Results Archives

Drought ends for Lee with Sunday Oil Capital RaceSaver win at Meeker

By John Rittenoure MEEKER, Okla. (March 7) – It has been a long time in coming for Joe Bob Lee. One of the most loyal followers of the AmeriFlex/Oil Capital Racing Series for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, Lee has spent the past four years traveling to each race on the OCRS schedule from his home in the far southwest Oklahoma town of Cache hoping to pick up a main event win. Sunday, it finally happened. Lee took over the lead just a few laps before the halfway point in the 30-lap feature of Spring Nationals at Red Dirt Raceway and raced unchallenged for his first career series victory. “It is going on four years straight I have been running with the series,” Lee said, thinking back to when he started running with OCRS. “It is finally good to get the monkey off my shoulders.“ Lee credited the work of his family, crew and sponsors for his success. “We have had a lot of top 5 and top 10’s. A lot of good runs,” Lee recalled. [Read More]

United Rebel Sprint Series partners with Drive to Zero program

OBERLIN, Kan. – The United Rebel Sprint Series Presented by Mel Hambelton Ford Racing has partnered with the Kansas Department of Transportation’s highway safety program “Drive to Zero” as the title sponsor for the 2021 season. The season is set to kick off on April 17 at 81 Speedway in Park City, Kan. The Kansas-based series will now be referred to as the Drive to Zero United Rebel Sprint Series presented by Mel Hambleton Racing. The Drive to Zero program originated with a purpose to reduce fatalities and serious injuries that occur on Kansas highways. The program is designated to target impaired driving, texting, and seat belt violations. The goal of the Drive to Zero program is to ensure that every traveler arrives to their destination safely. “We are really excited about this opportunity to partner with the Kansas Department of Transportation and its Drive to Zero campaign to help spread their message of ‘Don’t drink and drive, don’t text and drive and always buckle up,’” said series promoter Rick Salem. The Drive to Zero United Rebel Sprint Series Presented by Mel [Read More]

Kent is super in Oil Capital RaceSaver series opener

By John Rittenoure MEEKER, Okla. (March 6) – Johnny Kent gave up the early lead then regained it just in time to win the 2021 AmeriFlex/Oil Capital Racing Series season opener for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars during night one of the Red Dirt Raceway Spring Nationals. For the first time, the series raced under the IMCA RaceSaver sanction and a total of 42 competitors turned out for the inaugural outing. Kent picked up his third OCRS career victory, but it almost did not happen. Starting outside front row next to Dillon Laden, Kent jumped into the lap one lead on the Red Dirt quarter-mile before the yellow flag waved. On the restart, fourth starting Casey Wills roared past Kent for the lead. Kent kept pace with Wills throughout the 25-lapper hoping for a second chance. Opportunity presented itself in the final two laps and Kent went around Wills for the victory. Tyler Drueke, making his first start with OCRS, charged from eighth to finish third. Ty Williams was fourth and veteran Danny Wood came from [Read More]

A race fan forever, Sutton takes over as new promoter at RPM Speedway

HAYS, Kan. – A race fan forever, Chris Sutton takes a new job at a long-time IMCA Kansas race track this season. The veteran tech inspector and jack of all trades at tracks across the state steps up as promoter at RPM Speedway. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts all return to Saturday shows at Hays. “I want to see this track continue to be a success. It’s a very big piece of the IMCA racing puzzle in the state and consistently has had one of the biggest car counts in Kansas,” said Sutton. “There’s not a lot of maintenance that needs to be done before opening night. The biggest change is that we had to forego the Sunflower Classic this spring but that will be back on the 2022 schedule.” The IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season runs from April 3 to Sept. 19. The final checkers fly during the Oct. 1-2 Fall Nationals. Sutton’s race career was brief before becoming [Read More]

IMCA returns to Lakeside Speedway with six dates for STARS Mod Lites

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Lakeside Speedway’s 67th anniversary season will be its first with Mod Lites running under the IMCA STARS sanction. The class has raced at the big 4/10-mile oval, on the northwest side of Kansas City, since 2016 with a STARS national event held there last fall. Half a dozen Friday night dates for IMCA STARS Mod Lites are scheduled this year, on April 16, April 30, May 21, Aug. 6, Sept. 3 and Sept. 10. “They’re a fun class. Mod Lites are fun to watch,” said promoter Pete Howey. “One of the things I like about this class is that the drivers are so respectful of each other. They all pit together and if somebody needs something, there’s always another driver who will loan it to them. I love that.” Many of the Lakeside competitors will be regulars at another newly sanctioned and nearby venue, Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo. “We’re a bigger track but we’ll be a nice complement in the Kansas City market,” explained Howey. “Drivers who race on Saturdays [Read More]

Texarkana 67 Speedway to reschedule Winter Frenzy

TEXARKANA, Ark. – Too much winter weather left too little time to finish a number of ongoing construction projects in time for Texarkana 67 Speedway’s March 12-13 Winter Frenzy. Officials at The Fastest Little Dirt Track In The South will announce a rescheduled date for the IMCA Modified special.

IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars racing into Red River, Norman County history books

WEST FARGO, N.D. – IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car history will be made this season at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, N.D. and sister track Norman County Raceway in Ada, Minn. Red River becomes the first track in North Dakota to sanction the division weekly with IMCA, running Friday nights from May 7 to Aug. 27. Norman County adds the Sprints for its 103rd season, to run Thursdays from June 10 to Aug. 26. The winged class joins IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods on IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing programs at both tracks. “We have followed the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars for about three years now. We’ve watched them race, we have a friend who races them and we’ve had drivers ask about them. We decided about last August to sanction them this year,” promoter Jake Bitker said. “RaceSaver Sprint Cars are a good complement to our other IMCA divisions and have a black and white set of rules. It’s a good class for drivers [Read More]

Florida Mod Lite Racing plans 11 dates at East Bay in first IMCA STARS season

TAMPA, Fla. – The IMCA STARS sanction is the next step in the right direction for Florida Mod Lite Racing. Home track East Bay Raceway Park at Tampa is the site of 11 events and will crown its first IMCA STARS Mod Lite champion in 2021. It’s anticipated that another half-dozen special events at other area tracks will complement East Bay shows. “Sanctioning with IMCA is a step in the right direction. It’s a perfect fit,” said first-year FMLR promoter Alex Cline. “There are no huge-budget teams and we’re not racing for giant purses. A guy with a six to 10-year-old car has as much chance to win every Saturday night as a guy with a new car.” Cline brought a dirt kart background to the division when he started racing a Mod Lite in 2019. He led until late in the first-ever IMCA STARS Mod Lite feature before teammate Bo Bass took the history-making checkers. “There a lot of things to like about the Mod Lites, starting with the affordability and ease of working [Read More]

Bakersfield Speedway primes for opening night March 6

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The long-awaited green flag flies for the first time this season Saturday, March 6 at Bakersfield Speedway. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods all see action at the California oval idled for much of 2020 by the Covid-19 pandemic. “It was a crazy, weird season last year,” acknowledged Promoter Scott Schweitzer. “It’s exciting to be able to go racing again. We’re not going to be 100 percent back to normal but it’s going to be good to get cars back on the track and get back to racing.” The grandstand will be closed and all admission will be to the pit area on opening night. Pit passes will be $40 for drivers and crew members, $20 for family members and non-racers. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. Hot laps are at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. The race program will be broadcast by Low Budget TV. Gates open at 4 p.m. and an open practice for all divisions is from 5-9 p.m. this Saturday, [Read More]

IMCA STARS Mod Lites new at East Moline Speedway

EAST MOLINE, Ill. – STARS Mod Lites become the fifth IMCA division on Sunday race programs at East Moline Speedway in 2021. “We’ve had Mod Lites for about seven years. It’s a good class, a growing class. These cars are definitely quick and the drivers respect each other,” said new promoter and former car owner Jeff Peterson. “A lot of the drivers have been in them for years and it’s the class they bring their kids into.” The IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season opens April 25 and runs through Aug. 29, with four more race dates in September. East Moline becomes the first track in Illinois to sanction the IMCA STARS Mod Lites, which join IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Late Models, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods on regular race programs. Special events are already scheduled for three of those divisions, with the Northern SportMods running for $750 to win on June 27, the Modifieds for $2,008 to win at the Aug. 8 Greg Durbin Memorial and the Mod Lites for [Read More]