kellerautospeedway Archives

Green flag flies Wednesday for IMCA Central California Clash

ANTIOCH, Calif. (May 1, 2023) – Wednesday night is opening night for the fourth annual IMCA Central California Clash. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds run for $1,000 to win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $750 to win and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star qualifying eligibility, and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods for $750 to win each night of the May 3-7 tour. Following the opening night show at Antioch Speedway are dates Thursday, May 4 at Merced Speedway; Friday, May 5 at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford; Saturday, May 6 at Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway; and Sunday, May 7 at Bakersfield Speedway. IMCA.TV broadcasts each night of the tour and the top drivers in point standings for each division also become eligible to qualify for their respective race of champions event during the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Shaw Race Cars Western Region and EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region and California State points will be awarded all five [Read More]

Central California Clash set for May 3-7, IMCA.TV broadcasts each night of tour

ANTIOCH, Calif. (March 21, 2023) – Three champions will be crowned in the upcoming IMCA Central California Clash May 3-7. IMCA.TV broadcasts each night of the fourth annual tour, which features Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. Opening night is Wednesday, May 3 at Antioch Speedway. The Central California Clash travels to Merced Speedway on Thursday, May 4, to Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford on Friday, May 5 and to Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway on Saturday, May 6 before concluding Sunday, May 7 at Bakersfield Speedway. Modifieds run for $1,000 to win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility, Stock Cars for $750 to win and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star qualifying eligibility, and Northern SportMods for $750 to win each night. Top drivers in point standings for each division also become eligible to qualify for their respective race of champions event during the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Shaw Race Cars Western Region and EQ [Read More]

Laney rules Central California Clash night two at Keller

By Ben Deatherage HANFORD, Calif. (May 3, 2022) – Cody Laney reigned in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, on night two of the Central California Clash at Keller Auto Speedway. Racing like he was shot out of a cannon, Laney was flawless on each of the long green flag runs punctuated by five stoppages Tuesday night. After the third restart, he was joined at the front by Monday night winner Bobby Hogge. Hogge tried to overtake Laney once the field got going, but the leader kept him in check. The last two cautions came with just a couple of laps to go, setting up a green, white, checkered finish. Hogge had his hands full with Dalton Houghton, which allowed Laney to set sail from the rest of the pack and take the $1,000 win. Already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible, Laney won ahead of Houghton, Hogge, ‘B’ winner Kyle Heckman and Troy Foulger. $750 feature winners were Paul Stone in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Jason Bannister in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern [Read More]

Hogge opens Central California Clash with victory at Hanford

By Ben Deatherage HANFORD, Calif. (May 2, 2022) – A veteran and a youngster ran 1-2 in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at Keller Auto Speedway Monday, opening night of the Central California Clash. Bobby Hogge cruised to the $1,000 checkers for his fourth win of the season and career 98th in the division while Jake Pike, the Shaw Race Cars Western Region rookie of the year just three years ago, navigated his way to runner-up honors. The main event began with a great battle between Troy Foulger and Hogge, champion of the 2020 version of the now rebranded Speedweek. Foulger had the initial advantage coming across the stripe, but that lap was negated due to caution. On the second attempt, it was Hogge leading the charge. Hogge had no real issues at the point as he piloted the Paul Guglielmoni-fielded entry around the track. Cody Laney submitted a bid on the fourth and final restart but Hogge was so good on the long green flag runs that he cruised away from everyone else. [Read More]

Kings, Thunderbowl, Merced all prepped for May 2-7 IMCA Central California Clash dates

HANFORD, Calif. (April 26, 2022) – Three IMCA divisions fill the card each of six nights in the May 2-7 Central California Clash. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds run for $1,000 to win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility each night, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods vie for $750 to win and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $600 to win. The Clash is at Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds in Hanford on Monday and Tuesday, May 2 and 3; at Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway Wednesday and Thursday, May 4 and 5; and at Merced Speedway Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7. Kings opens the pits at 2 p.m. and grandstand at 4 p.m. with the drivers’ meeting at 5:15 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m. Grandstand admission is $20 for adults and $15 for seniors, military and students. Tulare opens at pits at 2 p.m. and grandstand at 4 p.m. The drivers’ meeting is at 4:45 p.m. and racing is at 6 p.m. Adult ticket prices are $20 for the grandstands and $15 for [Read More]

Rasmussen is IMCA RaceSaver Sprint winner at Keller

By Ben Deatherage HANFORD, Calif. (April 1, 2022) – Kyle Rasmussen was the winner when the IMCA Western RaceSaver Sprint Series traveled to Keller Auto Speedway for a Friday show. Blaine Fagundes shot out to the front as the 25-lap main event got going. Fagundes had no issues as the only thing slowing him down was a couple cautions. A long green flag run followed the second restart and Fagundes constructed a massive interval over second place. Eventually catching the tail end of the lead lap field, Fagundes was briefly held up by a car, which was enough of an obstacle to enable Rasmussen to storm past him on lap 17. Despite a late-race yellow, Rasmussen kept his mount out in front and captured the victory. Fagundes was second with third credited to Richard Weddle. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event was an absolute thriller. Loren DeArmond and Brock Hamilton dueled at the start of the 20-lap race. DeArmond had the advantage on the first lap and stayed there for some time. There were [Read More]

Dotson wins twice at Hanford, Ryland also tames California Speedweek foes

By Stephanie Deatherage HANFORD, Calif. (May 2) – Ethan Dotson had himself quite a night Sunday at Keller Auto Speedway. Dotson topped both the $1,000 to win California Speedweek presented by Hoppes Motorsports IMCA Modified feature and the evening’s IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event, while Fred Ryland won the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod main. Forty-one Modifieds, 35 Northern SportMods and 11 Stock Cars saw action on the night. Dotson and Kellen Chadwick battled for the front spot on the opening circuit of the Modified feature. Dotson got the edge before the field went on an extremely long green flag run. As the run extended, so did Dotson’s gap over second place. Lapped traffic did come into play but Dotson cruised through the pack for his career-first Speedweek checkers and seventh victory of 2021. Already a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational candidate, Dotson won ahead of Cody Laney, Troy Foulger, Bricen James and Chadwick. Dotson led start to finish in the caution-free Stock Car 20-lapper for his fifth win of the season in The Class Too Tough To Tame. [Read More]

Heckman hauls Hanford IMCA Modified mail, Speedweek SportMod checkers fly for Curran

By Stephanie Deatherage HANFORD, Calif. (Aug. 14) – Round five of the California Modified Speedweek presented by Hoppes took the tour to Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds, where Kyle Heckman prevailed over a field of 64 IMCA Modified entries and Brent Curran collected his first Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod victory. The Modified feature ran non-stop and Heckman took control of race lead from the get-go, pulling away from the rest of the pack and never looking back. Heckman handled lapped traffic perfectly, earning $1,000 and a spot on the 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot while becoming the fifth different winner in as many Speedweek events. A spirited battle for second went to Bobby Hogge IV while Troy Foulger was third over “B” qualifiers Paul Stone and Alex Stanford. Garrett Jernagan brought a streak of four straight Northern SportMod wins into the night but was a quick casualty after getting caught up on a multi-car crash on the original start. Curran took over the lead on the ensuing restart and, after the final [Read More]

Six tracks host California IMCA Speedweek shows

MERCED, Calif. – California is the place Modified and Northern SportMod drivers will want to be, for the inaugural California IMCA Speedweek Aug. 10-15. IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying features while Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods chase $750 top checks each night. The inaugural California IMCA Speedweek presented by Hoppes Motorsports opens next Monday at Placerville Speedway, then travels to Petaluma Speedway on Aug. 11; to Antioch Speedway on Aug. 12; to Merced Speedway on Aug. 13; to Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford on Aug. 14; and to Bakersfield Speedway for the Aug. 15 finale. All events are draw/redraw. Modified features pay $100 to start, Northern SportMod features $75, with IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Shaw Race Cars Western Region and KMJ Performance State points, in addition to series points at stake. Top five drivers in standings for each division receive point fund shares, in increments of $1,000, $400, $200, $100 and $100 for the Modifieds and $700, $300, $200, $100 and $100 for the Northern [Read More]

Inaugural California IMCA Modified Speedweek dates announced

By Ben Deatherage MERCED, Calif. – Something exciting is around the bend in the California IMCA Modified scene. Doug Lockwood, promoter at Merced Speedway, has put together the first-ever Modified Speedweek in the State of California. The series will race from Monday, Aug. 10 to Saturday, Aug. 15 at six different racetracks in as many nights. The racing extravaganza will be open to both IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. Each race will feature a 20-car main event for $1,000 to win and $50 to start for the Modifieds while SportMods will race for $600 to the winner and $40 to start. Modified features are Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying events. Point funds will be up for grabs in both divisions, with $1,000-$400-$200-$100-$100 shares being paid in the Modifieds and $600-$300-$200-$100-$100 shares paid in the SportMods. The whole party kicks off at Placerville Speedway on Aug. 10, before the tour travels west to Petaluma Speedway on Tuesday. Wednesday will be spent at Antioch Speedway while the Thursday date is reserved for Merced Speedway. The series continues its southern [Read More]