Modified

Sale of Dakota Classic Modified Tour announced

MANDAN, N.D. (Dec. 5, 2023) – Dakota Classic Modified Tour owner John Gartner has agreed to sell the long-time running series to a promoters’ governing group that represents the six tracks currently hosting the tour. The tour for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars will be held during the previously agreed upon dates next July starting with Jamestown Speedway on Saturday, July 6; Nodak Speedway in Minot on Sunday, July 7; Estevan Motor Speedway on Monday, July 8; Williston Basin Speedway on Tuesday, July 9; Southwest Speedway in Dickinson on Wednesday, July 10; and Dacotah Speedway in Mandan on Thursday, July 11. No significant changes are planned to be made with tour payouts, fees or procedures. The governing group will be selecting a tour director/promoter at some point in the future. The new governing board members and promoters of each track state that that “Words cannot do enough to  describe our gratitude to John for his commitment to this tour over the years. This tour would not exist without him. As we move [Read More]

Northern SportMod

North Dakota driver Deschamp soars to new heights 

BOTTINEAU, N.D. – His fascination with buttons and gauges and all things mechanical first took Gabriel Deschamp to the dirt track. Then it took him to the skies. The 19-year-old from Bottineau got his private pilot’s license this summer and has already begun studies toward a degree in commercial aviation at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. He’ll drive, or maybe fly, home on the weekends to continue quests for Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod track titles at hometown Thunder Mountain Speedway and at Nodak Speedway in Minot. “Ever since I was younger, I liked buttons and gauges, and race cars and planes both have a lot of them,” explained Deschamp. “It’s just something I’ve always been interested in, and one of the things I like best about flying is the freedom. You can get to other places quickly and easily. And it’s pretty cool when you’re in control of where you’re going.” He’d built and flown his own balsa wood radio controlled planes before following his grandfather and father Beau – now [Read More]

Feature

Estevan fans cheer Scholpp to IMCA.TV Dakota Tour checkers

ESTEVAN, Sask. (July 10, 2023) – Fans at Estevan Motor Speedway cheered one of their own to the checkers Monday night, when the IMCA.TV Dakota Classic Tour returned to Canada. Hometown driver Kody Scholpp led all but one lap of the 30-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified  main event, taking his first-ever tour win, good for $2,000, ahead of Jason Wolla and Tim Ward. “I’ve never done that great on the tour,” said Scholpp, who had a career-best third place finish the previous night at Minot. “This was my main goal for the tour this year. I wanted to win at Estevan and defend my home track.” “It’s amazing,” he added. “I’ve raced here for 19 years and in a Modified since 2008. The fans here support me so well.” Scholpp was fast from the get-go, taking charge from his outside front row starting spot and running three seconds ahead of Ward before he got into lapped traffic at halfway. Ward, who’d won Sunday’s opening night feature Sunday at Jamestown, was in front briefly following a lap [Read More]

Feature

IMCA.TV bonuses paid to Dakota Tour Modified drivers defending home tracks

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (July 7, 2023) – Modified drivers defending their home track(s) earn almost $2,000 in bonuses during the upcoming IMCA.TV Dakota Classic Modified Tour. The top three finishing drivers appearing in local track standings coming into the night at July 8-13 tour events each receive $110 IMCA.TV DCMT Defender Awards. Where they finish in the feature doesn’t matter: The sole requirement is that they have competed and earned weekly points at that track/or tracks this season. Bonuses totaling $330 will be paid each night. Checks will be mailed from the IMCA office when results are official. The 34th annual Dakota Classic Tour for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars opens July 8 at Jamestown Speedway and travels to Nodak Speedway in Minot on July 9, Estevan Motor Speedway on July 10, Williston Basin Speedway on July 11, Southwest Speedway in Dickinson on July 12 and Dacotah Speedway in Mandan July 13. IMCA.TV broadcasts each of those race programs. Modifieds race for $2,000 to win along with Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility [Read More]

Feature

34th IMCA.TV Dakota Classic Modified Tour starts Saturday in Jamestown

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (July 6, 2023) – Online entries continue to come in for the 34th annual IMCA.TV Dakota Classic Modified Tour. The six consecutive night tour for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stocks Cars is again an international series with Estevan Motor Speedway in Saskatchewan back after a three-year absence due to the Covid pandemic. At this point, drivers have pre-registered from 15 US states and a healthy contingent from Canada. Modifieds will be running for $2,000 to win and $300 to start their 26-car features, along with Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Stock Cars will be paid $1,000 to win their 24-car feature events with B & B Racing Chassis All-Star qualifying eligibility awarded as well. More than $140,000 in payout for the series will be paid and there is a $10,000 point fund between the two divisions for the top 10 in tour points. In addition, over $25,000 in contingency prizes will be awarded to the top 25 in Modified and top 20 in Stock Car tour points. All six race [Read More]

Modified

IMCA Dakota Classic Tour will be ‘back to normal’

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (June 1, 2023) – For the first time in what’s been years, the guy who’s been around for all the years of the Dakota Classic Tour powered by Industrial Electric believes things will be back to normal. And normal is good. The 34th annual tour takes Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars to six different tracks in North Dakota and Saskatchewan over the course of its July 8-13 run. Modifieds run for $2,000 to win, Stock Cars for $1,000 to win each night. “Finally, it seems like we’re getting back to what feels normal,” said John Gartner, director of the tour since day one. “We haven’t had to deal with tornadoes, or flooding, and there’s no pandemic, which means we’re back to being an international series.” After dates July 8 at Jamestown Speedway and July 9 at Minot’s Nodak Speedway, the tour returns to Canada and Estevan Motor Speedway on July 10. “The tour hasn’t been north of the border since 2019, the year before COVID,” Gartner said. “I made the [Read More]

Events

Estevan Motor Speedway hosts IMCA Border Challenge this weekend

ESTEVAN, Sask. (May 15, 2023) – Estevan Motor Speedway rolls out the red carpet for IMCA drivers from both sides of the border at the May 19 and 20 Border Challenge. A sizable contingent of American drivers was on hand for opening night May 6 at the Saskatchewan speedplant, with proof of COVID 19 vaccination no longer required to cross the border and race in Canada. To welcome those drivers, local competitors and any newcomers to the sport who haven’t yet made the tow, Estevan hosts two nights of racing for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. While the regular weekly purse will be paid on Friday, top checks on Saturday will be $1,800 for the Modifieds, $800 for the Stock Cars, $650 for Northern SportMods and $500 for Hobby Stocks. Modifieds and Stock Car winners that evening become eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts or B & B Racing Chassis All-Star invitationals. The Stock Car Invitational qualifier is a first-ever event [Read More]

Results

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]

Events

IMCA Dakota Classic Tour point funds total $10,000

MANDAN, N.D. – Point funds totaling $10,000 will be paid to IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers in top 10 point standings for the upcoming Corral Sales IMCA Dakota Classic Tour. Courtesy of Hoosier Tire and IMCA, point fund amounts increase from $2,000 to $6,500 for the Modifieds and from $1,000 to $3,500 for the Stock Cars. The Modified champion earns $1,600, with $1,150 for second, $850 for third, $700 for fourth, $550 for fifth, $450 for sixth and $300 for seventh through 10th places. The Stock Car champion gets a $850 share of the point fund, with $625 for second, $475 for third, $400 for fourth, $325 for fifth, $225 for sixth and $150 for seventh through 10th. All 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 for the 32nd annual tour is Saturday, July 10 at Jamestown Speedway. From there it heads to [Read More]

Feature

Thornton sweeps Dakota Classic Tour features at Estevan

By Jackson Braun  ESTEVAN, Sask. (July 8) – Ricky Thornton Jr. is on an absolute roll.  The Adel, Iowa driver has hit his stride right at the perfect time, and doing double duty has not been a hindrance.  Thornton grabbed his second victories of the 30th annual Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour in both the $2,400 to win IMCA Modifieds and $800 to win IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars Monday night at Estevan Motor Speedway.  In the 30-lapper for the Modifieds, Billy Kendall and Jason Wolla led the field to green. Kendall held the lead over Thornton and hometown driver Kody Scholpp as one lap was put into the books. Contact between Kendall and Wolla in the first corner led to a ruffled quarter panel on the Kendall machine.  A bobble by Thornton in the middle of turns one and two opened up a lane for Scholpp to get around. Scholpp was hooked up around the corners and powered around Kendall, then started to strengthen his lead while Thornton made the move around Kendall to grab [Read More]