Newswire

Wilmes sprints to Arlington checkers

ARLINGTON, Minn. (Aug. 23) – Seventy-three-year-old Dwain Wilmes piloted his 95.7 IMCA Sprint Car to the checkers Saturday at Arlington Raceway to win his first-ever 305 RaceSaver event. Dalyn Cody took second and Dustin Sargent rounded out the top three in the green to checkered race. For the second consecutive week, Andy Timm of Mankato won the MN 93 IMCA Modified feature. Jeff Coon was the early leader but halfway through the race got too high and went off the top of the track. That gave the lead to Timm, who stayed in front the remainder of the race. Chad Porter challenged at the end but settled for second ahead of Coon and Dan Menk. Chet Ragan won his first feature ever in the Unhinged Pizza IMCA Northern SportMods, leading from the beginning to end after starting in the second row. Eric Larson was runner-up and third was Josh Larsen. Cory Probst made the trip worthwhile as he started 12th in the Eckblad Trucking IMCA Hobby feature and won for the first time ever at [Read More]

Track champions crowned at Davenport

By Mike McGuire DAVENPORT, Iowa (Aug. 22) – Friday was Season Championship night at Davenport Speedway and many drivers were competing like it was for the final time. The top 10 were lined up by points for the feature, with the point leader in each class offered the back row challenge for a chance to win double the money. One driver accepting the challenge was Justin Kay in the Petersen Plumbing & Heating IMCA Late Model feature. Kay had little to lose, as he had already clinched the track title. However Kay’s race would end early with mechanical issues. Nate Beuseling blasted out to an early lead, which he held until lap 12. Brunson Behning owned the point until Mike Murphy Jr. got under Behning for the lead. Murphy led the final six laps to make his third trip to victory lane this season. Behning held on for second, just ahead of Beusleling, Todd Malmstrom and Matt Ryan. The closest points battle coming into the night was in the Milan Heating and Air IMCA Modified [Read More]

Deery Series headlines opening night program at Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 26) – The first champion of the 2014 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s will be crowned on opening night of America’s Racin’ Vacation at Boone Speedway. The Monday, Sept. 1 main event for IMCA Late Models following the Deery Brothers Summer Series will be 50 laps, with a potential top prize of $4,500 and a minimum of $300 paid to start. Point leader Justin Kay of Wheatland has won four of the first 10 series events this season, including three out of the last four. He has a 26-point advantage over Oxford’s Andy Eckrich going into the Labor Day show. Three-time and defending Super Nationals champion Jeff Aikey is third, another 27 points off the pace. Qualifying for Hobby Stocks and Northern SportMods also gets underway Monday. Pit gates open at 9 a.m. and racing starts at 2 p.m. The Late Model main will start at approximately 9 p.m. Grandstand admission is $20. Pit passes are $30. Twenty-four of the 41 previous Deery events held at Boone have been [Read More]

Early entries now number 86 for Sprint Car Super Nationals

EAGLE, Neb. – Eighty-six drivers from 11 states and abroad have now pre-registered for the second annual IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car Super Nationals, at Eagle Raceway Friday through Sunday, Aug. 29-31. Sunday’s finale sees the winner take home $2,000 and all other qualifiers receive a minimum of $1,000. The field of 27 will start three wide. Sprints qualify the inside row of nine on Friday and the outside row of nine on Saturday in $700 to win, minimum $250 to start features. Pre-tech starts at 10 a.m. both days. Friday’s program includes qualifying for the Saturday Speedy Bill Smith Race of Champions. That race pays $1,000 to win and a minimum of $100 to start. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., the grandstand opens at 6 p.m., hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Saturday kicks off with a golf tournament benefitting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at the Ashland Golf Club. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., hot laps are at 5:30 with racing at 6:30 p.m. A [Read More]

Hale hauls from back to win EQ Wild West Tour feature at Atomic

ATOMIC CITY, Idaho (Aug. 23) – Michael Hale was quick to credit the track crew at Atomic Motor Raceway with an assist following his Saturday night EQ Cylinder Heads Wild West Tour victory. The Friday night event for traveling IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds had been lost to rain, which left flooded track and pit conditions in its wake. A long day of work made the 1/3-mile dirt oval raceable, however. The chief beneficiary of those efforts was Hale, who restarted at the back after exiting early in the 30-lapper to fix a broken tie rod. Fastest down the backstretch, he quickly worked his way toward the front to challenge leader Tony Steward, taking the lead and bringing the 20th starting Casey Delp along into second near midway. “The car worked really well coming out of (turn) two,” Hale said of his career third Wild West Tour checkers. “It was a fun race and I appreciate how much work went into getting the track ready. I’m glad they were able to get it in.” The [Read More]

Super Nationals primed for Sept. 1-6 run at Boone Speedway

BOONE, Iowa – The biggest dirt track racing event is just around the corner and competitors from 26 states and Canada have already signed on to be part of America’s Racin’ Vacation. The IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s will be held Monday through Saturday, Sept. 1-6 at Boone Speedway. Many of the best drivers in six IMCA divisions will chase championships and accompanying places in the IMCA history book during the 32nd annual event. “Super Nationals has grown to be much more than six days of racing,” emphasized IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root. “From the party and live music on the Sunday before to a week of camping on the speedway grounds for many fans, it has truly become a racing vacation for many fans and drivers.” Start time for racing has been moved up to 2 p.m. each day. IMCA has also announced changes in pre-tech inspection intended to speed that process and reduce the amount of traffic in the pit area. Manufacturers’ Row, located on the northeast side [Read More]

Schirm scores Marshalltown Hobby Stock checkers

By Jeremy Fox MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Aug. 22) – Tenth starting Jamie Schirm was the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature winner Friday at Marshalltown Speedway. Gary Pfantz grabbed the early lead. Schirm and Garrett Eilander lined up on his back bumper following a lap six restart. Schirm took the front by the exit of turn two on the restart and went on to the victory. Richie Gustin prevailed in a green to checkered IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified main event. Donavon Smith held off heavy hitters Damon Murty, Steve Meyer, Robert Stofer and Michael Jaennette for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers. Clint Luellen notched his seventh local feature win in the Big 8 Tyre Center IMCA Northern SportMods.

Martin wraps up 11th track title at Independence Motor Speedway

By Ryan Clark INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (Aug. 23) – Nobody has won more track championships or Late Model features at Independence Motor Speedway than Curt Martin. He added to that stellar career Saturday night. Martin, who entered the night tied atop the standings with Darren Ackerman, led all 30 laps of the IMCA Late Model feature and took the checkers half of a lap ahead of Jon Passick during Budweiser Season Championships. It was Martin’s 95th Late Model win in weekly racing history and his 11th track championship at the speedway, his first since 2006. Martin’s first track title came in 1984. Troy Cordes, Alex Zwanziger and Benji Irvine also locked up track titles by finishing the season in victory lane. Roger Ciesielski earned his first Independence win in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car division while Norman Chesmore earned track champion honors in that division. All feature events were lined up straight-up based on season point totals. The top four in each division’s standings were given the chance to double their money by taking the Indee [Read More]

$250,000-plus in product, contingencies awarded at Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa – The dollar amount of product and contingency awards to be awarded at the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s is already a guaranteed record-breaker. With the addition of engines given to Saturday night champions by Karl Chevrolet and Karl Performance, more than $250,000 will be awarded to drivers in the six divisions competing Sept. 1-6 at Boone Speedway. “Our partners continue to be very generous as the value of their product and contingency awards is again approximately equal to the purse money that will be paid out,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder said. “Combining the purse and prizes comes to more than $500,000 to be paid or given at the biggest week-long dirt track racing event in the world,” he added. “One of the best things about so many of these product awards is that drivers get to take them home with them when they leave the speedway. That provides an even greater tangible benefit.” IMCA sponsors and the dollar amount of their Super Nationals product and/or contingency awards [Read More]

Harris Auto Racing continues title sponsorship of Super Nationals Modified Race of Champions

BOONE, Iowa – Harris Auto Racing continues title sponsorship of one of the premier events for Modifieds, during the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. For the eighth consecutive year, the Boone, Iowa, chassis manufacturer and high performance parts retailer will provide a portion of the point fund for the Race of Champions, to be held Saturday, Sept. 6 at Boone Speedway. Qualifying for the 12-car, 12-lap $1,000 to win race is open top drivers in local track standings competing at Super Nationals, former national, regional and Super Nationals champions, and to previous race winners. Harris is in its 19th season as an IMCA partner. Owner John Logue is a 10-time qualifier for the Race of Champions and won the event in 2001. The defending race winner is Dustin Smith. “The Harris Auto Racing Modified Race of Champions remains one of the marquee events of any Super Nationals and we get a high volume of calls leading up to it to check on the eligibility status of drivers from across the country,” [Read More]