Newswire

Feature

Thunderbowl, Bakersfield, Kings set dates for Western IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Series

TULARE, Calif. – After getting a couple exhibition nights in last season, the first annual Western IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Series debuts in 2015 with 17 events at three California speedplants. Opening night is scheduled for March 14 at Thunderbowl Raceway; both Tulare and Kings Speedway Hanford host seven races, with three more at Bakersfield Speedway. Features will pay $750 to win and a minimum of $150 to start. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and Allstar Performance California State points will be awarded for the 14 events scheduled during the regular IMCA point season. “Here in the Central Valley, we were hurting for car counts and were looking for a way to reinvent the wheel. That’s when someone suggested RaceSaver,” explained Series Director Scott Woodhouse. “We wanted a less expensive alternative with a maintenance cost that wouldn’t scare people off.” “I bought a motor from Roger Hadan, who came out here and attended a meeting with drivers last fall,” he continued. “We’re getting a lot of interest in this series. So far, the biggest things [Read More]

Lee Meyer is back as boss at Buena Vista Raceway

ALTA, Iowa – Buena Vista Raceway celebrates an anniversary season in 2015 and Lee Meyer will be back in charge of weekly operations at the 3/8-mile dirt oval. Meyer promoted BVR from 2002-2007 and returns to that position, while taking on manager duties for the Buena Vista County Fair. Five IMCA divisions will be part of 18 Wednesday night programs beginning with opening night April 15. Season championship night is Aug. 12. “Racing is a passion for me. I’m totally blessed to have a second opportunity to do what I love,” Meyer said. “I love being around race people, being at the track and the smell of race fuel. It’s the best.” “Buena Vista Raceway celebrates its golden anniversary of racing this year and we’re working on some ideas, like 50-lap features for some of the divisions, to make this a special season,” he added. Weekly shows will again feature the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod and Mach-1 Sport Compact divisions. BVR first [Read More]

Battle at the Barn VII next weekend in Des Moines

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Jacobson Building located on the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines will roar to life Friday and Saturday, Jan. 23 and 24 with the Casey’s General Store Battle at the Barn VII. A total of 29 classes will see action, including outlaw lawn mowers, go-karts, four wheelers, outlaw three wheelers, outlaw cage karts and motorcycles. Pre-entries are already at an all-time high and the new event format will see the first round of heats run Friday night after an afternoon practice session. Upon the completion of the heats, $200-to-win feature events will be run for the top 12 finishers in the 370 Clone, KT100, Stock Medium, Pro Bike and Quad A classes. On Saturday, there will be a two-hour practice session with heats rolling off at 1:30 p.m. and the features set for 5:30 p.m. Doors open at 10 a.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday. Reserved parking is available for $10 per spot and electrical at a cost of $20. Once again this year, the event will have live, [Read More]

Feature

IMCA Sprints, Southern SportMods new to Friday shows at Red River Speedway

WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Two IMCA divisions will race weekly on the red clay at Red River Speedway this season. Veteran promoter Richard Snider will oversee Friday programs featuring RaceSaver Sprint Cars, a division of IMCA and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Allstar Performance State and local track points will be awarded for both divisions beginning with the Feb. 13-14 Red River IMCA Invasion special through Sept. 25. Also on the card for the season-opening special at Red River, a former ¼-mile asphalt oval that ran a limited schedule in 2014, are IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. “We’re pleased to be IMCA sanctioned. It’s going to be a good deal for Sprint Car and Southern SportMod drivers and I know they’re excited about it,” Snider said. “I’m looking forward to this season, too. It’s going to be fun to get back into it again.” Snider began promoting in 1979. He was most lately the boss at Kennedale Speedway Park before retiring briefly from the [Read More]

Veteran Davenport Speedway announcer retires

DAVENPORT, Iowa – When race cars take to local tracks for the 2015 season, it won’t sound the same. After 40 years, veteran track announcer Phil Roberts is hanging up the microphone. Most recently, Roberts has been the voice of the Davenport Speedway. Roberts’ official involvement in racing began in 1973, when he took over as host of the Around the Track motor racing news program on KWNT-AM Radio. The following year, Roberts got his first taste of being a track announcer in a substitute role at Davenport Speedway. Promoter Ernie Cook hired Roberts to his first full-time announcer job at Maquoketa in 1977. Throughout his career, Roberts has announced at many tracks in Eastern Iowa. He has also worked at tracks in Illinois, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Tennessee and Florida. Despite his many announcer jobs, Phil continued to host Around the Track from 1973 to 1990. The show aired on several Quad City area radio stations before landing on KWPC in Muscatine, where it finally ended. Roberts also worked as media coordinator for two series. [Read More]

IMCA Modified, Northern SportMod drivers vie for Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service awards

SUAMICO, Wis. – Second-year marketing partner Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service rewards the accomplishments of IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod special events competitors again this season. Top five finishers at 30 designated Modified specials and 15 Northern SportMod specials receive gift certificates good toward two free shock rebuilds. Certificates will be mailed from the IMCA home office the week after official results are received. JMSS retails Afco, Bilstein, Fox, Integra, QA1, Penske and JRI shocks, repairs and services shocks of all makes and consults on shock packages for high performance use. The Suamico, Wis., company’s growing list of customers includes two-time defending national Northern SportMod national champion Matt Looft. “It is great to renew this program with JMSS in 2015,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder said. “They not only presented certificates last year but serviced racers at special events like Super Nationals, and I anticipate we’ll see then back on Manufacturers’ Row again this year.” More information about shocks and shock services available from Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service is available by [Read More]

Gill starts IMCA Modified hardware collection with Siskiyou, Southern Oregon track crowns

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – A driver who hadn’t even thought of a number for his car before he started to race was number one in IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified point standings at two tracks in 2014. Albert Gill reigned at Siskiyou Motor Speedway in California and at Southern Oregon Speedway. His two feature wins at Southern Oregon, on May 3 and June 21, were the first and second of his IMCA career. “It was very gratifying to finally put the car in the winner’s circle. I’d won some big pro stock races over the years but to put my Modified to the checkered flag first was very gratifying,” Gill said. “I didn’t have any intention of trying to win two track championships, especially at two Saturday tracks.” “It was crazy how it worked out. The weather and the track schedules helped make it possible,” he added. “I was in the lead at both tracks when they canceled the last night at Siskiyou to use the fairgrounds as a camp to fight a forest fire.” [Read More]

Record purse set for July 5-10 Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Tour

MANDAN, N.D. (Jan. 12) – Another record purse will be paid out over the course of the 26th annual Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour. IMCA Modifieds race for $2,100 to win and IMCA Stock Cars for $800 to win each night of the July 5-10 tour. Top 10 drivers in final point standings earn shares of $2,000 Modified and $1,000 Stock Car point funds, provided by tour title sponsor Kupper Chevrolet. The series starts its six-night run on Sunday, July 5 at the 3/8-mile Nodak Speedway on the North Dakota State Fairgrounds in Minot, then heads just north of the border to Estevan, Sask., and the 3/8-mile Estevan Motor Speedway on Monday, July 6. On Tuesday, July 7, it’s south to the Upper Missouri Valley Fairgrounds and the ¼-mile Williston Basin Speedway. The show at ¼-mile Southwest Speedway in Dickinson is Wednesday, July 8. On Thursday, July 9, the tour heads to the 3/8-mile Dacotah Speedway in Mandan. The series concludes with Championship Night at the ¼-mile Jamestown Speedway on Friday, July 10. All six [Read More]

Speedway Motors to host third annual Racer Appreciation Day

By Damon Lee LINCOLN, Neb. – Building on the success of previous events, Speedway Motors will host its third annual Racer Appreciation Day on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 1-6 p.m. Racers from around the region are expected to swarm Speedway’s Lincoln, Neb., headquarters for this fantastic pre-season open house and sale. Speedway Motors’ Racer Appreciation Day will showcase hundreds of new and exclusive race parts featured in unique displays. It will provide racers with a fantastic opportunity to try on new safety gear and take advantage of free shock and torsion bar dyno services. Special pricing will be available on all parts counter purchases. This year Speedway will be giving racers an inside look into its state-of-the-art engineering and manufacturing center, as well as the all new Speedway Racing Engines facility. “Speedway is very excited for this opportunity to give our local race customers a first look at our brand new engine facility,” said Clay Smith, president of Speedway Motors. “As we prepare for the upcoming race season, this Racer Appreciation Day is the perfect [Read More]

IMCA Stock Car, Northern SportMod drivers race for new engines at Thunderhill

By Edward Anschutz STURGEON BAY, Wis. – Thunderhill Raceway competitors in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod divisions will be racing for new engines in 2015. Last season, Thunderhill boasted a $30,000 contingency plan at the champions awards banquet and the same will take place this year. Stock Car drivers will vie for an Extreme Enterprises 500 spec engine valued at $5,000. Jim Olson Motors of Sturgeon Bay has again stepped up with a new GM 602 crate engine giveaway for the Northern SportMods. Thunderhill street stocks will also have an engine waiting at the banquet courtesy of Dave “The Hammer” DeGrave Engine Rebuilding and valued at $3,500. Drivers are required to compete in 80 percent of scheduled events to remain eligible for the prizes at the 2015 awards banquet. Track promoter Woody Wodack stated his goal is to have $40,000 in cash, parts, apparel and engines. “Extreme Enterprises and Hammer Engine Rebuilding have built countless race winning engines over the years and we’re excited to once again give more to [Read More]