LasVegasMotorSpeedway Archives

Winebarger, Wolla take final IMCA Modified qualifiers at Duel

By Steven Young LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 13) – Collen Winebarger and former IMCA Modified national champion Jason Wolla earned the final qualifying victories at the 23rd annual Duel In The Desert at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Friday night. Tom Berry Jr. and Eddie Belec led the field to the green in qualifier number one, with Winebarger and Belec making significant contact entering the first pair of turns. Winebarger took the lead until a caution on the second lap. Belec moved back to second on the ensuing restart, bringing Kyle Brown with him to third. Another caution with six complete failed to disrupt the running order, as Winebarger continued to lead over Belec. The top three pulled away from the rest of the field by three seconds, as Belec remained within a car length with 10 to go. Brown took a peek to Belec’s inside with seven remaining, but the lead duo remained the same into the waning laps, as Winebarger continued on to victory over Belec. In qualifier number two, [Read More]

Dotson, DeMey head to Duel finale with Thursday night wins

By Steven Young LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 12) – Ethan Dotson and Shane DeMey earned their places in Saturday night’s main event for IMCA Modifieds at the 23rd annual Duel In The Desert with qualifying feature wins Thursday night at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. Jason Wolla and Jordan Grabouski led the field to the green at the start of the first of the pair of 20-lap qualifiers and it was Grabouski who took the point early. Dotson chased down Grabouski on the second round, eventually taking the lead on the backstretch, as Wolla reeled Grabouski back in for the second and final transfer spot. Wolla and Grabouski swapped lines in their bid for the position, allowing Dotson to pull away by a second in a half. Dotson built a lead of over two seconds by the halfway point, as he approached the rear of the field. As the leader worked traffic, Grabouski closed to under a second with seven remaining. It was then when Jacob Hobscheidt made a strong run from third [Read More]

Thornton, Egbert win opening night Duel qualifiers

By Steven Young LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 11) – Ricky Thornton Jr. and P.J. Egbert punched their tickets Wednesday night for the 23rd annual Duel In The Desert IMCA Modified main event, winning their respective 22-lap qualifying features. In the first qualifier at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Thornton and William Gould led the field to the green. Thornton set a blistering pace early, leading by over a full second at the completion of the opening round. Tanner Black moved up to the second spot on the second circuit, then began to close in on Thornton for the top spot. The lead duo maintained the same distance through 10 completed laps, as they approached the rear of the field. Thornton closed in on a pair of lapped cars running high and low with six remaining, allowing Black to close to within a half of a second with five laps left. Three lapped cars further quelled Thornton’s momentum, causing him to abandon the bottom to work the traffic with three laps left. Thornton put [Read More]

Charities will be big winners at IMCA Duel In The Desert

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – They won’t appear in victory lane but a host of charities will be winners at the upcoming Duel In The Desert. IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod drivers competing at the Nov. 9-14 Duel, at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track, with best appearing charity wraps or paint schemes, square off in minimum $1,000 to win features on Saturday night. The Duel promotional is focusing its energy on helping promote the more than 30 local, state and national charities to be represented on the track in Las Vegas, raising awareness before sharing personal driver stories before drivers dictate the results on the track to end the 23rd annual event. Online donations will be collected via the official page on the duelvegas.com website and added to the overall purse of each division as directed by those donating. Top three finishers in each best appearing feature take home $1,000, $250 and $125 plus online donations. All donations must be submitted through the official form or they will not be counted. There are [Read More]

IMCA returns to Las Vegas for 23rd annual Duel In The Desert Nov. 9-14

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – One of IMCA’s longest running specials returns to the Entertainment Capital of the World, as the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosts the 23rd annual Duel In The Desert Nov. 9-14. IMCA Modifieds run for $10,000 to win and a minimum of $1,000 to start their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying main event. Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars both run for $5,000 to win and a minimum of $500 to start. Stock Cars return to the Duel program this year. The Duel will be promoted for the first time by X.CELERATED and will be broadcast by XR. Parking begins at noon Sunday, Nov. 8 for backstretch rows and at noon Monday for reserved rows A-F and free. Track packing starts at 2 p.m. and practice for all three divisions runs from 3-7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Gates open at 8 a.m. with drivers’ meetings at 1 p.m., track packing at 1:30 p.m. and racing beginning at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, with heats, ‘B’ features [Read More]

Whitwell hits IMCA Modified jackpot with Duel In the Desert checkers

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 16) – R.C. Whitwell put a big checkmark on his IMCA Modified bucket list Saturday night at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. Whitwell led the last 11 of 40 laps in the Duel In The Desert main event, holding off fellow Tucson, Ariz., ace Jake O’Neil following a restart with four circuits left. The Duel win paid $7,777 and put Whitwell on the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. More than 300 cars, including an event record 102 Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods, saw action at the biggest event of the season in IMCA’s Shaw Race Cars Western Region. Whitwell had chased Tom Berry Jr. the first 29 times around the half-mile dirt oval before the leader got caught up with a lapped car and got turned around. “The car has been great since we unloaded,” said Whitwell, a second and a half ahead of O’Neil at the checkers. “It was kind of nerve wracking during the last caution, knowing the zero car (O’Neil) was back there, but I figured [Read More]

IMCA Duel In The Desert early entries top 230

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – More than 230 IMCA Modified and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod drivers are officially pre-entered for the biggest event of the season in IMCA’s Shaw Race Cars Western Region. Drivers in both divisions can still enter when they arrive at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track on Wednesday or Thursday for the Nov. 13-16 Duel in the Desert. Modifieds race for $7,777 to win, Northern SportMods for a top prize of $1,777 at the 22nd annual event. Saturday night’s Modified feature is a 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. The Duel will be broadcast by IMCA.TV. Twenty-two states and two Canadian provinces are now represented by the early Duel entries. Pre-registered Modified drivers include: Russell Allen, Brawley, Calif. Chase Alves, Casa Grande, Ariz. Paris Archie, Sparks Austin Arneson, Fargo, N.D. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz. Tim Balding, Santa Rosa, Calif. Christy Barnett, El Paso, Texas Jason Beaulieu, Campbell River, B.C. Eddie Belec, Arvada, Colo. Mikey Bell, Quitman, Ark. Tanner Black, Otis, Kan. Roger Bonneville, Calgary, Alb. Steve Boucher, Susanville, Calif. Steven Bowers [Read More]

Duel In The Desert boasts great competition, Las Vegas location

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Entertainment Capital of the World welcomes IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods to town for the Duel In The Desert. Modifieds race for $7,777 to win, Northern SportMods for a top prize of $1,777 at the 22nd annual Duel Nov. 13-16 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. “The Duel continues to be one of our biggest events, with more than 300 drivers from 20-plus states and Canada at last year’s event,” noted IMCA President Brett Root. “Both the level of competition and the entertainment away from the track are tough to beat.” The Saturday night Modified feature is a 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. A minimum of $777 will be paid to start the 28-car main event and to winners of Thursday and Friday, Nov. 14 and 15 qualifying features. Thursday and Friday Northern SportMod qualifiers both pay $500 to win. Drivers in both divisions can register online and competitors from 19 states and Canada have already done so. The track website is www.lvms.com and the registration form [Read More]

Marriott starts 10th, finishes first in midweek IMCA Modified feature at LVMS Dirt Track

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Feb. 27) – Hunter Marriott worked his way up from the 10th starting spot to take the $1,000 checkers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s midweek special for IMCA Modifieds. Marriott passed Travis Peery for the lead just after halfway in the Dirt Track 20-lapper. “It’s cool,” Marriott said following his first sanctioned win of the season and career 56th in the division. “I love coming to Vegas and I enjoy racing here.” Marriott was already on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. He’s the defending winner of that event. Logan Drake, Peery, Austin Kiefer and Cody Laney rounded out the top five Wednesday at LVMS. Feature results – 1. Hunter Marriott; 2. Logan Drake; 3. Travis Peery; 4. Austin Kiefer; 5. Cody Laney; 6. Kollin Hibdon; 7. Jake Pike; 8. Joey Price; 9. Brad Hopkins; 10. Chad Reichenbach; 11. Ron Moser; 12. Don Martin; 13. Jason Pike; 14. Justin Miller; 15. D.J. Shannon; 16. Joey Olschowka.

Entries top 300 for 21st annual Duel as Hughes, Sachau get LVMS Dirt Track wins

By Mike Spieker LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 10) – Entries numbered more than 300 and Jason Hughes backed up his opening night qualifying feature victory by winning Saturday’s IMCA Modified Duel in the Desert main event and taking home a $7,777 check. More than 20 states were represented at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track and drivers from 13 of them qualified for the Modified main event while a record 97 Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods took the green. Hughes had earned the Modified pole by virtue of his Thursday victory and started the 40-lap main event with Friday’s qualifying feature winner, Ricky Thornton Jr. to his outside. At the drop of the green, Hughes powered to the lead and brought third-place starter Ricky Alvarado with him. Hughes quickly opened up a 10 car length lead in the first lap as all the drivers inside the top five rode around the low side of the speedway. Thornton challenged Alvarado for the runner-up position on a restart with 23 circuits remaining. That allowed Hughes to pull away [Read More]