buenavistaraceway Archives

Abelson is successful in home track defense as Midwest Madness Tour visits Buena Vista

ALTA, Iowa (June 30) – A track that’s been very good to Chris Abelson in the past was good to the Sioux City speedster Wednesday night. Abelson got the best of Anthony Roth for the lead early into the IMCA Modified main event, then led to the finish of the 30-lap Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod Midwest Madness Tour/Kyle Suter Memorial show at Buena Vista Raceway. “I’ve raced at Alta a long time. I did have a home track advantage and that goes a long ways,” said Abelson, a seven-time Modified track champion at BVR. “It’s always good to win here – You never want somebody to come beat you at your home track.” That “somebody” Wednesday night was Californian Cody Laney, who worked his way up from ninth starting to second. A caution with eight laps left bunched the field back up by Abelson was able to stay in front to the checkers. Roth, Tuesday winner Kyle Brown and Dakota Sproul completed the top five. One thousand dollars richer, Abelson was already a Fast Shafts [Read More]

Latest great finish sees Smith score BVR’s Jimmy Squib Memorial feature

ALTA, Iowa (June 23) – A season that’s already seen Mike Smith score some great finishes saw him score another one Wednesday night. Smith took the lead early into Buena Vista Raceway’s Jimmy Squib Memorial feature for IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and stayed in front to a career-best $1,000 checkers. “I’ve had a lot of really great finishes this season, five wins and lots of top five’s,” he said. “There are so many good cars and so many good competitors in this class. It feels good to know I’m able to race with those guys.” The defending race winner took the initial green from third; the only caution of the race came out just before halfway in the 20-lapper. The Jimmy Squib Memorial feature had been postponed a week and became Smith’s third straight at Alta. Tenth starting Craig Brotherton, James Johnson, Drew Barglof and Dillon Magnussen rounded out the top five. Dylan Fitzpatrick won the evening’s scheduled feature with Smith racing from 12th starting to finish a close second.

IMCA Midwest Madness Tour primed for June 27-July 1 run

JEFFERSON, S.D. – IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars headline each night of the upcoming Midwest Madness Tour presented by Western Iowa Racing Results. Both divisions race for $1,000 to win, with Modified features being qualifiers for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot and Stock Car features for the B & B chassis All-Star event, on Sunday, June 27 at Raceway Park in Jefferson, S.D; Monday, June 28 at Park Jefferson Speedway in Jefferson, S.D.; Tuesday, June 29 at Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa; Wednesday, June 30 at Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, Iowa; and Thursday, July 1 at Stuart, Iowa, Speedway. Minimum start money is $150 for the Modifieds and $125 for the Stocks. Modified and Stock Car drivers must compete in at least four of the five events to be eligible for point funds to be paid to top five in points. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods also race each night with point fund shares to be paid to the top four drivers in standings for [Read More]

Five IMCA divisions battle this weekend at Buena Vista Raceway

ALTA, Iowa – Shares of a purse that totals more than $30,000 are at stake this weekend, when five IMCA divisions battle it out at Buena Vista Raceway’s inaugural Battle at the Beaver. The Sept. 18-19 special sees IMCA Modifieds race for $700 to win, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $500, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks both for $400 and Mach-1 Sport Compacts for $200 to win on opening night of the draw/redraw doubleheader. Modifieds run for a top prize of $1,000 plus a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth on Saturday; Stocks, SportMods and Hobby Stocks also run for $1,000 to win, Sport Compacts for $300. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and KMJ Performance State points will be awarded both nights. Weekend entry fees are $25 for Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods and Hobby Stocks, $10 for Sport Compacts. Pit passes are $30 for adults, $15 for ages 6-10 and free for ages five and under. Pit gates and the grandstand open at 5 p.m., the drivers’ meeting is [Read More]

Braaksma goes back to back with BVR win on Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour night 2

ALTA, Iowa (July 22) – After a convincing win on opening night, Ethan Braaksma dominated on night two of the Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour for IMCA Modifieds Wednesday at Buena Vista Raceway. Braaksma made his charge from seventh starting, taking over the front spot as leader Matt Bonine slowed with mechanical issues and checked out on everybody, taking the checkers half a lap ahead of runner-up Cody Laney. Laney ran second the last nine times around the track but didn’t get the break he needed as the 25-lapper ran caution-free. Chris Abelson, a three-time tour winner at BVR, started 12th and finished third. “We’ve worked pretty hard for this,” said Braaksma, who put his name on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot with his tour feature win Monday at Park Jefferson Speedway and banked $1,000 by taking the BVR checkers. “It was amazing to come out on top and know you beat the best guys in the Midwest twice.” Kyle Brown and Jesse Rogotzke, who’d started 13th, completed the top five. Braaksma had finished [Read More]

IMCA Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour opens with three races in three states

VINTON, Iowa – Three nights to remember take the Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour for IMCA Modifieds to three tracks in as many different states. Park Jefferson Speedway in Jefferson, S.D., hosts its first opening night tour event, paying $1,500 to win the Monday, July 20 show. Events on Tuesday, July 21 at Jackson, Minn., Motorplex and Wednesday, July 22 at Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, Iowa, both pay $1,000 to win. All three races are Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying events and will feature top drivers from around the Midwest as well as travelers from around the IMCA Nation. The tour has yet to see a repeat champion through its first 10 seasons. While the Tuesday show will be the first tour event held at Jackson, Dirt Knights traveled to Park Jeff each of the last two years and to Alta eight of the last nine. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Side Biter Chassis North Central Region, KMJ Performance State and series points are awarded at all Dirt Knights Tour events, [Read More]

Kyle Suter Memorial headlines BVR Wednesday show

ALTA, Iowa – One thousand dollars is the top prize for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars at Buena Vista Raceway’s Wednesday, July 15 Kyle Suter Memorial, presented by North Central Line Service. Completing the midweek card are IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods, racing for $1,000 to win as well, and Mach-1 Sport Compacts for $300 to win. All classes are draw/redraw. The Modified feature is a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. Entry fee for Modifieds and Stock Cars is $25. Spectator admission is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, veterans and students ages 13-18, and $2 or free with donation of a non-perishable food item for kids ages 12 and under. Pit passes are $25 for adults and $15 for kids ages 6-10. Gates and the grandstand open at 5 p.m. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. with racing to follow.

Season opener tonight at Buena Vista Raceway

ALTA, Iowa – Pit gates and the grandstand open at 5 p.m. today (Wednesday) for the season opener at Buena Vista Raceway. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts are on the draw/redraw card. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, state and track points will be awarded. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. with racing to follow. Pit passes are $25 for adults, $15 for kids ages 6-10 and free for five and under. Spectator admission is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors 65 and over, veterans and students ages 13-18, and free for kids 12 and under and active military personnel. Tonight’s race program at Alta will be broadcast by Advantage Racing TV, part of the IMCA.TV network.

New promoter will keep building on solid IMCA foundation at Buena Vista Raceway

ALTA, Iowa – With a firm midweek foundation in place, new promoter Trent Chinn plans to keep building on to the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing program at Buena Vista Raceway. Chinn takes over the Wednesday night speedplant at Alta, sanctioned by IMCA for 30-plus seasons. “This track really started to come back to its glory days under (previous promoter) Joey Ciechanowski,” said Chinn, who saw much of the country while crewing for Tim Ward and Ricky Thornton Jr. “This is already a very nice facility. One of the main things is that the racing surface has been so smooth from top to bottom every night and we’re going to do everything we can to continue that.” Both the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars will run at BVR for a 31st season in 2020. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks are sanctioned for the 28th consecutive season, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods for the 14th and Mach-1 Sport Compacts for the 13th. “What I enjoy about the IMCA Modifieds is how weekly racers can go to specials and be [Read More]

Abelson captures Dirt Knight Tour bounty at BVR

ALTA, Iowa (July 24) – Add a new title to Chris Abelson’s racing resume: Bounty hunter. Abelson led all 30 laps of Wednesday’s Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour main event at Buena Vista Raceway, earning $2,000 for the IMCA Modified feature victory plus the $500 bounty offered to the driver who could stop Richie Gustin’s series streak. Abelson drew the pole and tussled with California challenger Cody Laney before and after restarts on the 18th circuit. The last 12 laps ran green. Laney stayed close but had to settle for second. Gustin, chasing a record fourth straight tour victory, started seventh and finished third. Completing the top five were in the Al Ritts Memorial race were Joel Rust and Kelly Shryock. Hard charger Craig Reetz started 10th and finished 10th. Abelson was already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. His third feature win of the season was his Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour career sixth. The 2016 tour champion also won at BVR in 2011 and 2016. Other Wednesday winners at Alta were Stefan [Read More]