Newswire

New Hooker Harness awards given at IMCA specials

FREEPORT, Ill. – Hooker Harness has sky-high aspirations for its new marketing partnership with IMCA. The custom-made seatbelt and shoulder harness manufacturer, located in Freeport, Ill., gives $25 product certificates to fifth-place finishers at 80 special events beginning this season. All eight sanctioned divisions are included in the Hooker program. “The program with IMCA helps get exposure to a larger customer base. IMCA is the largest grassroots sanctioning body in the United States. There are a lot of drivers out there,” noted Hooker partner Scott McPhillips. “There are drivers who became our customers when they were racing go-karts or bandoleros and stayed with us as they’ve moved up.” Founded in the early 1970s, Hooker has specialized in manufacturing seat belts and harnesses for the aviation industry, most notably aerobatic, home-built and restored aircraft. The company’s pull-up, pull-down, adjustable and rotary harness systems all have IMCA applications. All Hooker-made seat belts and harnesses are manufactured to individual customer specifications, so they are not produced until actually ordered; any necessary alterations are made at no additional cost. [Read More]

Frostbuster point leaders earn $400, race of champions qualifying eligibility

VINTON, Iowa – Drivers with top point totals from April 1-4 IMCA Frostbuster specials each earned $400 shares of $1,000 point funds for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. In addition, Jason Wolla (Modified), Jay Schmidt (Stock Car) and Lucas Lamberies (Northern SportMod) become eligible to qualify for their respective race of champions at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September. Austin Luellen was already eligible to qualify for the Hobby Stock RoC, having won that race last year. Nearly 350 different drivers from a dozen states and Canada competed at Frostbusters held at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Marshalltown Speedway and Boone Speedway. Car counts topped 200 for the Friday event at Marshalltown and again Saturday at Boone. Top drivers in Frostbuster point standings will receive jackets and plaques during the national IMCA awards banquet in November. Each of the four tracks contributed equal shares to provide $4,000 in point fund money. Checks [Read More]

Ruter, Green both make it two straight with season opening checkers at I-35

By Greg Grabianowski MASON CITY, Iowa (April 5) – Ryan Ruter and Derek Green each won for the second time in less than 24 hours to highlight opening night action Sunday at I-35 Speedway. Both had won Saturday at Hancock County Speedway. Ruter repeated in the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, earning $1,000, while Green notched another IMCA Sunoco Stock Car Frostbuster victory. Ruter again drew well, starting on the inside of the second row after drawing the pole at Britt. He held off a late charge by Rich Lewerke, who ended up in second. Josh Ruby, Kelly Shyrock and Alex Hanson completed the top five. Green passed leader Joe Willier in winning the Stock Car feature from the sixth starting spot. Willier was the runner-up and Luke Sathoff placed third. Luck was on the side of Nate Chodur in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature. Nick Meyer had built a big lead only to see his No. 2 rig start pouring out smoke late in the race, forcing him into the infield. Chodur cruised [Read More]

10 Friday shows on schedule at Oberlin Speedway

OBERLIN, Kan. – Oberlin Speedway opens again this season, under the guidance of a guy who knows a thing or two about getting around a race track. IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks run on 10 Friday nights beginning with the April 17 Scott Dolan Memorial. Shows at the 3/8-mile clay oval will be promoted by David Murray Jr., with race night assistance from Rick Salem. “Except for some specials, this track has been idle for five or six years. We decided this would be a good time to get it going again,” explained Murray, IMCA’s career wins leader, a four-time national champion and three-time Modified champion at his hometown venue. “I’m excited about this race track. We’ve coordinated our schedule with Thomas County Speedway (in Colby, Kan.) and gotten a lot of sponsors on board to give drawing prizes to drivers.” “The grandstand is in good shape. We haven’t had to go too far out of the way to get the racing [Read More]

Williamson scores $1,100 win at Cottage Grove opener

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (April 4) – Jesse Williamson was the $1,100 IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified feature winner in front of a full house on opening night Saturday at Cottage Grove Speedway. Hometown chauffeur Curtis Towns seized the lead after two cautions on the initial start. Towns set a wicked pace before he was overtaken on lap eight by Williamson. Williamson wasted no time extending his lead and had no trouble working his way through lapped traffic as well as the race progressed. He’d take the checkers in the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier ahead of Braedon Hand, Mark Wauge, Towns and Collen Winebarger. Additional purse money was contributed by Crocker’s Cars. Feature results – 1. Jesse Williamson; 2. Braedon Hand; 3. Mark Wauge; 4. Curtis Towns; 5. Collen Winebarger; 6. Bricen James; 7. Craig Hanson; 8. Steven Sturdevant; 9. Kinzer Cox; 10. Curt Coggins; 11. Albert Gill; 12. Brett James; 13. Dustin Cady; 14. Brad Martin; 15. Craig Cassell; 16. Jeff Lovell; 17. Austin McTaggart; 18. Jake Mayden; 19. Jesse Bailey; [Read More]

Jimmy Gustin dominates IMCA Modified main event at Boone Frostbuster special

By Jeremy Fox Boone, Iowa (April 4) – Jimmy Gustin raced to yet another high-profile win at Boone Speedway, on the final night of Frostbuster Week. Gustin topped the main event for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, earning $1,000 and a berth on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational for his Saturday night efforts. Eric Elliott and Josh Most drew front row starts but Gustin was quickly ahead of the field. He was checking out on everybody and catching the back of the pack when the caution waved on lap 10. He’d go on to lead the rest of the 25-lap contest and take the win ahead of Mike Van Genderen, Hunter Marriott, Ronn Lauritzen and Most. The fourth and final Frostbuster Tour event brought 200-plus entries from 11 states and Canada to Boone. Other visitors to victory lane were Trent Murphy in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Clint Luellen in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Aaron Rudolph in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Murphy took the lead at the start of [Read More]

Late Boyd heroics lift Howell to Sprint Series of Texas win

BOYD, Texas (April 3) – The last lap and a half alone were worth the price of admission when the Sprint Series of Texas opened at Boyd Raceway. Jason Howell passed David Garland coming to the white flag lap, then caught Kenny Venable in the first set of turns to win the Friday tour feature for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars. The 20-lapper ran caution free; the defending series champion had made his way to the front after starting 12th in the SWAT Firearms sponsored ride. “The track was real slick from top to bottom. My crew put together a good handling car for me,” said Howell. “It was a really good race. Fans definitely got their money’s worth.” A two-time series winner last season, Howell will follow the SST as much as possible this year while racing part-time at weekly venues. The win at Boyd came in his second 2015 start. Venable, Garland, Mark Klis Jr. and Kenny Elwood completed the top five. Feature results – 1. Jason Howell; 2. Kenny Venable; 3. David Garland; 4. [Read More]

Hyperco awards go to IMCA drivers in four divisions, Deery Series

PONTOTOC, Miss. – Hyperco contingencies will be awarded to eligible IMCA drivers in four divisions and the Deery Brothers Summer Series again in 2015. The Pontotoc, Miss., high performance suspension components manufacturer and 18-year marketing sponsor gives product awards based on regional IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car standings, and on national standings for Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods. Top three eligible drivers in each of the five Modified regions, in both Stock Car regions and in national standings for Northern SportMods and Southern SportMods who compete with at least one Hyperco spring receive two Hyperco SNS Conventional springs. The highest finishing driver in each Modified region who competes with leaf springs earns a pair of Hyperco Conventional leaf springs. Hyperco also gives two Conventional SNS springs to the top eligible driver in IMCA Late Model tour standings. Second and third-place eligible drivers each receive one Conventional SNS spring. Drivers in all five divisions must display two Hyperco decals on their race car and compete with [Read More]

Hogan picks up opening night win at 34 Raceway

By Dana Royer WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa (April 4) – The green flag flew for the 50th season at 34 Raceway Saturday night and Scott Hogan took the win in the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified main event. Hogan took the lead from Brandon Rothzen on lap 15 of the 22-car, 25-lap feature and went on to take the win by a comfortable margin. Rothzen, Jeff Waterman, Mitch Morris and Carter VanDenBerg rounded out the top five. The $1,000 checkers put Hogan on the ballot for September’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational.

Ruter starts weekend with $1,000 win at Hancock County Frostbuster

By Greg Grabianowski BRITT, Iowa (April 4) – Ryan Ruter started what proved to be a very good weekend with a $1,000 feature win at Hancock County Speedway’s season-opening Frostbuster. The Saturday IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified checkers put Ruter on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational and preceded a similar finish and paycheck the next day at I-35 Speedway’s lidlifter. Ruter drew a front row start and weathered five early cautions while attrition took its toll on the field. Jeff James, Austin Wolf, Kelly Shryock and Dustin Smith rounded out the top five. In all, 147 cars saw action at Britt. Other winners were Derek Green in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Shane Swanson in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, Jeremy Wegner in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Jay DeVries in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts. Green led every lap of the Stock Car main and won in front of Kevin Opheim and David Smith. “It was a pretty wild ride. You had to dodge some holes in turns one and two [Read More]