dacotahspeedway Archives

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]

Dacotah Speedway gears up for 2022 season

By Rebecca Rattei MANDAN, N.D. (April 6, 2022) – Dacotah Speedway is getting ready for its 2022 season. “We have a lot of big things planned for 2022,” said Sales and Promotions Director Jane Link. “We have a lot of big races planned as well as special guests. We are pretty excited to have John Schneider, the actor who played Bo Duke on Dukes of Hazzard, racing with us on Friday, June 10.” Schneider will be headlining many Mandan events June 10-12 as he will be racing amongst local drivers on Friday, June 10 at the Dacotah Speedway. Schneider will be giving rides in the General Lee on Saturday, June 11 during the Big Rig Show and Shine, also at Dacotah Speedway. Then he will be preforming with his band, John Schneider & The Stars N’ Bars Band later that night. The public will have one last opportunity to meet Schneider on Sunday, June 12 during Buggies and Blues. Dacotah Speedway will host the fifth annual Iron Man 100 a $5,000 to win, 100 lap grueling [Read More]

Dates, locations announced for 2022 Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour

MANDAN, N.D. – Plans have been finalized for the Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour with IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars after a recent meeting with the six host tracks. Due to mandated Covid vaccination requirements at the international border, Estevan, Sask., Motor Speedway has decided not to take a tour date despite an open border. This decision meant one track would be allowed to take an additional date to keep the traditional six consecutive date series format that has been popular with drivers and fans over the tour’s long history. Dacotah Speedway in Mandan stepped up to take the extra date. The tour will start in Jamestown on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at Jamestown Speedway. The series then heads north to the North Dakota State Fairgrounds and Nodak Speedway in Minot on Sunday, July 10. Drivers and fans next head west on US Highway 2 for Williston and Williston Basin Speedway on Monday, July 11. Southwest Speedway in Dickinson is next on Tuesday, July 12. The Tour wraps up in Mandan at Dacotah [Read More]

Believe it! James tops IMCA Modifieds in Dakota Classic Tour finale at Mandan

MANDAN, N.D. (July 15) – On opening night of the Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour, Bricen James didn’t believe he had a top 10 car. But the Oregon driver stood on the top step of the podium on the final night of the 32nd annual tour after leading all 30 laps of the $2,000 to win IMCA Modified feature at Dacotah Speedway. “The car was so easy to drive. It was just perfect,” he said following the Thursday checkers. “This is our first time on the tour so we’ve never been to any of these tracks. Winning (tonight) was pretty danged cool.” His best finish in four tour starts, before a Wednesday DNQ, had been 17th. Making some minor changes led to a “less aggressive” setup that paid off at Mandan. Timely cautions kept lapped cars from becoming a factor and James was catching up with the back of the field at the finish. Former tour champion Marlyn Seidler was runner-up. Tripp Gaylord and Ethan Dotson were next across the stripe. Tim Ward’s charge from 13th starting [Read More]

Keller conquers IMCA Modified feature at Dacotah

By Rebecca Rattei MANDAN, N.D. (June 18) – What began as three-car battle ended with a fourth driver back in victory lane Friday at Dacotah Speedway. Scott Gartner, Zach Frederick and Mark Dahl tussled early. Frederick shuffled into the lead as Jeremy Keller quickly worked his way into the top five and then passed Dahl for second. Using the high line around the track, Keller reeled in Frederick and they briefly raced for the lead. Keller took the lead on lap five and pulled away from the field. Frederick then lost positions to Quentin Kinzley, Dahl and Spencer Wilson. When the checkered flag waved, Keller picked up the feature win. Dahl held off Wilson for second place. Kinzley finished fourth while Frederick finished fifth. Shad Pederson and Lane Doll started on the front row of the Mach-1 Sport Compact feature. They raced door-to-door for the lead, allowing Stan Thompson and Ken Sandberg to make it a four-car battle. Contact among the leaders allowed Sandberg to slip by and pull away from the field. Stan [Read More]