Feature Archives

IMCA Dakota Classic Tour history made in 35th season

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (May 31, 2024) – Byron Fichter and Aaron Turnbull have been part of the Dakota Classic Tour for maybe more years than they’d like to admit. This year, they’ll be in charge of it. The two are new co-directors of the tour for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, set to visit six tracks in North Dakota and Saskatchewan from July 6-11. “We have big shoes to fill,” Fichter said, acknowledging the efforts of founder and director John Gartner over the tour’s first 34 years. “People who come on the tour know the tracks in North Dakota and Canada are good hosts. We’re proud of our racing facilities and our racing communities.” “We have a lot of history, including 34 years of history as the best traveling series for Modifieds in North America.” The 35th annual tour opens Saturday, July 6 at Jamestown Speedway with following dates Sunday, July 7 at Nodak Speedway in Minot; Monday, July 8 at Estevan Motor Speedway; Tuesday, July 9 at Williston Basin Speedway; Wednesday, July [Read More]

All Star Shootout Modified champion William Gould

CALERA, Okla. (May 26, 2024) – After finishing runner-up in 2023, William Gould was determined to take his Kerry Friar Motorsports no. 60 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified to the All Star Shootout title this year. After winning his opening night heat at Southern Oklahoma Speedway, Gould drew the seventh place start in the “A”. However, things just didn’t go his way and he finished up 10th. Drake Findley sailed to a commanding win and set himself up to be Gould’s greatest challenge for the points championship. Undaunted, Gould hit the dirt running at Kennedale Speedway Park on night two. However, a bad draw had him starting dead last in his heat. Unable to snatch a transfer spot, Gould was relegated to a “B.” Starting fifth, Gould went on to win that race and secure a start in the “A.” Starting 13th, the Calera, Okla., veteran really had his work cut out for him to work his way up through a very tough field of competitors. After battling with Brint Hartwick, Jacob Pirkle, Trevor Raney and [Read More]

All Star Shootout Stock Car champion Shelby Williams

BONHAM, Texas (May 26, 2024) – Shelby Williams once again performed in championship style in this year’s IMCA All Star Shootout, successfully defending his 2023 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car title. Picking up his first win right out of the gate at Southern Oklahoma Speedway on opening night, Williams set the stage going into the rest of the tour with a lot of momentum behind him. No stranger to Victory Lane at Ardmore, Williams drew well and started on the outside of the front row in the “A”, going on to win. Night two at Kennedale Speedway Park put a damper on his momentum after being squeezed between two cars coming out of turn four in his heat. After qualifying for the main event through his “B,” Williams started 15th, advanced eight spots and finished seventh. Onto night three at Heart ‘O Texas Speedway in Waco. With 10 inches of rain hitting the area over the past month, track officials performed a Herculean feat to prepare the track for the last leg of the tour. Although [Read More]

All Star Shootout Southern SportMod champion Trey Votaw

ELM MOTT, Texas (May 26, 2024) – Trey Votaw had one goal in mind when he signed up for the IMCA All Star Shootout Tour this year. Votaw had a successful run in 2023 but finished runner-up to Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod champion Jeff Shepperd. The Elm Mott speedster knew he had the car to win if he could just put together the runs it would take to come out on top. On opening night at Southern Oklahoma Speedway, Votaw drew outside front row in his heat and went on to win, securing his place in the “A.” He then drew the seventh place start behind some very fast competitors. Votaw was able to advance three spots to finish fourth, but Shepperd took the win after advancing 11 positions. Shepperd was no doubt going to be tough. However, Josh Landers and Mikel Wingate proved they had the goods to compete with second and third place finishes, respectively, as well. Night number two at Kennedale Speedway Park saw Votaw draw a fourth place start [Read More]

IMCA anniversary wins at Boone go to Berry, Anderson

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (May 25, 2024) – It was a great night of racing at the Boone Speedway Saturday. There were 172 cars checked in for the Memorial Day Holiday weekend event that included extra money on the line for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, celebrating their 45th anniversary and the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, celebrating 19 years of racing. It was also a Stealth Racing Corn Belt Clash race for the IMCA STARS Mod Lites. It was Tom Berry Jr. taking top honors in the IMCA Modifieds, in an exciting race for the fans that witnessed a “slide fest.” Austin Bouzek got his first win at the track when he took the checkers in the IMCA Sunoco Stock car “A” main. Logan Anderson went home with the trophy in the IMCA Friesen Performance SportMods and once again, it was Mike Smith back in victory lane for the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Corn Belt Clash winner for the STARS Mod Lites was Bryan Zehm. Mod Lites were running for a $1,000 payday that would [Read More]

Thornton, Looft are awesome, unbelievable in IMCA wins at Quarter Million Dollar Challenge

SPENCER, Iowa (May 22, 2024) – “Awesome” and “unbelievable” were among the adjectives two of IMCA’s most accomplished drivers used in victory lane Wednesday night, following $16,667 feature wins at Clay County Fair Speedway’s Quarter Million Dollar Challenge. Ricky Thornton Jr. made his return to IMCA pay off, dueling with Dallon Murty while leading from the drop of the green to the checkered in a 30-lap IMCA Sunoco Stock Car contest slowed only by two early cautions. And Matthew Looft caught Jake Sachau after midway and led to the end of a fast-paced and caution-free Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod 30-lapper Two hundred and fifty cars saw action Wednesday at Spencer, including 104 Stock Cars and 101 Northern SportMods. Cory Probst was the $1,000 IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock winner and Tom Berry Jr.’s $1,500 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory came in the final race of the inaugural special. Thornton, a four-time champion at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s with nearly 200 sanctioned wins on his resume in three divisions and now [Read More]

Three $250 Sunoco bonuses at stake for IMCA Late Models

VINTON, Iowa (May 22, 2024) – Bonuses of $250 are on the line at each of three IMCA Sunoco Late Model events over the long Memorial holiday weekend. Feature winners of Late Model main events May 23 at Park Jefferson Speedway at Jefferson, S.D., May 24 at Crawford County Speedway in Denison and May 25 at Shelby County Speedway in Harlan receive bonuses and a five-gallon fuel jug from their divisional title sponsor. Pit gates open at 5 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. for the $1,000 to win Titan Clash show at Park Jefferson, with hot laps at 7 p.m. and racing at 7:30 p.m. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $12 for veterans and seniors, $12 for students 11-17, $5 for kids and free for five and under. Crawford County also opens the pits at 5 and the stands at 5:30. Racing follows 7:30 p.m. hot laps. Grandstand admission is $12 for adults, $7 for military and seniors and free for kids. And Shelby County opens the pit area at 4 [Read More]

Berry continues fast start to season with IMCA Modified Monday Night Madness win

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (May 6, 2024) – Tom Berry Jr. made his first racing visit to Independence Motor Speedway while testing the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified competition in the Midwest nine years ago. He returned to win the Monday Night Madness Summer Challenge Series opener, leading all 30 laps and pocketing $2,000. “We’ve definitely had a good start to the year,” understated Berry, after wheeling the fastest of 44 Modified entries to victory lane. “There was a stout field of cars here tonight and they did a great job with the track. You could run different lines. I could move around when I needed to.” Ethan Braaksma, another driver who’s enjoyed a good start to the season, was second and Tim Ward was third. Joel Rust and Spencer Diercks completed the top five. Berry won his heat from seventh starting to earn the pole for the main event. Braaksma mounted an early challenge and back-to-back cautions flew before the last nine laps ran green. Berry stretched out his advantage over the last five of those circuits [Read More]

Dinsmore dominant in STIMS scramble

PLEASANTON, Texas (April 27, 2024) – Logan Dinsmore made back-to-back visits to victory lane when the South Texas IMCA Modified Series returned to I-37 Speedway on Saturday night. Twenty Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds lined up for the four-wide salute before taking the green. Raymond McSpadden led the pack into turn one, but Cody Tidwell got a run up top to snag the lead pursued by Chris Morris, McSpadden, Rick Green and John Hortch. Yellows waved on laps three and four and on the second restart, Dinsmore rocketed to the high side, sailing past Morris and Tidwell for the lead. The top three would break away while Jared Maupin worked his way to fourth. Dinsmore was inching away at the crossed flags and had half a straightaway on his closest competition before another yellow, on lap 16. With a clean track ahead, Dinsmore had to hold off Morris and Maupin as the top three got away while Green, Carroll and McSpadden were three wide for fourth. Dinsmore inched out to a couple car lengths to grab [Read More]

Chadwick, Diaz, Bannister are best in opener for Central California Clash

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (April 20, 2024) – Kellen Chadwick scored the victory in the 25-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified race Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was the opening race of the six-race Central California Clash. The win paid Chadwick $1,000 and made him eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Chadwick had the outside front row for the start and bolted into the lead at the green flag, followed by Bobby Hogge IV and Troy Foulger. Foulger slipped past Hogge for second on a lap three restart with Andrew Pearce settling into third. After a lap nine caution, the race had a good run of green flag racing with Chadwick pulling away from Foulger. A yellow flag with three laps to go bunched the field but Chadwick bolted ahead and brought it home to a satisfying win. Foulger settled for second ahead of Pearce, Hogge and Cody Burke. Rick Diaz won the 20-lap IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event. He led all the way and held off a furious challenge [Read More]