Ryan Clark

Jones Racing Products gives new awards in five IMCA divisions, plus Super Nationals

OTTSVILLE, Pa. – A company already well-known to many IMCA drivers gives post-season awards in five divisions beginning in 2019. Jones Racing Products of Ottsville, Pa., a leading manufacturer of advanced pulley and belt drive systems, in addition to an extensive line of bolt-on components for more than 30 years, gives $50 product certificates to 45 IMCA Modified, IMCA Late Model, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod competitors. Recipients will include top five finishers in each of the five regions for Modifieds and the top five in national point standings for Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Northern and Southern SportMods. “We work closely with a number of IMCA drivers, including Ricky Thornton Jr. and Hunter Marriott,” said company president CJ Jones. “We like the fact IMCA is so diverse. The number of drivers, tracks and regions that IMCA encompasses it truly amazing.” “Last year, we had two national champions (Jordan Grabouski in the Modifieds and Shannon Anderson in the Hobby Stocks) who ran our products exclusively,” he [Read More]

IMCA announces Super Tuesday July 30 for All-Star voting

VINTON, Iowa – IMCA Nation goes to the electronic ballot booth on Election Day Tuesday, July 30 to select 28 of the 30 drivers who will start the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. All voting will be done through the IMCA Facebook page, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CST. The top three vote recipients from each of the five Modified regions will be guaranteed starting spots, with their region of candidacy determined by where they made the majority of their IMCA sanctioned starts. The next 13 drivers with the highest vote totals, regardless of region, become All-Stars. “We’d like to see All-Star drivers get in the election spirit and promote their campaigns using social media,” IMCA President Brett Root said. “I know there’s a lot of imagination out there and it will be fun for fans to see what drivers can come up with in their respective campaigns to become part of one of our premier events.” Completing the field will be All-Star candidates with the top national point total and with the most 40-point [Read More]

Park Jefferson date kicks off four-night IMCA Dirt Knights Tour swing

JEFFERSON, S.D. (July 14) – The Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour journeys out of state for the first time this season, traveling to Park Jefferson Speedway for a Monday, July 22 show that opens a four-night swing. IMCA Modifieds run for $1,500 to win in tour events at Jefferson and on Tuesday, July 23 at Hancock County Speedway in Britt, then for a top prize of $2,000 Wednesday, July 24 at Buena Vista Raceway at Alta, in an event that doubles as the Al Ritts Memorial. Night number four is Thursday, July 25 at Kossuth County Speedway in Algona. That feature pays $1,500 to the winner. All four events are Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot-qualifying races, as is the $1,500 to win Iron Cup/Midwest Madness Tour makeup that precedes the Dirt Knights card at Park Jefferson. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods also run during that portion of the program. Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Northern SportMods run all four nights; Mach-1 Sport Compacts are on Wednesday and Thursday [Read More]

Black Hills, Gillette host weekend 38 Specials for IMCA Modifieds

RAPID CITY, S.D. – What could be a very special weekend could put more than $2,000 in the pocket of an IMCA Modified driver. Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, S.D., hosts the $1,250 to win, Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying 38 Special on Friday, July 19. Another $800 goes to the winner of the Saturday, July 20 38 Special at Gillette, Wy., Thunder Speedway. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Larry Shaw Race Cars Western Region, E3 Spark Plugs State and track points will be awarded. Entry fee is $75 and pit gates ope and racing starts at 7 p.m. each night. Grandstand admission at Black Hills is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and veterans, and $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and veterans at Gillette. Kids 12 and over four feet and taller are $6 while those under four feet tall get in free each night. Pit passes are $30. More information is available by calling 307 257-9589.

Allen aces Arlington foes for checkers at Grams Memorial

ARLINGTON, Minn. (July 13) – If he could have picked the night to get his first IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car victory of the season, Brett Allen would have selected Saturday. Allen led every lap of the Dan Grams Memorial at Arlington Raceway. When the $500 perfect attendance bonus and late contributions to the purse were figured in, the checkers were good for $1,450. After drawing the outside pole start, Allen flew down the backstretch and never looked back, working through lapped traffic in what proved to be a caution-free race. Michael Stien worked up from his third row start but settled for second, ahead of Jesse Cripe, hard charger Neil Stevens and Javen Ostermann. Feature results – 1. Brett Allen; 2. Michael Stien; 3. Jesse Cripe; 4. Neil Stevens; 5. Javen Ostermann; 6. Billy Johnson; 7. Brandon Allen; 8. Trevor Serbus; 9. Jeremy Schultz; 10. Dave Becker; 11. Nathan Showalter.

Bolac blazes at The Bridge for first Sprint win of season

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (July 13) – Daren Bolac changed almost everything after his heat and it really paid off as he took his first Virginia Sprint Series win of the year Saturday at Natural Bridge Speedway. Bill Rice and Bolac rolled the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green with Bolac out first, Rice staying low in second and Mike Lerass and Nick Tucker fighting for third. Lerass used Bolac’s line to get a run on Rice and was quickly in second. Jerald Harris and Scott Lutz made their way to the front and soon got by Rice. The rest of the field stayed in pursuit of the front duo, who continued a mistake-free high line, low line battle. With 10 to go, Harris and Lutz got past Tucker and tried to chase down the lead pair. Bolac had the high line working coming out of the corners and Leraas has the low line working better getting into the corners. Leraas was trying everything and with two laps to go got close on [Read More]

Bubak sprints to top check at Wheatshocker Nationals

By David Smith Jr., OKTidbits HAYS, Kan. (July 14) – Continuing on his hot streak, Jake Bubak took the lead with eight laps left of the 30-lap feature and went on to claim the 11th annual Wheatshocker Nationals as the Lucas Oil POWRi United Rebel Sprint Series presented by Mel Hambelton Ford Racing wrapped up the two-race weekend Sunday night atop the RPM Speedway oval. Bubak used a slower car to put a cushion between himself and Jed Werner in the final laps and claim his fifth series victory on the season. The IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car victory earned him his second career Wheatshocker Nationals victory, a $2,000 paycheck and a Pit Boss Pellett Grill, courtesy of Lance Pittman and S&W Supply. Luke Cranston and Werner had started on the front row with Cranston out front early before Werner moved to the front. Lap 11 saw Zach Blurton overtake Cranston for the runner-up position; on lap 19, Bubak passed Blurton and set his sights on the leader. The 2014 event winner pressured Werner for several laps before making what proved [Read More]

IMCA Late Model national, state season ends July 28

VINTON, Iowa – Sunday, July 28 is the final day for points earned at sanctioned events to count toward national and state point standings for IMCA Late Models. Any schedule changes must be made by contacting the IMCA home office (319 472-2201) no later than 4:30 p.m. CST Wednesday, July 17. Late Model drivers’ best 15 finishes in their first 30 starts will be used to determine national and state standings. Track points will be awarded through Saturday, Aug. 31. While track champions will be crowned, no track championship bonuses will be applied toward national or state points championships, as was originally announced in January. The Deery Brothers Summer Series is scheduled to conclude in late September. Tour points do not apply toward track, state or national Late Model standings this season. Questions about schedules should be directed to the home office while rules questions should go to Late Model Competition Director Randy Anderson.

Arneson makes like lightning in bolt to Legendary IMCA Modified checkers

MANDAN, N.D. (July 12) – Austin Arneson was almost as fast as the lightning on the horizon Friday night at Dacotah Speedway. Arneson led all 40 laps of the fourth Corral Sales Legendary main event, earning a career-best $10,004 payday, a $500 bonus as the leader at midway and a berth on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. He’ll join younger brother Casey, runner-up in both the Legendary and Thursday’s Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour finale at Mandan, on the All-Star ballot. “I’ve raced all over the country with the biggest names in the Modified division,” said Arneson, who took the checkers in front of a number of those drivers. “Winning the race was pretty exciting, but what was even more exciting was running 1-2 with my brother.” Ricky Thornton Jr., Hunter Marriott and Lucas Schott rounded out the top five. Dakota Classic Modified Tour champion Tom Berry ran second most of the way before breaking late. After the initial green flag was delayed by a light rain shower and work on the racing surface, [Read More]

Walp wins second PASS feature of season

By Frank Buhrman HANOVER, Pa. (July 12) – John Walp became the Pennsylvania Sprint Series’ third multiple feature winner of 2019 on Friday night with a wire-to-wire victory in the 25-lap feature at Trail-Way Speedway. The tour rookie of the year in 2017, Walp took advantage of a single-file start that followed three unsuccessful double-file attempts, and held off a determined charge by Tom Carberry to put his no. 5 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car in victory lane for the second time this year. Jake Frye closed the gap on Walp over the last five laps of the race but settled for second, the second runner-up finish in the last three races for the Lewisberry high school student. Dylan Shatzer finished third, making a successful return to competition following a highway accident earlier this year, and giving the top three positions to drivers under age 21. Jaremi Hanson finished fourth and Tom Carberry was fifth. Walp and Carberry had started ferocious battles for the lead on each start attempt but when the fourth try went single-file, [Read More]