Newswire

Blessington celebrates wedding anniversary, 200th career Stock Car win Sunday at Stuart

BREDA, Iowa (Aug. 10) – Brian Blessington got to celebrate twice on Sunday. The first occasion was his 23rd wedding anniversary. Blessington and wife Liz tied the knot in 1991, the year after he started racing an IMCA Sunoco Stock Car weekly. The second was his 200th career feature win, during the Bones Memorial program at Stuart Speedway. “Two hundred career wins ranks right up there,” said Blessington, just the fourth Stock Car driver to achieve the feat, as well as perennial contender for national honors, a 25-time track champion and the 2001 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s king. “It was something I tried not to think about as we got closer. I wanted to focus on the job of racing. I hoped if I did a good job at that, the wins would come.” From Breda, Blessington bought his first car after accompanying some buddies to the Sioux City swap meet. Finally realizing the near impossibility of ever making that ride IMCA legal, he bought a second car, which he debuted [Read More]

Pippert takes IMCA Stock Car Saturday Showcase checkers at Independence

By Ryan Clark INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (Aug. 9) – Scott Pippert hasn’t raced at Independence Motor Speedway much this season, but he made his fourth appearance of the year pay off Saturday night. Pippert topped a field of 17 entries to earn $500 in the Saturday Showcase for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car division. Outside front row starter Kevin Rose held the lead at the drop of the green in the 18-lapper. He pulled away from traffic while Pippert, who started eighth, worked through the pack. Pippert sat in third behind Rose and Roger Ciesielski when the caution flag waved on lap four. When racing resumed, Pippert quickly made his way into second and promptly challenged Rose for the lead. The lead pair ran side-by side for numerous laps before Pippert inched ahead on the 11th circuit. Rose worked back into contention and pulled alongside the leader following a lap 15 restart. Although Rose held the lead at the line as the white flag waved, Pippert powered back to the front to score his first Independence [Read More]

Strickler scores big payday at Night of 10,000 Stars

BRITT, Iowa (Aug. 8) – Last year’s Night of 1,000 Stars winner took home the top check from this year’s Night of 10,000 Stars special at Hancock County Speedway. Kyle Strickler caught Adam Larson on the 16th of 50 circuits, then worked his way through lapped traffic in taking the Friday night IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified victory. “Once we got to the front, I wanted to set the pace and focus on working my way through the lapped cars,” said Strickler, who earned $8,000 for the win at Britt. “We put on new tires and tweaked the setup a bit during the pit stop at midway. Then we put the car back up on the cushion and hoped for the best.” Defending race winner Benji LaCrosse ran out of laps in his efforts to reel in Strickler and finished five car lengths off the pace while “B” feature qualifiers Jordan Grabouski and Ryan Ruter advanced 16 and 24 positions, respectively, to finish third and fourth. Larson completed the top five after taking the initial [Read More]

Tony Harris tops Shenandoah Virginia Sprint Series feature

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (Aug. 9) – After 10-year-old Caleb Harris pedaled to second by inches in a photo finish in the kids’ bike race, his father Tony topped a wild Virginia Sprint Series feature Saturday at Shenandoah Speedway. Chris Ware and Anthony Linkenhoker paced the IMCA Eagle Motorsports RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green with Linkenhoker out first and Harris right behind. Harris was in front by lap three and pacing the field in an effort to save tires, which is a pavement necessity. Tom Humphries made his way to second. Jerald Harris, French Grimes and Brian Lawson were all right there after a yellow for a slowing car. When the green waved it was on again with Humphries slicing to the front and Jerald Harris second as Tony Harris stayed close in third. Jerald Harris made a hard charge to the front as Humphries was getting loose and soon the top five were all over each other every lap. It all came apart with five to go for Humphries as he got [Read More]

Duffy wins 141’s Red, White and Blue Series

By Greg Aregoni FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (Aug. 9) – Darin Duffy has traveled from Urbana, Iowa, to 141 Speedway and back four times this season. That 40 hours of driving time paid off as Duffy captured the track’s Red, White and Blue Series for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds. Duffy won the Saturday night feature and picked up his second $1,000 payday of the three-race series. He had finished second in the opening race and was thus one win away from scoring the clean sweep in the series. He receives the coveted crate motor courtesy of Gandrud Chevrolet along with the 2015 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth. Tim Czarneski started up front and led early in a feature that saw five cautions in all. Russ Reinwald snuck into the lead briefly but Czarneski came flying back up top. Czarneski led through a few more cautions with Johnny Whitman hot on his heels. Following a lap 11 restart, Whitman got a good jump coming off of turn two and Czarneski tried to sneak through up [Read More]

Larsons win twice in Murray County Redline North Star Series show

SLAYTON, Minn. (Aug. 8) – Dustin Larson won his second IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified tour feature Friday night, when the Redline Racing Parts North Star Series visited Murray County Speedway. Larson drew the pole for the 20-lapper and held onto the front spot through a series of early cautions. His brother Jeff made a charge during a long green flag run but had to settle for second. Dalton Magers, Jason Fisher and Josh Bonnstetter rounded out the top five. Dustin Larson had won the first North Star feature of his brief Modified career at Redwood Speedway on June 8. The Larson clan also celebrated an IMCA Sunoco Stock Car victory as patriarch Jim took the lead with three laps left in that contest and held off Matt Speckman. The checkers were his third of the season and career sixth. Chris Palsrok, Levi Feltman and Gary Mattison completed the top five. Other winners at Slayton were Justin Remus in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, Cory Probst in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Stephanie Forsberg [Read More]

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings Through Aug. 7

IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds – 1. Chris Abelson, Sioux City, Iowa, 1,191; 2. Jesse Sobbing, Glenwood, Iowa, and William Gould, Calera, Okla., both 1,178; 4. Zane DeVilbiss, Farmington, N.M., 1,177; 5. Keith White, Little River Academy, Texas, 1,174; 6. Cory Sample, Winnemucca, Nev., 1,158; 7. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton, Iowa, 1,156; 8. Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup, Iowa, 1,149; 9. Dean Abbey, Waco, Texas, 1,130; 10. Christopher Fleming, Union Springs, N.Y., 1,127; 11. Glen Hibbard, Euless, Texas, 1,116; 12. Mike Jergens, Plover, Iowa, and Jimmy Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, both 1,113; 14. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa, Iowa, 1,112; 15. Dustin Smith, Lake City, Iowa, 1,099; 16. Josh McGaha, Abilene, Texas, 1,097; 17. Tim Ward, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,095; 18. Adam Larson, Ankeny, Iowa, and Mike Densberger, Lincoln, Neb., both 1,092; 20. Ricky Stephan, South Sioux City, Neb., 1,091. IMCA Late Models – 1. Justin L. Kay, Wheatland, Iowa, 800; 2. Todd Cooney, Des Moines, Iowa, 796; 3. Ryan Griffith, Webster City, Iowa, 776; 4. Jason Hahne, Webster City, Iowa, 755; 5. Nick Marolf, Moscow, Iowa, 740; 6. Todd Malmstrom, Silvis, [Read More]

Iowa State Fair show is next for Deery Brothers Summer Series

DES MOINES, Iowa – Touring IMCA Late Models travel to Des Moines for their next Deery Brothers Summer Series show, during the Iowa State Fair. The Monday, Aug. 11 main event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Speedway pays $3,000 to win and a minimum of $300 to start. Justin Kay of Wheatland brings the point lead to town for the ninth of 15 events on the 2014 schedule. Gates open at 3 p.m., the grandstand opens at 4:30 p.m. and racing follows 5:30 p.m. hot laps. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12 and free for five and under. Pit passes are $30. Completing the race day card are IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Dirt Trucks. More information is available at the www.iowastatefairspeedway.com website or on Facebook. Twenty-two previous series events have been held at Des Moines and Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls leads all drivers with six career wins there, including the 2013 contest. Darrel DeFrance of Marshalltown has competed at all 428 events in series [Read More]

Elliott shines brightest at Night of 1,000 Stars

BRITT, Iowa (Aug. 7) – Mark Elliott exorcised a lot of race demons Thursday night. Elliott led every lap in winning the Night of 1,000 Stars special for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds at Hancock County Speedway. His share of the purse totaled $7,000, including $3,500 for the victory and $2,500 in lap money, plus another $1,000 for leading at halfway. The top-paying event of the 2014 XSAN Hawkeye Dirt Tour drew 84 entries from 10 states and Canada. “What really helped us win tonight was a long month of July. We did the Dakota Classic Tour, then Speedweeks, and missed five of the shows,” the new 2015 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier said. “We went back to work on the car and everybody, my crew, my family and my sponsors, stayed focused on winning.” “Maybe the stars aligned,” he added. “We had the right amount of luck and it all worked out for us.” Also the 2006 and 2009 race winner, Elliott won his heat race despite a back row start and then [Read More]

Werkmeister earns $1,800 for Dawson County sweep

By Kelly Ninas LEXINGTON, Neb. (Aug. 3) – Completing the sweep was easier said than done but Casey Werkmeister was $1,800 richer after he accomplished the feat. Werkmeister won his heat and the pole dash, then raced from 12th starting to win Sunday’s Dirt Track Central Jax Sports Grille Great Plains Series feature at Dawson County Raceway. He opted for the $500 pole dash check and to invert the top 12 spots in the starting grid for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. “I took the money and started 12th. I didn’t figure there’d be any guarantee I’d beat (series point leader) Mike Nichols but I passed him for the lead with about five laps to go,” Werkmeister said. “It turned out to be a fun little race. Obviously it’s a fun night whenever you win.” The feature win was good for $1,300 and that added up to Werkmeister’s biggest career payday. He’d also won the May 26 series feature at WaKeeney. Three cautions slowed the main event, the first of them early on and the other [Read More]