Newswire

Arneson’s great night at Deer Creek ends with IMCA Modified Harris Clash checkers

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (Aug. 6) – An IMCA Modified driver who’s been racking up some impressive wins this summer added another one to his resume Tuesday nigh Austin Arneson topped the 28th annual Harris Clash at Deer Creek Speedway, leading the last 11 of 30 laps and outrunning fellow North Dakota hotshoe Tom Berry Jr. in the dash to the checkers coming out of the final turn. “It was a great night for me. It was a fun race with a lot of sliding back and forth,” said Arneson, who earned $3,000 for the victory in addition to a 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth. More than 140 race teams from 14 states saw action in front of another big Clash crowd at Spring Valley. Berry had caught race-long and defending Clash winner Cayden Carter for the lead on lap 18, then saw Arneson drive by the next time around. He couldn’t quite make a last-shot slider stick, however, and had to settle for a close second. Carter, hard charger Jake O’Neil and Ricky Thornton [Read More]

Sweigart wins on last-lap pass at BAPS

By Frank Buhrman YORK HAVEN, Pa. (Aug. 3) – Nic Sweigart passed Zach Newlin on the final lap to claim the victory in Saturday’s 20-lap IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature at BAPS Motor Speedway. It was Sweigart’s second win of the season and the second of his career at York Haven. The race was co-sanctioned by the Pennsylvania Sprint Series and the Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series. A five-time winner at BAPS over the last two seasons, Newlin set sail and built a lead of nearly three seconds before a lap seven caution. Sweigart moved through the field from his ninth starting position. On lap 12, he passed Eddie Wagner for the runner-up spot and set his sights on Newlin, charging around high against the outside wall. The momentum from that high run enabled him to catch the leader in the first set of turns and slip past on the backstretch. Sweigart then swooped low in three and four, denying Newlin his preferred line and preserving the win. Wagner held on for third with John Walp fourth [Read More]

Parker, Czarapata perfect at Outagamie

By Edward Anschutz SEYMOUR, Wis. (Aug. 2) – Although Chase Parker led every lap of the IMCA Modified feature Friday at Outagamie Speedway, the race to the checkers wasn’t easy by any means. Defending track champion Marcus Yarie worked his way from row four to the runner-up position midway through the contest. With five circuits remaining, Yarie dove inside for the lead but lapped track halted his pursuit and Parker picked up his second win of the season. Travis Van Straten jumped out as the early leader in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars over Jeremy Wiitala. The duo ran door-to-door for the top spot until Brandon Czarapata made it three-wide. Czarapata slipped by down low to take the lead on lap five. The battle for second became lively as Josh Mroczkowski and point leader Eric Arneson began to tussle with Van Straten. Mroczkowski secured the runner-up spot with five laps remaining. Although Mroczkowski closed in late it was Czarapta scoring his second feature win of the season. Rookie Ryan Schmidt secured the lead on lap eight and never looked back, cruising to his first career Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature win. [Read More]

Lauritzen takes thrilling Modified win

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Aug. 2) – Two drivers earned their first local victories of the year in the IMCA Modified and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod divisions, while the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks saw repeat winners Friday at Marshalltown Speedway. The 20-lap IMCA Modified feature was up for grabs between three drivers. Tim Ward hustled from 10th starting to the lead by lap seven, only to have Joel Rust and Ronn Laurtizen tag in behind. Rust got the upper hand with six laps left but it was still anyone’s race between Rust, Lauritzen, and Ward as the laps wound down. Lauritzen gained the lead on lap 18 only to have Rust regain it on the white flag lap, but the race the checkers found Lauritzen surging ahead to cross the finish line first. Rust was the runner-up followed closely by Ward in third. A yellow at lap 13 bunched the Northern SportMod field and on the restart, Johnathon Logue made the pass into the runner-up spot, and then with [Read More]

Fairmont date will be Minnesota first for IMCA Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights

FAIRMONT, Minn. – Regardless of who stands in victory lane, history will be made Wednesday night at Fairmont Raceway. The Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour makes its first-ever visit to Minnesota on Aug. 7, with IMCA Modifieds running for $1,500 to win and a spot on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot during the Bob Shryock Memorial program. All but three of the previous 91 events in the tour’s 10-year history have been held in Iowa, with two in South Dakota and a single foray to Wisconsin. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. tomorrow at Fairmont. Hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow. Grandstand admission is $15 for adults, $12 for students ages 13-17 and kids 12 and under are free when accompanying a paid adult. Pit passes are $30 IMCA.TV broadcasts Wednesday’s Dirt Knights program. Final tour dates of 2019 are Sept. 21 at 34 Raceway and Sept. 28 at Benton County Speedway. Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour top 20 point standings [Read More]

Hodges take Lincoln County championship night honors

By Kelly Ninas NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (Aug. 3) – Championship night played out in front of a packed house Saturday at Lincoln County Raceway. Holding off all challenges, Cole Hodges captured the IMCA Modified feature after working his way into contention from a fifth row start position, taking the lead with just five laps remaining and then keeping David Murray Jr. at bay. Jacob Olmstead led all but the opening circuit in winning another Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod main. Equally dominating, Casey Woken led all from the second lap on to earn the hard-fought IMCA Sunoco Stock Car victory with many heavy hitters trying unsuccessfully to catch up. Starting up front and staying up front, Zach Olmstead won the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature. Lonnie Lenser Jr. became the winner of the Mach-1 Sport Compact feature after the apparent top two finishers were disqualified in post-race tech.

Drivers must pre-enter for Super Nationals to compete in Aug. 31 Prelude at Boone

BOONE, Iowa – Modified, Stock Car, Northern SportMod and Hobby Stock drivers must be pre-entered for the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s to compete in the Saturday, Aug. 31 Wild Rose and Casino Resort Prelude at Boone Speedway. “There were approximately 240 cars entered in the Prelude last year. Those types of numbers have a tremendous effect time-wise on the sign-in and lineup process,” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “Accepting unexpected and large numbers of late entries effects the entire process and would result in a late start and late conclusion to the Prelude race program.” The Prelude Modified feature pays $1,000 to win and is a qualifying event for the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and E3 Spark Plugs Iowa State points will be awarded in all four divisions. Modifieds earn Side Biter Chassis North Central Region points, with EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region points going to the Stock Cars and Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region points to the Hobby Stocks. Grandstand admission [Read More]

Meyer motors to more Kossuth County success at Harken Memorial

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, (Iowa (Aug. 3) – Another big event at Kossuth County Speedway brought out the best in Nick Meyer Saturday night. The IMCA Modified winner at last month’s Salute to Veterans special, Meyer returned to victory lane in the Harken Memorial, held on the second night of racing during the county fair. Jeremy Mills and Ben Kraus brought the field to the flag stand for what would prove a caution-free contest. Mills grabbed the early lead but Meyer took over the top spot on the third lap and cruised to the feature win. Mills placed second followed by Austin Wolf, Rob Hughes and Cody Knecht. Jake Masters drew the pole for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature and accepted the challenge to start at the back of the 23-car field with the chance to earn an extra $500 if he could win the race. One lap after an early restart, Derek Green took over as the new leader. He continued to dominate the race and went onto the victory as Masters used [Read More]

Early entries top 110 for 28th annual IMCA Harris Clash

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. – Early entries are in hand from more than 110 drivers for Tuesday’s Harris Clash. IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods headline the 28th annual event at Deer Creek Speedway on Aug. 6. Thirteen states are represented by the list of pre-registered competitors. Modifieds race for $3,000 to win, plus a $500 bonus if their chassis was built by a Manufacturers’ Cup participant, plus a berth on the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Top prize for the Northern SportMods is $1,200. New this year is the 10-lap, $1,000 to win Harris Clash Race of Champions open to all former Clash winners and sponsored by Wehrs Machine and Racing Products. The highest finishing non-qualifier in that race receives a provisional start in the main event. Pre-registered Modified drivers include: Chris Abelson, Sioux City, Iowa J.D. Auringer, Waterloo, Iowa Aaron Benson, Clear Lake, Iowa Tom Berry Jr., Newburg, N.D. Jacob Bleess, Chatfield Ethan Braaksma, Newton, Iowa Mike Burbridge, Delhi, Iowa John Burrow Jr., Denver, Colo. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa, Iowa Rob Charapata, Green Bay, [Read More]

California driver strikes gold on Super Saturday at Boone

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 3) – Californian Cody Laney collected the IMCA Modified checkers and $1,000 at Boone Speedway’s Super Saturday show, which drew 160 entries in all. Laney led all 20 laps and won going away, earning a spot on the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Another Californian, Ethan Dotson, drove his ride from sixth to finish second in the Watermelon Classic headliner. Thor Anderson ran at the front of the field all race and finished third, fourth went to Randy Havlik, and Jeff Aikey finished fifth. Ricky Thornton was the $1,000 TiLUBE Challenge winner earlier in the evening while Richie Gustin pocketed $500 for taking the Second Chance Showdown. Brandon Pruitt took advantage of his outside front row starting position, grabbed the lead immediately and held off some heavy competition in leading all of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. Shaun Wirtz caught Bryant Johnson using the top of the track and led the last 10 circuits to top the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock main. The victory was the second [Read More]