Newswire

Gutowski calls it a career after 12 years as IMCA competition director

VINTON, Iowa – The next time Tom Gutowski goes to the track, he’ll actually get to watch the races. After a dozen years of crisscrossing the country, Gutowski has retired as IMCA’s competition director. His last day on the job was spent helping write rules for the 2019 season. “There are not a lot of people who get to make a living doing something they enjoy,” said Gutowski, who’d been the first licensed IMCA Modified driver in Nebraska and was a 2016 inductee into the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame. “What I’ve enjoyed most has been the people. Ninety-nine percent of IMCA racers are excellent people.” After ending his own on-track career, Gutowski promoted at Crawford County Speedway, Shelby County Speedway, Buena Vista Raceway and Nebraska Raceway Park before joining the full-time staff at IMCA. His travels to supervise pre- and post-tech inspection, and share his years of experience with local track officials took Gutowski from coast to coast and border to border. “I kept track for a while. I’ve been to close to [Read More]

43 tracks to receive sanction awards at IMCA national banquet

LINCOLN, Neb. – Forty-three tracks, representing 22 states and Canada, will be honored with sanction awards during the Nov. 24 IMCA national banquet. In all, 55 track awards will be given in recognition of a cumulative 790 years of sanctioning one or more divisions with IMCA. A 35-year Stock Car award goes to Marshalltown Speedway while Arlington Raceway is recognized for 30 years of sanctioning its Modified, Sprint Car and Stock Car divisions. Thirty-year plaques also go to Shawano Speedway for Modifieds and Luxemburg Speedway for Stock Cars. Receiving 25-year awards are Abilene Motor Speedway, Dawson County Raceway, Montezuma County Fairgrounds Speedway and U.S. 30 Speedway for Modifieds and Independence Motor Speedway for Stock Cars. Twenty-year plaques will be presented to Hancock County Speedway for Modifieds and Stock Cars; Lee County Speedway, Merced Speedway and Rattlesnake Raceway for Modifieds; Quad City Speedway for Late Models; 281 Speedway, Boyd Raceway and Kossuth County Speedway for Stock Cars; and Beatrice Speedway for Hobby Stocks. Tracks to be honored with 15-year awards include Atomic Motor Raceway and Dodge [Read More]

Official 2018 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings

Ties are broken by 40-point (then 39, 38, etc. as necessary) feature finishes IMCA Modifieds – 1. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb., 1,235; 2. A.J. Ward, Ionia, Mich., 1,229; 3. Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn., 1,224; 4. Zane DeVilbiss, Farmington, N.M., 1,222; 5. Cory Sample, Winnemucca, Nev., 1,194; 6. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 1,190; 7. Anthony Roth, Columbus, Neb., 1,189; 8. Drew Armstrong, Alexander, Ark., 1,178; 9. Bryce Garnhart, Shannon, Ill., 1,172; 10. Bricen James, Albany, Ore., 1,170; 11. Josh McGaha, Abilene, Texas, 1,160; 12. Tyler Limoges, Redwood Falls, Minn., 1,159; 13. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton, Iowa, 1,157; 14. Matt Szecsodi, Clio, Mich., 1,155; 15. Jay Noteboom, Hinton, Iowa, 1,150; 16. Jeffrey Abbey, Comanche, Texas, 1,150; 17. Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, 1,147; 18. Tim Ward, Chandler, Ariz., 1,145; 19. Joel Rust, Grundy Center, Iowa, 1,132; 20. Grey Ferrando, Stayton, Ore., 1,129. IMCA Late Models – 1. Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque, Iowa, 803; 2. Matt Ryan, Davenport, Iowa, 802; 3. Todd Cooney, Pleasant Hill, Iowa, 802; 4. Andy Nezworski, Buffalo, Iowa, 782; 5. Ryan Dolan, Lisbon, Iowa, 768; 6. Rob [Read More]

Wolla takes winning ways to Texas for $5,000 Fall Classic IMCA Modified checkers

Wolla takes winning ways to Texas for $5,000 Fall Classic IMCA Modified checkers WACO, Texas (Oct. 27) – Add Texas to the list of states Jason Wolla has scored first-time wins in this season. Wolla topped the IMCA Modified main event at the Heart O’ Texas Fall Classic, leading the last 15 of 25 circuits to earn the $5,000 top prize. “The thing I liked best about this was that any time you can go to a track you’ve never been to and win, it says a lot about your race program,” he said following his biggest IMCA career payday. “This season we went to Kansas, Montana and Texas and won for the first time in each state. We’ve had a lot of fun traveling.” Wolla had started fourth, was running second when a well-time caution came out and used multiple lines to work his way into the lead. He had a comfortable lead on the rest of the field when he caught up with lapped traffic late in the race. Outside pole starter Anthony [Read More]

Heart O’ Texas Speedway hosts Fall Classic, Dirt Dominator

WACO, Texas – Five thousand dollars is the top IMCA Modified main event prize while $10,000 is at stake in the IMCA.TV-sponsored Dirt Dominator during the Oct. 25-27 Fall Classic at Heart O’ Texas Speedway. The Modified feature is a 2019 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying race and pays a minimum of $300 to start. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods both race for $1,500 to win and $125 to start. Non-qualifiers in all three divisions get $100. Entry fees are $150 for Modifieds and $60 for Stock Cars and SportMods. Sixteen Modified drivers have already qualified for the winner-take-all $10,000 Dirt Dominator, to be held during the Thursday, Oct. 25 practice night. A provisional starting spot in the main event is at stake in a second, $1,000 to win race for the 15 non-winning Dirt Dominator drivers. Friday pit passes are $30. Grandstand admission is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors, students and military. On Saturday, pit passes are $35 and spectator admission is $15 for adults and [Read More]

26 sponsors honored at IMCA national banquet

LINCOLN, Neb. – Twenty-six of the sponsors that support IMCA and its member drivers will receive special awards during the sanctioning body’s national banquet Saturday, Nov. 24 in Lincoln, Neb. AFCO receives a 25-year award while Bilstein, Dirt Works, Holley, QA1, Schoenfeld Headers and Speedway Engineering all will be honored for 20 years of support. Day Motor Sports, Moser Engineering and MSD are 15-year award recipients while AMI Graphics, BSB Manufacturing, Dominator Race Products, Eibach Springs, Genesis Shocks, Jones Birdsong, Mach-1 Racing Solutions and Stephenville Starter all receive 10-year plaques. Five-year awards go to Big Daddy Race Cars, Finishline Racing Products, Friesen Chevrolet, Jerovetz Shock Service, Longacre, Out-Pace Racing Products, Razor Chassis and Ricochet Race Components. Drivers winning championships and rookie of the year awards will be honored and track sanction awards presented during the banquet, at the Marriott Cornhusker Hotel in downtown Lincoln. Cocktails are at 5 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. and the awards ceremony to follow. Tickets are $35 each and available by calling the IMCA home office at 319 472-2201. [Read More]

Car photos needed by end of October for national, regional point fund shares

VINTON, Iowa – Drivers in contention for national and/or regional point fund shares should, if they have not done so already, send pictures of their car proving required decal placement to IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “We need to have those in hand by the end of October,” noted Yoder. “Every year there are drivers who cost themselves money when they don’t put required decals on their car and send a picture to us.” Photos submitted this month, he added, must show the car on track. Point fund checks will be presented during the national awards banquet Nov. 24 in Lincoln, Neb., or mailed beginning the following week. Yoder’s email address is kyoder@imca.com.

2018 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings

Standings become official on Oct. 29 Ties are broken by 40-point (then 39, 38, etc. as necessary) feature finishes IMCA Modifieds – 1. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb., 1,235; 2. A.J. Ward, Ionia, Mich., 1,229; 3. Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn., 1,224; 4. Zane DeVilbiss, Farmington, N.M., 1,222; 5. Cory Sample, Winnemucca, Nev., 1,194; 6. Anthony Roth, Columbus, Neb., 1,190; 7. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 1,190; 8. Drew Armstrong, Alexander, Ark., 1,178; 9. Bryce Garnhart, Shannon, Ill., 1,172; 10. Bricen James, Albany, Ore., 1,170; 11. Josh McGaha, Abilene, Texas, 1,160; 12. Tyler Limoges, Redwood Falls, Minn., 1,159; 13. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton, Iowa, 1,157; 14. Matt Szecsodi, Clio, Mich., 1,155; 15. Jay Noteboom, Hinton, Iowa, 1,150; 16. Jeffrey Abbey, Comanche, Texas, 1,150; 17. Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, 1,147; 18. Tim Ward, Chandler, Ariz., 1,145; 19. Joel Rust, Grundy Center, Iowa, 1,132; 20. Grey Ferrando, Stayton, Ore., 1,129. IMCA Late Models – 1. Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque, Iowa, 803; 2. Matt Ryan, Davenport, Iowa, 802; 3. Todd Cooney, Pleasant Hill, Iowa, 802; 4. Andy Nezworski, Buffalo, Iowa, 782; 5. Ryan [Read More]

Hurst, Ramey are first-time IMCA national champions

VINTON, Iowa (Oct. 11) – Jeremiah Hurst and Kevin Ramey earned career-first crowns while six other IMCA drivers have added to their national championship trophy collections. Hurst topped IMCA Late Model standings while Ramey paced the point race for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars. Jordan Grabouski won the IMCA Modified championship for the third time while Mike Nichols and Shannon Anderson both raced to third straight and record-extending career eighth titles in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock divisions, respectively. Matt Looft’s Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod crown was his career third; two-time champions are Gabe Tucker in the Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods and Ramsey Meyer in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts. Looft, Tucker and Meyer were all national champions in 2013. Hurst had seen his 2017 season ended mid-summer by health issues. Along with seven feature wins, including his first Deery Brothers Summer Series victory since 2002, Hurst raced to the track title at Maquoketa Speedway and his first Iowa State championship this year. The first driver to win both national and [Read More]

Heat winner decal photo good for $100 Allstar certificate

WATERVLIET, Mich. – IMCA drivers who enjoyed their share of heat race success this season are in line for $100 gift cards courtesy of Allstar Performance. The Watervliet, Mich., high-performance parts manufacturer was the first-year sponsor for the heat race winner decal program in 2018. Drivers who won 10 or more heats this season and send a photo to the IMCA office proving proof of decal placement receive gift cards from Allstar. The driver with the most heat wins gets a $250 gift card. Photos should be directed to Marketing Director Kevin Yoder at kyoder@imca.com. Deadline for doing so is Wednesday, Nov. 14. Gift certificates will be presented during the national awards banquet next month