Weekly Archives

Ryan Clark joins IMCA as new executive secretary

VINTON, Iowa – Ryan Clark has found yet another way to be involved in his favorite sport. Clark is the new executive secretary for IMCA. He’ll have regular Monday through Friday responsibilities at the home office while attending and working at weekly, series and special race events as needed. “I grew up around the race track. My dad, Dwayne Burkey, raced and then worked at the track for many years,” said Clark, a Vinton native. “I’ve always enjoyed the family aspect of racing, which you have to if you’re involved in it at any level. I’ve always been a numbers and statistics guy and that’s probably part of what drew me to the sport, too.” A former editor of Hawkeye Racing News, Clark announced at Independence Motor Speedway for six of the 15 years he worked at that track and penned the popular In Staging blog. Clark had worked part-time in the points and membership and public relations office at IMCA for the past year and a half. Part of the announcer team for the [Read More]

Benning returns to promotional helm at Independence Motor Speedway

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa – Dana Benning returns to the helm at Independence Motor Speedway in 2015, this time with a partner. Benning and son Brady comprise B & D Promotions, which will oversee events at the 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval. “It’s exciting to come back,” said Benning, who had promoted Independence from 2000-2002. “We put new lighting in 15 years ago and that was a starting point for improvements made since then. The facility has been much updated, so it’s kind of like walking into a turnkey operation.” A new victory lane and continued work on the racing surface are on the more immediate agenda at Indee with a new front straight catch fence in future plans. “There isn’t a lot of work that has to be done to the facility,” acknowledged Benning, most recently event manager at Benton County Speedway. “What we need to do is polish the show and make sure it continues being the best in Eastern Iowa.” Five sanctioned divisions, the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, IMCA Late Models, IMCA Sunoco Stock [Read More]

Top five Modifieds, SportMod winner pass post-Duel In The Desert tire test

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Tire samples taken from top five finishers in the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified main event and from IMCA SportMod main event winner J.C. Howell revealed no use of any foreign substance(s) at the Duel In The Desert. This was the third year samples were taken from top finishing Modifieds and submitted to a testing laboratory following the special at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Terry Phillips, Jordan Grabouski, R.C. Whitwell, Johnny Scott and Chris Brown comprised the top five. With the increase in Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod entries – a record 96 competed at the Nov. 12-15 Duel – tire testing was expanded to include the winner of that main event as well. “Since results are final we will begin mailing the complete payout to all drivers who earned shares of the Duel In The Desert purse,” IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root said.

Motocross veteran races to success promoting Arizona tracks

SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. – A native of the Midwest with a two-wheeled background is finding success promoting racing on four wheels in Arizona. Jonah Trussel has raced motocross many of his 37 years and promoted events for that sport at Arizona Speedway for the past 8-1/2 seasons. A 1/3-mile dirt oval was built at the Apache Junction venue and IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds joined regular shows beginning in 2011; Trussel kept the sanctioned division on programs at Central Arizona Speedway when he took charge of the Casa Grande track last January. “Promoting is something that I like to do. I enjoy being involved with racing and racers, and I’ve had fun doing it,” he said. “The better percentage of weekends of my life have been spent at the track, whether it be motocross or a dirt track. A lot of my buddies grew up driving stock cars so we spent a lot of time watching each other race.” The Indiana native began competing at a club-built motocross track conveniently located right across the [Read More]

Executive secretary filing out after 25 years with IMCA

VINTON, Iowa – IMCA’s longest tenured employee will end one career and start another on Nov. 26. Executive Secretary Rick Haefner will retire after more than 25 years with the sanctioning body. He’ll trade scheduling, record-keeping and correspondence chores for time with grandchildren, a honey do list, travel and plenty of golfing and fishing. “I’ll miss the people here and a lot of the people I’ve worked with in my 25-plus years at IMCA,” he said. “Meeting and making friends with so many different people from across the United States is what I’ve enjoyed most about working here.” IMCA had just four other full-time employees when Haefner punched in for his first day of work on March 3, 1989. He was in charge of points and membership, in a position created because of the amount of time his co-workers spent on the road and out of the office. There were 85 sanctions – 59 of them for Modifieds – at tracks in 15 states when Haefner started at IMCA. “The computers we were using then [Read More]

No increase in license cost for next season

VINTON, Iowa – The cost of an IMCA competitor’s license will remain unchanged for the 13th consecutive season in 2015. Licenses will run $115 for Modifieds, $135 for Late Models, $105 for Sprint Cars, $95 for Stock Cars, $90 for both SportMod divisions, $85 for Hobby Stocks and $60 for Sport Compacts. Optional associate/crew member licenses are also unchanged at $60. IMCA will not administer the West Coast Super Stock program next year. The same insurance coverage remains in effect. A subscription to Inside IMCA is included with license purchase. The 2015 license application form is published on Page A21 in this month’s newsletter. It will also be available online.

Derek Fralin named director of competition at Beatrice

BEATRICE, Neb. – The Gage County Agriculture Society has promoted head flagman Derek Fralin to director of competition at Beatrice Speedway. Fralin has been head flagman at Beatrice for the past eight years. He competed in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Factory Stock and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car divisions for 15-plus seasons, winning the Hobby Stock track title at Beatrice in 1999 and the Stock Car crown in 2003 and 2004. He comes from a strong racing background which includes his father Monty, brothers Tim and Matt, and son Tyler. Fralin has worked at Exmark Manufacturing for 18 years and is currently a quality control supervisor at the Beatrice plant. He’ll assume his new role at the track in November. Dan Crawford had been director of competition at Beatrice for the past four years.

Stallbaumer clinches Thunder Hill Modified crown

MAYETTA, Kan. (Sept. 13) – Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts and Wix Filters Championship Night at Thunder Hill Speedway brought an end to the 2014 point season. At the end of the night, champions were crowned in each of the IMCA divisions. In the BSB Manufacturing IMCA Modifieds, Mat Stallbaumer took the lead and a 29-point cushion. All he had to do was compete in this heat race to win the championship. Stallbaumer locked up the championship and moved on to the main event where there was a dominating performance by a former track and national champion. Jordan Grabouski brought a new car to Thunder Hill Speedway. As a matter of fact he didn’t even have any numbers on it, only a plain black car rolled out onto the track. By the time his heat race rolled around he put a no. 30 on with duct tape. After starting 10th, it took Grabouski one lap and a turn before taking the top spot. He rode the high side on the opening lap and roared by [Read More]

Wakeeney Speedway crowns track champions

By Mike Hughes WaKEENEY, Kan. (Sept.14) – WaKeeney (KS) Speedway wrapped up the 2014 racing season Sunday night with the regular five classes in action. Point leader Kyle Rohleder led all 20 caution-free laps in the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified feature to capture his second win of the season and the track championship. Dylan Sherfick gave chase the entire race but had to settle for second. Clay Sellard was third, followed by Nate Moore and Chris Heim. The 20-lap IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature saw track champion Jeff Tubbs jump out to the lead. Then as the field came to the halfway mark, Jason Rogers of Selden passed Tubbs on the outside in turn four to take the lead and drive on to win his third Wakeeney feature this year. Tubbs held on to the runner-up spot, followed by Chad Sterling, B.J. Wagoner and Josh Crombie. The Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature was cut short a couple laps due to the time limit. Point leader Blaine Walt shot to the lead from his pole [Read More]

Huls, Phillips, Abbot capture season championship night wins at Quincy

By Jack Walbring QUINCY, Ill. (Sept. 14) – Abe Huls put on a dominating performance in the Powder Coat Plus IMCA Stock Car season championship feature Sunday at Quincy Raceway, as he pulled away from the field to take the win and the track title as well. Following Huls to the checkered flag were Jake Powers, Brandon Savage, Jerry Jansen and William Dahl. Patrick Phillips grabbed the lead on the second lap of the Summy Tire and Auto Center IMCA Northern SportMod main event and held off all challenges to capture his first feature win. Joey Gower took the second spot followed by Brandon Dale, Adam Birck and Tanner Klingele. Tony Dunker won the track championship. Austen Becerra took the lead in the IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compact feature event on the fifth lap and looked to be on his way to yet another win but Kimberly Abbott closed thegap over the closing laps and took the lead with two laps to go. Abbott scored the win followed by Becerra, Brandon Lambert, Austin McClean and Spencer [Read More]