz Sport & Machine Dakota Classic Tour powered by Bismarck Motor Company podium this summer. Elijah Zevenbergen’s five feature wins more than offset a single DNF as he raced to a record-extending sixth championship on the North Dakota-based tour. “All the tracks in the tour are smooth from top to bottom and that really works into our driving style and what we’re trying to do,” said Zevenbergen, from Ocheyedan, Iowa. “We’ve had a lot of success on this tour. Things have just kind of fallen in our favor.” In boosting his tour career total to 22 checkers, Zevenbergen racked up wins at Red River Valley Speedway, Jamestown Speedway, Nodak Speedway, Southwest Speedway and Dacotah Speedway. He broke leading late in the fourth night of the tour, at Williston Basin Speedway. “We’ve got a lot of friends in North Dakota,” said Zevenbergen, also the tour champion in 2013 and from 2015-2018. [Read More]

First win, Wild West Stock Car Tour crown result from Berkeley’s fun opening weekend

COLVILLE, Wash. – Chase Berkeley enjoyed the opening weekend at Sweetwater Speedway so much he figured he’d follow the rest of the eight-race 1st Class Chassis Wild West Tour. He’s got his career first IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature win and a tour championship to show for that decision. “We were only planning on running Sweetwater but we had such a good time that we decided to follow the tour,” said Berkeley, from Colville, Wash. “It was a lot of time on the road for sure but it was pretty fun.” Berkeley posted top five finishes at each of the four tracks that hosted the tour … Sweetwater in Wyoming, Winnemucca Regional Raceway in Nevada and Diamond Mountain Speedway and Desert Thunder Raceway, both in Utah. After a runner-up finish the night before, he was the Aug. 15 winner at Diamond Mountain, leading from lap six to the checkers. The victory meant a delay in starting the trip home but there were no complaints. “We had the trailer loaded up and ready to go so we [Read More]