Divisions Archives

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]

Hibdon returns to Cocopah’s victory lane, Winter Nationals win is IMCA first for Starry

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 6, 2024) – Kollin Hibdon turned his first competitive laps at Cocopah Speedway at the age of 14. Fast forward six years and the Nevada native returned to Somerton to win his career fourth IMCA.TV Winter Nationals main event. Hibdon got the lead following a late restart in a fast and furious battle with defending national king Chaz Baca and topped Saturday’s $1,000 to win Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature. “There was some pretty intense lapped traffic,” said Hibdon, newly Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible with his 40thcareer win in the class. “I know this track pretty well. It’s always fun to come back here in the winter.” The front pair traded sliders in the waning laps before Hibdon got the lead for good with a nifty crossover move. Grey Ferrando, defending series champion Tim Ward and Jake Pike completed the top five. Hibdon will return to the Midwest again this season, loading up the trailer after the snow melts this spring to race out of North Dakota. Cameron Starry’s first-ever [Read More]

Mills ends streak of fifth place finishes with first IMCA.TV Winter Nationals win

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 5, 2024) – His streak of fifth place finishes came to an end Friday night, when Jeremy Mills topped the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Cocopah Speedway. The Iowa long tow, an IMCA.TV Winter Nationals regular the last three years, had placed fifth in four consecutive Somerton starts dating back to last January. He started on the pole and led all 25 laps in ending that streak despite the best efforts of Thursday winner Ethan Braaksma. “We’ve been coming here the last few years and I’ve finished second a couple times but had never won at Cocopah before,” said Mills, who earned $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility with his career 135th win in the division. “I’d finished fifth the last four features here. I was just trying to do better than that.” “It means a lot to be able to win at Cocopah,” he continued. “There are so many good cars here. It’s hard just to qualify out of the heat.” Braaksma worked his way up from fifth to [Read More]

34 years of great races, great racers, great memories: Gartner retires as IMCA Dakota Classic Tour director

MANDAN, N.D. (Dec. 21, 2023) – The idea for a traveling Modified series in his home state came while John Gartner was not far from the sand and surf at Daytona Beach. The founder, and director of the Dakota Classic Modified Tour since its inception, can now look back at 34 years of great racing, great racers and countless new friendships. “I never dreamed it would be this successful, but I always knew we had drivers who would support it and that we could always bank on the hospitality of fans in North Dakota,” said Gartner, after selling the long-running series to a governing group of promoters representing the tracks hosting tour events. “There are a lot of tours out there, and a lot of people have called us over the years asking us how we did it.” “For 34 years, we kept the same philosophy of a good payout, lots of contingency prizes and treating everyone fairly,” he continued. “And it worked.” Jamestown Speedway, Dacotah Speedway and Nodak Speedway are the longest-tenured tour tracks, [Read More]