Newswire

Thunderbird’s Saturday show sports $1K to win IMCA Modified feature

MUSKEGON, Mich. – One thousand dollars and a 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth are on the line in Saturday’s feature for IMCA Modifieds at Thunderbird Raceway. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Dirt Works Eastern Region and KMJ Performance State points will be awarded at the Sept. 5 draw/redraw show. Title sponsor of the division at Thunderbird is Allstar Performance. Pit gates at Muskegon open at 3 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Pit passes are $30. Grandstand admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 60 years and over and $5 for kids ages 6-11. Kids ages five and under are free. Small coolers but no glass bottles are allowed.

Eagle wraps up season with championship night show

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (Aug. 29) – Five drivers won feature events and five others put the finishing touches on track championship campaigns Saturday at Eagle Raceway. Trevor Noonan took advantage of a restart with five laps left in getting the lead and then the win in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature. Cole Wayman was fourth in taking the track crown. Don Hall Jr. led the last nine times around the track in topping the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature. Despite having a transmission failure during the race that lead to a 17th place finish, Jeff Ware repeated as the points champion. Shane Hiatt scored another IMCA Modified victory, taking the checkers ahead of runner-up and repeat track champion Jordan Grabouski. Cole Krichau raced to the Mach-1 Sport Compact victory. R.J. Maas wrapped up the track title with his third-place run. And Tyler Drueke prevailed in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car finale. Despite missing a transfer spot from the ‘B’ feature by inches, Adam Gullion racked up enough points to finally claim his very [Read More]

Campos, Bloom, Kennerly capture Cottage Grove features

By Stephanie Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (Aug. 29) – Cottage Grove Speedway raced for the sixth occasion on Saturday, with more than 90 entries from Oregon, Washington, and California making the trip. The IMCA Modified feature was a thriller with numerous lead changes and close action all the way to the end. Paul Rea got to the front first but was quickly passed by Curtis Towns, who then saw Aaron Sheelar drive by. Sheelar and Towns stayed side-by-side for several laps and traded the lead on three occasions. Towns regained first place on lap eight and remained there for some time. Curtis felt some heat in the last 10 laps as John Campos put an enormous amount of pressure on him. Campos finally managed to beat Towns to the line on lap 21 only to lose the position to Towns the next time around. As the two came to the checkers, Campos edged out Towns by .035 of a second. It was Campos’ second straight main event win and his third overall of the 2020 season. Towns [Read More]

James repeats at Willamette

By Ben Deatherage LEBANON, Ore. (Aug. 29) – For the third time in 2020, engines roared at Willamette Speedway and for the second time it was Bricen James standing in victory lane at the conclusion of the IMCA Modified main event. Paul Culp had the car to beat for most of the race, retaining the lead after several restarts and a couple challenges. However, with around 10 laps remaining, he was passed by James. James took full control of the top spot and held on to win his second consecutive race at Willamette. Grey Ferrando was second with third going to Jeff Lovell.

Pepsi Lee County crowns track champions

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (Aug. 28) – Pepsi Lee County Speedway crowned five kings on Throwback Fan Appreciation Season Championship Night. Darin Weisinger Jr. led Jay Johnson most of the IMCA Sunoco Late Model distance, with Johnson gaining the front spot on lap 15. Sam Halstead took over the next time around, then held off Tommy Elston to the finish. Elston netted the track title with the runner-up finish. Michael Long pull away over the final laps to score the IMCA Modified feature win. Dennis LaVeine was second and track champion Jeff Waterman finished third. Abe Huls claimed the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car win. John Oliver Jr. was second and secured the 2020 track title. Brandon Dale pulled away following a lap 15 restart for his first local Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod win of the season. Adam Birck had troubles and finished 15th, still good enough to secure the track title. Kimberly Abbott used the momentum off the top of turn four to edge out Brandon Reu at the line by inches for her first [Read More]

Schrader, Nichols star at Connie Jewett Memorial

By Kelly Ninas LEXINGTON, Neb. (Aug. 30) – Ken Schrader raced his way onto the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot while Mike Nichols raced into another chapter in the IMCA record book at Dawson County Raceway’s Connie Jewett Memorial Championship Night. Schrader topped Sunday’s $1,000 to win, Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying main event for IMCA Modifieds, holding off Daniel Gottschalk as the 20-lapper wound down while hard charger Clay Money raced from the seventh row to finish third. Nichols, meanwhile, hustled to the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers, equaling the all-time IMCA career wins record with his 557th victory. The Harlan Hustler later joined David Murray Jr., owner of 557 IMCA Modified wins, Schrader and promoter Chad Dolan for a post-race photo; the four own more than 1,200 combined IMCA wins. Casey Woken stayed with striking distance for much of the feature before settling for second behind Nichols. When the smoke cleared, Blaine Walt was declared the victor in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature. Walt was able to earn the victory despite being involved [Read More]

Clough captures Lincoln County IMCA Modified feature

By Kelly Ninas NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (Aug. 29) – The racing action was fierce as all the chips were on the table for Championship Night at Lincoln County Raceway. Finishing their seasons by earning feature victories were Brandon Clough, Ty Rogers, Colton Osborn, Luke Wassom and Lonnie Lenser Jr. Clough weathered a series of cautions in the late laps to hold on for the IMCA Modified victory. Colton Osborn ran out of real estate and had to settle for runner-up accolades. Showing no rust from competing in North Platte, former regular Rogers, now of Yuma, Ariz., won his heat race and the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature. Second went to Paul Donovan. Leaving no doubt in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature was Osborn, who saw his first two passes to the front negated by cautions before taking over up front on lap four. Mikey Dancer worked through traffic to finish second. In one of the most exciting races of the evening, It was Wassom who won the final sprint to the finish line to [Read More]

Big paydays await all divisions at U.S. 36 Raceway this Friday

OSBORN, Mo. – Three points nights remain on the 2020 schedule at US 36 Raceway and this Friday, Sept. 4 is one of the biggest of the season, as all divisions will see an increased payout. IMCA Modifieds are racing for $1,000 to win and $100 to start their 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars have $500 to win and $100 to start on the line and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods will battle for $400 to win and $70 to start. All three divisions will run a draw/redraw format. U.S. 36 Raceway is also working with Bethany Speedway to provide a bonus to any driver who can sweep the weekend. Bethany Speedway is racing Saturday, Sept. 5 and any Modified driver who can win both races will receive a $200 bonus. If a Stock Car driver can sweep the weekend they will receive a $150 bonus and if a SportMod driver can complete the task, they will receive a $125 bonus. Tickets for the event at U.S. 36 on Friday [Read More]

Services will be Sept. 18 for Ronny Gould

CALERA, Okla. – The dirt track racing world mourns the loss of one of its most accomplished and certainly most personable and popular drivers with the passing of Ronny Gould. Gould, 57, died on Saturday. Funeral services are at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 18 now at Grayson County Speedway in Bells, Texas. “Ronny always had a smile on his face. He loved his family and he loved racing,” IMCA President Brett Root said. “We send our sympathies to his family and many friends.” The long-time driver won more than 130 features and a regional championship in an IMCA Modified career that began in the 1980s, later finding success in both the sanctioned Stock Car and Southern SportMod classes. Winner of IMCA’s 20th anniversary Challenge Race in 1999 and the Texas IMCA Nationals at Royce City the following spring, Gould had also promoted the track at Ardmore and served as a tireless ambassador for the sport. The Bratcher Funeral Home in Denison, Texas, is in charge of arrangements.

Boone holds Season Championship night races

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 29) – Saturday was Season Championship night at Boone Speedway. The Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods ran 23 laps in their championship feature. Johnathon Logue had the track title wrapped up before he started the main event but he would also go on to dominate the feature as well, leading the entire race and winning comfortably ahead of the rest of the field. Jake McBirnie sat alongside new brother-in-law Tim Ward for the start of the IMCA Modified main. Ward had the track title wrapped up before the race began but it was a battle between the two for much of the race with McBirnie holding the upper hand. Ward’s challenge for the lead disappeared when he slipped off the rim of the track, losing several positions. As the race continued on, McBirnie pulled away and take the checkers well ahead of the competition. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars went 25 laps for their feature. David Smith and brother Donavon Smith finished one-two in this contest. It was David Smith’s first [Read More]