dacotahspeedway Archives

Dacotah Speedway checkers to Seidler

By Rebecca Rattei MANDAN, N.D. (May 19, 2023) – Veteran Marlyn Seidler was the winner Friday night in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Dacotah Speedway. Scott Gartner led from the pole in the main event and pulled away as the racing was heating up behind him between Travis Tooley, Quentin Kinzley, Mark Dahl and Jason Wolla. Drivers were slicing and dicing for position as the track was wide and racy. A mid-race caution erased Gartner’s large lead over the field. On the restart, Gartner, Kinzley and Dahl raced three-wide for the lead as Tooley, Wolla and Seidler raced three wide for fourth. Seidler, who started ninth, shuffled into the fourth position and wasted no time tracking down the leaders. Kinzley led briefly before Dahl claimed the top spot. Seidler made it a three-car battle for the lead and motored into first place. Jeremy Keller, who started 11th, followed Seidler through the field and started to reel him in when Seidler started catching lapped traffic. Keller was all over Seidler’s rear bumper and coming [Read More]

Estevan is back on schedule for 2023 IMCA Dakota Tour

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (Dec. 19, 2022) – History teacher turned tour director John Gartner channeled his inner Douglas MacArthur when he promised a return to Estevan Motor Speedway. And like the general who made good on his promise to return to the Philippines, Gartner and the IMCA Dakota Classic Modified Tour will return to the Saskatchewan track in 2023. “I’m a history major and always talked to kids about MacArthur’s promise,” he explained. “The tour hasn’t been to Canada since 2019, the year before COVID, and I told people we would go back as soon as we could.” “We made that promise and we’re going to keep it,” he continued. “We will be back in Estevan on July 10.” Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds run for $2,000 to win, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $1,000 to win each night of the July 8-13 tour. Opening night is Saturday, July 8 at Jamestown Speedway. The tour is at Nodak Speedway in Minot on July 9 and Estevan the next night. Williston Basin Speedway hosts the July 11 show. [Read More]

Oktoberfest fans toast Seidler after IMCA Modified win at Dacotah finale

By Becca Pelkey MANDAN, N.D. (Oct. 1, 2022) – Veteran Marlyn Seidler led green to checkered in the final race of the season Saturday at Dacotah Speedway, earning $1,000 for his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win at the Oktoberfest show. With 180-plus drivers on hand for the fifth annual special, Seidler and Jeremy Keller quickly distanced themselves from the field before catching lapped traffic. Third running Shawn Strand closed in before a mid-race caution regrouped the field and then led to a string of cautions. Seidler survived each and every restart to lead all 30 laps for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying win over Keller and Strand. Other $1,000 feature winners were Trent Grager in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Rich Pavlicek in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Brandon Beeter in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Dakota Classic Tour champion Grager ran in front of Stock Car Stampede winner Krogh and Randy Klein before Joren Boyce made it a four-car battle late in the race. However, Grager led all 20 laps [Read More]

Kinzley is king at Dacotah Speedway

By Becca Pelkey MANDAN, N.D. (July 22, 2022) – After everything fell into place, Quentin Kinzley parked his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified in Dacotah Speedway’s victory lane. The Friday night feature win was his first at Mandan since June of 2020. “2021 was a good year but it seemed like we were always the bridesmaid. We were close so many times,” said the uber consistent Kinzley, who counted four runner-up finishes among 10 top five outings at Dacotah Speedway last season. “It felt good to win. Everything fell into place.” Pole sitter Chris Barros set the pace in the feature but it was rookie Logan Schmitz who led from the green flag. Schmitz pulled away quickly as Barros tried to stay with him. Barros slowly started to fade through the field, losing positions to Spencer Wilson, Kinzley and Marlyn Seidler. It looked like Schmitz was on his way to his first career win in the division when a mid-race caution regrouped the field. On the restart, Schmitz and Kinzley, wheeling a Lethal Chassis this season, [Read More]

He’s perfect: Berry races to record sixth IMCA Modified Dakota Classic Tour win

By Becca Pelkey MANDAN, N.D. (July 14, 2022) – Tom Berry Jr.’s race for perfection ended in victory lane Thursday night. Berry led all 30 laps of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Dacotah Speedway in winning the Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour finale, his record sixth victory in as many starts during the week of the 33rd annual tour. “Unbelievable,” Berry said afterwards. “We focused but we had fun. Too serious will burn you out. We had a few beers every night, hung out with fans and talked to people, got to bed at two or three in the morning and then drove to the next track to grind it out.” “Here we are six races later and we won all six,” he continued. “That’s pretty unbelievable.” Steve Arpin had won every night in racing to the 2007 crown, when a rainout pared the tour to five events. Berry’s sixth win came from the pole as he pulled away quickly at the start, caught heavy lapped traffic early and then tip-toed his way through. A [Read More]

Berry now one win from IMCA Dakota Classic Tour perfection

By Becca Pelkey MANDAN, N.D. (July 13, 2022) – Tom Berry Jr. is just 30 laps from unprecedented Corral Sales IMCA Dakota Classic Tour perfection. Berry won his fifth Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature and $2,000 in as many nights Wednesday at Dacotah Speedway, matching Steve Arpin’s 5-for-5 tour in 2007. He’ll chase that record-breaking sixth win when the tour concludes Thursday at Mandan. “We’ve been good. I don’t know what else to say. We’ve been up here every night,” Berry said from victory lane. “Luck’s been on our side. I’ve got a lot of good help backing me and that makes it all go around.” “It was overall a good night. Now we’ve got one more night.” Hometown driver Shawn Strand led early from the pole with Berry moving quickly toward the front from his sixth starting spot. The 2019 tour and 2020 national champion Berry caught and passed Strand before a lap three caution regrouped the field. On the restart, Berry ran away with the lead, quickly putting cars a lap down. The [Read More]

It’ll be a classic: 33rd IMCA Dakota Tour starts Saturday at Jamestown

MANDAN, N.D. (July 6, 2022) – Guaranteed to be a classic, the 33rd annual Corral Sales IMCA Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric opens this Saturday at Jamestown Speedway. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds race for $2,000 to win, $300 to start and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility each night July 9 at Jamestown, July 10 at Nodak Speedway in Minot, July 11 at Williston Basin Speedway, July 12 at Southwest Speedway in Dickinson, and July 13 and 14 at Dacotah Speedway in Mandan. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for a top check of $1,200 at Jamestown and $1,000 to win the next five nights, plus $100 to start and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. IMCA and Hoosier Race Tire provide the $10,000 tour point fund, paying $6,500 to top 10 Modified drivers and $3,500 to top 10 Stock Car drivers. “The tour is just about ready to go,” noted Director John Gartner. “More than a dozen states and two Canadian provinces are now represented by the Modified entries and [Read More]

33rd IMCA Dakota Classic Tour primed for July 9-14 run

MANDAN, N.D. (June 13, 2022) – The 33rd annual Corral Sales IMCA Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric has made a few changes to its format but the core mission of the Tour, to bring the best from IMCA to North Dakota each July, remains the same. Grant Oskvig will be the new tour flagman and IMCA.TV will be live streaming all six nights of the tour. All tracks have agreed to start at 7 p.m. for the first time and once again, IMCA rules will be used at all tracks in both the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car divisions. The series starts its six-night consecutive run on Saturday, July 9 at the quarter-mile, high-banked Jamestown Speedway. They have pit parking for over 300 vehicles and camping right next to the track. Minot and Nodak Speedway host round two on Sunday, July 10. Nodak is a 3/8-mile high-banked facility on the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. On Monday, July 11, the tour heads west to Williston Basin Speedway and a quarter-mile, [Read More]

Dacotah Iron Man 100 totes $5,000 IMCA Modified check

MANDAN, N.D. (May 29, 2022) – A $ 5,000 top prize is on the line in the June 3 and 4 Iron Man 100 special for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at Dacotah Speedway. Modifieds run heat races during Friday’s opening night program, with passing points to determine the lineups for a pair of $1,000 to win, 25-lap qualifying features. The top seven or eight cars in each of those features advance to the main event grid, to be filled through last-chance qualifying on Saturday. The 100-lap Modified main will be stopped at halfway for fuel and tearoffs with the winner becoming eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts are also on the Saturday card. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and KMJ Performance State points will be awarded in all three divisions; Modifieds also earn Razor Chassis North Central Region points. Entry fee for the Modifieds, payable at the gate, is $150. Pit passes are $30. Grandstand admission is $20 for adults and free [Read More]

Keller dominates opening night at Dacotah Speedway

By Becca Pelkey MANDAN, N.D. (May 6, 2022) – Jeremy Keller led every time around the track in winning Friday’s opening night feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at Dacotah Speedway. Shawn Strand and Keller led the field to the green flag for the 25-lap feature. Keller pulled away as Strand tried to hold off Spencer Wilson for second. A series of mid-race cautions regrouped the field which allowed Travis Hagen to make it a three-car battle for second. They sliced and diced for position on the track as defending track champion Quentin Kinzley lurked in fifth. Hagen passed Wilson for third and challenged Strand for second but when the checkered flag waved, came up short to second running Strand. Spencer Wilson finished fourth ahead of Kinzley. Defending track champion Stan Thompson led early in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature. Stan’s son Alex quickly reeled in his dad and they raced side-by-side for several laps. The battle up front allowed Ken Sandberg to close and make it a three-car battle. With five laps to [Read More]