Ryan Clark

Fast start to season lands Looft career 200th IMCA Northern SportMod victory

ARLINGTON, Minn. (May 28, 2022) – Matt Looft joined another of IMCA’s most exclusive clubs Saturday night at Arlington Raceway. Looft won for the 200th time in his Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod career, becoming just the 16th driver in the sanctioning body’s modern era began in 1979 to achieve that feat. “This wasn’t something I ever expected to be able to do,” the Swea City, Iowa, driver said the next day during a break from making ice cream for son’s Brysen’s fourth birthday party. “It took me like three years to get my first win in a ‘B’ mod. We’ve worked hard at this and I’ve had a good support system, which really helps. I’ve got a good car (a 2022 Skyrocket) and good tech support.” Now a four-time national champion in the division, Looft raced to his first Northern SportMod victory in 2010. He’s been in double figure wins every season since 2012 and comes off a career-best 27 checkers and his latest national title in 2021. “Getting our 200th win was not something we were [Read More]

Emerson, Harcrow, Smith win HO’T features, All Star Shootout titles to Pirkle, Abbey, Geurin

WACO, Texas (May 29, 2022) – Three drivers won features and three drivers won championships on the final night of the IMCA All Star Shootout Sunday at Heart O’ Texas Speedway. Jeff Emerson earned $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility for his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified win while Markiss Harcrow collected $750 and became B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible for his IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers. Cody Smith was also a $750 winner, in the Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod main. Jacob Pirkle ran eighth in repeating as the Shootout Modified champion. Stock Car champion Jeffrey Abbey was sixth and Southern SportMod champion Brandon Geurin eighth in their respective finales at Waco. A regular visitor to HO’T with the Texas Sprint Series, Emerson got to watch son Kaleb finish fourth in the SportMod feature before taking his turn on the track. He started third and stalked leader Beau Collins before making his move to the front on the 16th of 25 circuits. Home track hotshoe and defending track champion [Read More]

Rust earns anniversary prelude honors at Benton Co. Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (May 29, 2022) – Joel Rust had 1,000 reasons to smile Sunday night. Rust drove the top side to victory and a $1,000 payday in the prelude to Monday’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified 43rd anniversary race. Starting in row seven, Rust quickly worked through the pack and, once he got to the top side, made an even faster march to the front. At around the 10 lap mark, Rust settled into the top five and set sail in the high groove of the fast, smooth, quarter-mile. A short time later, he reeled in race-long leader Ethan Braaksma. Just past the midway point of the 25-lapper, Rust powered around the outside of Braaksma, then navigated through lapped traffic to seal the win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Braaksma ran second ahead of Ethan Dotson and Tom Berry Jr., who also started mid-pack. A $1,000 winner’s share was also on the line for the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods presented by Christie Door Company. From a third row start, Ben Chapman quickly raced his [Read More]

Shryock shines in IMCA Modified classic at Stuart’s Whole Hog

By Josh Reynolds STUART, Iowa (May 29, 2022) – The two-day Whole Hog 50 fired up Sunday evening at Karl Chevrolet of Stuart International Speedway. Feature winners for the night were Justin Kinderknecht, Trent Reed, Colby Fett, and Kelly Shryock. IMCA Sunoco Stock Car qualifying feature winners for Monday’s Whole Hog 50 main event were Jeff Mueller, Troy Burkhart and Damon Murty. IMCA STARS Mod Lites were up first come feature time in their Cornbelt Clash finale with Darrick Knutson leading the first time around. Randy Bryan quickly shot into the lead on lap two and set the pace through a series of cautions. Justin Kinderknecht marched from his eighth starting spot to grab the lead on lap 10 and that would be the money pass as he went on to the $500 win, plus a $100 bonus from Stealth Racing. Jon Padilla finished second, racing with a battery borrowed from the STARS side-by-side, with Bryan third, Joe Glick fourth and Brandon Freeburg fifth. Yoshimura bonuses were paid to Kinderknecht, $250; Padilla, $150; and Bryan, [Read More]

Mather remains perfect in Indee

By Jeremy Fox INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (May 28, 2022) – After losing last week’s races to the victim of mother nature, it was back to action at the Independence Motor Speedway on Saturday Night for Weekly Points Night. It was Michael Pittman Memorial Night, a night to remember a competitor who lost his life in a work related accident in February. It was a picture perfect night to wrap up the month of May, that saw 106 race cars sign into tame the 3/8 mile bank race track on the Buchanan County Fairgrounds. They were going two, three and a few times four wide during the night. The final checkered flag was displayed at 9:47 p.m. The first feature of the night was the 15-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod event. Nate Albrant got the jump on Vern Jackson and took the early lead. Albrant fended off Jackson but then Tony Olson entered the mix on lap three. Olson took the lead away on lap five just before the caution came out. Olson got a great restart and [Read More]

Sewell continues Salina Highbanks success

By John Rittenoure SALINA, Kan. (May 28, 2022) – Over the past four years, Salina Highbanks Speedway has become one of Alex Sewell’s favorite places to race. But that has not always been the case. On Saturday, he won for the fifth time in six straight trips to the Highbanks. “Used to when we came here we kind of dreaded it, but now we look forward to it,” recalled Sewell after the Ameriflex/Oil Capital Racing Series IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature. In 2019 Sewell won at the one event held that year at the highbanks. Sewell swept both Salina races in 2020 and won again early in 2021 before losing the AmeriFlex Challenge VI to Blake Hahn in September. Sewell got off to a slow start Saturday night but came on strong in the final laps for the win. “When they dropped the green, I did not get off to a very good start,” said Sewell. “When we had that yellow, we had 17 or 18 laps left and I knew it was go time.” [Read More]

Antioch checkers fly for Crowell, Ryland

By Don Martin II ANTIOCH, Calif. (May 28, 2022) – Aaron Crowell won the 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at Antioch Speedway. This was the first win of the season for the 2004 track champion. Crowell jumped into the early lead after the race had been restarted. Trevor Clymens was a close second before surrendering the spot second to Kellen Chadwick in traffic on lap 10 with Troy Foulger following closely into third. A blanket three-car battle developed for the lead with Crowell leading Chadwick and Foulger. As Foulger fell back a little bit, in the waning laps, Chadwick took one more shot at Crowell, but Crowell prevailed at the checkered flag. Foulger settled for third, followed by Anthony Slaney and Clymens. Fred Ryland won his third 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main. The race was destined to go without a yellow flag and Nick Zapatero bolted into the lead at the start ahead of Kevin Brown. Brown surrendered second to Chuck Golden on lap four. Ryland made his first appearance in [Read More]

Duhme tops IMCA Modified main at Maquoketa

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (May 28, 2022) – Ryan Duhme scored the 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature victory Saturday at Maquoketa Speedway, getting out front early and taking the checkers over last week’s winner Travis Denning. The win was Duhme’s second win in 2022 at the Maquoketa Speedway. Denning finished second ahead of Mitch Morris. Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod racing saw Shane Paris score his third win in a row at Maquoketa by topping the 15-lap feature. Paris started eighth and made his way to the front by passing Brandon Jewel for the lead. Paris went on to score the win ahead of Jarrett Franzen and Jacob Arp. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars feature went to a first-time winner in 2022 at the Maquoketa Speedway. Scooter Dulin took a hard-fought win holding off Brandon Vorbeck for the win. Richard Nelson ran third. Randy LaMar turned last week’s frustration around and scored the win in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature. LaMar scored a comfortable win over Lukas Short and Dawson Bowling. Racing action will [Read More]

Janssen, Foster score first-time wins at CJ

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (May 27, 2022) – Racing went on at the CJ Speedway on Friday despite recent rains making for challenging conditions on the wet Louisa County Fairgrounds. The track was a bit tricky but proved to be very racy for all 73 competitors that signed in. Drew Janssen made his first local appearance of the 2022 season and came away with the 16-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win. Jonathan Huston battled Barry Dugan for the lead in the early going before Huston was able to take over the point. Huston’s lead was short lived as the third starting Janssen took over the point and went on to hold off a hard-charging Maguire DeJong at the finish. Last week’s winner Jarrett Brown came under the checkers in third. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature proved to be wild affair as several drivers held the point. Mike Clausen led early before Colton Livezey was able to take over the top spot. Eighth starting Dylan VanWyk was headed to the front [Read More]

DeWitt proves that patience is key to win at Diamond Park

By Justin Newman MURFREESBORO, Ark. (May 28, 2022) – Current National IMCA STARS Mod Lite points leader Gary Dewitt proved just how important patience, consistency and some hard work pays off. He was able to keep himself in the front long enough to take the win on the first night of the inaugural Mod Lite Mayhem at Diamond Park Speedway. The event, $3,000 to win and $300 to start the “A” main, continues Sunday with the 30-lap feature presented by Joker Chassis. Four heat races were used to take winners and the top 14 in passing points to the nightly qualifier on Saturday. Barry Nolan found his way to victory in heat one with DeWitt in tow; DeWitt advanced five spots and this would be key later. The second heat race went to Chris Robinson, the third heat race was topped by Chad Kirkpatrick and in the fourth and final heat race, James ‘Big Daddy’ Rollins took the win. This set the stage for the qualifier with the heat race winners on rows 1-2 and [Read More]