Ryan Clark

Flat tire can’t keep Partain from Casa Grande repeat

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 20, 2024) – Both his Friday and Saturday night finishes ended with Bo Partin in victory lane. The routes he took to get there, however, couldn’t have been more different. Partain won Friday’s Ernie Mincy Early Thaw feature for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars from the pole, withstanding challenges from Aaron Olson and then Scott Sluka as four restarts slowed the finish of the 20-lapper at Central Arizona Raceway. After starting outside row one the next night, a flat tire sent the hometown driver to the infield hot pit. He’d get a new right front, restart at the rear and race all the way back to the front swapping the lead with Olson before taking the $750 checkers by a fraction of a second over the runner-up. “You always want to win,” said Partain. “When you can go to the back and still win, you know you’ve got a good race car.” Olson and Jason Rogers were running 1-2 at midway, before Rogers lost the handle. Partain was already in third by lap [Read More]

Berry finds preferred line for Early Thaw IMCA win

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 19, 2024) – Tom Berry had to hustle to get a couple late post-season wins in Arizona last year. He found victory lane much sooner this year, winning Friday’s night two Ernie Mincy Early Thaw feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. “I fell back to fourth (from third starting) and was thinking that’s where I would finish,” said Berry, a DNF after running up front in the Thursday opener. “The high line was the preferred line and it took me three or four laps to get the lead once I found it.” The $1,000 checkers were the first of the season and career 72nd in the class for Berry, who piloted a Mike Wedelstadt owned car at Casa Grande. IMCA’s 2020 national champion was already eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “We raced in Arizona in 2015 and won twice at Cocopah in the Turkey Classic Harvest Hustle last Thanksgiving,” he said. “We got started early this year, getting the win in our second start.” Opening night winner Chaz [Read More]

Dates announced for inaugural South Texas IMCA Modified Series

HUFFMAN, Texas (Jan. 19, 2024) – The idea of a traveling series deep in the Lone Star State becomes a reality this year, with the inaugural South Texas IMCA Modified Series. Twenty-one race dates, 18 of them during the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season, have been announced for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, I-37 Speedway in Pleasanton, South Texas Race Ranch in Corpus Christi and Texana Raceway Park in Edna. “What we want to accomplish with this series is develop an average car count of 15 to 20 cars a night along with a good fan following,” explained Jacob Hortch, a Modified driver who helped put the pieces in place for the first annual tour. “It’s cool to have the tracks working together and focusing on building Modified racing.” “Everyone is excited for the possibilities that this series can bring and we hope to put on some awesome shows for the fans” IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing national, GRT Race Cars South Central Region and IMCA state points will be [Read More]

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings through Jan. 16, 2024

Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds – 1. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 298; 2. Tim Ward, Harcourt, Iowa, 296; 3. Ethan Braaksma, Des Moines, Iowa, 290; 4. Eddie Belec, Arvada, Colo., 267; 5. Jeremy Mills, Clear Lake, Iowa, 265; 6. Grey Ferrando, Stayton, Ore., 257; 7. Kollin Hibdon, Pahrump, Nev., 249; 8. Troy Morris III, Bakersfield, Calif., 221; 9. Jerry Flippo, Osage, Iowa, 209; 10. Chris Zogg, New Liberty, Iowa, 207; 11. Austin Kuehl, Cave Creek, Ariz., 206; 12. Greg Gustus, Hudson, Colo., 183; 13. Chris Morris, Thorndale, Texas, and Matt Crafton, Mooresville, N.C., both 179; 15. Braxton Yeager, Green River, Wy., 174; 16. Lawrence O’Connor, Port Hardy, B.C., 172; 17. Andrew Pearce, Oakley, Calif., 170; 18. Dominic Ursetta, Arvada, Colo., 169; 19. Tyson Blood, Tumwater, Wash., 162; 20. Brady Bjella, Williston, N.D., 159. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars – 1. Rob VanMil, Barnesville, Minn., 268; 2. Zane DeVilbiss, Farmington, N.M., 262; 3. Justen Yeager, Green River, Wy., 257; 4. Bo Partain, Casa Grande, Ariz., and Chase Berkeley, Kettle Falls, Wash., both 254; 6. Shelby Williams, Bonham, Texas, 250; 7. [Read More]

Winter Nationals wins add four to B & B All-Star list

VINTON, Iowa (Jan. 16, 2024) – Another four IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers earned B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility, with wins over the course of Cocopah Speedway’s IMCA.TV Winter Nationals. Zane DeVilbiss won three of those series events in Arizona, Cole Czarneski, Cameron Starry and Justen Yeager one each. Defending IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s champion Dylan Thornton, meanwhile, was a double winner. B & B All-Star Invitational contenders now include Tom Berry Jr., Austin Brands, Troy Burkhart, Cole Czarneski, Zane DeVilbiss, Levi Feltman, Jordan Grabouski, T.J. Herndon, McCain Jennings, Jake Masters, Angel Munoz, Dallon Murty, Damon Murty, John Oliver Jr., Jake Sachau, Buck Schafroth, David Smith, Cameron Starry, Shawn Strand, Dylan Thornton, Shelby Williams, Justen Yeager and Elijah Zevenbergen.

Braaksma, Hibdon, Mills become Fast Shafts eligible with Arizona wins

VINTON, Iowa (Jan. 16, 2024) – Their early season wins have earned Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility for three Friesen Performance IMCA Modified drivers. Ethan Braaksma and Kollin Hibdon both won two IMCA.TV Winter Nationals events and Jeremy Mills won for the first time in his career at Cocopah Speedway during the season-opening special series. Chaz Baca, also a two-time winner, and opening night winner Chris Zogg were already qualifying eligible. Drivers now eligible for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational include: Chris Abelson, Chase Allen, Curtis Allen, Brandon Beckendorf, Eddie Belec, Tom Berry Jr., Ethan Braaksma, Zane DeVilbiss, Spencer Diercks, Troy Foulger, William Gould, Jordan Grabouski, Travis Hagen, Kollin Hibdon, Ryan Jenkins, Jeremy Mills, Rodney Morgan, Jake Nightingale, Josh Rogotzke, Joel Rust, Dakota Sproul, David Stremme, Cody Thompson, Wendell Wallace, A.J. Ward, Tim Ward, Bryson Yeager and Chris Zogg.

Saturday celebration follows Baca’s IMCA.TV Winter Nationals win, championship

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 13, 2024) – Chaz Baca has to wait until last October to officially celebrate his 2023 championships. He celebrated his first of 2024 on Saturday night. The Mesa hotshoe wrapped up the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals crown with his second Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory of the series, after passing Tim Ward for the lead with just two laps left in the series finale at Cocopah Speedway. “It feels good. It’s awesome to start this year the way we finished last season,” said Baca, an IMCA national, regional, state and four track champion in 2023. “Winter Nationals was very good to us.” Ward had come into the night a single point behind Baca in his bid to repeat as series champion. A restart set the stage for that late-race drama. Baca cleared Ward for the front spot coming out of turn two, then held off Ward, Dylan Thornton and Troy Morris III to the checkers. Ethan Braaksma started 15th and finished fifth. “We made one extreme setup change for the Tuesday practice. It was [Read More]

Quick to find fastest line, Hibdon wins again at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 12, 2024) – He wasn’t sure where the fastest line would be when the green flag flew, but Kollin Hibdon figured it out in a hurry Friday night. Hibdon worked lapped track to perfection, leading the distance for his second $1,000 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win of the 2024 IMCA.TV Winter Nationals at Cocopah Speedway. Defending series champion Tim Ward, 2023 national champ Chaz Baca and Jerry Flippo were next across the stripe as drivers with Shaw Race Cars Western Region addresses or roots filled the top four finishing spots. “I felt like a sitting duck. I wasn’t sure what line I would need to be in but I must have found the best one,” Hibdon said, after watching the track prep session that preceded the 25-lap main event. “I made sure I passed lapped traffic) as quick as I could.” After running the bottom in the early circuits, Hibdon began moving up the oval as the caution-free race continued. Ward had started fourth, Baca seventh and both did their best [Read More]

Baca finds that extra speed for first IMCA.TV Winter Nationals win

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 11, 2024) – He’d been fast but obviously not as fast as he wanted to be during the first week of the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals. So home state hero Chaz Baca made changes and raced to his first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win of 2024 Thursday night at Cocopah Speedway. The defending national and Shaw Race Cars Western Region champion started on the pole and led all 25 times around the track in taking the $1,000 checkers ahead of tough customers Ethan Braaksma, Jerry Flippo and Eddie Belec. “We were fast last week,” said Baca, who counted a runner-up finish to Braaksma among three top five finishes in those four starts. “This week we’re doing some different things with the setup and found some different speed.” “Hopefully we can get another one or two wins before this week is over,” added Baca, looking to defend national and regional crowns this season. Sixty-five Modifieds vied on night six of Winter Nationals, which saw another 200-plus IMCA car count at Cocopah. Dylan Thornton [Read More]

Braaksma schools IMCA Modified foes for second Winter Nationals win

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 10, 2024) – A driver who learned a lot last season taught his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified foes a thing or two Wednesday night at Cocopah Speedway. Ethan Braaksma raced to his second $1,000 IMCA.TV Winter Nationals win of the season, taking advantage of a late restart and leading the last six circuits in the 25-lap main event at Somerton. “It’s crazy,” Braaksma said. “We didn’t have a real good year last year. We learned a lot but we didn’t get any wins. The start of this season has been awesome. We’ve just got everything in place.” Braaksma had made his first visit to victory lane last Thursday, earning Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility with that W. He was chased to the checkers by Jan. 5 winner Jeremy Mills, Grey Ferrando and defending series champion Tim Ward on his way back to the winner’s circle. “Cocopah just fits my driving style,” he said. “There are a lot of guys here who have a chance to win so you’ve got to do well [Read More]