Ryan Clark

500th career win is highlight of Nichols’ 8th championship

HARLAN, Iowa – The two most important numbers to come from Mike Nichols 2018 season were 500 and eight. Nichols won his 500th IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature in extending his record-tying national championship total to eight. He’s just the second IMCA driver to reach the 500 win mark and shares the modern era national championship record with Hobby Stock driver Shannon Anderson. “Our biggest milestone was reaching 500 wins,” said the Harlan, Iowa, speedster, who raced to the landmark checkers on Aug. 26 at Dawson County Raceway. “A third straight national championship was very important and it’s definitely a who’s who of national champions that I’ll be standing on stage with at the IMCA banquet, but the 500th win was a goal we wanted to reach this year.” Nichols totaled 42 feature wins, at 11 different tracks in five states while upping his division best total to 503 career checkers. The EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region champion won all 13 starts at Dawson County and eight of 10 at Crawford County Speedway. Nichols had [Read More]

Ramey follows learning season with 2018 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car national title

FORT WORTH, Texas – A learning season in 2017 paid national championship dividends for Kevin Ramey in 2018. Ramey won a division-best 16 features en route to his first IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car national crown. “We could not have asked for a better season. We were blessed,” said Ramey, from Fort Worth and track champion at Devil’s Bowl Speedway and RPM Speedway and Texas State champion as well. “It was just a phenomenal year.” He won eight times at Devil’s Bowl and seven times at RPM, plus a checkered flag run in the June 29 Sprint Series of Oklahoma at Red Dirt Raceway. “We lost a lot of races to rain, but we were consistent when we did race and when we looked at them, we saw we were up there in national points,” Ramey said. “There are a lot of good drivers at both our weekly tracks but this was one of those seasons where no matter what happened, it worked in my favor.” Ramey had 31 starts on the season. He finished outside [Read More]

2019 drivers’ meeting set for US 36, Bethany

CAMERON, Mo. – The drivers’ meeting for the 2019 season at US 36 Raceway and Bethany Speedway is set for 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019 at the Cameron Community Center. The drivers’ meeting is combined for both race tracks so drivers can get all their paperwork completed for both tracks if they choose to. The meeting will allow drivers and teams to register their car and reserve pit stalls for the upcoming season. Registration for the 2019 season for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars is $60 and $50 for Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods is $50. Pit stalls are $60 to reserve for the 2019 season. The meeting will also include a discussion on the updated 2019 general rules and teams can bring any questions they have. This is a great opportunity for drivers and teams to get a head start on the 2019 season. Snacks and coffee will be available for all in attendance. The Cameron Community Center is located at 915 N. Ashland Drive, Cameron, Mo., [Read More]

Back on track, Hurst races to national Late Model title

DUBUQUE, Iowa – A driver who was just glad to be back on the track earned his career first IMCA Late Model national championship this year. Jeremiah Hurst won both starts on the final weekend of the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season, then clinched the national title with a seventh place run in the Deery Brothers Summer Series finale in September. The conclusion of his 2018 campaign was a far cry from Hurst’s 2017 season, which came to an abrupt end after he suffered a heart attack in late July. “I wanted to go back and race the next night. I couldn’t wait to get back and race this year and the doctors said there was no reason not to,” the Dubuque, Iowa, driver explained. “I changed my lifestyle dramatically. I changed my diet and quit smoking. This is the best I’ve felt in years.” A contender for the 2017 national crown, Hurst ended up seventh in the points chase despite missing the final month-plus following his heart attack. Changes in track sanctions [Read More]

Grabouski’s third title comes at end of bittersweet season

BEATRICE, Neb. – A season that saw the highest of highs and the lowest of lows ended with Jordan Grabouski winning a career third IMCA Modified national championship. Grabouski, from Beatrice, Neb., topped 30 features in adding to a trophy collection that already included hardware from 2011 and 2016. The joy of his latest achievement was more than offset by the passing of son Jagger shortly after his birth on July 4. “It was a bittersweet season,” Grabouski said. “It was definitely a roller coaster season for us. We were glad to have won the national championship but there were nights when it wasn’t easy for us to race.” “My wife Whitney and I are extremely thankful and incredibly blessed to have an amazing support group of family and friends,” he continued. “We could never thank everyone enough for all the love and prayers that have followed the loss of our son.” Along with the Jet Racing Central Region prize, Grabouski earned track titles at Beatrice Speedway and Eagle Raceway, as well as his career-first [Read More]

Best of the best honored at IMCA national awards banquet

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nov. 24) – Champions and top rookie drivers of 2018 were honored at the IMCA national awards banquet Saturday in Lincoln. National champions recognized during the evening were Jordan Grabouski, IMCA Modifieds; Jeremiah Hurst, IMCA Late Models; Kevin Ramey, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars; Mike Nichols, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars; Shannon Anderson, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks; Gabe Tucker, Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods; Matthew Looft, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods; and Ramsey Meyer, Mach-1 Sport Compacts. Regional Modified kings were Grabouski in the Jet Racing Central, A.J. Ward in the Dirt Works Eastern, Brandon Beckendorf in the Side Biter Chassis North Central, Josh McGaha in the Razor Chassis South Central and Zane DeVilbiss in the Larry Shaw Race Cars Western. Nichols reigned in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region, Westin Abbey in the EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Stock Car Region. Anderson led the way in the Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region and Dennis Spencer sped to the Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region Hobby Stock championship. Earning national rookie of the year awards were [Read More]

604 Chevy Performance engine option new for Late Models in 2019 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly point season

VINTON, Iowa – A 604 Chevrolet Performance engine option will be new for Late Model drivers in the 2019 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season. “The Chevy Performance engine is the biggest issue addressed in Late Model rules for next season and will be the same as enforced in our Modified division,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “Drivers who choose to run the 604 Chevy Performance engine can use gasoline or E85 to reduce fuel costs.” Drivers with spec engines must use maximum 8,000 rpm rev limiters, those with 604 Chevy Performance engines maximum 6,800 rpm rev limiters. All cars must weigh a minimum of 2,300 pounds with the driver when they roll across the scales after racing. Bump stops and progressive springs will again be legal for use in the division and a maximum 16 inch free standing height for all springs will be enforced, with a half-inch tolerance. Door plates will also be required, which Root notes is in line with industry standards for the division. “These rules will be enforced at [Read More]

IMCA releases 2019 rules for six of eight divisions

VINTON, Iowa – The 2019 rules for six of IMCA’s eight divisions have been announced. “While minimal, the changes or clarifications we’ve made in rules for 2019 are an effort to head off the direction some of our divisions are headed,” explained IMCA President Brett Root, “such as suspension or aerodynamics.” Maximum and minimum free-standing spring heights are specified for front and rear suspensions for Modifieds and both SportMod divisions, and the nose piece must be the same width from front to back. “We want to keep the open wheeled look of all these divisions,” Root explained. “We have done that with the nose rules.” Maximum and minimum roof dimensions will include the sides when Modifieds, Northern SportMods and Southern SportMods are measured in tech. No bends or breaks will be allowed in sail panels for any of those divisions. Modified and Northern SportMod roofs must be mounted within half an inch of the rear roll cage. And Modified drivers competing with a 604 crate engine must use one of two carburetor spacers, the Speedway [Read More]

2019 Harris Clash date announced

AMES, Iowa – Bob Harris, owner of Bob Harris Enterprises and promoter of the Harris Clash, has announced the date of the 2019 Harris Clash. The IMCA special, which headed to Deer Creek Speedway last year for the first time in its history, will be returning to the Spring Valley, Minn., track on Aug. 6, 2019. Harris is excited about the future of the event. “There is a certain hype around the announcement of the (Harris) Clash date for 2019. The 2018 race was one of the best yet. The fans and everyone involved in organizing and promoting the race are excited to see that energy continue into next year,” he said. “We cannot wait to see everyone at Deer Creek Speedway on Aug. 6 for the 2019 Harris Clash.” The 2018 event featured $3,000 to win IMCA Modifieds and $1,000 to win Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, yielding a field of 151 cars from 17 states and Canada, the highest car count in Harris Clash history. Top check for the Northern SportMods has been increased to [Read More]

22 candidates added to ballot for Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational

VINTON, Iowa – A regional champion and 20 of the 25 newly-named IMCA Modified state champions are new to the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Josh McGaha’s title in the Razor Chassis South Central Region made him vote eligible for the 2019 event. Recently crowned state champions joining him will be Jeffrey Abbey in Oklahoma, Drew Armstrong in Arkansas, Chaz Baca in Arizona, Jerry Bailey in Idaho, Eric Barnes in Illinois, Brandon Conkwright in Kansas, Brian Cross in Colorado, Colin Deming in New Mexico, Shane DeVolder in California, Zach Dockter in North Dakota, Bricen James in Oregon, Brekken Kleinschmidt in Wisconsin, Rodney Morgan in New York, Joey Price in Montana, James Roete in Florida, Kelly Shryock in Iowa, Rob Slott in Texas, Kelly Smith in Utah, Andy Strait in Nevada and Shadren Turner in Missouri. Already on the ballot were Side Biter Chassis North Central Region and Minnesota State champion Brandon Beckendorf; Larry Shaw Race Cars Western Region and Wyoming State champion Zane DeVilbiss; Jet Racing Central Region and Nebraska State champion Jordan Grabouski; Dirt [Read More]