Newswire

Bolac blazes at The Bridge for first Sprint win of season

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (July 13) – Daren Bolac changed almost everything after his heat and it really paid off as he took his first Virginia Sprint Series win of the year Saturday at Natural Bridge Speedway. Bill Rice and Bolac rolled the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green with Bolac out first, Rice staying low in second and Mike Lerass and Nick Tucker fighting for third. Lerass used Bolac’s line to get a run on Rice and was quickly in second. Jerald Harris and Scott Lutz made their way to the front and soon got by Rice. The rest of the field stayed in pursuit of the front duo, who continued a mistake-free high line, low line battle. With 10 to go, Harris and Lutz got past Tucker and tried to chase down the lead pair. Bolac had the high line working coming out of the corners and Leraas has the low line working better getting into the corners. Leraas was trying everything and with two laps to go got close on [Read More]

Bubak sprints to top check at Wheatshocker Nationals

By David Smith Jr., OKTidbits HAYS, Kan. (July 14) – Continuing on his hot streak, Jake Bubak took the lead with eight laps left of the 30-lap feature and went on to claim the 11th annual Wheatshocker Nationals as the Lucas Oil POWRi United Rebel Sprint Series presented by Mel Hambelton Ford Racing wrapped up the two-race weekend Sunday night atop the RPM Speedway oval. Bubak used a slower car to put a cushion between himself and Jed Werner in the final laps and claim his fifth series victory on the season. The IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car victory earned him his second career Wheatshocker Nationals victory, a $2,000 paycheck and a Pit Boss Pellett Grill, courtesy of Lance Pittman and S&W Supply. Luke Cranston and Werner had started on the front row with Cranston out front early before Werner moved to the front. Lap 11 saw Zach Blurton overtake Cranston for the runner-up position; on lap 19, Bubak passed Blurton and set his sights on the leader. The 2014 event winner pressured Werner for several laps before making what proved [Read More]

IMCA Late Model national, state season ends July 28

VINTON, Iowa – Sunday, July 28 is the final day for points earned at sanctioned events to count toward national and state point standings for IMCA Late Models. Any schedule changes must be made by contacting the IMCA home office (319 472-2201) no later than 4:30 p.m. CST Wednesday, July 17. Late Model drivers’ best 15 finishes in their first 30 starts will be used to determine national and state standings. Track points will be awarded through Saturday, Aug. 31. While track champions will be crowned, no track championship bonuses will be applied toward national or state points championships, as was originally announced in January. The Deery Brothers Summer Series is scheduled to conclude in late September. Tour points do not apply toward track, state or national Late Model standings this season. Questions about schedules should be directed to the home office while rules questions should go to Late Model Competition Director Randy Anderson.

Arneson makes like lightning in bolt to Legendary IMCA Modified checkers

MANDAN, N.D. (July 12) – Austin Arneson was almost as fast as the lightning on the horizon Friday night at Dacotah Speedway. Arneson led all 40 laps of the fourth Corral Sales Legendary main event, earning a career-best $10,004 payday, a $500 bonus as the leader at midway and a berth on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. He’ll join younger brother Casey, runner-up in both the Legendary and Thursday’s Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour finale at Mandan, on the All-Star ballot. “I’ve raced all over the country with the biggest names in the Modified division,” said Arneson, who took the checkers in front of a number of those drivers. “Winning the race was pretty exciting, but what was even more exciting was running 1-2 with my brother.” Ricky Thornton Jr., Hunter Marriott and Lucas Schott rounded out the top five. Dakota Classic Modified Tour champion Tom Berry ran second most of the way before breaking late. After the initial green flag was delayed by a light rain shower and work on the racing surface, [Read More]

Walp wins second PASS feature of season

By Frank Buhrman HANOVER, Pa. (July 12) – John Walp became the Pennsylvania Sprint Series’ third multiple feature winner of 2019 on Friday night with a wire-to-wire victory in the 25-lap feature at Trail-Way Speedway. The tour rookie of the year in 2017, Walp took advantage of a single-file start that followed three unsuccessful double-file attempts, and held off a determined charge by Tom Carberry to put his no. 5 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car in victory lane for the second time this year. Jake Frye closed the gap on Walp over the last five laps of the race but settled for second, the second runner-up finish in the last three races for the Lewisberry high school student. Dylan Shatzer finished third, making a successful return to competition following a highway accident earlier this year, and giving the top three positions to drivers under age 21. Jaremi Hanson finished fourth and Tom Carberry was fifth. Walp and Carberry had started ferocious battles for the lead on each start attempt but when the fourth try went single-file, [Read More]

Van Straten wins third straight at Shawano

By Scott Owen SHAWANO, Wis. (July 13) – Halloween at the Half Mile had no tricks, just treats for Travis Van Streten, Konnor Wilinski and Jordan Bartz. Van Straten outdueled Dan Michonski for his third straight Shawano Speedway IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature win while Wilinski scored his first IMCA Modified feature of the season and Bartz got Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod win number three. The Stock Car feature saw Kurt Olson lead the opening two laps before Michonski snuck past. On lap five, Van Straten got around Olson and into second. As has consistently been the case lately, Michonski and Van Straten began a duel for the lead. Van Straten took the lead on lap seven working the lowest line on the track. Michonski took the lead back on lap eight running the highest line. They continued to battle door-to-door on lap nine with Van Straten holding the lead on the lap. Over the next 11 laps, Van Straten had his hands full as Michonski worked high and low trying to a find a way back to [Read More]

Top side leads LaCrosse to Outagamie victory lane

By Edward Anschutz SEYMOUR, Wis. (July 12) – Benji LaCrosse took the top line to victory lane in IMCA Modified action Friday at Outagamie Speedway. Marcus Yarie had built up a straightaway advantage over Johnny Whitman but a caution on lap nine halted his progress. On the restart, Yarie collected an infield tire sending it onto that track that caused another caution. Yarie was sent to the tail of the field, handing the lead over to Whitman. With Whitman running the tires LaCrosse worked the top groove and was able to slip by Whitman on lap 12. LaCrosse put it on cruise control all the way to victory lane with his second feature win of the season. Whitman had a solid points night with second, rookie Cody Schroeder continued to impress by taking third place, Justin Ritchie came through the last chance race to take fourth and Josh Long completed the top five in his first visit of the season. An opening lap crash in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature saw point leader Josh Mroczkowski head pit side with damage. As the [Read More]

Baumli adds his name to winners’ list at US 36

By Jacob Blair OSBORN, Mo. (July 12) – J.J. Baumli prevailed in what was arguably the best IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature of the season Friday at US 36 Raceway. Brad Whitney had jumped to the early lead but the field never gave him more than a few car lengths, as second through sixth swapped several times between multiple drivers. After all the moving around, Mich Ross and Baumli emerged as the two most able to challenge Whitney. Ross ran the top and Baumli worked the middle to bottom lane of the track. They both converged on Whitney and with the laps winding down, the three found themselves three-wide for the lead with two to go. With racing room hard to come by, Ross got too high in turn four and left the battle to Whitney and Baumli. Baumli cleared for the lead as the white flew and earned his first checkered flag of 2019. Whitney finished second. Blake Peeler ran a patient race as he took his time working through the field. After starting [Read More]

Sears outruns Bethany foes for first win

By Rick Staley BETHANY, Mo. (July 13) – Jeffrey Sears celebrated his first-ever Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature win Saturday at Bethany Speedway. Jason Nelson took the early lead with close racing in the pack behind him. Nelson continued to lead with Mitchell Morris close on his heels until Sears mounted his charge to the front, passing both for the top spot. Sears bobbled slightly in turn three, allowing the always-fast and defending track champion Josh Munsen to close in and challenge for the lead with the two racing side-by-side to the checkers. Battling wheel-to-wheel and door-to-door, they made slight contact coming to the checkers with Sears picking up his first feature win. As Sears celebrated in NAPA Auto Parts victory lane, Munsen settled for second with Colton Nelson coming to the line third.

Dialed in, Jones tops Tri-City Modified main

By Roger M. Williams AUBURN, Mich. (July 12) – Friday night was the last opportunity for Allstar Performance IMCA Modified drivers to dial in their rides before the big Greased Pig 9.0 special at Tri-City Motor Speedway on July 19. Defending champion Nate Jones has had a tough first half of the season. However, he may have figured out his issues as it took him only five laps to go from ninth place to take the lead from Will Small. Once Jones got to the front, he was long gone from the rest of the field taking the win easily over point leader Matt Szecsodi, Brenten DeYoung, “B” feature winner Kody Johnson and Mitchell Hunt.