Newswire

Berry continues fast start to season with IMCA Modified Monday Night Madness win

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (May 6, 2024) – Tom Berry Jr. made his first racing visit to Independence Motor Speedway while testing the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified competition in the Midwest nine years ago. He returned to win the Monday Night Madness Summer Challenge Series opener, leading all 30 laps and pocketing $2,000. “We’ve definitely had a good start to the year,” understated Berry, after wheeling the fastest of 44 Modified entries to victory lane. “There was a stout field of cars here tonight and they did a great job with the track. You could run different lines. I could move around when I needed to.” Ethan Braaksma, another driver who’s enjoyed a good start to the season, was second and Tim Ward was third. Joel Rust and Spencer Diercks completed the top five. Berry won his heat from seventh starting to earn the pole for the main event. Braaksma mounted an early challenge and back-to-back cautions flew before the last nine laps ran green. Berry stretched out his advantage over the last five of those circuits [Read More]

Cram racing to remember a brother who protected, served

ALGONA, Iowa (May 3, 2024) – Randy Cram will remember an important member of his race team every night at the track this season. Cram’s brother Kevin, an officer with the Algona Police Department, was killed in the line of duty last September. In his memory, Cram’s Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod sports a wrap designed by Elite Signs that incorporates Kevin’s badge on the nose and roof, his badge number and the slogan I’ll Finish This Fight on both sail panels and Iowa Concerns for Police Survivors (or COPS) logos on both door panels. “We’ve finished top 10 before. Hopefully, maybe this year we can get a top five,” said Cram, who will race Thursdays at hometown track Kossuth County Speedway, Fridays at Hancock County Speedway in Britt and select Saturdays at Boone Speedway. “Of course, the best scenario would be to win a race for him but that’s a lot to ask for. I’m going against the Fett brothers and Matt Looft. There’s a lot of good competition to go up against here.” “We’ve got to [Read More]

Familiar faces find victory lane at Benton County Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (May 5) – Drivers who’ve experienced their share of success at Benton County Speedway added to their impressive careers Sunday night at The Bullring. Three drivers who stood atop their respective division’s wins list found victory lane again Sunday night. The all-time leader in Friesen Performance IMCA Modified wins in Vinton, Troy Cordes drove the high side to a thrilling win in the Wright Way Trailers 20-lapper. Jerry Dedrick and Jesse Belez shared time out front before Jacob Snyder raced the low side into the lead a couple laps into the event. While Snyder pulled away, Trevor Fitz raced through traffic from the fourth row and Cordes set sail from row three. With Fitz running low and Cordes up top, Snyder’s pursuers closed in on the race leader before Cordes eventually swept around the outside on the final lap to steal the win. It was his division-leading 64th in weekly racing history at The Bullring. Snyder crossed the line second ahead of a hard-charging Drew Janssen and Ben Chapman. Brandon Tharp led throughout the [Read More]

Eagle win is IMCA Modified first for Harker

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (May 4, 2024) – Where could you see 151 cars signed in, running a race program that included five main events, four ‘B’ features, three ‘C’ features and two ‘D’ features and the final checkers at 10:30 p.m.? Eagle Raceway fit that bill Saturday night with IMCA feature wins going to Shawn Harker, Brandon Horton, Kyle Vanover, Dillon Richards and Cole Wayman. Harker’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified win was his career first win in the class. He’d be in the pits ‘til the wee hours of the morning getting congratulations from friends and fellow racers along with early birthday greetings. “It feels great. We’ve come close a lot of times and this time the circumstances finally worked out for us,” said Harker, who collected track titles at Eagle in 2018 and 2021 while totaling 40 Northern SportMod checkers plus special events wins in Las Vegas and around the Midwest before moving to the Modified three years ago. “Coming to the checkers I thought ‘Finally, I finally got the monkey off [Read More]

Belec tops season opener at Sherman County

By Sheldon Wickwar GOODLAND, Kan. (May 4, 2024) – Score a Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win for a 16th straight season for Eddie Belec, this one coming on opening night at Sherman County Speedway. The Arvada, Colo., clipper got the lead from the get-go, outrunning Kyle Rohleder and Tony Acierno following the single, early caution. “It was pretty smooth sailing,” Belec said following career win number 62 in the division. “We were nervous our first few seasons in a Modified. We looked around and wondered how the other guys did it, so we’ve come a long ways.” “We’ve had a lot of good help over the years,” he added. “I never thought we would have the success we’ve had.” Other winners were Tyler Tipton in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Cody Williams in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Monty Nordyke in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Brock Leibhart in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Tipton took the lead early in the Stock Car main, staying in front to the finish as Kolby Stegman [Read More]

Car Wars Night victories go to Gustin, Avila, Logue, Watson and Stensland

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (May 4, 2024) – Boone Speedway rocketed back into action Saturday after Mother Nature had other ideas last week. It was May Fourth and Car Wars Night with the drivers all wanting to take home those unique trophies by Logue Fabrication for each class. One hundred and seventy-six cars checked in which included 36 Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. The top car count went to the 47 IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods brought 31, the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks drew 40 and the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites were 22 strong. Travis Stensland swept the 15-lap Mod Lite feature. Stensland led all laps on his way to victory, stretching out his lead after a lap eight restart and taking the checkers by a lengthy margin. Cory Sonner ran second for most of the race to go home as the runner-up. Third place went to 11th place starter Austin Gray. It was 18 laps of Northern SportMod feature racing next and after an initial “no go” was called on [Read More]

139 race teams pack Maquoketa Speedway for season opener

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (May 4, 2024) – The 2024 racing got underway Saturday at the Maquoketa Speedway quarter-mile dirt track located on the Jackson County Fairgrounds. A whopping 139 teams took part. The IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature was the headliner of the night. Local standout … and four-time national champion … Justin Kay started on the pole and led the main event flag to flag. Defending track champion Andy Nezworski kept Kay in his sights but was unable to mount a serious challenge in taking second ahead of third place finisher Travis Denning who had started 10th. Defending Friesen Performance IMCA Modified track champion Jeff Larson scored the opening night win, his second in as many nights after pacing the Friday show at Lafayette County Speedway. Larson started fourth and took the lead early, wrestling the point position away from Jake Morris. Larson went on to race under the checkers ahead of Mitch Way and Jason Schueller. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars saw an outstanding field of 23 drivers sign in. The Class [Read More]

Cordes, Mackenthun, Fett, Nielsen score Friday wins at Britt

By Chad Meyer BRITT, Iowa (May 3, 2024) – Hancock County Speedway in Britt and new track manager Darin Toot lifted the lid on the 2024 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season Friday night. After a soggy start to the week, sunny skies greeted drivers and fans on Britt’s Main Street for Race Day on Main, with the race night sponsored by Mr. K’s Bar and Grill. Off season efforts to improve the racing surface at Britt paid off, with each main event featuring close competition and two, three and sometimes four-wide battles. Jacob Dahle led early in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature with Troy Cordes closing quickly. When Dahle made contact with a lapped car, that opened the door for Cordes to make his move. Cordes, who could use every groove on the track, pulled away late to collect the win. Garrett Wilson and Jason Bass had strong showings to finish second and third. In the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Chad Palmer and Kevin Opheim shared row one and tussled during the first half of [Read More]

Third time is a charm for opening night at Marshalltown

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (May 3, 2024) – After two prior weeks of rainouts at the Karl Auto Group Marshalltown Speedway, the third time was the charm, and the regular points season got underway for the UAW Local 893 Cliff Chambers Memorial. One hundred and fifty-eight cars were on hand for the evening’s program. Tripp Gaylord took the honors in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified division and it was Jeff Mueller taking the win in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Calvin Dhondt took the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature in a thrilling event. Matt Avila led flag to flag in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Jon Padilla dominated in the IMCA Stealth STARS Mod Lites. Also on tap were the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts, and Mitchell Bunch won out in a tight back and forth contest. Feature racing kicked off with the Mod Lite 15-lap feature. Polesitter Bryan Zehm held the top spot for the first lap. A caution flew with just one lap in, and it was Padilla taking over at lap [Read More]

Four IMCA drivers see victory lane to open season at Outagamie

By Scott J. Owen SEYMOUR, Wis. (May 3, 2024) – Mother Nature was a race fan this week as the 2024 racing season kicked off at the Outagamie Speedway presented by Klink Equipment and Elite Coatings. A full pit area of 132 cars signed in for night one action. IMCA feature winners on the night included Colton See, Brandon Czarapata, Konnor Wilinski, and Taylor Junk. Cole Slezewski led early in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature before giving way to See. See was soon chased by Derek Fehling. See saw his way through lapped traffic better though and was able to keep Fehling at bay. In the end it was See followed by Fehling and Jake Carpenter. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature was more exciting than Thor at a 2-for-1 hammer sale. Czarapata and Josh Mroczkowski dueled early with Rod Snellenberger and Mike Mullen tight behind them. Mullen soon moved to second and showed the nose of his car to Czarapata multiple times. Mullen took the lead on lap nine but it was Czarapata [Read More]