Newswire

Got your decal packet? Send car photo to IMCA

VINTON, Iowa – Decal packets are being mailed from the IMCA home office as quickly as 2016 driver applications can be processed. Now, Marketing Director Kevin Yoder is asking drivers to be just as prompt in getting those decals in the right place on their race car and sending bumper-to-bumper proof of placement photos to him. “Now that we are mailing decal packets, the next step is for drivers to provide verification that they have put decals in designated locations on their car,” he said. “We must receive pictures for Modified, Stock Car, Hobby Stock, SportMod and Sport Compact drivers to be eligible for shares of national or regional point funds.” “It’s easier to do now than in June or July, when the car might be a little beat up,” he added. “We’ll also run pictures of some of the cars we believe are the best looking in the Inside IMCA newsletter.” Photos can be emailed to Yoder at kyoder@imca.com. Deadline for sending proof of decal placement photos, as well as contingency sign-up and rookie of the year [Read More]

Swearingen scores at Hancock County

By Greg Grabianowski BRITT, Iowa (April 16) – Troy Swearingen was the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified winner Saturday at Hancock County Speedway. Josh Ruby finished second with Jesse Hoeft taking third; Mark Noble was fourth and J.J. Wise rounded out the top five. Derek Green raced from outside row four to the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner’s circle. Tenth starting Elijah Zevenbergen was runner-up with Calvin Lange third. Also racing from eighth on the starting grid to victory lane was Nate Whitehurst in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod main event. Andrew Inman and Jared Boumeester were next across the stripe. After drawing the eight pill, Andrew Borchardt drove to the double checkers in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature. Matt White was second and Tony Smidt third. Jay DeVries earned the Mach-1 Sport Compact victory ahead of Kaytee DeVries and Scott Porter.

Davenport Speedway season opener set for Friday

DAVENPORT, Iowa – The battle for 2016 track championships will begin this Friday, April 22, with the Davenport Speedway season opener. All four weekly classes, Petersen Plumbing & Heating IMCA Late Models, Eriksen IMCA Modifieds, Koehler Electric Street Stocks and the Hawkeye Auto IMCA Northern SportMods, will be in action on the 1/4-mile dirt oval. The weekly classes will be joined this Friday by the 4-Stock division. The defending track champions at the Davenport Speedway are: Late Model, Justin Kay; Modified, Bruce Hanford; Northern SportMod, Tony Olson; Street Stock, Perry Gellerstedt; and 4-Stock, Brandon Dahl. Davenport Speedway is located at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, on West Locust Street in Davenport. Pit gates open Friday at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 6:30 p.m. For additional information on DRT TRAK Racing events, visit www.davenportspeedway.com or call 563 652-5302.

More IMCA Sprint Car awards added to Smiley’s Racing Products program

MESQUITE, Texas – More awards for RaceSaver Sprint Car drivers have been added to the Smiley’s Racing Products program with IMCA for a second consecutive season. All local track and series champions in the IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Car division receive $50 gift cards, redeemable at Smiley’s Mesquite, Texas, location. “Smiley’s Racing Products is very excited about the growth of the Racesaver Sprint Car division throughout the country. We have seen an explosion in the division the past few years, and we are excited to be a part of the program,” said Smiley’s owner Tom Lorenz. “We look forward to continuing to support the division and provide quality products to each of the competitors.” The high-performance parts manufacturer and distributor also gives $50 gift cards to top 10 finishers in national point standings for Sprint Cars, Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts, and to top 10 drivers in the Razor Chassis South Central Region for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds, the EngineQuest Southern Region for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and the Charger [Read More]

Moroso IMCA awards program renewed for 11th season

GUILFORD, Conn. – Moroso begins its second decade as an IMCA marketing partner, continuing an awards program benefitting drivers in seven sanctioned divisions. Product certificates will be given based on regional standings for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, and on national point standings for IMCA Late Models, IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods. First-place drivers in standings for each of the five Modified regions, both Stock Car and both Hobby Stock regions, and national Late Model, Sprint Car, Northern SportMod and Southern SportMod standings all receive Ultra 40 spark plug wire sets from the Guilford, Conn., manufacturer. Runners-up and third place finishers get Blue Max spark plug wire sets. “Moroso values the relationship that our company has had with IMCA and its members over the years and we are looking for this to continue during the next decade,” said National Sales and Marketing Manager Thor Schroeder. “As a company comprised of racers and racing enthusiasts, we hope [Read More]

Meyer, Prauner open with wins at Off Road

By Randy Pospishil NORFOLK, Neb. (April 16) – Several of the ‘usual suspects’ from the 2015 season were among the winners Saturday night during Off Road Speedway’s opening night racing card. Those familiar names included two of last year’s track champions, Ramsey Meyer, a previous national champion in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts, and Kyle Prauner in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods division. Meyer eased into the lead just in time for a restart caused by the rollover of Luke Jackson’s car as it headed into turn four. Meyer used the restart to his advantage, sprinting to a commanding lead to secure his third win of the season. Prauner’s win required a trip through traffic, from fifth place early in the race to second after a spin by Dylan Pospisil set up a caution and restart. Although that restart was beneficial, moments later Prauner grabbed the lead twice only to have cautions negate the positioning. Finally, with seven laps remaining, Prauner took the lead from Nelson Vollbrecht as the cars entered turn three and sped to [Read More]

Cole opens IMCA Empire State Series campaign with Five Mile win

KIRKWOOD, N.Y. (April 16) – The two-time and defending track champion got another win he really wanted when the Atomicwraps.com Empire State Series opened Saturday at Five Mile Point Speedway. Matt Cole caught leader Drue Perrault with five circuits left in the 25-lapper for touring Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds, then led to the $500 checkers. “This is our home track and we’ve wanted to get an Empire State Series win here for a while,” Cole said. “It always seemed like there was something that took us out of the race but everything worked out really well for us this time.” Perrault ended a distant second. Three-time and defending champion Eddie Sites, Gary Roberts and James Cornell completed the top five. After finishing second in his heat, Cole redrew the outside front row starting spot for the mail event. He fell to fourth right after the initial green, regrouped and then ran second most of the distance. Frontrunners got into traffic but slower cars didn’t become a factor. Cole used the lower line in passing Perrault on [Read More]

Boone Stock Car win is 100th of career for Donavon Smith

LAKE CITY, Iowa (April 16) – Another congratulatory banner will hang in the Smith Brothers’ race shop, this one belonging to Donavon. Smith won for the 100th time in his IMCA Sunoco Stock Car career Saturday at Boone Speedway. He’s the 20th driver in division history, and the fourth in his own family, to reach the 100 win mark with IMCA. “I’m glad we were able to get this done early in the season. The banner was really cool. I didn’t know a thing about it,” said Smith. “Winning 100 features isn’t the kind of goal you set when you start racing. It becomes a goal once you get close. You try to win races and track championships and it all comes together.” Saturday’s checkers were the second of 2016 for the Lake City, Iowa, driver. He’s posted double-digit wins six times since moving to the Stock Car division in 2007. Smith already had national and IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s championships, plus 81 feature wins to his credit in the Hobby Stocks, [Read More]

Point season underway at Raceway Park

By Bob Coney JEFFERSON, S.D. (April 17) – Raceway Park got its 2016 IMCA championship points season underway Sunday night with action in five divisions. The first feature of the evening was in the KISS 107.1 IMCA Sport Compact division. Tyler Thompson took the lead early and held off the field for 11 laps before the white flag flew. Coming out of turn two, Thompson’s car began to slow and by the third turn, Ramsey Meyer had driven by to take the feature win. Next out were the Car Quest IMCA Hobby Stocks for their 14 lap feature. Dustin Gulbrandson led the early going before Dave Riley made the pass out of the second turn to take the point. A four car crash with four laps to go brought the field together, and after two restarts, a final caution led to a green, white, checkered finish where Riley held off the field for the win. The MOPAR IMCA Northern SportMod feature saw Kirk Beatty lead while Kaleb Kennedy latched onto his tail. Kennedy stalked Beatty [Read More]

Soppe scores season opener at Dubuque Speedway

By Jerry Mackey DUBUQUE, Iowa (April 17) – The 2016 racing season took the green flag on Sunday night as the Pioneer Rest Stop sponsored the opening nights action on the high banked 3/8 mile track located on the Dubuque County Fairgrounds. Tyler Soppe took an emotional victory in the GSI Collision Specialists IMCA Northern SportMod class. Soppe raced past leader Mike Mills late in the 20-lap race. Mills was racing with a heavy heart as this was his first race at his home track since losing his father just over a month ago. In a very classy move Soppe brought Mills to the victory lane celebration and awarded Mills with the large first place trophy. Mills followed Soppe across the finish line in second ahead of Justin Becker. Brandon Wilson took the win in the hotly contested Merfeld Brothers Automotive IMCA Modified division. Wilson found the low groove to his liking in taking the checkers ahead of Mark Schulte and Bryce Garnhart. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature saw defending track champion Jerry Miles [Read More]