Hobby Stock

IMCA clarifies 2024 carburetor, spring rules

VINTON, Iowa (Jan. 25, 2024) – IMCA has announced clarifications to carburetor rules for three divisions, and to spring rules for five classes effective in 2024. Carburetor rule no. 17 for the Stock Cars, Northern SportMods and Southern SportMods now states that part number 0-4412 or 0-4412SA would be allowed in sanctioned competition this season. The 0-4412 is the same 500CFM carburetor we have allowed for years including the Dorton version. The 0-4412SA is the shiny aluminum version. “We had several questions from drivers about the way that rule was worded, with a comma instead of the word ‘or,’” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “Either version of that carburetor is legal. They will pass our gauges in tech inspection and are allowed in their unaltered form.” And the word non-tapered was added to spring rules for Modifieds, Stock Cars, both SportMod divisions and Hobby Stocks. Non-tapered springs means conical, beehive, barrel, pig tail, etc., springs are not legal. “We’d also received questions from racers about how we interpret that rule and that led us to believe we needed to add ‘non-tapered’ [Read More]

Events

Six dates at three tracks on schedule for inaugural Arizona IMCA Tour

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 25, 2024) – Four IMCA divisions see action each night of the inaugural Arizona IMCA Tour. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods race for $1,000 to win each night Feb. 9 and 10 at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, Feb. 16 and 17 at Mohave Valley Raceway and Feb. 23 and 24 at Cocopah Speedway in Somerton. Modified winners become eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, Stock Car winners for the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks round out each evening’s card, running for $500 to win. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, Arizona State and track points will be awarded each night and all six shows will be broadcast by IMCA.TV. Champions in each division become eligible to qualify for their respective race of champions at the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Spectator each night is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and military, $10 for students ages [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Perfect opportunity brings Sunday racing back to Redwood Speedway

REDWOOD FALLS, Minn. (Jan. 23, 2024) – What Velvet Dostal called “a perfect opportunity” brings Sunday night IMCA racing back to Minnesota’s Redwood Speedway. The upcoming 2024 Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts runs from June 2 through Sept. 29. IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars are also on the June 23 card and a $750 to win B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible special is scheduled on July 14. “When Princeton Speedway changed hands last fall, promoting Redwood was a perfect opportunity for us to jump on,” said Dostal, who had worked with husband Ricky at Princeton and at North Central Speedway the past 10-plus years. “When we saw the Facebook post that they were looking for a new promoter at Redwood, it’s like one door closed and another one opened.” Redwood named its first IMCA champions in 1991 and held its most recent sanctioned events three years ago. The big half-mile [Read More]

Feature

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]

Feature

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]

Feature

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]

Hobby Stock

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]

Modified

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.

Feature

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]

Feature

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]