Feature

Stoked for sure, Woodie celebrates first win at Ernie Mincy Early Thaw

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 25, 2024) – There was no shortage of adjectives following Kaden Woodie’s career-first Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature win Thursday at Central Arizona Raceway. The long tow from Milaca, Minn., topped the final feature of the Ernie Mincy Early Thaw show, ahead of Cam Reimers and Clay Erickson. “It was awesome. It was exhilarating for sure,” said Woodie, who made the trip from north of the Twin Cities with his dad Paul and crewman Shawn Hess. “My team and I have been putting in the work. I was stoked, for sure.” He led all 20 circuits from the pole, building an advantage of 5-1/2 seconds and catching up with the back of the field before a lap 14 caution. Two more cautions came out before the race ended green, white, checkered. “It was definitely run being out front and lead. I’d checked out before the first caution,” said Woodie, twice a runner-up during the season-opening IMCA.TV Winter Nationals at Cocopah Speedway. “I could hear Cam behind me after the last [Read More]

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

New regional title sponsor B & B adds to point funds for IMCA Hobby Stocks

BELLE PLAINE, Minn. (Jan. 24, 2024) – An expanded sponsorship role with IMCA takes B & B Racing Chassis and owner Paul Burger back to the division where they got their start in dirt track racing. The Belle Plaine, Minn., chassis builder becomes title sponsor of both Northern and Southern regions for IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and will provide increased point funds of $1,500 for each. “I got my first two wins, in a Hobby Stock, at Arlington Raceway in 1989 or 1990. We built our own cars and after this business was incorporated, the first cars we built were Hobby Stocks,” Burger said. “That’s kind of the reason why this sponsorship appeals to me. Hobby Stocks are really the place where it all starts for a lot of drivers, myself included.” B & B Racing Chassis Northern Region tracks are in eastern Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming while tracks in the B & B Racing Chassis Southern Region are located in Arizona, [Read More]

Mod Lite

New Clayhill sanction builds racing bridge for IMCA STARS Mod Lites

ATWOOD, Tenn. (Jan. 23, 2024) – A new sanction in western Tennessee will build a bridge between two hotbeds for Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite drivers. Clayhill Motorsports Park at Atwood hosts eight events for the class in 2024, seven of them co-sanctioned with the Tennessee Mod Lite Racing Association and three of them during what promises to be a rich July Fourth holiday. “We are in the perfect position to be a bridge, or conduit for what Eddie Campbell has done with the TMLRA and what Bryce Vowan has done with the Mod Lites of Arkansas to the west,” explained Clayhill promoter Justin Newman. “When you look at the number of licensed drivers already living in Arkansas and Tennessee, you can see this region has real potential for the STARS Mod Lite division.” “We’re trying to expand the footprint of the division,” he continued, “and felt that geographically, this is an opportunity to put them in front of a lot of fans and help grow the class.” STARS Mod Lites and the TMLRA [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]

Hobby Stock

IMCA regional title sponsor season rates a 10 for EngineQuest

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Jan. 23, 2024) – With another sponsorship milestone around the next turn, EngineQuest renews its title sponsorship support of IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for a 10th consecutive season. The Las Vegas, Nev., cyl­inder head and engine component manufacturer backs both Northern and Southern regions for The Class Too Tough To Tame in 2024, providing a portion of $4,000 point funds to be paid in each. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod and Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod drivers will also receive awards from the 19-year sponsor. EQ decal placement is required in all four divisions. “From the very beginning of our relationship between IMCA and EngineQuest, it has been extremely important to reward the drivers who believe in the EngineQuest brand to get them to the checkered flag,” said EngineQuest President Scott Stolberg. EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region tracks are located in eastern Colorado, Iowa, Kan­sas, Minnesota, Missouri, Ne­braska, North Dakota, Oregon, Saskatchewan, South Da­kota, Wis­con­sin and Wyoming. EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region tracks are in Ari­zona, Arkansas, Cali­for­nia, western Colorado, [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]