Dan Engledow

Pearce makes textbook run to checkers in IMCA Super Nationals SportMod qualifier

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5, 2022) – A youngster taught the veterans a thing or two in the final race on opening night of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Sixteen-year-old Andrew Pearce of Oakley, Calif., led all 25 laps of Monday’s qualifying feature for Northern SportMods. He’ll start on the pole in the championship event Saturday at Boone Speedway. The Labor Day program saw 338 cars – 172 Northern SportMods, 125 Hobby Stocks and 41 Late Models – in action. Pearce won the 17th of 20 heats and started the qualifier from fifth. He caught up with the back of the field 10 laps in and ran with traffic as the race stayed green to the finish. “I was just hoping to make the feature. I still can’t believe it,” the second-year racer said following his latest impressive run at Boone. “My grandfather, my dad Brian and uncle (Kellen Chadwick) got me where I am today. I can’t thank them enough.” Eleventh in last year’s Big Dance and now a senior at Freedom [Read More]

Sampson, Nielsen collect Super Nationals Hobby Stock qualifying checkers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5, 2022) – Malik Sampson used the high line on Monday night to put himself in a pretty good spot on Saturday. The Worthington, Minn., driver topped the first of two Labor Day Hobby Stock qualifying features at Boone Speedway to earn the pole start in the Sept. 10 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s main event. Brandon Nielsen won the evening’s second qualifier and will start at the front of the middle row in the Big Dance. “I was trying not to do anything dumb,” the affable Sampson said from victory lane, after leading the last 23 of 25 laps and beating a tenacious James Johnson to the checkers by .744 of a second. “I’m in a pretty good spot, starting on the pole. We’ll see what kind of track we have on Saturday.” From Spencer, Nielsen led start to finish in the second qualifier, with defending champion Mike Smith motoring from 12th starting to run second the last nine circuits. “We’ve had a good day. We put her on [Read More]

Dumpert makes Nebraska proud with IMCA Super Nationals Late Model crown

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5, 2022) – Cory Dumpert wrote his name in the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s history book following an epic battle and an epic finish to Monday night’s Late Model championship event. After qualifying out of a ‘B’ feature and starting 11th in the main, Dumpert worked his way to the front through heavy Labor Day traffic, ultimately holding off Jeff Aikey and becoming the first Nebraska driver to win the Late Model crown at Boone Speedway. “Early on, I told myself to be patient and I was able to pass cars one or two at a time. I looked up, saw I was in fifth and thought ‘Holy crap.’ The next thing I knew I was in third,” said Dumpert, who drove past Aikey on the 40th of 50 laps for second and then caught Texan Dean Abbey for the lead the next time around. “Once I got to the front I tried to hit my marks, keep the car straight and told myself it was my race to lose [Read More]

Anderson, Smith score Sunday IMCA Prelude wins

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 4, 2022) – Logan Anderson and Mike Smith will bring momentum to Boone Speedway when qualifying starts for their respective divisions on Labor Day at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Both won Sunday night Prelude features in impressive fashion. Anderson pocketed $750 after topping a Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main that ran 25 laps caution-free while defending Super Nationals champion Smith’s flag-to-flag run to the $400 IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock checkers was slowed by a single yellow. “That was fun … I was happy to see the white flag for sure,” Anderson said, following a Northern SportMod that needed just seven minutes and 47 seconds to complete. “It gets our momentum going. Hopefully we can get a good draw and get in the show tomorrow.” Robbie Thome challenged Anderson and was scored just ahead on a single late-race circuit before ending in second. Cam Reimers and Brayton Carter completed the top four. Smith led Tyson Overton to the lap 10 caution in the Hobby Stock show. Eric Stanton [Read More]

Raffurty is Sunday star at Boone with repeats in ROC, IMCA Mod Lite championship event

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 4, 2022) – Dillon Raffurty had to know his biggest fan had the best seat in the house to watch Sunday’s STARS Mod Lite championship event at the 40th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Having already repeated as winner of the race of champions earlier in the afternoon at Boone Speedway, the Kansas City, Mo., star made it back-to-back Super Nationals titles after running second much of the 30-lapper behind Brandon Freeburg. The two raced hard with light contact in turn three, Freeburg caught an infield tire and Raffurty somehow avoided becoming part of a calamity at the front of the fast-moving field. He’d hold on after a lap 26 restart, then led Jon Padilla, Austin Gray and Zack Forster the last four times around the oval. “This was really huge,” said Raffurty, $2,000 checkers in hand. “I lost my dad (and fellow Mod Lite driver David) in January due to COVID,” he continued. “Our goal had been to repeat everything we did last year. We won the race [Read More]

Alvarado looks to punch ticket for IMCA Super Nationals Championship Night

By Ben Deatherage BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 4, 2022) – Among the many drivers returning to Boone Speedway for the 40th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s is Friesen Performance IMCA Modified pilot Ricky Alvarado, who makes the trek from Delta, Colo. Alvarado is hoping to punch his ticket for Championship Night on Saturday. He ran on opening night of the the Wild Rose Casino Prelude at Boone and finished 11th. “We struggled with the car at the Prelude but we found a bit of a problem with the pull bar,” said Alvarado. “That made us feel a bit better that it happened then rather than during a qualifying feature.” Alvarado has raced his way into two Big Dances at Boone, exiting early in the 2012 show and then finishing ninth in 2017. He also has five Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational appearances and a Harris Auto Racing Race of Champions start to his Super Nationals credit. Despite running a limited schedule this season, he has captured two wins. Those came at Sweetwater Speedway in [Read More]

Ward tops IMCA Modified feature at record Prelude opener

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 3, 2022) – Tim Ward warmed up for the history-making 40th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s by making some history of his own. Ward became the first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified driver to win a career second Prelude feature at Boone Speedway Saturday night, following his 2021 run to the checkers with an impressive $1,500 victory. The record number of entries for opening night of the eighth annual Prelude included 139 Modifieds, 134 IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, 57 Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts and 71 IMCA STARS Mod Lites. Ward motored past 2016 race winner Jimmy Gustin on the 14th of what proved to be 30 caution-free laps. Californian Jerry Flippo got the best of Gustin in their late battle for second. Texan Cory Davis and Wisconsin hotshoe Lucas Lamberies completed the top five. Ward was already eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Devin Smith and then Jeffrey Abbey set the fast pace up front before Chanse Hollatz worked his way to the lead from 16th starting in the [Read More]

Masengarb, defending champion Raffurty win IMCA Super Nationals Mod Lite qualifiers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 3, 2022) – Jason Masengarb renews his pursuit of his first IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s championship from the pole. Dillon Raffurty will take the green flag from Masengarb’s immediate right when he races for his second. Both won STARS Mod Lite qualifying features during Saturday’s record-setting Prelude program at Boone Speedway. Seventy-one drivers from 11 states were in the house for the division’s second Super Nationals appearance. The top 10 drivers from both qualifiers advance to Sunday’s Big Dance. From Colona, Ill., raced his way to the front on two occasions, passing initial leader Dallon Murty following a lap seven restart and then driving past Joel Huggins after the final restart of the 25-lapper, with five to go. “Hopefully we can get it done,” he said from victory lane. “We are going to have a good starting position.” Lining up behind him on the inside row will be Joe Isabell, Joe Glick, Bryce Vowan, Huggins, Murty, Jacob Copley, Kevil Carl, Gage Raines and Michael Raffurty. Defending Super Nationals [Read More]

Tim Ward looks to better 2021 IMCA Super Nationals success

By Ben Deatherage BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 3, 2022) – Last September, Tim Ward captured the checkered in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event in the Wild Rose Casino Prelude at Boone Speedway. The Chandler, Ariz., transplant now racing out of Harcourt, Iowa, backed up the Prelude run with a runner-up finish in the Big Dance on the final evening of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “Last year, winning the Prelude gave us a ton of confidence and momentum going into the Super Nationals,” commented Ward. “We had a good car, so it helped us a lot.” Ward has made the Big Dance four times since 2016 and has finished in the top 10 twice. In addition to getting second last year, he was 10th in 2016. Both those years he also won a qualifying main event. Ward has had a lot of success at Boone Speedway over the years. He has won three weekly main events this season, on April 9, May 14 and most recently on Aug. 13. [Read More]

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings through Aug. 11

Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds – 1. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb., 992; 2. A.J. Ward, Ionia, Mich., 984; 3. William Gould, Calera, Okla., 982; 4. Travis Denning, Sterling, Ill., 968; 5. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 964; 6. Owen Barnhill, Milton, Fla., 962; 7. Matthew Day, Farmersville, Texas, 957; 8. Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, 956; 9. Jacob Poel, Nunica, Mich., 952; 10. Tim Ward, Chandler, Ariz., 951; 11. Jeff Reay, Portland, Mich., 940; 12. Ty Clemens, Belgrade, Mont., 938; 13. Chris Morris, Taylor, Texas, 934; 14. Dallon Murty, Chelsea, Iowa, and Jeremy Mills, Clear Lake, Iowa, both 930; 16. Jarrett Brown, Ainsworth, Iowa, and Chris Abelson, Sioux City, Iowa, both 926; 18. Mitchell Hunt, Lakeview, Mich., 919; 19. Jim Thies, Mapleton, Iowa, 918; 20. Jim Pettit, Prunedale, Calif., 915. IMCA Sunoco Late Models – 1. Cory Dumpert, Newman Grove, Neb., 790; 2. Jacob Waterman, Colona, Ill., 759; 3. Andy Nezworski, Blue Grass, Iowa, 755; 4. Matt Ryan, Davenport, Iowa, 754; 5. Chase Osborne, Norfolk, Neb., 719; 6. Dalton Simonsen, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 714; 7. Dustin Schram, Sterling, Ill., 712; [Read More]