Ryan Clark

Neal honors Soldiers and Sailors Night with Maquoketa win

By Rob Hinckley MAQUOKETA, Iowa (May 26) – One can imagine the eyes of every B&D Pit Stop IMCA Northern SportMod driver at Maquoketa Speedway nowadays. In the lineup chute, they scan every competitor wondering if one will continue the streak. Gage Neal made sure of that Saturday evening. The Ely ace is no stranger to victory lane, but made it to Maquoketa’s for the first time in 2018. He became the fifth different winner in five races on the 3/8-mile dirt oval. Timmy Current took off from the pole and looked as if he would run away with the top prize. He spun while leading and drove pit side. A gaggle of six other cars then battled back and forth the rest of the way. With a starting spot near the front of the 15-lap feature field, Neal wheeled his car on both the high and bottom shelves of the track, but knew where he wanted to be. “I knew I had to get off the top early because I was going to get in [Read More]

Wilkinsons win two at Off Road

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (May 26) – Cameron Wilkinson won his second straight IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock race Saturday at Off Road Speedway, after squeezing through the six cars aligned ahead of him to take the lead within two laps. He remained there during the caution-free 15-lap event to win handily. Jeremy Hoskinson and Gage Koch finished second and third, respectively. Cameron’s father Jason followed suit with a win in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. Wilkinson went to the front by going low in turn three and four with 11 of 15 laps remaining and cruised to victory ahead of Chad Bruns. Kyle Wilkinson won the duel with Tanner Pettitt for third, edging Pettitt at the finish line by just over a car length. In the Mach-1 Sport Compact feature, Ramsey Meyer remained undefeated at Off Road Speedway this season with his third consecutive victory.

Reed rules at Dacotah Speedway

MANDAN, N.D. (May 25) – Andy Reed became a first-time Mach-1 Sport Compact feature winner in a Friday night barnburner at Dacotah Speedway. An early caution regrouped the grid and pole sitter Seth Howe-Kellar led the field to green. The father-son duo of Stan and Alex Thompson raced side-by-side for the fourth position as they took the green flag. Stan Thompson slid up in front of his son to claim the fourth position as Ken Sandberg had his hands full with Reed for second. While racing door-to-door for second, they started to reel in leader Howe-Kellar. With four laps to go, it was a three-car battle for the win. Reed cleared Sandberg for second and peaked his nose under the machine of Howe-Kellar. They battled for the win with two laps to go. Coming out of turn four and racing to the checkered flag, Reed held off Howe-Kellar to win his first Sport Compact feature. Sandberg finished third while Stan Thompson crossed the finish line fourth. Alex Thompson rounded out the top five. Jason Wolla [Read More]

Ayers gets first career IMCA Hobby Stock win

By Josh Reynolds STUART, Iowa (May 25) – Adam Ayers beat the clock and the rest of the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock field in earning his career first feature win in the division Friday at Stuart Speedway. Ayers and Jack Phillips brought the field to green with Ayers getting the jump to lead Phillips and Matt McAtee on lap one. McAtee got past Phillips on lap two with Jeremy Purdy making it to third a lap later. The top three stayed the same until the race was brought to a stop on lap eight after Solomon Bennett got into the turn one wall and rolled over onto his roof. Bennett was OK but his night was over. Once the green came back out it didn’t last long as second place McAtee put his car up and over the turn two wall and went all the way to the bottom of the embankment. Like Bennett, McAtee was OK but his night was over as well. With the time limit looming, the last five laps ran without [Read More]

Ward checks out on Outlaw foes

By Paul Szmal DUNDEE, N.Y. (May 25) – Will Ward was the late-night IMCA Modified winner Friday at Outlaw Speedway. The feature began with Rich Karlnoski jumping out to the lead while Ward sliced through the field to second. After a quick yellow, Ward grabbed the lead on the restart as Rodney Morgan began to advance, getting the runner-up position just past halfway. Morgan could not catch Ward, who took the checkers. Brad Smith overcame an early race spin to charge back to third, followed by Karlnoski and Phil Yaw. Sunrise Insulation Night at Dundee proved to be an interesting one for reasons other than racing. After completion of the heats, the track lights in turns three and four did not come on. Refusing to give up, the track crew, with assistance from driver Ray Hyer and others, worked for two hours to solve the problem … and finally the lights came back up and the feature events began.

Martin denies Day for URSS victory at 81 Speedway

PARK CITY, Kan. (May 27) – Jason Martin took the lead in the early stages and then held off a late-race challenge by Michael Day to claim the United Rebel Sprint Series 25-lap feature finale during at 81 Speedway’s Sprint Car Maynia II Sunday night. The 10th starting Martin passed both Colby Estes and Day in taking over the front spot just seven laps in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car headliner. His first encounter with the back of the field began on lap 11 while holding onto his half-stretch lead at midway. With drivers utilizing the top and bottom of the 3/8’s mile oval, passing was intense throughout the event. With five laps to go, it appeared Martin would be able to cruise but Day closed the deficit to five car lengths with four laps to go. Approaching another slower car on the last lap, Day looked to make one last challenge for the lead but Martin got a good run between turns three and four to take the three car-length victory. Jake Martens came [Read More]

Streak-stopper Martin wins Boone Deery

BOONE, Iowa (May 28) – A driver who knows a thing or two about winning streaks ended one and started one of his own Monday night at Boone Speedway. Curt Martin led all but one of 40 laps in winning the Memorial Day Deery Brothers Summer Series event at Boone, earning $2,000 for his career 27th IMCA Late Model tour victory. His convincing run at the front ended Justin Kay’s bid for a record fifth consecutive series victory. Jeremiah Hurst finished a distant second, with Ryan Dolan, Kay and Joe Zrostlik rounding out the top five. Martin drew the pole and gave up the lead early to Hurst for a single circuit before resuming command. Just a couple cautions slowed what was otherwise a fast-paced feature but Martin edged ahead on lap 10 and 22 restarts. Hurst was the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels feature qualifier drawing winner. Martin and Kay are now tied for third on the all-time series wins list; Martin had been the first Deery driver to win three straight features, doing so [Read More]

McGaha outruns Red River Tour foes at 281

By J.M. Hallas STEPHENVILLE, Texas (May 28) – Josh McGaha’s $1,000 checkers at 281 Speedway capped a big Memorial Weekend of racing for the Red River IMCA Modified Tour “Man, it was good,” the new Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier exclaimed following the Monday night victory. “The car pretty much drove itself. We made a call at the last minute after seeing track take some rubber and get some grip to it.” “We got lucky enough to draw the front but I feel like we still had a good car,” he continued. “After last night and all the bad luck, I’ll take it however I can get it. It was fun.” Eric Tomlinson was the runner-up and third was Heart O’ Texas Speedway tour winner Tyler Stevens. Chris Elliott and ‘B’ feature winner Clay Money rounded out the fast top five. After a series of early yellows, McGaha quickly checked out while Tomlinson and Stevens swapped second. A mid-race caution erased McGaha’s big lead but gave him open track for the restart. He sped [Read More]

Stevens shines at Heart O’ Texas with Red River Tour triumph

By Mike Spieker WACO, Texas (May 27) – Tyler Stevens raced to the win on night two of the IMCA Red River Modified Tour at Heart O’ Texas Speedway on Sunday, earning $1,000 and a spot on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Matt Guillaume, Kevin Sustaire and Stephens went three-wide for the race lead down the back stretch on lap 10. Guillaume fended off the challenge to remain in the lead as a caution reset the field on lap 11. As the race resumed, Stevens jumped into second over Sustaire and set his sights on Guillaume. The following circuit, Stephens dove to the inside of Guillaume and completed a textbook slide job with 11 laps remaining. Stevens opened up a four car length lead and Guillaume and Sustaire continued to battle for second. A late race caution set up a green, white, checkered finish with Sustaire and Guillaume lined up in second and third, respectively. Stevens got a great start off turn four and ran the final two trips around the high-banked quarter-mile dirt oval [Read More]

Hyperco renews awards program for 21st IMCA sponsorship season

PONTOTOC, Miss. – Hyperco gives product awards to drivers in five divisions and one special series again this season, its 21st as an IMCA sponsor. IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod competitors, as well as Deery Brothers Summer Series drivers all receive contingencies from the Pontotoc, Miss., high performance suspension components manufacturer “Hyperco is excited to be back as an IMCA sponsor,” said Marketing Manager Sarah Ostrander. “We continue to expand our Hypercoils product line to meet the needs of the IMCA racers and look forward to another great season of racing.” Top three eligible drivers in each of the five Modified regions, both Stock Car regions, both Hobby Stock regions and in national standings for Northern SportMods and Southern SportMods competing with at least one Hyperco spring receive product certificates for two Hyperco SNS Conventional springs. Hyperco also gives two Conventional SNS springs to the top eligible driver in the tour for IMCA Late Models. Second and third-place eligible drivers [Read More]