Newswire

Thornton sets tone with Night of 1,000 Stars feature win

BRITT, Iowa (Aug. 8) – At halfway, Ricky Thornton Jr. had to be wondering if fuel issues were going to resurface and knock him out of the running. But at the end of Hancock County Speedway’s 25th annual IMT Transport Night of 1,000 Stars feature for IMCA Modifieds Thursday night, Thornton was standing in victory lane with another tall trophy and a check for $4,500. Thornton caught Benji LaCrosse for the front spot just five laps before the mandatory front stretch pitstop on lap 25. He maneuvered through traffic as the second half of the 50-lapper ran caution free, beating Tom Berry Jr. to the finish line by two-plus seconds. “Winning tonight was huge,” said Thornton, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot and looking forward to Night of 10,000 Stars and Bob Shryock Memorial All Stars events at Britt. “When you run good tonight, it helps set the tone for the rest of the week.” 2011 race winner LaCrosse started third, had Thornton right behind for a couple early restarts and brought Thornton along [Read More]

Roberts wins second Stock Car series race at SSP

By Ben Deatherage BANKS, Ore. (Aug. 3) – Kevin Roberts took care of business when the Big Sky Landscaping IMCA Sunoco Stock Car Series returned to Sunset Speedway Park on Saturday. The 40-lap main event started with Roberts seizing the top position from the get-go. Kevin had to fend off a handful of notable challenges but checked each of them. Roberts managed each restart and went on to his second career Big Sky Landscaping Stock Car Series victory. It is also the second occasion he has managed to triumph at Sunset this year with the tour. Sean Gentry was a close second over Jack Parshall. The Big Sky Landscaping Stock Car Series next heads to Willamette Speedway on Friday, Aug. 30 and Saturday, Aug. 31 for a doubleheader weekend.

Trenchard is 10th to top Cottage Grove Modified main

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (Aug. 3) – Nick Trenchard became the 10th different Mohawk Metal IMCA Modified winner of the season at Cottage Grove Speedway on Saturday night. Eston Whisler was ultra-quick at the start, pacing the first 10 circuits before being overtaken by Evan Britton. Britton was collected in a wreck in lapped traffic on the next trip around the track and that put Whilser back in front. He led until lap 16 when John Campos got around him. Campos had to battle for the lead after a restart with 17 circuits completed. Trenchard powered his way underneath Campos to take over the top spot. However, Campos was not going to go into the night quietly, dueling with Trenchard throughout the closing laps. Trenchard came out on top to win his first victory at CGS in 2019 and become the 10th different driver to best the competition at The Grove. Campos was second over third finishing Aaron Sheelar. Posting a fourth-place result was Whilser while Kevin Williamson ended his evening in fifth.

Sunday show at Quad City Speedway next for Deery Series

EAST MOLINE, Ill. – The first of back-to-back events in Illinois is this weekend for the Deery Brothers Summer Series. Quad City Speedway is next on the schedule for the IMCA Late Model tour, with a $2,000 check going to the winner of the Sunday, Aug. 11 main event. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 3:30 p.m. at East Moline. Hot laps are at 5:15 p.m. with racing to follow. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $8 for students ages 6-12 and free for five and under. Pit passes are $35 Also on the Sunday card are IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods for national, regional, state and track points. More information about the Sunday show, the 22nd at East Moline and the 496th event in Deery Series history, is available by calling 309 792-5030. Jeff Aikey is the only driver with multiple tour wins so far this season, with his most recent and career 70th checkers coming on Aug. 2 at Lee County Speedway. Justin Kay, Joel Callahan and Eric Pollard [Read More]

Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights checkers are Minnesota first, Beckendorf is Fairmont winner

FAIRMONT, Minn. (Aug. 7) – The first Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour event in Minnesota ended with a home state driver getting his career first IMCA Modified tour victory. Brandon Beckendorf led all 25 laps of the Wednesday night feature at Fairmont Raceway, earning $1,500 along with a place on the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot for his efforts. Forty-nine Modified drivers from 10 states and Canada vied in the Bob Shryock Memorial midweek show. “To win the first race held in Minnesota was pretty cool. It means a lot to me to be able to do it here,” said Beckendorf, the defending track champion and current point leader at Fairmont. The Danube driver started outside the front row and took charge from the get-go, with 2012 tour champion Jay Noteboom, Berry, tour point leader Richie Gustin and Kollin Hibdon his closest pursuit. His advantage was more than a half a straightaway before Beckendorf caught up with the back of the field. Noteboom had reeled in the leader before the only caution of [Read More]

Eagle checkers fly for Lovegrove

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (Aug. 3) – IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car win number one on the season came Saturday at Eagle Raceway for Doug Lovegrove. Lovegrove started on the pole and was quickly out front. Mike Boston passed Chase Weiler for third on lap seven with Adam Gullion moving up to fourth. From there to the finish it was a tale of two different lines with Lovegrove hugging the bottom and Brandon Horton, Boston and Gullion pounding the cushion. Lovegrove moved through the lapped traffic and extended his lead at the end to a straightaway with Horton coming home second, Boston third and Gullion fourth. “It’s been way too long. We’ve been having motor problems all year. This is only the third race I’ve finished this season,” he said. “I’m pretty good around the bottom and it was a good track tonight. I think that’s why I was able to run away a little bit. I got lucky on some of the traffic. The guys decided to run a lane up when I got [Read More]

Magers wins 2019 Arlington debut

ARLINGTON, Minn. (Aug. 3) – Dalton Magers raced to his third win in as many starts this season, and his first at Arlington in Saturday’s MN 93 IMCA Modified feature. Ryan Bjerkeset was the early frontrunner before Magers took the low side going into turn two and came out ahead going down the backstretch. Brandon Beckendorf from Danube was moving up and waiting to challenge Magers. He had to get around Trent Loverude to do so, but with a couple laps to go in the race Loverude took back his spot and finished second behind Magers. The Alpha Media IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature saw Trevor Serbus get out front and remain the leader for the duration. Dan Mackenthun pulled away and went onto to take the B&B Racing IMCA Stock Car win. Matt Looft passed 11 cars on the way to the Unhinged Pizza IMCA Northern SportMod checkers and Cory Probst led from the fourth to the final circuit in the Eckblad Trucking IMCA Hobby Stocks. Scott Porter led the entire Coors Light IMCA [Read More]

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]