Feature Archives

Defending champion Dotson delivers IMCA.TV Winter Nationals feature win

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 6) – Ethan Dotson was the cream of the crop again Thursday night at Cocopah Speedway. A three-time winner and champion of the 2021 version of the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals presented by Yuma Insurance, Dotson won the Thursday night IMCA Modified feature at the Diamond In The Desert, earning $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Dotson beat fellow Bakersfield, Calif. driver Jerry Flippo and Austin Kuehl for the lead on lap one. Just two stoppages occurred in the 25-lap main event, with Dotson getting a slight challenge after the restart of the first caution. The field went 20 quick laps without incident, allowing Dotson to cruise right along, open up a significant lead and hit the tail end of the pack. He negotiated traffic on the way to registering his first feature win of the 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season. Flippo was second with third credited to Austen Becerra. Cody Thompson and Don Shaw completed the top five. Entry numbers for night two at Cocopah grew to 218. [Read More]

Hibdon hoists checkers at IMCA.TV Winter Nationals opener

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 5) – Opening night of the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals presented by Yuma Insurance featured a very full pit area at Cocopah Speedway and saw Kollin Hibdon end his evening with the $1,000 IMCA Modified checkers. The Pahrump, Nev., pilot took off from the rest of the pack at the start of the 25-lapper, powering his way around the Diamond In The Desert with nothing slowing down his pace but a lap two caution. Once racing resumed, Hibdon got back on the hammer for his first win of the 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing campaign. His first career IMCA.TV Winter Nationals presented by Yuma Insurance main event victory also made Hibdon eligible to qualify for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Don Shaw and Tanner Black were second and third, respectively. Chandler native Tim Ward ended his night fourth while 2021 IMCA rookie of the year Cody Thompson hit the wire fifth. The Wednesday night lidlifter saw 215 cars in action, including 72 IMCA Modifieds, nearly 60 Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods [Read More]

Happy start to New Year for Laney with IMCA Modified Bash at the Track victory

By Ben Deatherage BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. (Jan. 1) – Saturday rang in the new year and Mohave Valley Raceway’s New Year’s Bash at the Track was celebrated as the first event of the 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season. Cody Laney was the $2,022 IMCA Modified winner and Larry Brigner collected $1,000 for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers. Ryan Peery scored the $750 Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod victory while Ken McWilliams banked $500 for taking the Mach-1 Sport Compact win. Already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible, Laney had the field covered and had no issues with restarts in the Modified main. The Torrance, Calif., chauffeur was #StephanieStrong after heartbreaking mechanical problems took him out of action in the final moments in the Friday program. Apache Junction driver Brigner jetted to the point of the 20-lap Stock Car main event. However, Trevor Hidalgo, managed to get around him on the second circuit. Night one winner Chris McCurdy Jr. obtained the top place position around the halfway mark. His tenure as the pacesetter lasted [Read More]

Dates, locations announced for 2022 Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour

MANDAN, N.D. – Plans have been finalized for the Corral Sales Dakota Classic Tour with IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars after a recent meeting with the six host tracks. Due to mandated Covid vaccination requirements at the international border, Estevan, Sask., Motor Speedway has decided not to take a tour date despite an open border. This decision meant one track would be allowed to take an additional date to keep the traditional six consecutive date series format that has been popular with drivers and fans over the tour’s long history. Dacotah Speedway in Mandan stepped up to take the extra date. The tour will start in Jamestown on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at Jamestown Speedway. The series then heads north to the North Dakota State Fairgrounds and Nodak Speedway in Minot on Sunday, July 10. Drivers and fans next head west on US Highway 2 for Williston and Williston Basin Speedway on Monday, July 11. Southwest Speedway in Dickinson is next on Tuesday, July 12. The Tour wraps up in Mandan at Dacotah [Read More]

Early entries top 400 for 2022 IMCA.TV Winter Nationals

SOMERTON, Ariz. – After many conversations throughout the summer with drivers about the 2022 IMCA.TV Winter Nationals, the latest pre-entry numbers had Cocopah Speedway’s Brad Whitfield admittedly speechless. More than 400 drivers in six IMCA divisions are already pre-entered for seven nights of January racing at Somerton, coming from 21 states and two Canadian provinces. IMCA.TV Winter Nationals is presented by Yuma Insurance and broadcast by IMCA.TV. “It completely blows my mind that we will start the 2022 season with an IMCA crown jewel event with pre-entry numbers like these,” said Whitfield, who spent much of his summer traveling to tracks in the Midwest and talking to drivers one-on-one. “We had 108 cars for our Winter Nationals in 2020 and 275 for the inaugural IMCA.TV Winter Nationals in 2021. For 2022, we already have 420 pre-entries.” “I’m humbled, I’m blessed and I’m speechless” he continued. “I will do everything in my power to make sure that every driver who pulls into the pits and every fan that comes through the front gate has a good [Read More]

$43,250 in Chevrolet Performance bonuses paid to IMCA crate engine track champions

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Chevrolet Performance bonuses totaling $43,250 have been paid to IMCA drivers who won track championships while competing exclusively with crate engines in 2021. In all, 173 IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod drivers received $250 checks, mailed this month from the IMCA home office. “Chevrolet Performance is such an ally in the promotion of IMCA dirt track racing and their yearly bonus program speaks for itself,” stated IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “IMCA racers continue to cash checks for championships while competing with a reliable and sustainable motor program.” IMCA Modified drivers who received bonuses for winning one or more track championships while competing with a crate engine were: Chris Abelson, Mark Adams, Keaton Atkinson, Chaz Baca, Steven Bowers, Wayne Brooks, Jarrett Brown, Cody Burke, Craig Cassell, Alec Childs, Rick Chorniak, Ty Clemens, Brandon Clough, Brandon Conkwright and Troy Cordes. Sawyer Crigler, Shane DeMey, Travis Denning, Mike Densberger, Ryan Doyon, P.J. Dyke, Dwight East, Zach Fettinger, Trevor Fitz-Gibbon, Jerry Flippo, Zach Frederick, Jeremy Frenier, Chris Gallien, Josh [Read More]

Eibach rewards 94 IMCA state champions

CORONA, Calif. – More than 90 IMCA drivers winning state championships in 2021 earned post-season awards from Eibach Springs. Modified driver Tyson Blood, a first-time KMJ Performance state champion in Washington, was chosen by random draw to receive an Eibach-branded fire suit. Other first-time state champs receiving sets of springs were Owen Barnhill in Florida, Modified; Andy Nezworski in Illinois, Late Model; Renn Bane in California, Stock Car; Kyler Satran in North Dakota, Hobby Stock; Joey Klemish in New Mexico, Northern SportMod; Matthew Day in Oklahoma, Southern SportMod; and Dylan Dunn in Florida, Mod Lite. All state champions in those seven divisions receive $100 certificates from the Corona, Calif., manufacturer and 13-year IMCA sponsor. Eibach certificates with a total value of $9,400 were presented to drivers attending the national awards banquet in Lincoln, Neb., or mailed this month from the IMCA home office.

IMCA releases 2022 Northern SportMod, Modified, Stock Car, Late Model rules

VINTON, Iowa – 2022 rules for another four IMCA divisions have been announced and posted on the IMCA website. Rules items to note for Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods include: *The minimum wheelbase is 108 inches, the maximum wheelbase 112 inches with a maximum one inch difference from side to side. *Air cleaner top is a maximum of six inches above the hood. *Must use 16 inch minimum, 19 inch maximum lower control arms. The rear lower control arm must be centered under the axle tube (with a one inch tolerance) and bolted a minimum of two inches to a maximum of five inches from the bottom of the housing. *Tires may be ground, straight siped or grooved. *The air cleaner top, stud and base cannot direct air into the carburetor. No top flow housings, air cleaner inserts or cold air boxes. *All engines must use unaltered MSD #8727CT rev control and maximum 6,200 rpm chip for crate engines and maximum 6,800 rpm chip for claim engines. *No oil pan vents. “Any of the Northern SportMod [Read More]

Record number of champions honored at 2021 IMCA banquet

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nov. 27) – A record 700 champions and rookies of the year were honored as IMCA returned to Lincoln for the 2021 national awards banquet. National champions from both the 2021 and 2020 seasons took their turn at the podium during the Saturday night celebration of dirt track success. 2021 national champions were Jeff Larson, IMCA Modified; Cory Dumpert, IMCA Sunoco Late Model; Justin Clark, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car; Mike Nichols, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car; Dillon Raffurty, IMCA STARS Mod Lite; Kaden Reynolds, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock; Matthew Looft, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod; Matthew Day, Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod; and Caine Mahlberg, Mach-1 Sport Compact. Raffurty is the first-ever Mod Lite national champion. Dumpert and Nichols both defended titles won in 2020, when the banquet was canceled because of Covid. Also winning national crowns last season were Tom Berry Jr., Modified; Garrett Bard, Sprint Car; Cory Probst, Hobby Stock; Doug Smith, Northern SportMod; and Ramsey Meyer, Sport Compact. Both a video tribute to the late Jason Smith and remarks by Speedway Motors [Read More]

Reese sets new goal, races to rookie honors in Big Daddy Southern Hobby Stock Region

SPANISH FORK, Utah – Just 10 races into the season, Haiden Reese set a different goal for his rookie IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock campaign. That mission accomplished, the Spanish Fork, Utah, speedster already has a new goal for 2022. Reese became the first driver from Utah to win Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region rookie honors, logging all 35 of his starts in his home state. Team Reese also produced a pair of state champions with Haiden topping KMJ Performance State standings for the Hobbies and his father Jason leading the way in Utah points for Modifieds. “I hadn’t raced anything before but my dad has been with IMCA for six years, the last three of them in a Modified, so I’ve been around it for a while,” Reese said. ”IMCA has a great rookie program going on and I needed to get into a class where I could learn. I spent November through April building a car and got it race-ready.” “The first time I practiced it was more car than I expected,” he [Read More]