Newswire

Boone Speedway sets Friday practice session

BOONE, Iowa – An open practice session runs from 6-8 p.m. this Friday, May 15 at Boone Speedway. Pit passes will be $15, masks must be worn, hand sanitizer stations will be located around the speedway grounds and race teams must maintain social distancing. Opening night for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods is Saturday, May 16. More information about Friday’s practice and Saturday’s opener is available on the track website or Facebook page.

Bethany Speedway opens with record numbers

By Chet Querry BETHANY, Mo. (May 9) – The first race of the season at Bethany Speedway started off with record-setting numbers: More race cars in the pit area than has ever been, including the Northwest Missouri State Fair; the biggest count of fans that has attended Bethany Speedway since they reopened for regular racing in 2018; and drivers representing 12 different states from as far as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Arizona. Feature wins went to Steven Bowers Jr. in the IMCA Modifieds, Tyler Drueke in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, J.J. Baumli in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Truman Asher in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. The Modified feature was one of the best there’s been and ran green to checkered after two early cautions. Defending national champion Jordan Grabouski qualified through a ‘B’ feature and moved up quickly at the start. Chad Clancy jumped into the lead from his fifth place starting spot while right behind him came Bowers. Jesse Sobbing, who started 12th, went right to the top and passed his [Read More]

Sprint Series of Nebraska opening at US 36 Raceway, New Raceway Park

OSBORN, Mo. – The Sprint Series of Nebraska will be heading South to US 36 Raceway in Missouri on Friday, May 15 and then will head North on Sunday, May 17 to The New Raceway Park in Jefferson, S.D. “We are excited to finally get to kick off the first two IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Series of Nebraska Races,” says Sprint Series of Nebraska coordinator Racine Hadan. “Race tracks have been hit very hard here in Nebraska with all of the COVID-19 restrictions. Our first three races for the SSN Series were scheduled at Eagle Raceway, I-80 Speedway and Crawford County Speedway and were all canceled due to the COVID-19 restrictions.” Hadan is also the operations manager at Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb. “It’s pretty disappointing that we cannot race in Nebraska right now due to the 10 person rule so all our drivers and fans have to travel to different states just to go racing. We hope that the State of Nebraska officials let us open up soon,” she said. “I would think that they [Read More]

IMCA national champions headed to US 36, Bethany for IMCA openers

OSBORN, Mo. – Drivers with IMCA national championships already on their resumes begin their pursuit of 2020 honors this weekend at US 36 Raceway and Bethany Speedway. Jordan Grabouski, Mike Nichols and Austin Kaplan are among drivers from 10 states pre-entered for opening night events Friday, May 8 at Osborn and Saturday, May 9 at Bethany. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods are on both race night cards From Nebraska, Grabouski became the first driver to win two IMCA national crowns in the same season last year, topping point standings for both Modifieds and Stock Cars. He amassed 69 feature wins, two regional titles and eight track championships, all IMCA record totals for a single season. Eight-time national champion Nichols, a former Missouri state king, looks to add to his Stock Car division best 529-win total. Fellow Iowan Kaplan owns a Northern SportMod national crown and makes the weekend trip south as well. 2017 Jet Racing Central Region king Steven Bowers Jr., a six-time track and [Read More]

IMCA starts fourth decade at Fairgrounds Speedway Cortez with 3-day show

CORTEZ, Colo. – A fourth decade of IMCA racing at Fairgrounds Speedway Cortez begins with a three-day show Friday through Sunday, May 15-17. “It’s been overwhelming. The response we’ve gotten for the Covid Clash has been amazing,” Race Director Rowdy Briggs said of early-entry numbers for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, IMCA SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. “We have 139 pre-registered now and know of more that are coming.” Pre-registered IMCA drivers for what will rank as one of the biggest events held at Cortez hail from half a dozen states and additional parking has been added to accommodate those race teams. The grandstands will be closed and social distancing will be enforced in the pit area per CDC recommendations. A facial covering will be required away from pit stalls or when not in the race car. Drivers should pre-register through MyRacePass and must sign in at the track by 5:20 p.m. on Friday. An open practice runs from 4:30-9:30 p.m. on Thursday and pit gates open at 8 a.m. [Read More]

10 states now represented at US 36, Bethany IMCA openers

OSBORN, Mo. – Opening night events this weekend at US 36 Raceway and Bethany Speedway bring IMCA drivers from across the nation to the Show-Me State. IMCA drivers from Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana join competitors from closer to home on season-opening cards Friday, May 8 at Osborn and Saturday, May 9 at Bethany. IMCA Modified, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod entries are also in hand from Colorado, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, as well as Missouri. “We’re expecting to get drivers from a couple more states, too. It seems like the number of entries goes up every time I look at my phone,” said promoter Jon Boller Jr., who noted the strong contingent of RaceSaver Sprint Cars making the trip from out east. “We had more than 100 cars practice last Saturday. Once we got to 100, we stopped counting,” continued Boller, looking forward to watching the stars of IMCA vie for the only IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, E3 Spark Plugs State and [Read More]

North Central Speedway opener drawing entries from across Upper Midwest

BRAINERD, Minn. – Five IMCA divisions will go three, four and five-wide when they open the season this Saturday, May 9 at North Central Speedway. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts are on the card on the fast 1/3-mile dirt oval at Brainerd. Promoter Holly Orpen has already fielded a barrage of phone calls from drivers in all of those divisions. “We have been getting a lot of calls from all over, North Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota of course. There are a lot of people excited about starting the season,” Orpen said of the first race of 2020 in Minnesota. “We’ve been doing track prep, calling the governor’s office and working with the county to follow recommended guidelines.” The grandstands will be closed and all drivers and pit crew members must be pre-registered by 5 p.m. on Friday. Social distancing rules will be in effect and are posted the track’s racencs.net website and Facebook. Except for drivers when they are in their cars, masks [Read More]

5-year IMCA sponsor Dynamic Drivelines gives new Junior National Champ, Lady Eagle awards

DES MOINES, Iowa – New awards for Junior National Champion and top Lady Eagle drivers will be given this season by Dynamic Drivelines. The five-year sponsor presents a free driveshaft to the IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Late Model, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod or Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod driver winning either coveted crown. “We are grateful to continue to partner with IMCA and appreciate the opportunity to support the Junior National and Lady Eagle programs,” said Dynamic Drivelines owner Mike Bennett. “Over the last five years we have gravitated to programs like the Rookie of the Year and now the Junior National Champion that recognize those that are just starting in racing. Building those relationships early creates a unique opportunity to partner with a driver as they grow within our sport.” The Des Moines, Iowa, manufacturer also gives steel drive shafts to national Modified, Stock Car, Hobby Stock, Northern SportMod and Southern SportMod rookies of the year, and a carbon fiber drive shaft to the national Late [Read More]

IMCA Coronavirus Response Broadcast Program

VINTON, Iowa – In response to the continued uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus Pandemic, IMCA has developed guidance and planning for IMCA member tracks to execute the live-streamed broadcasting of events. The primary goal of IMCA has always been to ensure health and provide certainty to member tracks, and given the current environment, we feel our responsibility to explore all options for operation to our promoters. With this program, IMCA will make every effort to provide member tracks with simple, turn-key options for video broadcasting equipment, execution guidance, and the platform for distribution and payment. Through our newly formed relationship with the SPEED SPORT Network, IMCA.TV will be launched to provide a single video platform destination for all IMCA member tracks. “We will go to whatever lengths necessary to ensure our tracks can continue operation,” said Brett Root, President of IMCA. Each track will determine pricing and purchasing options based on their unique considerations. Options for standalone pay-per-view or subscription-based live-streamed video will be available. We will connect you with our regional broadcast affiliates for production [Read More]

Independence Motor Speedway to host two nights of practice

By Jerry Mackey INDEPENDENCE, Iowa – The Independence Motor Speedway will once again roar to life with the sweet sounds of racing engines this weekend. On Friday, May 8, the IMCA Modifieds. IMCA Sunoco Late Models and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars will be allowed to practice. On Saturday, May 9, the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks will be welcomed to the speedway. By splitting the divisions and running practice both nights, the governor’s guidelines for the Covid-19 virus will be much easier to follow. Unfortunately the grandstands will be closed and all crew members must remain with their cars in the infield. Ten persons will be allowed entrance to the pit area with each race car. The race track will be open both nights for practice from 5:30-9 p.m. The season opener is set to take the first green flag on Saturday, May 16. More information regarding the first night of racing will be released in the