Newswire

Thornton, Baca split Winter Challenge IMCA Modified features

By Tony Steele PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan. 25-26) – Two drivers already familiar with the view from victory lane at Canyon Speedway Park made their way back to that locale following season-opening IMCA Modified Winter Challenge feature victories. Ricky Thornton Jr. continued right where he left off last winter at Canyon, earning the $1,250 win on Saturday before Chaz Baca broke Thornton’s streak with the victory on Sunday. Both drivers were already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Andy Altenburg and Brad King each swept their respective divisions in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, respectively, while Shelby Frye and Cody Thompson split Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod features. Thornton beat fellow front row starter Zachary Madrid to the Saturday lead and outran everybody en route to a dominating green to checkered victory. Madrid and Baca made up the top three. John Parmeley paced the first two laps of the Sunday show before Baca made his way to the front. Baca walked away from the field until the ninth starting Thornton worked [Read More]

Junior National Champion, Lady Eagle awards new to QuickCar IMCA program

LEBANON, Tenn. – Two more of IMCA’s top drivers will receive post-season awards from QuickCar in 2020. Both the Junior National Champion and Lady Eagle winner receive 3-gauge panel sets from the Lebanon, Tenn., manufacturer. Drivers ages 13-18 in all IMCA divisions contend for the inaugural Junior National Champion’s crown; all female drivers vie for the Lady Eagle title, awarded since 2007. “QuickCar is excited to continue our support of IMCA and very excited about the opportunities for the younger generation of racers they’re providing,” said Danny Knowles. In its seventh year of sponsorship, QuickCar again gives 3-gauge panels to IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod national champions. The IMCA Sunoco Late Model national champion receives a 4-gauge panel set while 2-gauge panel sets go to IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car and Mach-1 Sport Compact national champions. The QuickCar high performance product line also includes volt meters, water pressure kits, tachometers and switch panels. All QuickCar awards will be presented during the [Read More]

IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compacts join Saturday shows at Abilene

ABILENE, Texas (Jan. 27) – A fourth IMCA division joins Saturday race programs at Abilene Speedway this season. Mach-1 Sport Compacts debut at the Texas speedplant on Feb. 15, night two of the season-opening Ice Breaker special. “I’ve watched the IMCA 4-cylinder class run at Boyd and at Kennedale. It’s a good division for a wide age range of drivers,” promoter Rob Poor said. “Sport Compacts can be a class people get into or back into racing with and only have to spend a couple thousand dollars.” “There are already three or four of these cars in town,” he added, “so we have a foundation to build on.” Twenty-one point races for Sport Compacts are scheduled at Abilene through Aug. 29. The division is also on both Southern Challenge programs in October. Abilene also features the IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods weekly.

Gage, 141 team earn regional promoter awards, national ARPY nominations

CHICO, Calif. – Dennis Gage, operator and promoter of California IMCA venues Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico and Marysville Raceway in Marysville has won the Southwest and Western Region promoter of the year award given by Racing Promotion Monthly. Gage, who has managed Chico for 10 years and Marysville for five years, has been involved in motorsports for more than 50 years starting in 1962. He has crewed, raced, been a track official and ended up taking on track publicity and announcing in 1973. IMCA Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods run at both Silver Dollar and Marysville. “What an honor this is to be recognized for the contributions you have made to a major league sport,” said Gage, also the track manager in Roseville for four years. “It wouldn’t be possible without my family’s support and a great bunch of people who surround me.” Gage becomes a first-time nominee for RPM’s Auto Racing Promoter of the Year award. The team at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek, Wis., tied for top honors in RPM’s Northern Region. Toby Kruse, [Read More]

IMCA Hobby Stocks new to Wild Bill’s Raceway in Utah

EPHRAIM, Utah (Jan. 24) – IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks join regular race programs this season at Wild Bill’s Raceway. Sanctioned Hobbies run Saturday, May 23; Friday and Saturday, June 12 and 13; and Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11 on the 3/8-mile dirt oval at Ephraim. “I’ve had a number of drivers ask me to sanction the Hobby Stocks,” said promoter Roger Rowley. Millard County Raceway (at Delta) already runs them. We’ll give drivers another track where they can race for points.” “We already sanction Stock Cars and SportMods with IMCA and those classes will run on the same nights as the Hobbies,” he added. Hobby Stock points earned at Ephraim count toward Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region standings.

Jet Racing continues title sponsorship of IMCA’s Central Region for Modifieds

BEATRICE, Neb. – Drivers in IMCA’s Central Region for Modifieds compete under the Jet Racing banner again this season. The Beatrice, Neb., chassis builder furnishes a portion of the $6,000 point fund to be paid to top 10 drivers in the region that includes tracks in Arkansas, eastern Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. The champion earns $2,500, with the runner-up getting $1,250 and $625 paid for third, $325 for fourth, $300 for fifth and $200 for each of sixth through 10th places. Jet is owned by four-time IMCA Modified national champion Johnny Saathoff and begins its 23rd year of IMCA sponsorship. Previously a supporter of IMCA special events competitors and then Stock Car and Hobby Stock regions, Jet became a regional Modified title sponsor in 2012. Jet also builds Northern SportMod, Stock Car, Hobby Stock and Sport Compact chassis and sells a wide range of high performance parts and automotive accessories. Information about those chassis and parts is available at the www.jetracinginc.com website, by calling 888 290-9696 and on Facebook. Central Region drivers are required to display two [Read More]

Speedway Motors marks new milestones in 2020 IMCA sponsorship season

LINCOLN, Neb. – Speedway Motors begins a new decade of IMCA support while marking a quarter-century as title sponsor of the biggest dirt track racing event in the world. Recognized last fall for 40 consecutive seasons of sponsorship, the Lincoln, Neb., high performance parts manufacturer, retailer and distributor continues unique roles backing both IMCA Weekly Racing and Super Nationals. Speedway Motors will sponsor the upcoming Super Nationals, held September 7-12 at Boone Speedway, for the 25th consecutive year. And for a 13th straight year, Speedway Motors renews a program benefitting 200-plus race tracks in the United States and Canada. Speedway Motors program provides jackets, promoter and tech official shirts as well as discounts on tech inspection equipment, flags and signage. The program helps race facilities defray weekly program costs, decals, driver’s suit patches and feature winner hats. Speedway Motors will mail $100 Gift Certificates during the season to drivers who complete the rookie application process and win career-first features. The postseason slate of awards from Speedway Motors includes helmets for all national champions and the first-ever Junior National [Read More]

Memorial services pending for Larry Larson

BUCKEYE, Iowa – Memorial services are yet to be scheduled for Larry Larson but when they’re held, friends will have countless stories to share of the race fan, pit crew member and National Anthem singer. Larson, 59, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 21 at his home in Buckeye. White-bearded and almost always wearing a Rick Brown T-shirt, he was known for painting the lines in the pit area at Boone Speedway as well as singing The Star Spangled Banner at race tracks across the state. “He was a fan turned crew member turned friend,” said long-time IMCA Sunoco Stock Car driver Brown. “Larry was at home when he was at the race track. He’d go up and down the pits and talk to everybody. He wished everybody good luck.” After the races were over, Larson joined more than a few drivers for victory lane photos, often displaying the checkered flag. Jerry Vansickel met Larson in the mid-1980s at an area go kart track. They’d become friends and frequent travel partners to tracks where Vansickel announced. “Larry’s passion for [Read More]

A first for Arizona: Cocopah adds IMCA Late Models

SOMERTON, Ariz. – The wave of the future is taking IMCA Late Models to Arizona. Cocopah Speedway at Somerton becomes the first track in the Grand Canyon State to sanction the division, with five dates on the schedule announced for the 2020 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season. “The fans are excited and we have drivers who have never competed in a Late Model before looking to get into this class,” said promoter Benji Lyons. “”We are committed as a track to this division and we’ve got a group of drivers who are committed to building cars.” “We have to do something to reduce the cost of Late Model racing and we’re going to stick to our guns,” he concluded. “This is going to be the wave of the future.” The division makes its Cocopah debut on Feb. 1. Other point season dates are March 7 and 21, May 2 and Sept. 26. “With the stability of IMCA, sanctioning Late Models just made sense,” Lyons stated. “It’s going to be a building project but I [Read More]