Northern SportMod Archives

James, Berkeley, Bloom win IMCA Wild West Speedweek finales

By Ben Deatherage BANKS, Ore. (June 22, 2024) – The sun set Saturday on the IMCA Wild West Speedweek, with final night feature wins at Sunset Speedway Park going to Bricen James, Chase Berkeley and Aaron Bloom. Tour champions in those divisions would be Collen Winebarger, Berkeley and Matt Sanders. The Modified finale had Carter Patterson in control on the initial start but Devon Reed had plans and was in the lead by lap five. Another exciting race unfolded for third as Grey Ferrando battled Tyler Smith. What proved to be the only caution of the contest came on lap seven. The event stayed green for the remaining 28 circuits around the quarter-mile clay oval. Patterson tried to retrieve the lead from Reed and Craig Cassell entered the picture after securing third from Ferrando on lap 10. Reed kept Patterson at bay but in a sudden turn of events, three-time defending and six-time Banks Bullring track champion Cassell, pulled alongside, then edged out Reed for the top spot on lap 12 and began to pull [Read More]

Leibhart, Kirchoff, Olmstead, Pfeifer, Frenier cash in at Colby

By Sheldon Wickwar COLBY, Kan. (June 21, 2024) – Mother Nature threw a bunch of wind at Thomas County Speedway on a Friday night that saw a couple close finishes, some dominant runs and a driver breaking through for a big win. Visiting victory lane were Brock Leibhart in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts, Morgan Olmstead in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Ryan Kirchoff in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, Kyle Pfeifer in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Jeremy Frenier in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Leibhart grabbed the lead early in the 4-cylinder feature, holding on to the point despite getting a little too high on lap five and losing some momentum. Mortensen got to the leader’s back bumper but could not deny Leibhart his third win of the season and ninth straight top-10 finish. Third was Gage Porter. Multiple restarts and the best efforts of Brady Bencken couldn’t shake Olmstead from the front spot in the Hobby Stock main. Olmstead picked up win number 10, returning to the Kansas dirt scene [Read More]

Racing resumes this Sunday at Benton County Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (June 25, 2024) – After a week off for the Benton County Fair, the IMCA Weekly Racing program will be back in action this Sunday, June 30 at Benton County Speedway. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds presented by Wright Way Trailers, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars presented by Christie Door Company, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks presented by iHeart Radio, Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts and INEX Legends presented by Legends.Direct will resume their weekly points battles Sunday evening. The annual nickel dash for the kids in attendance will take place on the front stretch during intermission. Entering the final weekend of June, Ben Chapman is the point leader in the Modified division, John Oliver Jr. leads the Stock Cars, Brady Hilmer tops the SportMods, Nathan Ballard leads the Hobby Stocks, and Lukas Rick and Cristian Grady are tied atop the Sport Compact standings at The Bullring. Michael Weber holds a one point lead in the Legends. Pit gates and grandstand open at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, with hot laps slated for 5:30 [Read More]

Ryland outruns Northern SportMod foes at Antioch

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (June 22, 2024) – Fred Ryland was back in victory lane Saturday night, following his second Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature win of 2024 at Antioch Speedway. Dylan Connelly jumped into the early lead ahead of Haley Gomez and Ryland. They ran that way until Gomez pushed too high in turn two of the fifth lap, allowing Ryland to race by for second. Connelly had a huge lead, but it whittled away to nothing when they come upon lapped traffic on the ninth circuit. A low move in turn two of the 10th lap temporarily gained Ryland the lead, but Connelly came back strong to pace the lap. Ryland again raced around Connelly on the 11th lap to take the lead. Following a yellow flag for a three-car tangle, Ryland led reigning champion Kenny Shrader and Jason Ryan Jr on the restart. Ryland set a good pace the rest of the way to collect the win, followed by Shrader, Ryan, Trevor Clymens and Chuck Golden.

East Moline Speedway hosts $2,000 to win Greg Durbin Memorial for IMCA Modifieds

EAST MOLINE, Ill. (June 25, 2024) – Friesen Performance IMCA Modified drivers will chase a $2,000 top prize in a race that remembers one of their own this Sunday at East Moline Speedway. The fifth annual Greg Durbin Memorial on June 30 is a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying event with bonuses to include $500 to the second to last place running car on the 28th of 30 laps, $50 to the fifth place car on lap five and to the seventh place car on lap seven, and $25 to the third place car on lap eight. Another $100 will be paid to the Modified driver making the longest tow for their draw/redraw show. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Razor Chassis North Central Region and Illinois State points, but no track points will be awarded to the Modifieds. There is no entry fee and pit passes are $30. Spectator admission is $18 for reserved seating, $15 for adults, $5 for kids ages five through 12 and four and under are free. Durbin was a three-time [Read More]

NAPA Fan Zone is ultimate destination at IMCA Super Nationals

DES MOINES, Iowa (June 25, 2024) – NAPA returns as sponsor of the ultimate destination for every fan and every driver at the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. The Official Automotive Parts Supplier of Super Nationals, Des Moines-based NAPA Iowa is back for a third consecutive year as title sponsor of the Fan Zone, to be located south of the Boone Speedway grandstand throughout the week of the 42nd annual Super Nationals Sept. 2-7. “Super Nationals has seen record car counts each of the last two years, 1,000 in 2022 and 1,017 in 2023, and it is no coincidence that those numbers were achieved during the first two years of our partnership with NAPA,” observed IMCA Marketing Integration and Sponsorship Director Carson Becker-Gramm. “We have really been able to expand the number of opportunities drivers and fans have the opportunity to expand with each other at the Fan Zone because of NAPA’s involvement,” he continued. “One of the best examples of that was moving victory lane photos for championship events from the infield to [Read More]

Bade, Olson both win big at Eagle

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (June 22, 2024) – Livin’ Life Full Throttle Night Saturday at Eagle Raceway was billed as a special show and turned out especially so for Shayle Bade and Geoff Olson. In memory of former track announcer and no. 47 sprint car owner Stan Cisar, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car winner Bade took home $1,047. Bade, the national points leader, passed Koby Werkmeister for the lead on lap 14, After a caution with five circuits to go, they’d trade slide jobs and the lead with Bade in front when the checkers flew. “It’s about time! It’s been a long while and this one, if you were here, it was slide job after slide job and in the end, it was who wanted it more,” she said. “I just knew I had to have patience, drive my race, hit my line and just wait for everything to happen.” “This was my first win since I lost my dad. That makes this a pretty special win right here, and I know he’s smiling down from above,” [Read More]

Saturday win is first of season for Thornton at Iowa’s Action Track

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (June 22, 2024) – Dylan Thornton was a first-time winner this season Saturday at Boone Speedway, while Austin Bouzek, Eric Knutson and Cam Reimers and Travis Stensland all returned to victory lane at Iowa’s Action Track. Features kicked off with 15 laps of Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite racing. Randy Bryan, in the Austin Gray machine, led the field for lap one and then a caution flew. When the race returned to green, it was Cory Sonner taking over the top spot with Stensland soon in tow. The two battled it out for several laps before Stensland took over at the flag stand when lap nine went into the books. From there on out, it was all Stensland’s race. He pulled away to a healthy lead in the closing laps to take his third win of the season. Sonner finished a distant second. It was a close one for third and fourth, with 17th place starter Josh May winning out over Charlie Brown. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods went 18 laps for [Read More]

Berkeley dominates at Willamette, James & Killingsworth win, too.

By Ben Deatherage LEBANON, Ore. (June 21, 2024) – Night six of the 2024 IMCA Wild West Speedweek had to rate a 10 with Chase Berkeley. The Colville, Wash., warrior raced to his fourth consecutive and career 10th IMCA Sunoco Stock Car tour win Friday night at Willamette Speedway, a victory good for $2,500 and qualifying eligibility for the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. The two-time defending Speedweek champion took control of the first of 40 laps with brother-in-law B.J. Wild trying to run him down, Kersey Ferrando in third and David Schmidt and Jeff Lovell fighting for fourth. Lovell secured fourth on lap eight and the top five running order remained the same until a lap 19 caution for second-running Wild. Kevin Roberts moved around Lovell to get third on lap 22. Another long green flag run followed with Roberts continuing his charge forward to second. The final caution occurred with 12 laps to go. Berkeley was just too good out in the open in scoring his fourth straight Speedweek win. Roberts was a [Read More]

Unusual night of races during Off Road Speedway’s regular program

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (June 22, 2024) – Interestingly, the feature races at Off Road Speedway’s regular program of racing on Saturday were anything but regular with an abundance of collisions, cautions and curious finishes. There was, perhaps not coincidentally, a full moon looming in the hazy eastern sky. Four attempts were necessary, for example, to begin the first feature of the evening, the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Polesitter Cole Rosencrans promptly took the lead, but Cameron Wilkinson, with five wins already this season, quickly became a contender by moving up from the fourth row into second place. Within the first six laps, Tejay Mielke joined Rosencrans and Wilkinson in what soon became a three-car battle. Wilkinson finally seized the lead coming out of turn four midway through the 18-lap race, while Mielke looked for chances to pass and Rosencrans remained a close third. The opportunity presented itself briefly when the trio caught up to lapped traffic entering turn three. Wilkinson appeared trapped on the low side of the track but moved up [Read More]