Newswire

O’Neil bests Thornton in Cocopah classic as Morris tops Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods

By Mike Spieker SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 16) – Some of the best racing seen to date at Winter Nationals was displayed Thursday evening, and Jake O’Neil ended the night at Cocopah Speedway with a second straight $1,000 IMCA Modified feature win. O’Neil made a bold three-wide pass on the high side to drive from fourth to second in the first set of corners, then powered around the outside of Kollin Hibdon to lead lap one. Ricky Thornton Jr. moved his way up to the second spot from the fifth starting position by lap four and quickly set his sights on O’Neil. Thornton searched every inch of the oval before taking command of the lead on lap 15. O’Neil quickly mounted another charge as the lead duo sliced their way through slower traffic. O’Neil finally cleared Thornton Jr. to take the point with four laps to go and held on for the victory. “I thought once he got by me it was over. Usually when that guy gets to the lead there is no catching him,” O’Neil [Read More]

Four race dates in Canyon’s IMCA Winter Challenge

PEORIA, Ariz. – Four IMCA divisions race all four dates in the 2020 Winter Challenge at Canyon Speedway Park. IMCA Modifieds run for $1,250 to win and a minimum of $125 to start Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying features on Saturdays and Sundays Jan. 25-26 and Feb. 1-2. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods both vie for $1,000 to win and a minimum of $100 to start. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks run for $500 to win and a minimum of $75 to start. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and E3 Spark Plugs State points will be awarded. Pill draws are $50 for Modifieds, $40 for Stocks and SportMods, and $30 for Hobbies. Front gates open at 11 a.m. and racing starts at 1 p.m. each day. Grandstand admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and military and free for kids ages 11 and under. Pit passes are $35, $20 for children ages 7-11 and free for six and under. Open practices on Fridays Jan. 24 and Jan. 31 [Read More]

Intercomp renews IMCA Modified awards, continues role in Stock Car decal program

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers enjoy the support of Intercomp again this season. In its 26th season of sponsorship, the Minneapolis, Minn., company gives $100 certificates, good toward the purchase of RFX wireless scales or digital chassis setup equipment, to designated finishers at 30 selected Modified specials and to top 10 drivers in EQ Cylinder Heads Northern and Southern regions for Stock Cars. Manufacturer of the Official Scales of IMCA, Intercomp also returns to the national decal program for Stock Cars for the 17th consecutive year. Drivers in that division must display two Intercomp decals on their race car to make themselves eligible for national and regional point fund shares. “IMCA has been an advocate of Intercomp for 26 years, and we are very proud to work with an organization that has such a long track record with us,” said Chris Berg, Intercomp Market Specialist. “Working with IMCA allows us the opportunity to educate a wide variety to racers on how to get the most out of a race car’s chassis and [Read More]

IMCA Stock Cars new to Saturday shows at Southwest Speedway

DICKINSON, N.D. – Fans at Southwest Speedway can look forward to seeing IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars on a more regular basis. The Class Too Tough To Tame, a staple during annual Dakota Classic Tour visits for the past decade, joins Saturday night race programs at Dickinson beginning this season. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season for the sanctioned Stock Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts runs from May 2 to Aug. 29. “We’re pretty amped up and ready to run the IMCA Stock Cars,” said promoter Luke Krogh. “We have a lot of fans who have only been able to see them once a year and I know the drivers are excited about it, too. The Stock Cars are one of the most competitive divisions out there.” “There are a lot of very good Stock Car drivers out there,” he continued, “from all over North Dakota to Estevan.” Stock Car points earned at Southwest Speedway figure toward IMCA EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region standings. The Tougher Than Dirt show is [Read More]

Champ Pans extending support for drivers in six IMCA divisions

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Jan. 16) – Champ Pans continues an awards program rewarding IMCA drivers in six divisions in 2020. Top 10 drivers in official national standings for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Late Models, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods all receive $50 product certificates. The Eau Claire, Wis., manufacturer is in its eighth year of IMCA sponsorship and added Late Models to its slate of awards last season. Champ Pans certificates will be presented during the national awards banquet in November or mailed beginning the next week from the IMCA home office. Certificates can be applied to purchases from Champ Pans or Champ Brackets, another JR Manufacturing Company. Information about Champ Pans and Champ Brackets products is available at the www.champpans.com website, by calling 715 834-7748, and on Facebook. “Adding Late Models last year was a great addition to the Champ Pans program and certainly helped solidify the weekly expansion we experienced,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder commented. “2020 looks to be even better [Read More]

Driver Don Gumke passes away in Arizona

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Don Gumke, a fixture in the North Dakota racing community for more than four decades, died Tuesday night. The long-time driver, businessman and former owner of his hometown Jamestown Speedway passed away in Somerton, Ariz. He was 66. Gumke had raced in Late Model and Modified divisions beginning in the 1970s, earning the respect of fellow competitors and a legion of fans. Nicknamed The Grinder, Gumke had followed the Dakota Classic Tour and was sixth in the IMCA Modified points race at Jamestown last season. “He’s the reason I got into stock car racing back in the day,” said John Corell, who first raced with Gumke in a late model in the late 1970s. “I helped him build a car in my dad’s garage and we were best buds ever since.” “Don was just a nice guy, pretty soft-spoken, friendly and competitive,” continued Corell. “Everybody took a liking to him.” A member of the club that had operated the speedway, Gumke was at the promotional helm there when it received two business of [Read More]

Big Daddy Race Cars returning as title sponsor of IMCA Northern, Southern Hobby Stock regions

NORFOLK, Neb. – The big name in both Northern and Southern regions for IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks will be Big Daddy Race Cars again in 2020. The Norfolk, Neb., chassis builder returns as title sponsor for both regions, providing part of $1,000 point funds to be paid to top 10 drivers in each region. Northern Region tracks are in eastern Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Tracks in the Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region are in Arizona, western Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Big Daddy has sponsored the Northern Region since 2014 and the Southern Region since 2017. Point fund checks will be presented during the national awards banquet next November. Information about Big Daddy-built chassis is available by calling 402 371-1927 or 402 841-4119. “The stability that Big Daddy Race Cars has brought to sponsorship of our Hobby Stock regions is something drivers in that division have come to rely on,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder observed. “The division is really taking off in the Southwest [Read More]

Brinn Transmission renews awards for IMCA Modified specials through 2022

BAY CITY, Mich. – Brinn Transmission has renewed an awards program that takes the Bay City, Mich., manufacturer through its 20th season of IMCA sponsorship. Top five finishers at 30 designated IMCA Modified specials receive $50 product certificates. All 150 of those drivers will then be entered in a random drawing, with the winner receiving a new Brinn transmission. The pole starter at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Saturday night Modified main event also receives a new transmission. All 33 qualifiers for that event as well as the 12 Harris Auto Racing Race of Champions starters receive $50 product certificates. Champions of two special series for Modifieds also earn free transmission rebuilds. The popular Brinn program was continued through the 2022 race season. “As Brinn Transmissions partners with IMCA for another three years, we look forward to continued growth and exposure,” said Brinn’s Bob Kietzman. “It has been a pleasure working with IMCA over these 18 years and we are excited to be involved for many years to come.” Product certificates will [Read More]

Night three IMCA Modified checkers fly for O’Neil; Cordova is first to repeat at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 11) – His green to checkered run at the front of the IMCA Modified field Saturday night at Cocopah Speedway put Jake O’Neil in victory lane and on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. O’Neil took home $1,000 as the third different winner in as many Winter Nationals shows. Jeff Taylor held off Casey Arneson in the race for second, finishing five car lengths off the pace. Bobby Hogge IV and Lance Mari completed the top five. Joshua Cordova became the first repeat winner at Somerton, topping the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature. Gene Henrie scored the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car victory and Michael Johnson dominated the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod main. Scott Tenney led the first 18 times around the track in the Hobby Stock main. Cordova had started fourth and was scored first by the width of his bumper on lap 19 and led Tenney across the stripe in the caution-free 20-lapper. Friday winner Tim Gonska, Eric Knutson and Nathan DeRagon rounded out the top five. Checkers flew for Henrie [Read More]

Baca is best in night two Somerton show, IMCA Modified checkers good for $1,000

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 10) – After he got back in the lead, Chaz Baca got the $1,000 IMCA Modified feature win Friday night at Cocopah Speedway. Baca ran in front the first nine circuits of the Winter Nationals main event before Braxton Yeager drove by. Baca had regained the point by the time the next lap was scored, however, and led Yeager, Marlyn Seidler, Lance Mari and Bobby Hogge IV across the stripe. Tom Berry Jr. ran third much of the way before bringing out a late caution; Baca was already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Canadian Brendon LaBatte was the leader the last 17 times around the track in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car headliner. Completing the top five were Gene Henrie, Steffan Carey, Troy Jerovetz and Kevin Roberts. Tim Gonska’s long tow from Minnesota was rewarded with the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock checkers. All 17 cars that started the 20-circuit contest finished on the lead lap. Eric Knutson, Joshua Cordova, Brad King and Scott Tenney were scored behind Gonska. After working [Read More]