Series Archives

Karlnoski captures career first Friesen Empire State Series win

DUNDEE, N.Y. (Oct. 24) – After the third time he drove away from the rest of the field, Rich Karlnoski raced to his career first Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series feature win. Karlnoski won his IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified tour heat by most of a straightaway Friday at Yates County Speedway. He was checking out before a lap 18 caution in the main event, then pulled ahead again following the restart. The victory was worth $400. “That car was just perfect,” Karlnoski said after piloting the 2008 Ellis, with a self-designed rear end and Steve and Patty Damon-built engine, to the winner’s circle. “When this car is right, it’s perfect.” Karlnoski stayed in front following several early restarts. He was already negotiating lapped traffic and coming up on a tightknit group of six more cars when the late caution flew. “I was trying to figure out how I was going to get by and that caution came out at just the right time,” said Karlnoski, who motored away when the green came back out. [Read More]

Friday date at Yates County next for Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series

DUNDEE, N.Y. – Touring IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds have a Friday, Oct. 24 date at Yates County Speedway during the Dutch Hoag National Open Weekend. The eighth of nine Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series features this season pays $400 to win and a minimum of $75 to start. There is no entry fee. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. Hot laps are at 5:45 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. Pit passes are $30 for members and $35 for temporary members. Grandstand admission is $18 for adults, $16 for seniors ages 62 and up, $10 for students ages 13-17, $5 for kids ages 6-12 and free for five and under. An open practice session for all divisions runs from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23. Friday’s main event for the IMCA Modifieds will be 25 laps. Matt Cole of Binghamton won the June 15 Empire State Series feature at Dundee. Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series top 20 point standings – 1. James Cornell, Port Crane, 277; [Read More]

Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series déjà vu: Cornell wins again at Five Mile Point Speedway

KIRKWOOD, N.Y. (Oct. 10) – The seventh installment of the 2014 Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series played out a lot like the first. James Cornell qualified for the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified tour main event at Five Mile Point Speedway despite starting last in his heat, drew a front row starting spot for the feature and then led every lap. “The fact that I grew up racing here helps a lot,” acknowledged Cornell, who’d won the April 13 feature and returned to Kirkwood with the series point lead. “I started racing here in the pro stocks, then the sportsman and now the IMCA Modifieds. This was my 90th career win and more than half of them have been at Five Mile Point.” The victory paid $500 and came ahead of Chris Fleming, Matt Cole, Keith Lamphere and Tyler Stoddard. Fleming, twice a tour winner this season and the two-time defending Dirt Works Eastern Region champion, challenged but couldn’t stay in contention following a restart late in the 20-lapper. “Chris had a really good year [Read More]

Harris wraps up title in closest finish in VSS history

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (Oct. 11) – Jerald Harris passed Brian Lawson a few feet in front of the checkered flag to win in the closest finish in Virginia Sprint Series history Saturday at Shenandoah Speedway. The series champion’s margin of victory was so slim that the electronic scoring system was needed to decide the winner of the 14th and final IMCA Eagle Motorsports RaceSaver Sprint Car tour event of the season. Chris Ware and Anthony Linkenhoker paced the field to green with Linkenhoker out first and bringing along Brian Lawson. The top two were smooth and steady as Linkenhoker continued to lead until lap eight when Lawson got a better run in to turn one and went into the lead. Harris made his way to the front as Lawson was trying to get away but as the fast paced race clicked by, traffic was coming up and it was getting close with two to go. Lawson stayed smooth but Harris closed as they took the white flag. When the two rockets entered turn [Read More]

Kay completes Deery Series title run with twin wins at West Liberty

WEST LIBERTY, Iowa (Oct. 11) – Justin Kay couldn’t have scripted a better finish to his career first Deery Brothers Summer Series championship campaign. Kay won the final event of the 2014 IMCA Late Model tour Saturday during West Liberty Raceway’s Liberty 100 special. He followed that victory – his sixth in 14 series events – with another $3,000 run to the checkers in the pay/no points feature that followed. Both main events were 50 laps. Denny Eckrich, Nate Beuseling, Colby Springsteen and hard charger Ryan Dolan completed the top five in the series finale. Ray Guss Jr. and Todd Malmstrom were the early leaders before Beuseling took over for a long run at the front. Kay finally caught up on lap 43 and beat the 10th starting Eckrich to the checkers by a couple car lengths. Nick Marolf, Jeremy Grady and Chad Holladay split time up front before Kay worked his way from 20th starting and into the lead on lap 19 in the second feature. He won by a straightaway despite a lap [Read More]

Friday Five Mile Point show next for Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series

KIRKWOOD, N.Y. – James Cornell got the win when Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series came to Five Mile Point Speedway for opening night back on April 13. He’ll bring the point lead to Kirkwood when the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified tour returns to Kirkwood for a Friday, Oct. 10 show, the seventh of nine events on the 2014 series schedule. The feature pays $400 to win, plus a $100 bonus courtesy of Riding The Cushion, and lap money. Main event qualifiers earn a minimum of $100 when they take the green flag. There is no entry fee. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 4:45 p.m. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. with racing to follow. Grandstand admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors ages 65 and over, $5 for students 13-17 and free for kids 12 and under when accompanying a paid adult. A family pack sells for $30 and gets two adults and three seniors or students through the turnstiles. Each also gets a hot dog and [Read More]

Deery Series finale this weekend at West Liberty

WEST LIBERTY, Iowa – The Ideal Ready Mix 100 at West Liberty Raceway is the stage for the final Deery Brothers Summer Series event of 2014. In addition to opening night qualifying races for touring IMCA Late Models, the Friday, Oct. 10 program boasts the 25-lap $1,000 to win Ideal Ready Mix Ironman Challenge race, open to all former series champions and to drivers with perfect attendance through the first 13 Deery events of the season. Two 50-lap, $3,000 to win features are on the Saturday, Oct. 11 card. The first feature is the final points race of the series; the second, non-points race will invert drivers who finished on the lead lap in the opener, replacing cars not within one lap of the winner with highest finishing non-qualifiers from the “B” feature(s). Point leader Justin Kay of Wheatland leads all drivers with five feature wins thus far and takes a 30-point advantage over Andy Eckrich of Oxford to West Liberty. IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and [Read More]

High line takes Lawson to Virginia Sprint Series checkers

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (Oct. 4) – Brian Lawson used a high line move to take over the top spot and hold on for his third Virginia Sprint Series win of the year Saturday evening at Shenandoah Speedway. Chris Ware and Anthony Linkenhoker paced the IMCA Eagle Motorsports RaceSaver Sprint Car field with Linkenhoker out first and looking strong. Lawson showed speed early, getting around Ware and setting his sights on Linkenhoker. Laps clicked away with Jerald Harris and Tony Harris joining top four. Lap 12 was a rough one for French Grimes as debris cut his right front tire, causing him to pound the concrete wall in turn one. Linkenhoker took off following the ensuing restart but Lawson got going a little better was around to top side and into the lead on the next circuit. Jerald Harris moved in as Tony Harris faded. Jerald Harris made his way to second and with five to go and the fight at the front was on. He tried every line from top to bottom but [Read More]

Fulton checkers give Fleming his second win of the 2014 Friesen Empire State Series

FULTON, N.Y. (Oct. 3) – Chris Fleming became the first repeat winner in the 2014 Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series, leading all 25 laps of the Friday night main event at Fulton Speedway. The IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified tour victory paid $400. Fleming started outside row one in the Outlaw 200 Weekend feature. A long green flag run at the start got Fleming into lapped traffic before a series of cautions. The last restart came with three laps to go. “The track was really fast,” said Fleming. “I just tried to keep my momentum up and was able to pull away some after the final restart.” Keith Lamphere, tour point leader James Cornell, Gary Smith and Gary Roberts rounded out the top five. Fleming’s first Empire State Series win of the season came on Memorial Weekend at Skyline. He was sidelined with early mechanical issues when the series returned to Cortland on Sept. 20. “We had a really good car at Skyline but broke our driveshaft on a restart,” Fleming said. “That was a [Read More]

Reutzel reigns again at Jackson Nationals

JACKSON, Minn. (Sept. 27) – Something about the Jackson Nationals brings out the best in Tad Reutzel. Reutzel led every time around the track in Saturday’s 20-lap IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified main event at Jackson Speedway in a program that doubled as the final night for the Redline Racing Parts North Star Series. The Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying checkers paid $1,500. Jason Andrews and Justin Luinenburg earned the same amount for Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock victories, respectively. Devin Smith’s IMCA Sunoco Stock Car win was also Jackson’s annual Doug Cellan Memorial event. Jay DeVries scored the $500 Mach-1 Sport Compact win. A multi-time Nationals winner in the SportMod division, Reutzel sped to his career-best payday in a Modified and fourth feature win this season from the outside row one starting spot. Roger Nielsen tried to challenge but couldn’t keep pace and ended in second. Kelly Shryock and Brandon Beckendorf completed the top four. “I don’t know what it is about Jackson,” said Reutzel, who found the fastest [Read More]