Newswire

Championship Night is Saturday at Bethany

By Rick Staley BETHANY, Mo. – This Saturday night, Sept. 14, the stars of Bethany Speedway will battle to the checkers for prestigious track championships in all divisions. IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod champions will be crowned. Gates open at 5 p.m., the drivers’ meeting is at 6:45 p.m., hot laps are at 7:30 p.m. and racing starts at 8 p.m. Pit passes are $35 and grandstand admission is $10 for adults while kids six years of age and under free.

Bard prevails in PASS feature at Path Valley

By Frank Buhrman SPRING RUN, Pa. (Sept. 7) – Wells Tannery is an unincorporated community in Fulton County, Pa., with a nice community park. It’s also home to race driver Garrett Bard and if Bard’s fortunes continue on their current upward curve, he may become the first thing you’ll know about Wells Tannery. The 23-year-old scored his second victory in a two-month career in the Pennsylvania Sprint Series Saturday night at Path Valley Speedway. It was his third IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car win, with the other having come the previous weekend in a Laurel Highlands Sprint Series race at Bedford Speedway. Bard started on the pole and led all the way for a convincing win but John Walp didn’t make it easy, challenging after a lap 14 caution. On the restart, Walp tried Bard on the inside but to no avail. On lap 20, Scott Lutz slipped into second but couldn’t catch Bard. Following Bard, Lutz and Walp at the finish were New Jersey’s Larry McVay and Rob Felix. Zach Newlin was the hard charger, [Read More]

Johnson thrills in URSS return to WaKeeney

By David Smith, Jr., OKTidbits WaKEENEY, Kan. (Sept. 7) – J.D. Johnson made a daring move on the final lap to claim the Lucas Oil POWRi United Rebel Sprint Series presented by Mel Hambelton Ford Racing championship feature Saturday at WaKeeney Speedway. Johnson and Scott Cochran started on the front row for the 25-lap feature with Johnson taking the lead as the green flag fell. Cochran, Nate Berry, Austin McLean and Ty Williams filled out the top five with Johnson claiming lap one. Cochran took the lead on lap two with Johnson now giving chase. Berry took over the runner-up position on lap six before Johnson reclaimed that position on lap eight. Cochran approached slower cars on lap nine while Berry took back second from Johnson on lap 11. At midway it was still Cochran controlling the lead while Berry, Johnson, Williams and McLean the top five. Johnson got a run Berry to move back into the runner up position and set his sights on the leader. Johnson applied pressure on Cochran and on lap 19, got past to take the lead [Read More]

Four IMCA divisions featured at Cardinals’ inaugural Sam Hodges Memorial

EUNICE, N.M. – A former track owner, promoter and driver will be remembered Friday and Saturday, Sept. 13-14 at Cardinal Speedway’s inaugural Sam Hodges Memorial. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for $2,755 to win, IMCA Modifieds for $1,755 to win their 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying feature and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods for $1,055 to win. Top prize in Saturday’s IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature is $955. Stock Cars will run 50 laps with a mandatory pit stop on the front straightaway at halfway. The Modified feature is 40 laps and $500, $300 and $200 will be paid to the first, second and third-running drivers, respectively, when that race is halted for a pit stop, also on lap 25. Both the SportMod and Hobby Stock features will be 25 laps. A complete rundown on feature payouts, which are expected to increase, is posted on the track’s Facebook page. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and E3 Spark Plugs State points will be awarded. Early entry fee in all divisions is $50 [Read More]

$10,000 is top IMCA Modified prize at Marshalltown’s World Nationals

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa – World Nationals wraps up the season at Marshalltown Speedway Sept. 12-14, with the IMCA Modified winner going home with a hefty $10,000. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods both race for $1,000 to win, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $500 to win during Friday and Saturday, Sept. 13 and 14 programs. Saturday’s Modified feature is a qualifying event for the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and E3 Spark plugs State points will be awarded. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. Racing starts at 7 p.m. both nights. Friday spectator admission is $15 for adults and $12 for seniors. On Saturday, admission is $20 for adults and $15 for seniors. Kids 10 and under get in free and pit passes are $30 both days. The Thursday, Sept. 12 Cookies BBQ Sauce Kickoff to the World Nationals practice session runs from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Camping is $20 a night and showers and limited electrical hookups will be [Read More]

Mission accomplished: Dotson is Modified champion at Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 7) – The goal Ethan Dotson set when he started coming to the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s was achieved Saturday night. Dotson led all 40 laps of the Modified main event at Boone Speedway, outrunning 2016 champion Ricky Thornton Jr. of Adel, Cody Laney of Torrance, Calif., and defending champion Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls in the race to what proved to be $5,800 checkers. From Bakersfield and the first Californian to win a Super Nationals crown in any division, Dotson weathered five cautions before midway, then a stoppage on the 22nd of 40 laps when intermittent rain brought about a quick track prep session. Thornton, looking for his second championship of the week after winning Monday’s Deery Brothers Summer Series Late Model main event, challenged but never made his bid for the lead stick. “We’ve been coming to Super Nationals for about six years now,” said Dotson, fourth in main events for the Northern SportMods in 2014 and for the Modifieds last year. “The first time we wanted [Read More]

Smith, Daae have good nights in Super Nationals Stock Car qualifying

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – A regular visitor to America’s Racin’ Vacation and a candidate who helped make the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s a truly international event were Stock Car qualifying feature winners Friday night. David Smith of Lake City led all but the first two laps in topping the first qualifier at Boone Speedway while Estevan’s Austin Daae became just the second Canadian driver to make the Stock Car main event by winning the nightcap at Boone Speedway. Top four finishers from both races move on to the Saturday Big Dance. Smith passed eventual runner-up David Brandies of Wilton for the point on lap three. The only caution of the contest came with six to go and the top four running order of Smith, Brandies, Kyle Falck of Decorah and Brian Blessington of Breda remained unchanged to the checkers. 2001 king Blessington was one of five former Super Nationals champions in Friday’s first qualifier. Smith joins brothers Devin and Donavon on the main event grid. Daae made his trip to the front [Read More]

Start time moved up at Super Nationals, first green flag flies at 2 p.m.

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 7) – Start time for Championship Saturday at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s has been moved up an hour. Today’s first green flag flies at 2 p.m. at Boone Speedway. No change has been made in the Sept. 7 race day schedule. Event officials noted the potential for impending weather in moving the program up for the final day of the 37th annual Super Nationals.

Aikey, Carter are first in Friday Modified qualifiers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – The drivers who ran 1-2 in last year’s Modified main event both finished first in their respective qualifying features Friday night at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Defending champion Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls took the lead on the third lap, then outran a determined Steven Bowers Jr. following a late restart in the first qualifier. 2018 runner-up Cayden Carter of Oskaloosa led the last four times around the track in topping the nightcap at Boone Speedway. The 12th starting Bowers, from Topeka, Kan., Russ Dickerson of Boone and Trent Loverude of New Ulm, Minn., completed the top four behind Aikey. Carter had started the second qualifier from 13th, was all of a sudden in the top three by lap 10 and took the second spot from Riley Simmons of Susanville, Calif., after midway in the 25-lapper. He finally caught Malvern’s Jesse Sobbing with four to go. Sobbing, Simmons and Cory Wray of Trenton, Mo., were next across the stripe. Top four finishers from both qualifiers advance [Read More]

Rust shines in race to Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational checkers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – Joel Rust had a year to think about his disappointing end to last year’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. He’ll have a lifetime to remember how the 2019 event played out. Rust, from Grundy Center, led all 30 laps of the Modified special during Friday’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s program. The win was good for $1,000, plus another $750 in lap money. “We’ve been racing a Modified for six years. This is one of the biggest races you can win and we can finally say we did it,” Rust exclaimed from victory late at Boone Speedway. “This definitely ranks right up there.” Tanner Black of Otis, Kan., took over the second spot following back-to-back cautions on lap five and chased Rust to the finish. The race stayed green the last 26 circuits, with Jesse Sobbing of Malvern, 10th starting Steven Bowers Jr. of Topeka, Kan., and Richie Gustin of Gilman completing the top five. Rust moved to a higher line after Sobbing challenged early. He pulled away from [Read More]