Newswire

Tri-City announces 2019 blood drive partnership openings

AUBURN, Mich.– Tri-City Motor Speedway is partnering with area businesses and non-profit groups hosting blood drives with the American Red Cross or Michigan Blood to help increase donor participation during the summer months. Tri-City officials are seeking local blood drives held during May, June or July throughout the surrounding communities including, but not limited to Auburn, Bay City, Beaverton, Gladwin, Midland, Mt. Pleasant, Pinconning and Saginaw. Each participating blood drive will receive one adult grandstand race ticket valued at $14 to give out to all donors who attempt to give blood. Race tickets will be valid for any regular Friday night through Aug. 23, 2019. In addition to partnering with area blood drives, Tri-City will host a blood drive on June 7. “We want to give back to our community. Blood banks are in desperate need of donations during the summer months. We want to use our means to help promote and support blood donation throughout our surrounding communities,” said Erika Puvalowski, TCMS Marketing and Business Development Director. Those hosting blood drives can contact [Read More]

Robert & Sons Aluminum awards to IMCA Deery Series, Arnold’s Dirt Knights drivers

NEWNAN, Ga. – Drivers in two premier IMCA series earn product awards again this season courtesy of Robert & Sons Aluminum. Both the champion and rookie of the year in the Deery Brothers Summer Series for Late Models and the champion and perfect attendance driver with the fewest total points in the Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour for Modifieds receive 10 sheets of aluminum. “Robert & Sons Aluminum is happy to support IMCA again and we are excited to participate in both of the series this year,” said Steve Hinely. “It’s a privilege to be able to award some of the drivers at the end of the year with our products and we appreciate all of the drivers who buy our products for their body and also use it for various parts of their car. This is a small way to give back to them and to the sport.” All Roberts and Sons product certificates will be presented during the national IMCA awards banquet in November. The Newnan, Ga., manufacturer and distributor is in [Read More]

Thornton wins again at USA Raceway reopening

By Jackson Braun TUCSON, Ariz. (Feb. 15) – The grand reopening of the fast USA Raceway was a successful one for many. The track had been shut down for a few years but hard work and dedication to bringing racing back to the facility led to the final two dates for the 2019 edition of the Arizona Mod Tour. Ricky Thornton Jr. and John Hansen led the IMCA Modified field to the green and from that point on Thornton was arguably the smoothest racer on the speedway as he scampered away even after the lone caution of the event. Racing was phenomenal throughout the pack as the drivers adjusted to the track conditions and swapped positions back and forth. Colorado racer Brett Smith had a strong run as he jumped into second place early. Behind him, young guns Zachary Madrid and D.J. Shannon raced hard against veterans Jeff Taylor and hometown racer Jake O’Neil. Thornton claimed his fourth $1,500 victory of the week as Smith finished second with Shannon, Madrid, and O’Neil completing the top [Read More]

Dodge City Stock Car Shootout set for May 4

By Lonnie Wheatley DODGE CITY, Kan. – An already action-packed 2019 schedule of events atop the 3/8-mile Dodge City Raceway Park clay oval in southwest is even better now with the addition of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car Shootout on Saturday night, May 4. The Stock Car Shootout presented by Winner’s Circle Feedyards and Factory Direct Fireworks offers up a $1,000 winner’s share with $150 to start the feature event. With a number of invaders from throughout expected to take on the local contingent, a draw-redraw format will be in effect for the evening. The May 4 Stock Car Shootout will be rounded out by a full card of Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Seven different drivers reached Dodge City victory lane in IMCA Stock Car action last season with Colorado’s Angel Munoz topping the charts by parking in on three occasions. Track champion Dustin Witthuhn, Chris Oliver and Troy Burkhart each posted two wins with single scores posted by Shannon Maughlin, Tyler Tipton and Landon [Read More]

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34 Raceway bringing back IMCA Late Models

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa – Fans will welcome a very familiar division back to Saturday programs at 34 Raceway this season. IMCA Late Models return to the 3/8-mile dirt oval at West Burlington, where the division had last run weekly in 2012. “We wanted to bring Late Models back. We had done our research and when IMCA decided to go with the crate engine option it was a very good step in the right direction,” promoter Brad Stevens said. “The division fits with our budget and we will alternate weeks with Lee County Speedway.” Sanctioned Late Models had run weekly at 34 from 1987-1992 and 1997-2012. West Burlington has hosted more Deery Brothers Summer Series events than any other track – 50 – and welcomes the IMCA Late Model tour back to town on Sept. 21. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts return to regular race programs at 34. First point events of the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season are April 6 with final track point events [Read More]

Hawaiian Island Shine has new awards for Deery Series, Arnold’s Dirt Knights drivers

AIEA, Hawaii – Drivers in two top-of-the-line IMCA series earn top-of-the-line product awards this season from new sponsor Hawaiian Island Shine. IMCA’s first-ever sponsor from the 50th state gives two quarts of Mud-B-Gone to a designated place finisher at each event in the Deery Brothers Summer Series for Late Models and the Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour for Modifieds. “I like the enthusiasm for dirt track racing and the fact that it is family oriented,” said company owner and president Doug Smith, who expanded his research of sanctioning bodies and individual drivers via social media before contacting IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “These two series are a perfect fit for us.” A South Carolina native and already familiar with drag racing, Smith retired after serving in the Navy. He’s been the sole owner of Hawaiian Island Shine – military friends came up with the company acronym (HIS), then the name at a barbeque – since 1994. Mud-B-Gone is a water-based pre-race spray developed for the dirt track market and tested extensively on mainland ovals. A [Read More]

Lund lands round two Lone Star Tour victory

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Feb. 17) – A driver who knows a thing or two about winning tour races far from home did just that Sunday night at 281 Speedway. Minnesota veteran Curt Lund, making his first racing visit to Texas, won round two of the Sniper Speed Lone Star Tour for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. The checkers were good for $750. “The tracks down here are smaller than I’m used to,” said Lund, who has racked up 100-plus wins in both the IMCA Modified and IMCA Sprint Car divisions. “I was real happy to win and to have competed with all the guys (59) down here.” Lund started fourth and led the last 17 of 20 circuits. He was catching up with the back of the field when the checkers flew and was chased across the line by opening night winner Jeffrey Abbey and Shawn Ritter. Lund was a winner last summer in North Dakota, during the Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour. He raced his way out of ‘B’ features both nights at Abilene, finishing seventh [Read More]

Sweeps! Abbey, Elliott, Tucker all are double winners at Abilene’s Ice Breaker

ABILENE, Texas (Feb. 15-16) – Three drivers brought the broom to Abilene Speedway’s season-opening Ice Breaker. Jeffrey Abbey won both IMCA Sunoco Stock Car features, earning $750 for his Saturday Sniper Speed Lone Star Tour victory, Chris Elliott swept Friday and Saturday IMCA Modified features and Gabe Tucker topped both Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod mains. Eighty Stock Cars from 10 states were in town for tour action. Abbey was racing a Stock Car at Abilene for the first time and left the track 2-for-2. “We put the car together for this tour. I ran it the weekend before at Stephenville (281 Speedway’s Big Chill Throwdown) and won there,” he said, “so I came here confident and was able to come out with two wins.” Friday’s checkers flew ahead of Elijah Zevenbergen and Dean Cornelius. Abbey had started third, caught Cornelius for the lead near midway of the 20-lapper and was catching up to the back of the field before a caution with three laps left. He won his heat, drew the pole and led [Read More]

E3 Spark Plugs inked as new title sponsor for IMCA state championship program

PONTE VEDRA, Fla. – One of IMCA’s most popular championship programs has a new title sponsor for its 20th season. E3 Spark Plugs gives product awards to each of the 100-plus drivers winning IMCA state crowns in 2019. “This program allows us to take a national approach, giving awards in every division in every state,” said E3 Vice President of Motorsports Rob Fisher. “We are able to support a lot of drivers in all (eight) IMCA divisions.” Sets of eight E3 Racing spark plugs go to each IMCA Modified, IMCA Late Model, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod state champion. Mach-1 Sport Compact state champions earn sets of four E3 Racing spark plugs. Eight hundred and eighty-four different drivers have earned the 1,379 state titles awarded since 2000. A record 110 state champions were crowned last year. E3 Spark Plug State champion awards will be the first given to IMCA drivers by the Ponte Vedra, Fla., company. E3, the outgrowth [Read More]