Newswire

URSS win at 81 is career first for Johnson

By David Smith Jr., OKTidbits PARK CITY, Kan. (June 7) – Third-generation driver Kyler Johnson took advantage of his front row starting position and led flag-to-flag to claim his first career Mel Hambelton Ford Racing POWRi United Rebel Sprint Series feature Sunday night at 81 Speedway. Johnson and John Carney started on the front row for the 25-lap IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature with Johnson taking the lead as the green flag fell. Johnson, son of former URSS competitor C.J. Johnson, kept the field behind him before entering lapped traffic on lap nine. Carney closed the deficit yet Johnson made quick work of slower cars and stayed out front from there. Last season’s touring rookie of the year went on to claim the first sprint car victory of his young career with Carney settling for second. J.D. Johnson came home third while Shane Sundquist and two-time and defending tour champion Zach Blurton rounded out the top five. The URSS will now set its sights on RPM Speedway in Hays, Kan., this Saturday and Sunday night, June 13-14 [Read More]

Dynatech delivers IMCA Modified awards

BOONVILLE, Ind. – Dynatech delivers product certificate awards to IMCA Modified drivers for a 16th consecutive season. The national champion receives a $500 award from the Boonville, Ind., manufacturer. The runner-up gets $350, with $250 for third and $100 for seventh. Information about the complete line of Dynatech-manufactured exhaust systems and headers is available at www.dynatechheaders.com, on Facebook and by calling 800 848-5850. “Dynatech is one of a quartet of great companies in the AFCO Performance Group and their support has been a part of our IMCA Modified plan for a long time,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder said. “It is great to be able to renew this program for another season.”

Berry tops Sunday Modified main at Benton County

By Jerry Mackey VINTON, Iowa (June 7) – For the first time in 2020, fans were allowed to attend the racing action at Benton County Speedway. A good crowd attended the event that saw 121 race car drivers take part in the action on Sunday night. The headliner of the evening was the 20-lap IMCA Modified main event. Defending Side Biter Chassis North Central Region champion Tom Berry Jr. from North Dakota found The Bullring to his liking. Berry took the green flag from the seventh starting position and quickly shot into second and hounded the car of Troy Cordes. On the 13th lap, Cordes slid out of the groove in turn four and gave Berry the opening he was looking for. Berry shot into the lead and drove on to the win ahead of Joel Rust and Cordes. The Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod main feature belonged to Brayton Carter, who took the lead before one lap was completed and went on to lead the entire 20 laps. Ben Chapman advanced from his 10th position start to finish a strong [Read More]

Snyder first in Eagle opener

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (June 6) – The theme for Saturday night’s racing at Eagle Raceway was FINALLY! The Season Opener and meant that after a too long off season made even longer by the COVID-19 pandemic, competition was once again happening on the high banks. A total of 180 teams towed in to compete. The IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car lidlifter saw Jason Danley lead the first circuit with Trevor Grossenbacher, Stu Snyder and Ryan King close behind. Grossenbacher passed Danley on lap two but Danley edged him at the flag stand. Lap three saw Grossenbacher take the lead as Shon Pointer gained fourth. Snyder used the middle groove to advance to second with 15 to go. There were six laps left when Adam Gullion took fourth. Snyder grabbed the lead the next time around and began to pull away. Gullion advanced to third in the closing laps. The top four remained unchanged to the finish with Snyder winning, Grossenbacher second, Gullion third and Danley fourth. Two defending national champions parked in victory lane as Jordan Grabouski [Read More]

Brown impresses at Boone

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (June 6) – Kyle Brown was impressive in taking the IMCA Modified victory Saturday at Boone Speedway. Gatlin Leytham and Jimmy Gustin led the field to green but by corner one, sixth starter Brown was already in front. From there on, Brown showed total domination in securing his first win of the 2020 season. Joel Rust chased Brown across the finish line in second place, Tim Ward came from ninth starting to finish third. Donavon Smith was the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner and Doug Smith paced the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. Miciah Hidlebaugh took the checkers in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock main. Fans were allowed back in the grandstands at Boone for the first time this season. More than one driver expressed in victory lane just how much the fans being there meant to them.Racing continues next week with early start times. Pits open at 3:30 p.m., grandstands at 4 p.m., hot laps 5 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m.

Clark is super in Sprint win at Bethany

By Chet Querry BETHANY, Mo. (June 6) – Justin Clark made the 10-hour trip from Hamersville, Ohio, to win the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature in front of a big crowd Saturday at Bethany Speedway. A victim of mechanical issues in a mid-May start at Bethany, Clark took the lead at the drop of the green and stayed in front to the checkers, building a half-lap lead at one point. Kyler Johnson started seventh and was in second by the three-quarter mark of the race but had nothing for Clark. Kenny Potter finished third. Dustin Reeh and Danny Clark rounded out the top five in fourth and fifth. Clark is coming off a three-win 2019 campaign and will make one more racing trip out west before tour action starts closer to home. Chase Rudolf was the IMCA Modified winner and 10th starting J.J. Baumli was best in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main. Tyler Inman raced from sixth in winning the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature.

Trevor Drake makes name known at Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – When it comes to Modified Racing in Missouri, the name Scott Drake comes to mind. His son Trevor is following in Scott’s tire tracks as he took the lead on lap four and like a veteran held back Ash Flat, Ark., hard charger Shawn Walsh in a two-lap shootout to capture his first-ever IMCA Modified feature at the Quick Quarter Springfield Raceway. The younger Drake started his career in the Midwest Modified class and moved to sportmod racing before stepping aside to finish his engineering degree. He returned to racing around mid-season last year. Derek Watson had set the quick pace early. Drake, who started fourth in the 20-lap feature, made a three-wide pass on lap four and started pulling away as Watson, Jody Tillman and fast moving Walsh followed. Drake found the extreme top groove to his liking and set sail, leaving Walsh and Tillman to battle for second until a lap 18 caution, the only yellow of the feature, set up the two-lap shootout. Walsh picked the bottom groove for the [Read More]

Carroll uses traffic in I-37 win

By J.M. Hallas PLEASANTON, Texas (June 6) – The two-week break in racing at I-37 Speedway proved a blessing Saturday night for Chris Carroll, whose IMCA Modified had sustained significant damage in the last outing. Carroll started in row four and caught leader Rick Green in traffic to get by. In the latter stages, Carroll had to fend off rookie Logan Dinsmore, fresh off his high school graduation. “This was Rick’s race. He clearly had the better car tonight. Everything just fell my way,” Carroll said. “I was watching Rick, he was gone. It’s easier being in second place sometimes when you get to traffic.” Jamie Campbell ended in second and Ryan Doyon was third.

Langenberg tames newly configured Off Road oval

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (June 6) – More than one night of racing will be necessary to determine the impact of the new “D-shaped” configuration of the track at Off Road Speedway. But last Saturday night during the season opener in front of 500 fans, Colby Langenberg, who won the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod “A” feature in the IMCA Sport Mods division–definitely found the track’s design to his liking. “We got two good practice sessions in earlier in the year; we put a lot of laps on,” Langenberg said. “I don’t know that (the track design) had anything to do with my win but I felt like the new track opened up the back straightaway a little bit. It kind of got congested once in awhile when guys would get runs on each other and got bottle-necked up to one lane. Now it’s opened up coming out of (turn) two.” Langenberg was in third behind Brian Osantowski, who had moved up quickly from the fifth row, and Jacob Swanson when a caution forced [Read More]

Long stays hot at Pepsi Lee County Speedway

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (June 5) – Michael Long was back in Pepsi Lee County Speedway’s victory lane after holding off Mark Burgtorf in the Friday night feature for IMCA Modifieds. Long and Jardin Fuller led the field to the green flag, Long jumping into the lead over Fuller and Mark Burgtorf. Burgtorf and Denny Eckrich both got by Fuller and went to work on chasing down Long. However, Long pulled away before the first caution appeared on lap 13. On the restart, Long stayed out front with Burgtorf and Eckrich taking chase. The action was slowed for the second and final time for a yellow on lap 17. Long then held off Burgtorf for the win. Austin Howes was third. Austen Becerra went three-wide for the lead, then outran Jim Gillenwater for the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod victory. Coming up Friday, June 12 will be the first of five Drive For 5 qualifying nights for the IMCA Sunoco Late Models. Sponsored locally by Shottenkirk Parts Express, the IMCA Late Models will be racing for a top [Read More]