Dan Engledow

Duel In The Desert qualifying starts tonight

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 9) – Dirt will by flying at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track starting Wednesday qualifying for the biggest event of the season in IMCA’s Larry Shaw Race Cars Western Region begins tonight. More than 200 IMCA Modifieds and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods are entered for the 20th annual Duel in the Desert, which runs through Saturday at the LVMSpeedway half-mile dirt oval. Qualifying features are Thursday, Nov. 9, and Friday, Nov. 10, with last-chance races and main events for both divisions set for Saturday, Nov. 11. Modifieds race for a first-place prize of $7,777 and a minimum of $777 to start their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. Northern SportMods vie for a $1,777 top check on Saturday. Twenty-one states, including Alaska, and two Canadian provinces will be represented at this year’s Duel. Racing starts at 4 p.m. Pacific Time Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and Young Guns and Legends races precede 25-lap Northern SportMod and 40-lap Modified main events on Saturday. The Modified runner-up earns $3,250, with $2,250 for [Read More]

Iowa Governor’s Cup returns to Davenport Speedway

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Davenport Speedway hosts the Iowa Governor’s Cup, the official stock car championship of the State of Iowa, this Friday, Sept. 22. The premier class will be IMCA Modifieds racing for $5,000 to win. This will be the largest Modified purse in the history of the race track and the winner earns a berth of the 2018 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot as well. Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods run for a $2,000 top prize. All racing will be on the quarter-mile oval and there are no entry fees for the draw/redraw show. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and Allstar Performance State points will be awarded in both divisions. Modifieds also earn Side Biter Chassis North Central Region points. Hot laps are at 6:15 p.m. and racing is at 6:45 p.m. Twenty-four cars will start each IMCA feature. Spectator admission is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and students, and free for kids ages 12 and under. Pit passes are $35. The first Iowa Governor’s Cup race was held in 1986, at Hawkeye Raceway. [Read More]

Richie Gustin reigns again at Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 9) – After finishing second in his qualifying feature on Friday night, Richie Gustin figured he had a pretty good chance to win Saturday’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Modified main event. He was right. The 2011 Super Nationals champion, Gustin passed 2007 winner Todd Shute to get to the front of the 40-lap headliner, then outran defending champion Ricky Thornton Jr. in taking the Boone Speedway checkers. “I felt like we had a pretty good race car when we qualified last night,” said Gustin, who had passed 24 cars to finish second behind Thornton on Friday. “People say there’s a lot of luck that plays into this deal but when you get your second championship, it’s not luck. This is unbelievable.” Shute ended in third and Ricky Stephan was fourth. Three other former champions were in the show, with Gustin’s brother Jimmy finishing fifth, Randy Havlik seventh and Kyle Strickler 18th. Mike Nichols became a first-time Stock Car champion, beating Devin Smith across the stripe by not much [Read More]

Super Nationals Feature Results

Modifieds – 1. Richie Gustin, Gilman; 2. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.; 3. Todd Shute, Des Moines; 4. Ricky Stephan, South Sioux City, Neb.; 5. Jimmy Gustin, Marshalltown; 6. J.D. Auringer, Evansdale; 7. Randy Havlik, Ankeny; 8. Jeremy Mills, Garner; 9. Ricky Alvarado, Delta, Colo.; 10. Nick Roberts, Des Moines; 11. Jeremy Payne, Buckeye, Ariz.; 12. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa; 13. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb.; 14. Josh Most, Red Oak; 15. Jonathan Snyder, Ames; 16. Kelly Shryock, Fertile; 17. Drew Christianson, Minot, N.D.; 18. Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C.; 19. Justin O’Brien, West Union; 20. Cody Laney, Torrance, Calif.; 21. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 22. Nick Meyer, Whittemore; 23. Jesse Richter, Great Bend, Kan.; 24. Eric Elliott, Boone; 25. Jason Wolla, Ray, N.D.; 26. Paul Stone, Winton, Calif.; 27. Corey Dripps, Reinbeck; 28. Ryan Ruter, Clear Lake; 29. Chris Abelson, Sioux City; 30. Chris Mills, Sioux City; 31. Jay Noteboom, Hinton; 32. Randy McDaniel, Olivehurst, Calif.; 33. Darin Duffy, Urbana. Stock Cars – 1. Mike Nichols, Harlan; 2. Devin Smith, Lake City; 3. Dustin Larson, Rushmore, Minn.; 4. [Read More]

Saturday Roundup

Kyle Strickler starts his bid to complete the Super Nationals triple crown from inside row one. Already a Super Nationals champion and winner of the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, Strickler drew the ace to earn the pole start in Saturday’s Harris Auto Racing Race of Champions. Mike Jergens is on the outside of the front row and two-time race winner Dustin Smith lines up third. Starting fourth through 12th will be Josh Ruby, Todd Shute, Ryan McDaniel, Bob Moore, Vern Jackson, Mike VanGenderen, Joel Rust, Johnny Scott and Anthony Roth. * The ace put the Westin Abbey on the inside of the front row for the start of the Sunoco Race Fuels Stock Car Race of Champions Two-time RoC winner David Smith will line up on the outside. Completing the 10-car grid are Randy Brands, Shaun Bruns, Bryan Rigsby, Matt Schauer, 2014 race winner Devin Smith, defending winner Dustin Larson, Brandon Czarapata and Kyle Clough. * Todd Shute rock-paper-scissored his way to the outside row one start in tonight’s Modified main event, getting the Rochambeau [Read More]

Super Nationals finale starts with I do’s

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 9) – The bride wore a beaded ivory gown. The groom, of course, wore a checkered flag tie. Nebraska Stock Car driver Bob Chalupa and Carol Koch exchanged vows Saturday afternoon on the infield stage at Boone Speedway before pre-race ceremonies got underway for the final day of the 35th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “We’ve been coming here for four years and I wanted to get married in Las Vegas,” Chalupa said. “She said no, let’s get married in Boone.” While he’d have liked to have qualified for tonight’s main event, Chalupa agreed that getting married at Super Nationals was a bigger highlight. His car served as a backdrop to post-ceremony pictures and Carol waved to the grandstand crowd from the passenger side window as they drove back to his trailer. Doug Cue, pastor at First United Methodist Church in Boone, officiated.

Stock checkers fly for Oliver, Smith

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 8) – A first-time qualifier and a former champion both made their way to victory lane following Friday night Stock Car features at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. John Oliver Jr. of Danville passed Webster City’s Reid Keller on the 10th of 25 laps and led to the finish in topping the first qualifier at Boone Speedway. “I have had the best season I’ve ever had in my life. This feels great,” Oliver said. “This has been a dream come true.” Keller, 13th starting Shaun Bruns of Danube, Minn., and Norman Chesmore of Rowley rounded out the top four behind Oliver. Devin Smith of Lake City, a driver who’s dream came true with the 2014 Super Nationals crown, took charge up front early in the second qualifier and outran persistent Abe Huls of Carthage, Ill., in lapped traffic in winning the second qualifier. Jason See of Albia and 2001 champion Brian Blessington of Breda were third and fourth, respectively. Top four drivers from each qualifier will line up [Read More]

Shute, Thornton lead parade of champions

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 8) – Qualifying feature winners Todd Shute and Ricky Thornton Jr. were two of the four Modified drivers with IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s championships already on their resumes who punched tickets to 2017’s big dance Friday night. 2007 champion Shute of Des Moines topped the first qualifier at Boone Speedway while defending king Thornton of Chandler, Ariz., outran 2011 champ Richie Gustin of Gilman in the second show. 2009 champion Randy Havlik of Ankeny was fourth. Shute drew the pole start and led start to finish. He ran three wide with lapped traffic in the final circuits, winning in front of Justin Auringer of Evansdale, Jay Noteboom of Hinton and Jeremy Mills of Garner. “It’s been 10 years since I was on this stage. There was a great field of drivers behind me,” Shute said post-race. “I can’t believe this is happening.” Thornton, who’d been disqualified in post-race tech on Thursday, led the last 21 laps of the nightcap, which saw Gustin motor all the way from 26th [Read More]

Saturday Schedule of Events

DRIVERS MEETING – 1:45 pm PRE-RACE CEREMONY – 2 pm Stock Car RoC Card Game in Fan Zone Modified RoC Card Game in Fan Zone Northern SportMod Best Appearing Car presentation Modified Best Appearing Car presentation FIRST RACE – 3 pm HOBBY STOCK ROC HOT LAPS 5 – MODIFIED LAST CHANCE HEATS (10 laps) TRACK PREP (Friday Stock Car Top 8 to Fan Zone) SPORTMOD ROC HOT LAPS 5 – MODIFIED LAST CHANCE HEATS (10 laps) TRACK PREP (Friday Modified Top 8 to Fan Zone) STOCK CAR ROC HOT LAPS 5 – MODIFIED LAST CHANCE HEATS (10 laps) TRACK PREP (Hope For The Warriors/Casey’s presentation at flagstand) MODIFIED ROC HOT LAPS STOCK CAR “A” (25 laps) 3 – MODIFIED “A’s” (12 laps) TRACK PREP HOBBY STOCK QUALIFIER HOT LAPS HOBBY STOCK “RACE OF CHAMPIONS” (10 laps) SPORTMOD “RACE OF CHAMPIONS” (10 laps) STOCK CAR “RACE OF CHAMPIONS” (10 laps) MODIFIED “RACE OF CHAMPIONS” (12 laps) TRACK PREP SPORTMOD QUALIFIER HOT LAPS HOBBY STOCK DANCE (30 laps) TRACK PREP STOCK CAR QUALIFIER [Read More]

Abbey shines in Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 8) – The magnitude of his Friday accomplishment at Boone Speedway was not lost on Dean Abbey. The Roanoke, Texas, hotshoe led the last 24 times around the track in winning the 30-lap Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, on night five of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “I just ran 30 laps with the best Modified drivers in the country,” said Abbey, who had to hold off two-time race winner Jay Noteboom of Hinton as the race wound down. “National championships are great but nothing compares to winning on IMCA’s biggest stage. Nothing.” The only caution of the contest came before a lap could be scored and William Gould of Calera, Okla., led the first six circuits from the pole before Abbey charged ahead. Noteboom started from the middle of the third row and took over second 10 laps in. A lapped car separated the top two at midway but Noteboom was quickly around and stayed right behind Abbey to the finish. “My strategy was to run every lap [Read More]