Ryan Clark

Ward and Lopez find victory lane at Marshalltown

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Aug. 19, 2022) – There was a threat of rain and ominous clouds all around but Marshalltown Speedway avoided the shenanigans and racing went on as usual on Friday night. Karl Kustoms Night at the Races saw Tim Ward win for the first time this year in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Steve Meyer made it win number two on the year when he saw the checkers first in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Kaylin Lopez finally put it in victory lane when he won the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature. Bradly Graham chalked up his second win of the season in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Randy Bryan won his fifth feature in the IMCA STARS Mod Lites. The feature racing kicked off with 15 laps of Mod Lite racing and when all was said and done, it was Bryan getting the win. Bryan started fifth and snatched the lead away from Cory Sonner on lap two, never to look back. Sonner finished as the runner-up. Graham was [Read More]

Harris is fastest mover at the Bridge

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (Aug. 20, 2022) – Jerald Harris in the Harris Moving Sprinter showed he can move on track as well winning both his heat and feature, sweeping the Virginia Sprint Series show Saturday evening at Natural Bridge Speedway. Caleb Harris and Bill Rice paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature to green with Rice out first and Jerald Harris right behind up high on the oval. Rice stayed out front after a quick yellow with Harris second and Lance Christie, Matt Mullins and Joe Leavell rounding out the top five. The front three stayed right with each other as Leavell made his way to fourth. At halfway, Rice had started to get loose and Harris pounced, going low to the top spot and leaving Rice to battle with Christie. Christie went by and Leavell made it to third not long after. The front pack was close as the laps clicked off, trying different lines to make it to the lead. The front three were all within a few car lengths [Read More]

Mach-1 adds another $500 to Sport Compact purse at Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 23, 2022) – Mach-1 Racing Solutions has doubled its financial commitment to Sport Compact drivers competing at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. The Abbott, Texas company, the only divisional title sponsor in the history of IMCA’s 4-cylinder class, gives an additional $500 at the 40th annual Super Nationals. Each of the top five finishers in the Tuesday, Sept. 6 main event receive another $100 courtesy of Mach-1 and owner Gary Mach. Mach-1 is a racing solutions business that supports drivers on the dirt track level and Mach said contributions to the Super Nationals purse helps fulfill that objective. “One of the things I like best about Super Nationals is that it gives so many different drivers the opportunity to shine at dirt track racing’s biggest event,” Mach explained. “We have been a weekly racing sponsor for this division since the beginning and we’re pleased to be able to add more money to the purse,” he added. “The Sport Compacts are a division that encompasses drivers in all age groups, [Read More]

Mission accomplished for Karl

By Scott J. Owen SHAWANO, Wis, (Aug. 20, 2022) – Andy Karl survived a caution slowed Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature to score his first-ever feature win at the historic half mile Shawano Speedway Saturday night. Former rookie of the year Adam Jacobson took the lead at the start of the event. Karl went to the inside on lap three to take the lead. Karl survived and used multiple restarts to maintain his advantage at the front of the field. JJ Anderson applied pressure to the leader before mechanical woes ended his night. Late in the race, Karl held off Jayden Schmidt for the win. Schmidt advanced 13 spots for second. Lucas Lamberies finished third. Ageless Jerry Muenster was fourth and Marcus Yarie advanced 11 spots to take fifth. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature hit the track with third generation racer JJ Vanderloop leading lap one. Vanderloop quickly began to pull away from the rest of the field as Mike Springborn ran second on the grid. As Vanderloop clicked off lap after lap in the lead, Bryce Clements, [Read More]

Padilla is IMCA Mod Lite star at East Moline

By Rob Hinckley EAST MOLINE, Ill. (Aug. 21, 2022) – Accelerating through the dirt in the high groove of turns one and two and then maneuvering the low side of turns three and four is a common strategy around East Moline Speedway. Jon Padilla tried a different route Sunday evening and came out of a three-car battle for the 15-lap IMCA STARS Mod Lite Season Championship feature win. The Silvis, Ill. pilot won the night’s battle and the season-long war as he was unofficially crowned the 2022 track champion. Last year’s champ, Anthony Guss, did not win one feature en route to that title. Padilla finishes this season with a pair of victories. “Starting up front helped but I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Padilla said in victory lane. “It worked great on the bottom (groove) and the car grabbed hold and got a good bite off the corner.” Padilla started on the pole and paced every lap beating Brandon Freeburg, R.J. Gonzales, Mike Morrow and Jacob Copley. The IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks featured a [Read More]

“It was a pretty good night” – Mike Nichols’ 600th IMCA Stock Car win comes at hometown Shelby County Speedway

HARLAN, Iowa (Aug. 20, 2022) – Another win, another milestone. Mike Nichols, won for the 600th time in his incredible IMCA Sunoco Stock Car career, taking his latest checkers Saturday night at hometown Shelby County Speedway. “It was pretty cool,” said Nichols, the winningest driver in IMCA’s 108-year history. “Years and years ago, my first win was at Harlan and it was good to get this milestone win at the same track with so many friends, fans and sponsors here.” “The environment couldn’t have been any better,” he added. There was a good car count and the grandstand was packed. It was a pretty good night.” Nichols has enjoyed a lot of “pretty good nights” since first taking The Class Too Tough To Tame by storm in 2002. Now chasing an IMCA record extending 11th national crown, he’s averaged better than 28 wins a season over the course of his Stock Car career and leads all IMCA drivers with 44 career track titles. His resume also includes 10 EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region championships and the 2017 IMCA Speedway [Read More]

Cordes, Reynolds, Vanous, Rick sweep championship night honors at Benton County Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (Aug. 21, 2022) – Season championship racing brought the IMCA weekly racing season to a close Sunday night at Benton County Speedway. Champions were crowned in each of the six divisions and four of the titlists went out in impressive fashion by celebrating in victory lane. Troy Cordes needed to finish within one position of Dallon Murty to secure his career ninth track title at The Bullring in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. He led the 20-lapper in its entirety to earn the win and track championship honors. Cordes opened a big lead at the drop of the green while Grey Ferrando made his way into contention from a row four start. Ferrando worked into the runner-up spot just past midway then cut into the lead as Cordes manuevered through lapped traffic. Ferrando closed on the leader late, however Cordes was quicker through traffic and held on for victory in the caution-free event. Cody Laney finished third and Jerry Dedrick was fourth. Kaden Reynolds made his rookie year one to remember in the [Read More]

Zellner sets sails to $10,000 checkers at 141’s IMCA Captain of the Creek

FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (Aug. 18, 2022) – The third time was the charm Thursday night for Jacob Zellner. Making his career third start at 141 Speedway’s Captain of the Creek special for Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, the 2021 track champion finally got the best of Dylon Waldvogel late in the 50-lapper at Francis Creek. The $10,000 checkers marked a career-best payday for Zellner, who’d run 21st and 17th in his two previous Captain of the Creek outings. “Up to this point, we had nothing but bad luck in the big shows, so this was a big win for us, for sure,” he said. “It felt kind of surreal. Usually I’m pretty calm but when the checkers flew it was like ‘Wow!’” “There are definitely expectations for a defending track champion at an event like this,” continued Zellner. “I’ve raced regularly with Dylon and we always race each other clean. I was glad to be racing at the front with him.” Seventy-three entries from seven states were on hand for the Aug. 17-18 special. Elijah Koenig, 24th starting [Read More]

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings through Aug. 18, 2022

Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds – 1. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb., 994; 2. A.J. Ward, Ionia, Mich., 984; 3. William Gould, Calera, Okla., 982; 4. Ty Clemens, Belgrade, Mont., and Travis Denning, Sterling, Ill., both 975; 6. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 964; 7. Matthew Day, Farmersville, Texas, and Owen Barnhill, Milton, Fla., both 962; 9. Jacob Poel, Nunica, Mich., 961; 10. Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, 958; 11. Tim Ward, Harcourt, Iowa, 957; 12. Chris Morris, Taylor, Texas, and Jeff Reay, Portland, Mich., both 947; 14. Dallon Murty, Chelsea, Iowa, 946; 15. Jarrett Brown, Ainsworth, Iowa, 942; 16. Jeremy Mills, Clear Lake, Iowa, 935; 17. Mitchell Hunt, Lakeview, Mich., 933; 18. Chris Abelson, Sioux City, Iowa, 929; 19. Bobby Hogge, Salinas, Calif., 925; 20. Jim Thies, Mapleton, Iowa, 922. IMCA Sunoco Late Models – 1. Cory Dumpert, Newman Grove, Neb., 792; 2. Andy Nezworski, Blue Grass, Iowa, 765; 3. Matt Ryan, Davenport, Iowa, 760; 4. Jacob Waterman, Colona, Ill., 759; 5. Chase Osborne, Norfolk, Neb., 727; 6. Dalton Simonsen, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 724; 7. Alex Banks, Newman Grove, Neb., [Read More]

Wilson repeats Mod Lites of Arkansas checkers at Mississippi’s Greenville oval

GREENVILLE, Miss. (Aug. 13, 2022) – Blake Wilson started on the pole and held off challenges from Bryce Vowan and Cameron Wagner in winning Saturday’s main event, when the Mod Lites of Arkansas made their sole IMCA STARS stop this season in Mississippi. Wilson took the lead on the opening lap beside Kevin Simkins and begin navigating the trick and tacky gumbo surface that Greenville is known for. Vowan came under challenges from Wagner and Gage Raines while chasing Wilson. As the leaders came upon lapped traffic and with both cars running different lines, Vowan made a pass for the lead, pulling up beside Wilson before a caution. After the ensuing restart, Wilson had clear track to work with and despite having some close calls running the fast groove along the wall, went on to take his eighth win of the season. “Greenville is a driver’s track. It’s tricky and challenging, being one of the fastest quarter mile tracks around. It just so happens the fastest way around is next to the wall. That groove [Read More]