Newswire

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]

Three wins, consistency drive Braaksma to Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour crown

NEWTON, Iowa – Ethan Braaksma started his season with the simple goal of consistent finishes wherever and whenever he raced. Consistent trips to victory lane made him champion of the Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour for IMCA Modifieds. The 19-year-old from Newton, Iowa, won three times, at Park Jefferson Speedway, Buena Vista Raceway and Fairmont Raceway and finished in the top five in another three starts in becoming the 11th different champion in as many years as the series has been held. “We had a car built a week before the tour started and got three nights on it,” said Braaksma, who drove a Corey Dripps-owned 2020 Rage Chassis. “The car was just lights out when I got it and we picked up the win in our fourth night, in the opener at Park Jefferson. It was definitely a car to contend with when we showed up at the track.” “The win at Buena Vista Raceway (two nights later) was pretty sweet,” he continued. “We’d finished deep in the field there just the week before, [Read More]

Dakota Tour title complements Arneson’s specials, weekly racing accomplishments

FARGO, N.D. – Austin Arneson capped a season of firsts with a second-time IMCA Modified accomplishment. The winner of the inaugural Don Gumke Racers Memorial earned both career-first Moritz Sport & Machine Dakota Classic IMCA Modified Tour powered by Bismarck Motor Company and Red River Valley Speedway track championships. The Fargo, N.D., driver also added a second Stock Car Stampede trophy to his collection, finishing with a career-best 10 feature wins in just 24 starts. “We’re a small group. We build our own cars and work hard to get things done,” said Arneson. “This was a really fun year. We couldn’t have asked for much more.” While brother Casey won the first race held in honor of Gumke, a long-time family friend, in Arizona, Arneson took the checkers in an equally extraordinary event closer to home at Jamestown Speedway. Consistency put him at the top of the standings for the 31st annual Dakota Classic Tour. Arneson ran in the top five in four of six tour starts, starting at home track Red River. He was [Read More]

Wild West champion Sample scores two big wins after final race in 10th annual tour

WINNEMUCCA, Nev. – Consistent throughout the 1st Class Chassis Wild West Tour for IMCA Modifieds, champion Cory Sample was a double winner after the tour concluded. Sample had a pair of third-place finishes and finished no worse than ninth in eight events to pace point standings for the 10th annual tour. He then drew his own number to win a new chassis given by the tour title sponsor, and won the Top 20 Showdown during the Duel In The Desert at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. “It was definitely the icing on the cake,” said Sample. “We’d wrecked the car at Boone but got it fixed for the Duel. It took us a couple practice sessions to feel comfortable but it was a good note to end on.” One of just seven drivers to qualify for every WWMT feature, Sample wrapped up the tour championship, by a 15-point margin, with seventh- and sixth-place showings at Desert Thunder Raceway on the final weekend of the season. “It had been a while since we followed the tour [Read More]

Gronning’s short season ends with top award for Shaw Race Cars Western Region rookies

CASPER, Wy. – A racing career that started on the drag strip led Dino Gronning straight to an IMCA Modified. Gronning saw his steady finishes at home state tracks Casper Speedway, Gillette Thunder Speedway and Sheridan Speedway rewarded with rookie of the year honors in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. “I always wanted to race a Modified and thought I’d step in and be a natural, but it threw me a curve with the 4-link suspension,” he said. “We spent half the season to get the car to my liking. I’ve had a lot of conversations with the guys at Shaw.” Gronning purchased a 2019 car the previous owner had made just three starts in, and has already got a 2021 Shaw on order. The first in his family to develop a need for speed, he’d started racing drag cars, enjoying success on the track but tiring of the expense and travel time involved. What’s become a 20-plus year circle track career has included everything from ‘B’ modifieds and street stocks to four cylinders. [Read More]