Newswire

Dacotah Speedway releases 2017 schedule 

MANDAN, N.D. – Dacotah Speedway will celebrate its 28th season of racing starting Friday, May 5. The racing season is anticipated to be bigger and better as officials and volunteers have been working hard during the off-season to find ways to enhance the show in the best interest of the fans. Labeled the “Fastest Friday Night in Bismarck-Mandan,” races will start Friday nights at 7 p.m. with plans to wave the checkered flag around 10 p.m. “We know our fans work hard during the week and their time is valuable. So during the off-season, a small group of volunteers met regularly to find ways to speed up the show. We think we have a solution that will allow fans to enjoy the most of their Friday nights,” said Dacotah Speedway promoter Beau Simmons. “By speeding up the show, it lets families and out-of-town fans have a fun night at the races and get home at reasonable time.” Opening night will feature the regular Mandan Dirt Series classes, including IMCA Modifieds and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. The [Read More]

Raceway Park opener sees Schouten in victory lane

By Bob Coney JEFFERSON, S.D. (April 23) – Five divisions of action kicked off the 2017 IMCA racing season at Raceway Park on Sunday night. The first feature of the evening saw defending champion Ramsey Meyer surge to the front in the early laps and go on to the win in the Z98 IMCA Sport Compact division. Action was wild behind Meyer, as positions were swapped lap by lap by the top six cars. Following Meyer under the checkered flag were Jake Newsome, Luke Jackson and Tyler Thompson. The CarQuest IMCA Hobby Stocks also saw a great battle for the opening night win. The driver on top at the end was David Miller, followed by defending champion Aaron Shearn, Tony Fetterman and Steven Pierce. The KCAU9 News IMCA Northern SportMods saw a first time winner on opening night. Arie Schouten drew the pole position for the evening’s feature with former champions surrounding him in the first two rows. Schouten got the jump at the green flag and drove a flawless race, never sliding out of [Read More]

Dirt Works continues title sponsorship of IMCA’s Eastern Region for fifth season

ORONOGO, Mo. – A chassis builder that has helped drivers win championships since the early days of the Modified division continues in a coveted sponsorship role in 2017. Dirt Works Race Cars returns for a fifth season as title sponsor of IMCA’s Eastern Region and will provide a portion of the $6,000 to be paid to top 10 drivers in final point standings for the region that includes sanctioned tracks and events in Alabama, Florida, Michigan and New York. The regional championship pays $2,500. The runner-up earns $1,250, with $625 for third, $325 for fourth, $300 for fifth and $200 for sixth through 10th place. Drivers must display two Dirt Works Race Cars decals on their race cars to be eligible for point fund shares. “IMCA’s affiliation with Dirt Works dates all the way back to 1996 when Allen Essenburg of Copperas Cove, Texas, won the Dirt Works South Central Region,” noted IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “It was the first region we had with a title sponsor and soon Dirt Works became synonymous with not only that region, [Read More]

RaceSaver Sprints make Boone Speedway debut

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (April 22) – Boone Speedway held its season opener on Saturday night and the pits were packed with 143 race cars, including IMCA RaceSaver Sprints for the first time. Michael Moore secured the first-ever weekly race victory in the division. He passed Mike Houseman at lap 11 of the 20-lap event and never looked back. Kaleb Johnson was the runner-up and Houseman finished third. Sixteen Sprints were entered. The winged class last ran at Boone at the 2009 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Gatlin Leytham led the entire 20-lap IMCA Modified feature to win for the first time in his career in the division. Jimmy Gustin chased him from the beginning but had his final attempt for a pass fail when he lost a wheel on the white flag lap. This set up a green, white, checkered finish that saw Leytham hold the lead for the win, as Russ Dickerson followed him across the finish line in second place. Eric Elliott was third. Johnathon Logue won the [Read More]

Chevrolet Performance renews lucrative cash bonus program with IMCA through 2019

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Chevrolet Performance has renewed a lucrative cash bonus program rewarding IMCA drivers and sanctioned tracks through the 2017-2019 race seasons. Drivers winning track championships while competing exclusively with 602 or 604 crate engines receive a $250 bonus. Tracks sanctioning any combination of the Modified, Hobby Stock and SportMod divisions and displaying Chevrolet Performance banners become eligible for cash bonuses of their own. “This is a program that paid cash back to our drivers and sanctioned tracks to the tune of $75,000 last year. It is easily our biggest cash bonus program for drivers,” emphasized IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “This is a big deal. A lot of money will get paid directly to drivers and tracks that support IMCA and Chevrolet Performance.” Driver bonuses will be paid after point standings become official; track bonuses will be paid throughout the season. The Chevrolet Performance IMCA crate engine bonus program originated in 2005 with cash awards to eligible Northern SportMod drivers finishing in the top five in track standings. It expanded to include [Read More]

Shawano lidlifters to Whitman, Lamberies, VanStraten

By Scott Owen SHAWANO, Wis. (April 22) – An impressive 159 cars ventured to the Shawano Speedway Saturday to take part in the opening night of the 2017 racing season and Johnny Whitman, Lucas Lamberies and Travis VanStraten each made late race passes for IMCA victories. Eddie Muenster led early on in the IMCA Modified feature before giving way to Josh Lambert. With Lambert leading, Whitman moved to second on the field after starting in eighth. Lambert and Whitman then began to dance for the lead, Lambert working the high line, Whitman running down low. The pair ran side by side for multiple laps with Whitman finally gaining the advantage on lap 18. Whitman held on for the last two laps for the win as Lambert had to settle for second. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature saw Jeremy Christians grab the lead on lap one as Rod Snellenberger and J.J. Heinz applied pressure behind him. As Christians continued to lead, 10th starting VanStraten worked his way through traffic and eventually to second. As the [Read More]

Danley sprints to Eagle feature win

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (April 22) – Joey Danley made his move to the front late in the contest to win the season-opener for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars Saturday at Eagle Raceway. Danley slipped into second on the 17th circuit and caught Shayle Bade for the front spot two laps later. A big crowd filled the stands and 178 teams of racers filled the pits. Twenty heats and five “B” features set the line-ups for the main events. Clint Homan led from lap 15 to the finish of the Kaplan University IMCA Modified main event. Fifty-two Hoosier Tire IMCA Northern SportMods were in the pits and Lance Borgman got the best of Josh Pfiefer in a late back-and-forth battle to the checkers. Jeff Ware capped a long run at the front of the Valentino’s IMCA Hobby Stock field with the win. Dillon Richards was in, out and finally back in the lead for good in the Mountain Dew Kick Start Sport Compact feature.

Meyer is first feature winner of season at Off Road Speedway

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (April 22) – The green flag ushered in another season of racing with a large crowd in attendance at Off Road Speedway Saturday night. Ramsey Meyer’s victory in the Mach-1 Sport Compact feature kicked off the night. Meyer started in the second row, got to the lead early in the 12-lap event, and led the second- and third-place finishers, Dustin Jackson and Brooke Fluckiger, respectively, to the finish line. Joey Haase led the pack of Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods to the finish line, opening his Off Road season with a win. Pole sitter Tyler Iverson took second ahead of Justin Addison. In the IMCA Hobby Stock feature, Austin Brauner established large leads even after a pair of cautions closed the field behind him. Jay Poessnecker finished second. After starting on the pole, Shawn Primrose dropped back to second behind Doug Adamy two laps into the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature before returning to the lead with six laps remaining and holding off repeated challenges by Adamy for the win. [Read More]

Lincoln County checkers fly for Osborn

By Kelly Ninas NORTH PLATE, Neb. (April 22) – Driving fast and furiously and finishing strong on a well manicured dirt track were the challengers seeking a trip to the winners circle at Lincoln County Raceway on Saturday evening. Making that final turn into the winners circle were Colton Osborn, Tony Schultz, Kyle Clough, Luke Wassom and Andrew Baumgardner. Wasting no time at all to get the lead, Osborn drove to the point on the fourth lap and never looked back to power his hot rod to the victory in the IMCA Modified feature. Schultz and his son Dillon swapped the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod lead multiple times before Schultz gained the spot for good with two laps to go. Grabbing the lead on the seventh lap and working through traffic the best was the Clough in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. For the second straight night, Wassom put on an awesome performance to win the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature. Wassom started on the outside of the third row and took the lead [Read More]

Rothzen collects IMCA Modified checkers at 34 Raceway

By Brian Neal WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa (April 22) – Brandon Rothzen returned to the winner’ circle Saturday night at 34 Raceway after holding off Ryan Cook in the IMCA Modified main event. Darrow Lille and Brandon Rothzen led the regular season opening night Victory Lane Suspensions IMCA Modified field to green. Rothzen jumped out front over Cook and Bill Roberts Jr. with the action being slowed for the only time on lap three. On the restart, Rothzen moved back out front with Roberts edging Cook for second. Rothzen started to pull away. Cook closed the gap on Rothzen late in the race, but ran out of laps. Dan Keltner pulled away over the final 10 circuits to win the Casebine Credit Union IMCA SportMod feature. Tom Bowling Jr. raced to his second local Pepsi IMCA Stock Car checkers of the young season.