Newswire

Six more IMCA Modified drivers join Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot

VINTON, Iowa – Six more IMCA Modified drivers have put their names on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Ricky Alvarado was the opening night winner in the Wild West Tour at Aztec Speedway and Danny Wagner topped the Donnie Tilford Tribute at Placerville Speedway. Johnny Whitman aced the “Red” race of 141 Speedway’s Red, White and Blue troika and Brendon Gemmill led the way to the checkers at Dodge City Raceway Park’s Modified Stampede. William Gould won Grayson County Speedway’s Busby Memorial and Justin Dunn was a weekly winner at Perris Auto Speedway. Drivers already vote eligible winning qualifiers were Jordan Grabouski, Zane DeVilbiss and Ricky Thornton Jr. Barring crazy wet weather in the next four weeks, the All-Star ballot will see an influx of candidates as nearly 30 qualifying events are on the schedule through mid-June. The list of Fast Shafts All-Star candidates now includes: Jeffrey Abbey, Chris Abelson, Jeff Aikey, Ricky Alvarado, Drew Armstrong, Casey Arneson, Chaz Baca, Jerry Bailey, Eric Barnes, Brandon Beckendorf, Eddie Belec, Tanner Black, Steven Bowers Jr., [Read More]

Top IMCA Modified check is $1,000 at May 18 Salmon Valley show

SALMON VALLEY, Idaho – A check for $1,000 waits for the winner of the Saturday, May 18 IMCA Modified feature at Salmon Valley Speedway. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Larry Shaw Race Cars Western Region, E3 Spark Plugs Idaho State and track points are at stake as well in the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying event. Pit gates will be open all day and the grandstand opens at 6 p.m. Hot laps precede 7 p.m. racing. There’s a $35 entry fee and pit passes are $15. Grandstand admission is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, military and students ages seven to 16, and free for ages six and under. More information is available by calling 406 546-3888.

Hurst hoists winner’s trophy at Dubuque

By Rob Hinckley DUBUQUE, Iowa (May 12) – He tried high and low. The latter worked in the end for Jeremiah Hurst. The Dubuque ace slid by early leader Terry Neal after a caution and won the 25-lap Eichman’s Bar and Grill IMCA Late Model season opener Sunday evening at Dubuque Speedway. “They (his crew) were down at the turn waving me to stay low and it worked,” the defending national champion said from Hoker Trucking Victory Lane. “The car was great. The track was great. It was a special night.” The track, under new promoter Trackside Promotions, finally got the opener on the fifth try due to bad weather through April and first weekend of May. Andy Nezworski also got by Neal for the runner-up spot. Matt Ryan and Jeff Tharp rounded out the top five. Jeff Larson weaved his way through two and three wide groups to take the 20-lap Merfeld Brothers Automotive IMCA Modified feature. Early leader Jaden Fryer, a charging Tyler Madigan, Jed Freiburger and Austin Moyer came next. Tyler Soppe [Read More]

Harris flies fastest in sprint to Dixieland checkered flag

By Jim Haines ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (May 10) – Jerald Harris moved to the top and took off for his first win of the year to top a Fast Friday Virginia Sprint Series field at Dixieland Speedway. Charlie Ware and Bill Rice paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green with Harris going to the top and flying around to lead lap one with Rice holding off John Karklin for second and Bronzie Lawson in fourth. Karklin got by Rice as did Lawson and Brandon McLain, but Harris was up high and rolling, keeping distance on the field. The top group was racing hard to catch Harris as the laps were clicking off with Andy Best and Jake Karklin trying work up through the field before laps ran out. After a quick caution for a spin, Harris was back to the top and rolling. Lawson fell out but was replaced by Best. With the white flag in sight, Best was under John Karklin and Jake Karklin was all over his dad for third. As [Read More]

Duke tops Port Royal for fourth PASS win of season

PORT ROYAL, Pa. (May 11) – Ken Duke Jr. outran fellow front-row starter Jonathan Jones for the first-lap lead in Saturday’s Pennsylvania Sprint Series feature at Port Royal Speedway and made that advantage hold up for the 20-lap distance to score a wire-to-wire victory, his fourth of the season. The win was Duke’s second of the year at the Port “Speed Palace.” He has finished no lower than sixth in seven IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car features run so far.With 12 straight green-flag laps to the finish, lapped traffic became an issue, but Duke finessed that issue and held his lead to the end. Jones chased Duke for the entire race and collected his third straight runner-up finish at Port Royal. Roger Irvine, Doug Dodson and Devin Adams completed the top five. Zach Newlin, who only qualified for the feature with a last-lap, last-turn pass in his “B” main, advanced from 24th starting spot to 10th, earning the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Burnin’ Rubber Award for hard charger. PASS is now averaging 41 cars per appearance at [Read More]

Wolla, Hanson are IMCA winners at Mandan

MANDAN, N.D. (May 10) – Jason Wolla went back-to-back, with another Friday night IMCA Modified win at Dacotah Speedway. Andrew Bargmann and Rusty Corneliusen started on the front row and Corneliusen led the first couple laps before Wolla muscled his way into the lead on lap three. Jeremy Keller then passed Corneliusen for second, bringing Myles Tomlinson and Tom Berry with him. Wolla’s big advantage started to shrink as Keller turned some of the fastest laps on the track and was starting to close in. A caution with 13 laps to go reset the field but once more Wolla pulled away. With only a few laps remaining, Keller cut into Wolla’s lead again and challenged for the win before the yellow flag waved again. On the final restart of the night, Wolla held off Keller to win back-to-back races at Mandan. Myles Tomlinson hung on to finish third over Tom Berry while Mark Dahl rounded out the top five. Pole sitter Alex Thompson led the field to the green flag in the IMCA Mach Sport [Read More]

Simmons scores first career IMCA Modified win

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (May 10) – Dakota Simmons raced to the first IMCA Modified victory of his career Friday at Pepsi Lee County Speedway. Levi Smith and Simmons led the field to green in the Budweiser IMCA Modified feature, with Simmons grabbing the early lead. Simmons started to pull away from the rest of the field before the first and only caution appeared on lap eight. On the restart, Simmons jumped back out front with Bill Roberts Jr. and John Oliver Jr. close behind. Oliver got past Roberts on lap 10 but by then Simmons had built up a straightaway lead. Coming to the white flag, Oliver had cut Simmons’ lead down to about three car lengths but that was as close as he could get, as Simmons went on to claim his first career Modified win. Tommy Elston won the 20 lap I-Smile Silver IMCA Late Model main event despite the best efforts of challenger Brian Harris. Fifth-starting David Brandies topped the Donnellson Tire & Service IMCA Stock Car feature and Daniel [Read More]

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings through May 9

IMCA Modifieds – 1. David Goode Jr., Copperas Cove, Texas, 698; 2. William Gould, Calera, Okla., 639; 3. Zachary Madrid, Tucson, Ariz., 620; 4. Kollin Hibdon, Pahrump, Nev., 618; 5. Chris Morris, Taylor, Texas, 593; 6. Kelsie Foley, Tucson, Ariz., 575; 7. Jeff “Bubba” Stafford Jr., Wittmann, Ariz., 550; 8. Jeffrey Hoegh, New Caney, Texas, 533; 9. Chris Elliott, Abilene, Texas, 502; 10. Tyler Mecl, Queen Creek, Ariz., and David Goode Sr., Copperas Cove, Texas, both 501; 12. Matt Guillaume, Haslet, Texas, 464; 13. Ryan Roath, Peoria, Ariz., 455; 14. Don Gumke, Jamestown, N.D., 439; 15. Kevin Green, Waco, Texas, 416; 16. Jake Pike, Pahrump, Nev., 406; 17. Ricky Thornton Jr., Adel, Iowa, 395; 18. Raymond McSpadden, Buda, Texas, 377; 19. Beau Begnaud, Spring, Texas, and Don Banker, Austin, Texas, both 370. IMCA Late Models – 1. Matt Ryan, Davenport, Iowa, 110; 2. Lake Knutti, Chadwick, Ill., 84; 3. Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque, Iowa, 74; 4. Dalton Simonsen, Fairfax, Iowa, 55; 5. Terry Neal, Ely, Iowa, Justin L. Kay, Wheatland, Iowa, and Christopher Buller, Henderson, Neb., each 40; [Read More]

Durbin Memorial set for May 15 at Stuart Speedway

STUART, Iowa – A $1,000 to win, Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying event tops the program for Stuart Speedway’s inaugural Jake Durbin Memorial on Wednesday, May 15. The Modified feature pays a minimum of $100 to start while IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks race for $800 to win and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts all race for a minimum of $400 to win. Increases to the purse will be posted on the track Facebook page. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, E3 Spark Plugs State and track points will be awarded. All divisions are draw/redraw. Pit gates open at 5 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. Racing follows 7 p.m. hot laps. Rain date is May 22.

Welch gets first Sprint win of season in new ride

CLEVELAND, Texas (May 4) – After back-to-back second-place finishes in a new car, Dustyn Welch drove to his first Southern United Sprints feature win of the season Saturday at 105 Speedway. The runner-up in April IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car shows at 105 Speedway and Golden Triangle Raceway Park, Welch returned to Cleveland and had checked out on the rest of the field before a late caution. “The adjustment has been great,” Welch said of his Wayne Brown Motorsports/Full Serv. International ride. “I think that probably has something to do with being more comfortable in this car.” He’d started the 20-lapper from outside the second row, went to the bottom to take the lead on the second circuit and then used multiple lines in lapping up to the sixth place car. A caution with three laps to go bunched everybody back up, but Welch pulled away again and took the checkers ahead of Tyler Harris and John Ricketts. Feature results – 1. Dustyn Welch; 2. Tyler Harris; 3. John Ricketts; 4. Daniel King; 5. Rod Craddock; 6. [Read More]