Newswire

Dodge City Raceway Park to make up rained out IMCA Modified feature

By Lonnie Wheatley DODGE CITY, Kan. – Mother Nature threatened throughout the April 11 season-opening tilt at Dodge City Raceway Park. With threatening dark skies to the west as the green flag flew on the night’s first Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Car heat race to kick off then night, the night was in jeopardy throughout. Dodging the inclement weather most of the night, it wasn’t until the night’s final feature race was set to roll out that Mother Nature finally unleashed her wrath with storms hitting the 3/8-mile clay oval in southwest Kansas. The upside is that four of five divisions were able to complete their opening night festivities. Now, the upside for the fans is that there will be some bonus action when round two of championship chase action takes place at Dodge City Raceway Park this Saturday, April 25. In addition to a full card of DCRP Sprint Cars, IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, IMCA SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, the night will begin with the IMCA [Read More]

Ashley completes sweep at Cottage Grove

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (April 18) – Jimmy Owen led most of the main event but couldn’t prevent Saturday’s Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod sweep at Cottage Grove Speedway by Gene Ashley. Owen kept his ride out in front for the majority of the feature but on lap 11 Ashley took over and began to pull away. It became a clean sweep for Ashley as he also collected the quick time award and trophy dash and heat race wins. Owen and Jayson Nelson completed the top three.

Winebarger scores big at Sunset Speedway Park opener

By Ben Deatherage BANKS, Ore. (April 18) – Collen Winebarger was best in the Budweiser IMCA Modified field, on opening night Saturday at Sunset Speedway Park. Don Jenner took control of the lead in the early going. The veteran driver set the pace until lap 10, when Winebarger seized the position. Once in the lead, Winebarger pulled away and dominated the rest of the distance. Craig Cassell was second and Rob Ireland was third.

Mullen can’t be caught at Seymour

By Dave Panske SEYMOUR, Wis. (April 19) – There was no catching Mike Mullen in Sunday’s Budweiser IMCA Modified feature at Seymour Speedway. Mullen drew the outside front row start and beat polesitter Jerry Wilinski to the lead at the start. He pulled away from the field until a lap nine caution. A final caution on lap 16 set up a four-lap dash. Mullen was still in control and led to the finish with Brad Lautenbach taking the runner-up finish. Marcus Yarie was third. Travis Van Straten picked up his first Coors Light IMCA Stock Car Seymour feature win of the season and second for the weekend, having won at Shawano the night before. Defending track champion Jeremy Cota held off all challenges to capture his second O’Reilly Auto Parts IMCA Northern SportMod feature win of the young season with J.J. Anderson holding off Lucas Lamberies for the runner-up spot. Prior to the start of the night, NEW DIRT presented Rod Snellenberger with a plaque commemorating his 200th career IMCA Stock Car feature victory the week before. There will [Read More]

Motts makes first Modified drive to Antioch victory lane

ANTIOCH, Calif. (April 18) – It was a long road to the Antioch Speedway’s victory lane for Bobby Motts. After four years behind the wheel of his IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified, Motts steered to the checkered flag in Saturday main event. “I’m shaking like a leaf,” were the first words out of Motts’ mouth when he got out of his car in victory lane. ”All these years of trying, and it finally paid off.” Motts’ car is a collaboration of personal time and money of crewmembers Mike Ferry, Bill Garrell and Steve Cunningham. “The guys have been with me for 18 years,” explained Motts, who won the speedway’s super stock championship back in 2004. The feature event unfolded with the twists and turns of an action movie. Defending champion Carl Berendsen looked to be in route to the win. Then, halfway through the feature, a tap in turn two from Scott Busby spun out Berendsen and sent both he and Busby to the back of the lineup. Sean O’Gara looked to be heading for the [Read More]

Ward wins opener for Modifieds at Crystal

CRYSTAL, Mich. (April 18) – Three-time and defending All-Star Performance IMCA Modified track champion was the opening night feature winner Saturday at Crystal Motor Speedway. Robert Putt took the early point in the main event with Brody Bowser tight behind. Ward and Bowser tangled, sending Bowser to the rear. Ward overtook the lead and cruised to the win over John DeYoung Jr. and Putt.

Spring Roundup starts new season at Electric City Speedway

Spring Roundup starts new season at Electric City Speedway GREAT FALLS, Mont. – IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds headline both nights of the Friday and Saturday, April 24-25 Spring Roundup special at Electric City Speedway. Both features pay $500 to win and a minimum of $75 to start. Twenty cars take the green flag in each main event. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Larry Shaw Racing Western Region, Allstar Performance State and local track points will be awarded. Pit gates open at 5 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 6 p.m. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. There is no entry fee and pit passes are $25. Grandstand admission is $10 for adults, $7 for students ages 12-17, and free for seniors 70 and over and kids 11 and under. More information about the Montana Spring Roundup is available from promoter Dan Mann at 406 727-4884 and at the www.electriccityspeedway.com website.

Lauritzen leads Marshalltown Modified finish

By Jeremy Fox MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (April 17) – Making the most of a lap eight restart, Ronn Lauritzen raced to the Coors Light IMCA Modified checkers Friday at Marshalltown Speedway. Lauritzen had sped to the front from the 11th starting spot, taking the lead before back-to-back cautions on the eighth circuit. Brian Irvine started 10th and settled for the runner-up finish. Jimmy Gustin was third. The door opened for Trent Murphy with four laps left in the Miller Lite IMCA Stock Car 18-lap feature. Steve Meyer tried to regain the lead but Murphy held on for the win. Third went to Donavon Smith. Jared Van Deest snuck up on the high side to take the lead on lap nine of the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature and saw the caution come out with two laps to go but was not to be denied the victory. Jayme Duinink finished second and Travis Peterson was third. Eric Stanton took the Toby K’s Hideaway IMCA Hobby Stock win over Nathan Ballard and Andrew Burg. One hundred and ten [Read More]

Stock Car checkers fly for VanStraten in Shawano lidlifter

By Scott Owen SHAWANO, Wis. (April 18) – Defending track champion Travis VanStraten raced to the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car win on opening night of the 53rd year of racing at Shawano Speedway. Mike Schmidt held the lead for the first four laps of the race until VanStraten took over the point. He began to pull away from the rest of the pack while Brandon Czarapata raced to second. The race went green to checkered. VanStraten picked up where he left off last year, in victory lane. Czarapata took second and Steven Stewart finished third. At the start of the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified feature, it looked as though defending track champion Marcus Yarie would run away and hide. Yarie started outside row one and quickly put distance between himself and Chris Engels. After a lap four restart, Lance Arneson moved to second while John Berna and Matt Oreskovich battled for third. On lap seven, Oreskovich passed Berna to take third. With Yarie still leading, Oreskovich ran down Arneson and made the pass to [Read More]

Lautenbach lands $1,000 checkers at 141 opener

By Greg Aregoni FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (April 18) – 141 Speedway kicked off the much anticipated season with a bang on Saturday night as 147 drivers signed in to do battle and be one of the first cars to lock up their spot in the chase. Brad Lautenbach picked up his first IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified win of the season and a $1,000 pay day courtesy of Prestige Custom Cabinetry. Lautenbach, the defending Allstar Performance State champion and already on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, picked the one pill and then had to wait to officially lead any laps as the race saw four cautions before the first circuit was scored. Lautenbach stayed in charge in a contest that went caution-free from that point. Brian Mullen got close a couple times but could never challenge. Mike Montie passed Matt Brehmer early in the Mach-1 Sport Compact main event. Montie led every lap en route to the win over Brehmer. The win for Montie makes him the first-ever feature winner in Wisconsin [Read More]