Ryan Clark

Marriott and Flory see checkers in Mandan, Berry and Thornton are Dakota Tour champs

By Jackson Braun MANDAN, N.D. (July 11) – A great week of racing for the 30th annual Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour was wrapped up by a nail-biting finale at the Dacotah Speedway that included one of the closest finishes in recent memory. Jeff Taylor and Ricky Thornton Jr. led the IMCA Modified field to green for the final 30 laps on the tour. Coming into the night, Thornton had a 14-point deficit to make up. Three-peat champion Hunter Marriott did not come across his usual luck this season but heated up towards the end of the tour as the Brookfield, Mo., racer took advantage of a starting spot inside of row 2. Taylor got a jump off of the start as Marriott advanced into second. Marriott was able to set his car through the corners smoothly around the rim of the speedway and to pull alongside Taylor. A good run off turn four gave Marriott the momentum to take the lead. As Thornton faded, his hopes of sweeping the your championships came to a [Read More]

Deery Series headlines midweek show at CJ Speedway

COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa – The Deery Brothers Summer Series makes another much-anticipated return to CJ Speedway to headline the Wednesday, July 17 midweek special. Touring IMCA Late Models will race for $2,000 to win and a minimum of $300 to start at Columbus Junction, where pit gates and the grandstand open at 4:30 p.m. Racing follows 7 p.m. hot laps. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, $7 for students ages 11-17 and free for kids 10 and under. Pit passes are $30. Chad Holladay of Muscatine was the winner last July, when the Deery Series made its first visit to Columbus Junction since 1996. Three-time and defending series champion Justin Kay and Jeremiah Hurst of Dubuque, the defending IMCA Late Model national champion, are currently tied for the tour point lead. The fourth event of the 2019 tour is the 494th in Deery Series history and will be broadcast by IMCA.TV. More information about the Columbus Junction show is available by calling 319 430-4737 and at the www.cjspeedway.com website. Also on the card next Wednesday are [Read More]

Another Dakota double down for Thornton, this time at Dickinson

By Jackson Braun DICKINSON, N.D. (July 10) – Ricky Thornton Jr. looks absolutely unbeatable right now. The Iowa racer, transplanted from Arizona, found Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour victory lane at Southwest Speedway in both the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars for the second event in a row. The last time any other driver found victory lane on tour was all the way back on Sunday when Matt Speckman held off Thornton in the Stock Car portion of the evening. Thornton has won six out of a possible eight features between the two classes. An all-North Dakota front row of Robert Hellebust and Travis Hagen led the 28-car field to the Modified green flag. Hellebust jumped out to the lead early as Thornton loomed behind him from the fourth starting spot. Hellebust was able to make the high line work and get enough momentum to keep his car in the top spot by as little as two-thousandth’s of a second for a few laps in the early running. Several bobbles by Thornton helped Hellebust [Read More]

Hand completes Freedom Cup weekend sweep

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (July 6) – Braedon Hand completed a 3-for-3 weekend with his Saturday night Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod victory at Cottage Grove Speedway’s Hoppes Construction Freedom Cup. Californian Jason Ferguson got out to the early race lead and resided there until getting passed on lap four by Gavin Ropchan. Ropchan kept back many challenges but was eventually overtaken on the 13th circuit, shortly after a restart, by Travis Pruitt. Pruitt had the car to beat for much of the race. He constructed a sizable lead that was erased due to a lap 20 stoppage. Hand made the decisive pass on Pruitt on the 23rd trip past the flag stand. The hometown driver won the race to sweep the entire Freedom Cup weekend and win the point fund title. Pruitt was second over Matt Ruf, Ropchan and Matt Sanders. In the Mohawk Metal IMCA Modifieds, the party got started with Andy Freeman leading the first lap. Gus Cooper made it around Freeman on lap two to take control of the field. Cooper [Read More]

Harris provides fireworks at Langley for Virginia Sprints

By Jim Haines HAMPTON, Va. (July 6) – The Virginia Sprint Series’ annual visit to Langley Speedway for the Independence Day Weekend saw Jerald Harris go off like a rocket in the feature for his first win at the tidewater area venue. Matt Mullins and Bill Rice paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green in the Saturday show with Rice out first, Harris right on him and Mike Leraas in tow. On lap three, Harris showed changes made after the heat were the right ones as he went to the front and took off, leaving Rice to deal with Leraas for second. On the pavement the laps shoot by quickly and once Harris caught traffic, he used his patience to weave his way through and added to his lead. Rice and Leraas got caught behind a battle for positions when they got to the traffic and had to settle for racing for second as Harris was gone. Rice ended in the runner-up spot with Leraas third. Next it’s back to the dirt on [Read More]

Tasker takes IMCA Modified checkers at Crystal

By Verwayne Greenhoe CRYSTAL, Mich. (July 6) – Casey Tasker scored his first win in the Lane Automotive IMCA Modified feature Saturday at Crystal Motor Speedway. Brady Hollenbeck and Mitchell Hunt were next across the stripe.

Williamson wins first of season at Freedom Cup

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (July 5) – Jesse Williamson raced to his first Mohawk Metal IMCA Modified feature win of the season on the second night of Cottage Grove Speedway’s Freedom Cup. Paul Rea set the tone early, blazing the trail the first four laps before Grey Ferrando took control. Ferrando navigated his machine in the top spot until lap nine. Williamson was the one to make the pass, driving his younger brother Kevin’s car, and held on for the balance of the distance for his first victory of the year. Collen Winebarger ended his evening in second while Bricen James posted a third-place result. Finishing fourth was Rea and rounding out the top five was Jake Mayden. The Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature began with Jimmy Ford showing the way. Ford battled hard with Aaron Bloom for some time. Bloom edged Ford at the line of lap three before Ford regained the position on lap 10. Ford suffered a mechanical issue while in front of the pack on lap 13, handing the [Read More]

Wheatshocker Nationals this weekend for United Rebel Sprint Series

By David Smith, Jr., OKTidbits HAYS, Kansas – A staple on the series schedule happens as the Lucas Oil POWRi United Rebel Sprint Series presented by Mel Hambelton Ford Racing heads to RPM Speedway this coming Saturday and Sunday for the 11th annual Wheatshocker Nationals. This huge two-night IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car event will be held in conjunction with the Ellis County Fair in Hays. Sunday night’s championship finale will pay $2,000 to the winner. Also, a new Custom Pit Boss Pellet Grill will be awarded to the highest point earner for the two days courtesy of Lance Pittman and S&W Supply of Hays. Pits will open at 4 p.m. Pit passes will be $30 or $10 for and kids ages 12 and under accompanying a parent or guardian. Gates open at 5 p.m. Fair general admission will be an individual fair pass for $20 (purchased prior to July 12) or a gate ticket price of $15 each night. The green flag will wave at 7 p.m. each night. There have been 10 different Wheatshocker Nationals championship feature winners [Read More]

Dakota Classic Tour rained out at Williston

WILLISTON, N.D. – Rain is officially the winner of the Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour date scheduled tonight (Tuesday) at Williston Basin Speedway. Both IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars will be back in tour action Wednesday at Southwest Speedway in Dickinson and Thursday at Dacotah Speedway in Mandan. IMCA.TV will broadcast both nights. Modified features pay $2,400 to win and are Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying events. Stock Car features pay $800 to win. The fourth annual Corral Sales Legendary 50 is Friday, July 12 at Mandan. IMCA Modifieds race for $10,004 that evening in another All-Star ballot qualifier.

Cedar County Fair show pays IMCA Modified winner $2,000

TIPTON, Iowa – IMCA Modifieds provide the blue ribbon fair entertainment in a $2,000 to win event Thursday, July 11 at Cedar County Raceway. The Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier pays a minimum of $130 to start; there is no entry fee for the draw/redraw show and IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Side Biter Chassis North Central Region and E3 Spark Plugs State points will be awarded. A non-qualifier feature pays $300 to win and $75 to start; the winner of that event has the option of taking the $300 or starting in the back of the main event field. The grandstand at Tipton will be open all day. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. and racing starts at 6:30 p.m. Pit passes are $30. Spectator admission is free with purchase of admission to the grounds, $8 before 4 p.m. and $12 after 4 p.m. Parking at the fairgrounds is free. More information is available by calling 563 889-2826.