dakotaclassictour Archives

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]

Déjà vu on Night 5 of IMCA Dakota Tour as Laney is IMCA Modified winner at Southwest

DICKINSON, N.D. (July 14) – Almost five years to the day he first won at Southwest Speedway, Cody Laney raced his way back to victory lane at the lightning-quick North Dakota oval. Laney topped the fifth installment of the Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour IMCA Modified feature, adding to his tour point lead with the $2,000 checkers. The California driver had also been the winner of the July 13, 2016 event at Dickinson, his only previous tour victory. “That’s the only other time I’ve raced here,” said Laney, noting that track prep for the Wednesday night show fit his driving style. “Last year was the first time we’d raced the tour since then. We had motor problems and I only raced the first three nights.” “Following the tour is a lot of work but it’s a really cool deal,” he continued. “The tour has been around a long time and has a lot of prestige. There are a lot of good drivers – the locals are really good.” Former tour champion Troy Cordes led much [Read More]

Black’s IMCA Dakota Tour struggles end, Flory continues Stock success at Williston

By Rebecca Rattei WILLISTON, N.D. (July 13) – Tanner Black saw his string of tough outings end Tuesday night with his career-first Corral Sales Dakota Classic IMCA Modified Tour win at Williston Basin Speedway. He swapped the lead with Tim Ward in the green, white, checkered conclusion to the $2,000 to win main event. “We’ve struggled really bad this week,” said Black, who had 13th, 20th and 26th place finishes to show for three tour starts leading into Williston. “We got a better draw this time, had a good heat race and were able to get into the redraw. Dominic Ursetta had drawn the pole and quickly pulled away from the field quickly, but Black found the fast line up top and passed Ursetta for lead seven laps in. Heavy lapped traffic allowed a number of challengers to stay close and a couple late-race cautions helped the eighth starting Ward make his charge to the front. After Ward made his way to the front, Black again used the higher line to get the lead, then drove to [Read More]

Hibdon bounces back after DNQ with night three IMCA Modified Dakota Classic Tour feature win

MINOT, N.D. (July 12) – What a difference a day makes. After a Sunday DNQ at Nodak Speedway, Kollin Hibdon bounced back with a second IMCA Modified win on the third night of the Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour, leading all 30 laps of Monday’s main event at Minot. “Sunday was more of a driver issue. I put myself behind and that was that,” said the 17-year-old hotshoe from Nevada, who’d struggled in both his heat and ‘B’ feature after collecting his first $2,000 checkers of the tour Saturday at Jamestown. “We worked on the car all morning with the goal of making the feature and did pretty good.” After winning his heat, Hibdon started outside Kyle Brown on the front row, took the lead at the drop of the green and built an advantage of as much as six seconds before the only caution of the contest waved with three circuits left in the 30-lapper. “Nobody showed me a nose or anything. I pretty much made sure I hit my marks the last three [Read More]

Long tows pay off with IMCA Dakota Tour Nodak Speedway wins for Dotson, Madrid

By Rebecca Rattei MINOT, N.D. (July 11) – Ethan Dotson’s IMCA Modified success in the Midwest continued on Sunday, as the Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour moved to Nodak Speedway for night two. Dotson got the best of Tripp Gaylord in a back-and-forth battle, regaining the lead on the last lap and then pulling away to the $2,000 IMCA Modified victory at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds oval. “The Dakota Tour has always been a big deal. It’s pretty cool to finally be able to win one of these races,” the California driver said. “There were a lot of good cars from a lot of states here.” Minot’s own Steven Pfeifer led the field to the green flag and raced side-by-side with Dotson who eventually grabbed the lead 10 laps into the 30-lapper. Gaylord used a series of mid-race cautions to his advantage in catching Pfeifer for second. As the laps wound down, Gaylord was all over Dotson’s rear bumper before pulling ahead. “I chose the wrong line with about three to go,” Dotson said, [Read More]

Hibdon is IMCA Modified hero in Dakota Classic Tour opener

By Rebecca Rattei JAMESTOWN, N.D. (July 10) – He was on the late side getting to the track but Kollin Hibdon was quick to find his way back to victory lane at Jamestown Speedway Saturday night. Hibdon won the IMCA Modified feature on opening night of the Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour, passing Eddie Belec for the front spot with eight circuits left in the 30-lapper. The 17-year-old speedster from Nevada pulled away from that point. Ethan Dotson worked his way to the runner-up spot, crossing the stripe a straightaway off Hibdon’s $2,000 first-place pace. “This was a good race to win. I’ve never had the chance to follow this tour before,” said Hibdon, also the winner of Jamestown’s Don Gumke Racers’ Memorial in June and already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “There are a lot of good drivers here from a lot of states.” “Twenty-eight guys started the feature,” he continued, “and any one of them could win one of these races on any given night.” Hibdon had drawn the pole but [Read More]

IMCA Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour starts Saturday in Jamestown

MANDAN, N.D. – Drivers have been pre-registered from 14 states and Saskatchewan for the upcoming Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour for IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars July 10-15, 2021. The six consecutive day tour starts in Jamestown at the quarter-mile Jamestown Speedway on the Stutsman County Fairgrounds, on Saturday, July 10. Jamestown was one of the original three tour tracks when the series began in July of 1990. From there the series heads north to Minot at the 3/8-mile Nodak Speedway on the North Dakota State Fairgrounds for a Sunday-Monday doubleheader on July 11-12. The Monday date was to be held in Estevan, Sask., as it has since 2000, but the border remains closed due to the Covid pandemic, so Minot agreed to host the program. This allowed the rest of the Tour schedule to go on as scheduled. On Tuesday, July 13, the quarter-mile Williston Basin Speedway hosts the fourth date of the Tour that is held at the Upper Missouri Valley Fairgrounds. Southwest Speedway in Dickinson has the Wednesday, July 14, date at [Read More]

Nodak to host IMCA Dakota Tour on two nights as U.S.-Canadian border remains closed

MINOT, N.D. – With the restriction on non-essential travel between the United States and Canada extended into mid-July, Nodak Speedway will host a second Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour event. Touring IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars are at Minot on Sunday, July 11 and now Monday, July 12 as well. Estevan Motor Speedway in Saskatchewan would have been the site of the Monday show had travel restrictions, imposed last March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, been eased. “Due to this fact that we have no control over, the Corral Sales Dakota Classic Modified Tour will revert to Plan B with Nodak Speedway in Minot taking the Monday, July 12 date in place of Estevan,” said Tour Director John Gartner, also noting that fully vaccinated Canadians may have an easier time traveling by air to the U.S. The 32nd annual tour starts Saturday, July 10 at Jamestown Speedway. Following the two Minot dates are events on July 13 at Williston Basin Speedway, July 14 at Southwest Speedway in Dickinson and July 15 at Dacotah Speedway [Read More]

Record $10,000 point fund for 32nd IMCA Dakota Classic Tour

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – With a record $10,000 point fund waiting at the end of the week, the 32nd annual Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour for IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars kicks off Saturday, July 10 at Jamestown Speedway. The July 11 tour date is at Nodak Speedway in Minot, which would also host the next night’s show if travel is not allowed to Saskatchewan and Estevan Motor Speedway. Williston Basin Speedway hosts the July 13 show and Southwest Speedway at Dickinson the July 14 event. Championship night is July 15 at Dacotah Speedway in Mandan. Tour Director John Gartner notes the site of the July 12 show remains pending an announcement on opening of the border by Canadian authorities. “That announcement is expected next week,” said Gartner. “Drivers should continue to monitor news sources on the border status and plan accordingly.” Total purses paid each night are more than $20,000. All six Modified features pay $2,000 to win, a minimum of $300 to start and $100 tow, and are qualifying events for the Fast [Read More]

Registration starts today for IMCA Dakota Classic Tour

MANDAN, N.D. – Online registration starts later today (Wednesday) for the Corral Sales IMCA Dakota Classic Tour. IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car competitors can go to the drivers tab on www.dakotamodtour.com website to complete the registration process and secure their number. New this year is a $25 entry fee that will be refunded in cash the first night drivers race on the 32nd annual tour. All six Modified features pay $2,000 to win and are qualifying events for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Stock Car features pay $1,000 with winners becoming eligible to qualify for the B & B Chassis All-Star race. Opening night is Saturday, July 10 at Jamestown Speedway. The tour is at Nodak Speedway in Minot on Sunday, July 11 and at Estevan Motor Speedway in Saskatchewan on Monday, July 12 if the border is open. The series will be in Minot that evening if the border is still closed. Williston Basin Speedway is site of the Tuesday, July 13 show and Southwest Speedway at Dickinson hosts the Wednesday, July 14 event. [Read More]