Northern SportMod

Clash runner-up Ryan is first-time winner at Antioch

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (May 13, 2023) – After finishing second in Central California Clash standings, Jason Ryan Jr. won his career-first Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature Saturday at Antioch Speedway. With the pole position start, Dylan Connolly set the early pace ahead of Jonathan Hagio. A yellow flag waved for a four-car crash in turn four. Connolly continued to lead the restart with Tommy Fraser and Ryan moving into second and third, respectively. Connolly did an impressive job of leading the way in his pursuit of a first-time win and maintained the point through two more yellow flags. On a lap 16 restart, Ryan started challenging Fraser for second before slipping past him on lap 17. Ryan turned up the heat on Connolly before finding his opening on the back stretch on Lap 17 to gain command. Ryan went on to victory from there ahead of Connolly, Fraser, Trevor Clymens and Kenny Shrader. From Oakley, Ryan had run third in the Clash opener at Antioch on May 3.

Hobby Stock

Off Road checkers fly for Wilkinson, Bruhn

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (May 13, 2023) – While their starting spots differed, Kyle Wilkinson and Anthony Bruhn both ended their night Saturday in the same place. Victory lane at Off Road Speedway. Making the longest journey to the front was Wilkinson in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. Wilkinson traveled quickly from the fifth row into contention while, for the first few laps, a cluster of six cars jockeyed for position. Although he got into the lead by passing Nate DeSive, Wilkinson had just one lap as the leader before the race’s first caution grouped DeSive and Tejay Mielke, as well as Cameron Wilkinson, close behind. That tight grouping maintained itself for another handful of laps before Kyle Wilkinson pulled away by several car lengths and, despite three laps of three-wide and side-by-side pursuit, so did the cars behind him. Wilkinson then maintained his advantage, leading his brother Cameron and Mielke to the finish line during the final 10 laps and earning his first Off Road Speedway win of the season. The [Read More]

Late Model

IMCA Late Models chase Sunoco bonuses at Denison, Harlan

DENISON, Iowa (May 16, 2023) – IMCA Late Model drivers have two shots at winning a Sunoco Race Fuels bonus this weekend. The divisional title sponsor awards $250 bonuses to feature winners on Friday, May 19 at Crawford County Speedway in Denison and Saturday, May 20 at Shelby County Speedway in Harlan. Drivers can get the bonus one time in a season; the $250 will be awarded to the top finishing non-winning driver any night the winner has previously received the bonus. Late Models will be first on the track for their heats and main event Friday night, joining IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts on the Friday card. Pit gates open at 5 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. Drivers must draw, or have someone draw for them, before the drivers’ meeting starts at 6:45 p.m. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. with racing to follow; pit passes are $30. That night’s program will be broadcast by [Read More]

Results

Obituary for Navy Drew Smith

Navy Drew Smith, 9 months, of Waterloo, was called back to Heaven on Thursday, May 4, 2023. She was born August 4, 2022, in Waterloo, the much loved daughter of Tyler Smith and Alyssa Root. Despite her young age, Navy traveled with her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents for vacation experiencing her first airplane ride, ship ride and island adventures. She would ride around deck on the ship in her stroller, greeting all her fellow passengers with her warm and contagious smile. Navy especially enjoyed the many hours spent with Grandma Sue. She liked being outdoors, going on walks and playing in the water but hated the feel of grass on her feet. She was very curious and alert and didn’t miss anything within ear or eyeshot. Navy sat up at 6 months, then moved right into crawling and was already pulling herself up on furniture. Her adventurous nature also included eating and enjoying every food she ever tried. Navy was loved and cherished and will be deeply missed by the many people whose lives she touched in such a short lifetime. She is survived by [Read More]

Late Model

Horn hauls to Drive For 5 feature win

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (May 12, 2023) – Wins in back-to-back starts at Lee County Speedway saw CJ Horn capture his first Iowa Corn Growers Association Drive For 5 IMCA Sunoco Late Model victory on Friday night. Horn and Jeff Guengerich drew the front row for the 25-lap feature, with Horn jumping out into the lead on lap one over Guengerich and Jeremy Pundt. While Horn started to pull away, Denny Woodworth, Dalton Simonsen, who started 8th, Jay Johnson, who started 9th, and Tommy Elston battled Guengerich and Pundt in the top seven. Despite heavy lapped traffic late in the race, Horn went on to claim his second win in a row at the track, with this one worth $1,000. Woodworth won the battle for second, Simonsen was third, Elston was fourth with Johnson coming home fifth. Austen Becerra led from lap 11 to the finish in repeating as Friesen Performance IMCA Modified winner from a week ago. John Oliver Jr. outran ninth starting Derrick Agee for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers. Sean Wyett edged out Jim [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Opportunity knocks, Zoubek answers at Eagle

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (May 13, 2023) – Opportunity knocked and Bob Zoubek answered with three laps to go in the Saturday Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Eagle Raceway. The Dorchester driver was running third when the front pair of Dustin Andersen and Johnny Saathoff got caught behind lapped cars. Zoubek sailed around both to take the lead and eventually his first win of the year ahead of Saathoff, Andersen and Terry Hurt.  “Dustin and John got together down low behind those lappers, I went around the high side and I honestly had no idea that I was leading it, Zoubek said following career win number 37 in the division. “It all ended up pretty good. The track was racy, with a high groove and a low groove. That’s all that you can ask for.”  Adam Gullion led from lap nine to the checkers in winning the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature in front of Jay Russell and Tyler Drueke. Kyle Vanover parlayed a restart into the lead and the IMCA Sunoco Stock [Read More]

Dirt Cast

Ellithorpe throws slider to win thriller at Maquoketa

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (May 13, 2023) – Saturday was another one of those race days the weatherman threatened to throw a curve ball at the plans for a night of racing at Maquoketa Speedway. The threat of wet weather moving in was not realized and racing went on as scheduled.  The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature provided lots of exciting racing with the final laps run with the win up for grabs. Jerry Miles rode the high side of the quarter mile for the first 13 laps in the lead. A late-race caution set up a two-lap dash to the finish. Jacob Ellithorpe threw a hard slider at Miles in turn one and the 72 of Ellithorpe and the 4 of Miles raced down the back chute wheel-to-wheel coming to the white flag. Ellithorpe was able to nose out front and take the win by less than a car length. Brandon Vorbeck crossed the finish line in third.  The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds saw veteran driver Jeff “Bone” Larson win his second feature [Read More]

Results

First Fast Friday to Faison

By Jim Haines ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (May 12, 2023) – On the first warm night, the Virginia Sprint Series took to the Carolina coast for its first Fast Friday event of the year at Dixieland Speedway and Delaware hot shoe C.J. Faison came out on top of the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car main event. Faison and Billy Hubbard paced the field to green with Faison sticking to the bottom with Hubbard and Jerald Harris right behind. Faison tried to get away and at first that strategy was working but Harris made his way to second and, after a spinner caused a caution to tighten the field, would stay right there. Laps were clicking off as Lance Christie made his way to third but all Harrison could do was to get close as waving checkered flags flew over Faison, the third different winner in as many series events so far in 2023. Next it’s off to Hagerstown Speedway this Saturday, May 20 with the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series for a co-sanctioned event. 

Hobby Stock

First career wins to Burke, Fye Saturday at Boone

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (May 13, 2023) – Boone Speedway avoided the bad weather rumbling around the State of Iowa on Saturday and the show went on as scheduled with Chris Burke and Aron Fye getting career first wins in their respective IMCA divisions. Summer Anderson and Burke led the field of 24 IMCA Friesen Performance Northern SportMods to the green with Anderson jumping to the point. Her night was short-lived, however, as she broke on the backstretch on lap two. This put Burke to the lead as Hunter Longnecker tucked in behind and put on a relentless challenge.  Much of the rest of the race was a near side-by-side challenge as Burke kept his momentum up top and Longnecker looked for a way under him. Burke never gave up his advantage and held off all challenges to see the checkers for the first time in his career. Longnecker had to be content with second place in the caution-free feature and third went to Thomas Behle. Chris Burke led all but the opening circuit [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Brown, Ballard among Friday winners at CJ Speedway 

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (May 12, 2023) – Fans were treated to a very exciting night of stock car racing Friday night with a very warm May evening at CJ Speedway on the Louisa County Fairgrounds.  The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature saw a pair of CJ regulars battle it out for the win on a very smooth and fast racing surface. Kurt Kile led for several laps before ninth starting Jarrett Brown closed in and set up a classic battle for the lead. Slide jobs and diamond moves off of the top side of turn one provided several lead changes before Brown was able to take control of the lead position and sail on to the feature win. Kile finished second ahead of eighth starting Ethan Braaksma.  The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event saw Nathan Ballard score his third feature win in four nights of racing at CJ in 2023. Ballard drove his number 29 from the fourth row to take the lead from Matt Picray on lap eight of the [Read More]