Newswire

11 states represented at opening night Frostbuster, Brown takes Modified thriller

By Jeremy Fox OSKALOOSA, Iowa (March 30) – Opening night of Frostbuster Week brought drivers from 11 states to Southern Iowa Speedway and was highlighted with Kyle Brown winning the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified headliner. States represented at Oskaloosa in addition to Iowa were Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota and Wisconsin. After a caution forced a restart, Tim Ward led the opening lap of the Modified main event. Brown grabbed the top spot away and started to pull away as Kelly Shyrock worked his way from the fourth starting position. Once around Cayden Carter and Ward, Shyrock set his sights on the leader. Brown caught up with the back of the pack on lap 12 and had to hold off Shryock while negotiating traffic. Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Brown kept Shyrock in check to take the $1,000 win. Carter and Arizona pilots R.C. Whitwell and Ward rounded out the top five. Ken Schrader was 11th. Derrick Agee motored to the $500 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car [Read More]

Benton County Frostbuster is canceled

VINTON, Iowa (March 31) – It wasn’t frost that forced cancellation of tonight’s IMCA Frostbuster special at Benton County Speedway … rain and a lack of drying time for the track and raceway grounds get the blame. Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $500 to win, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods for $400 to win and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $250 to win at Frostbusters on Friday, April 1 at Marshalltown Speedway and Saturday, April 2 at Boone Speedway. Ken Schrader races with the Modifieds both nights. Those features are Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying events. Gates open at 4 p.m., the grandstand opens at 5 p.m., hot laps are at 6:15 p.m. and racing begins at 7 p.m. at Marshalltown. Boone opens the pit gates at 2 p.m. and the grandstand at 3 p.m. Hot laps start at 4 p.m. and racing at 5 p.m. More information is available from Marshalltown promoter Toby Kruse at 515 231-5444 and from Boone promoter Robert Lawton at [Read More]

Afco targets six IMCA divisions with contingency awards

BOONVILLE, Ind. – Afco contingency awards are in the works again this season for drivers in six IMCA divisions. Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified, IMCA Late Model, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod competitors all earn product certificates from the Boonville, Ind., manufacturer and 23-year marketing partner. “AFCO Racing Shocks and Springs has been a part of IMCA racing for many years and we look forward to continuing this tradition,” said AFCO Performance Group Marketing Director Kerri Hart. “We are pleased to present IMCA racers with contingency awards to reward their success. AFCO Performance Group is gearing up for another great season of racing.” The top three eligible drivers in each of the five Modified regions receive product certificates worth $250, $150 and $50, respectively, while the top three in both Stock Car regions receive $200, $100 and $50 certificates. Top three eligible drivers in both Northern and Southern regions for Hobby Stocks and top three drivers in national Northern SportMod and national [Read More]

Dodge City title chases begin with Saturday’s season opener

By Lonnie Wheatley DODGE CITY, Kan. – The time has finally arrived with Dodge City Raceway Park set to kick off a blockbuster 2016 season of racing action this Saturday night, April 2. Saturday’s tilt will be the first of 17 nights of heated racing competition atop the 3/8-mile clay oval in southwest Kansas. Action that goes green at 7:30 p.m. will mark the first round of championship chase action for the track’s five featured classes including Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars, Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds, IMCA SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. It will also be the first of three April events at the state-of-the-art DCRP facility with the $1,200-to-win fourth annual Modified Stampede to follow on April 9 and another round of championship chase action on April 23. All five divisions will be in action during all three April events. Tickets to Saturday’s season opener featuring all five championship chase divisions are $15 for adults with children 11 and under admitted free when accompanying a paid adult.

Z4 gives product awards to drivers in Deery Series, Hawkeye Dirt Tour

AMES, Iowa – Drivers in two of IMCA’s top series are on the receiving end of a contingency awards program with Z4 Products again this season. The pole starter and the Sunoco Race Fuels drawing winner at all Deery Brothers Summer Series events for IMCA Late Models, and the pole starter in each Hawkeye Dirt Tour for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds all receive bottles of heavy duty leak sealer and cooling system conditioner from the Ames, Iowa, company. “We enjoy promoting Z4 products regionally and founder Jerry Dakin is a really good guy in the industry,” noted IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “We’re pleased to be able to get their products in the hands of deserving racers and will continue to do that throughout the summer.” The 30th annual Deery Series opens on April 8 at Davenport Speedway while the first Hawkeye Dirt Tour event is Memorial Day, Monday, May 30 at Benton County Speedway in Vinton. More information about Z4 Products is available by calling 515 231-0809.

Arkansas Spring Nationals checkers fly twice for Taylor

BATESVILLE, Ark. (March 25-26) – Another early-season special at Batesville Motor Speedway brought out the best in Jeff Taylor. Taylor swept $1,000 to win Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified main events on Friday and Saturday during the Arkansas Spring Nationals lidlifter. He’d brought the broom to Batesville as recently as 2014, winning all three season-starting special main events that spring as well. “I was really comfortable with my car,” said Taylor, coming off an IMCA career-best 14 feature wins in 2015 and already on the ballot for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “I’ve been racing here since 1996. I don’t know how many laps I’ve got here but I learned from the best. My car could do anything this weekend.” Taylor started Friday’s 30-lapper from inside the second row and led most of the way, holding off Tyler Droste after getting into lapped traffic. Droste got a look inside Taylor once but wasn’t able to get by and settled for second. Richie Tosh, Robby Arnold and Brint Hartwick completed the top five. Arnold, Tosh, [Read More]

Four drivers double up at RPM’s Sunflower Classic

By Mike Hughes HAYS, Kan. (March 25-26) – One-hundred and ninety race teams from eight states converged on RPM Speedway for the fourth annual Sunflower Classic and four drivers backed up their Friday night main event wins with another trip to the winner’s circle on Saturday. Jordan Grabouski topped both $1,000 to win, Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying features for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds. Other two-time winners were Mike Nichols in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Dustin Daniels in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Scott Spellmeier in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock victories went to Garrett Hager and Cody Williams. On Friday night, Dominic Ursetta jumped to the early lead in the 25-lap Modified feature. After a lap 13 caution, Jesse Sobbing took control and was followed by Ursetta and Grabouski. Grabouski took the lead on lap 22 and a late-race caution set up a green, white, checkered finish. Grabouski held on for the win over a hard-charging Tyler Frye. Sobbing was third. The Stock Car feature was close [Read More]

Hodges, Lathram, St. Jude’s are big winners at Cardinal’s opening weekend

EUNICE, N.M. (March 25-26) – Sam Hodges and Jordan Lathram were the big winners at Cardinal Speedway’s season-opening doubleheader. So was St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Hodges won Friday and Saturday night features for IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. His $500 in winnings – $200 from opening night, $300 from night two – didn’t stay in the bank long as the former Cardinal promoter called St. Jude’s on Monday to donate the full amount toward children’s cancer research. “This is the time last year I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I raced opening night in a SportMod, then had surgery and spent the rest of the season as a spectator,” he explained. “I made a deal with the Lord that he saved me and I’d help save somebody else.” “I’m going to donate all the money I win this season,” continued Hodges. “I’ve been good for a year now. Every day is a bonus.” (The St. Jude’s website is www.stjude.org). Hodges won from fourth starting on Friday, ahead of Errick Rogers and Gerald Spalding Jr., and from [Read More]

Deery Series pole starters receive JB/Gillund awards

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – Justice Brothers and Gillund Enterprises renews awards for pole starters in the Deery Brothers Summer Series in 2016, the company’s 20th as an IMCA sponsor. “We are honored to be a part of the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series again this year” said Paul Gillund general manager of Gillund Enterprises, “and we know that the Justice Brothers Products will help keep racers’ equipment in top shape.” The Eden Prairie, Minn., company gives car care packages to drivers starting from the pole in each of the 18 Late Model tour events. Opening night for the 30th annual series is Friday, April 8 at Davenport Speedway. “Starting on the pole doesn’t necessarily translate into a feature win but I know the excitement that drivers experience when they earn that spot and Gillund Enterprises continues to strengthen that accomplishment,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder said. “It is great to present a driver with a bag of JB products in front of a large crowd and wish them well.” Drivers must display two Justice Brothers decals on [Read More]

Foster ends absence from Lee County winner’s circle

DONNELLSON, Iowa (March 26) – The first IMCA sanctioned event in Iowa this season ended with Josh Foster in victory lane for the first time in three years. Foster battled with Hunter Marriott, then held off Kyle Brown in winning Saturday’s Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified feature at Lee County Speedway’s Spring Extravaganza. The $1,000 win put Foster on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Cayden Carter and Kelly Shryock rounded out the top five. “We raced weekly at Lee County back in the day and won four track championships (between 2006 and 2011). I live about 2-1/2 hours away now so it’s harder to get back there now. This was our first time back since 2013,” said Foster. “I really wanted to get back to Donnellson this year. We have a lot of laps at Lee County, and a lot of family, friends and sponsors there.” Foster started sixth and was in the lead 14 laps into the 20-lapper. He tussled with Marriott the next three times around the track. “We went [Read More]