Newswire

Kaeding Classic is stage for Frazier’s first feature win

By Steven Blakesley Blakesley Sports Media WATSONVILLE, Calif. (July 12, 2024) – Opening night at Ocean Speedway’s 14th annual Howard Kaeding Classic saw Matthew Frazier collect top honors in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main event. The win was the career first for Frazier, 15 years old and a sophomore-to-be at St. Joseph High School in his hometown of Santa Maria. “It’s a pretty crazy feeling to get my first win in my second season” in the class, said Frazier, who topped the 20-lap contest over a 16-car field. “There was a lot of excitement at the end. I pretty much wanted to yell.” Jeff Mead led the opening lap after starting third. Frazier started seventh and used a restart on lap two to advance to second. A caution on lap four allowed Frazier to challenge Mead for the lead. Frazier jumped inside to lead lap five. Emali VanHoff and Mead battled for second place through a series of cautions in a challenging race. Frazier got away cleanly on a green, white, checkered finish attempt [Read More]

Mass fires on all cylinders at .38 Special

By Ben Deatherage RAPID CITY, S.D. (July 12, 2024) – The final checkers thrown Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric, Eric Mass made a beeline for his home turf and the .38 Special for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at Black Hills Speedway. Then he made a beeline for victory lane to collect the $1,000 payday and accompanying Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Mass led from lap 14 to the green, white, checkered finish, the win his ninth of 2024. Brent Nielsen and Travis Tooley were next across the stripe. Nielsen had grabbed the initial race lead going into the first set of corners and held on to first place while a melee for second occurred. Tooley stayed ahead of Connor Friske and Mass on the second circuit, with Mass in close proximity. On lap three, Friske ripped the top to get around Mass and then worked on Tooley. With four circuits complete, Friske got a little too close to the outside wall, which killed his momentum, resulting in Mass getting around him [Read More]

Smith, Veber, Burg get first Boone wins of season

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (July 13, 2024) – Devin Smith, Curtis Veber and Keith Burg all won first features of the season at Boone Speedway Saturday evening. It was another top notch night of racing Saturday night, on a typical hot and humid July night in Iowa. Jimmy Gustin got the crown in the King of the Hill for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, while Jake McBirnie returned to victory lane for another feature win in the division and Travis Stensland kept racking up wins in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites. Smith took the high road in capturing the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature, Veber won in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Burg took the checkers in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Feature racing kicked off with the 15-lap main event for the Mod Lites. Stensland wasted no time in getting to the front. He started sixth, had the lead at lap one and never looked back in a race that went caution-free. He had no issues with lapped traffic as he pulled [Read More]

Vanderheiden sprints to first Eagle win

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (July 13, 2024) – Young fans got a chance to add some heft to their piggy banks with the $1,500 money grab on the front stretch sponsored by One Shot Auto Repair but the big winner Saturday night at Eagle Raceway was Cole Vanderheiden. Vanderheiden won for the first time in his career at America’s Home Track, snagging the lead on a mid-race restart and denying Trevor Grossenbacher’s mad slide job attempt in the final turn for the $1,300 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car checkers. “It’s been a long time coming. Over the past three years we’ve been second, had thirds and fourths all year. It just feels amazing to finally get a win here at Eagle,” Vanderheiden said. “That’s the longest lap (the last one) I’ve ever experienced in my three years of racing. Going down the back stretch I couldn’t see him (Grossenbacher). I hopped his wheel going into three, but luckily my car didn’t break and I didn’t pop a tire,” he continued. “I kept going into four and [Read More]

Make-up features plus full show on tap Sunday at The Bullring

VINTON, Iowa (July 16, 2024) – Those unable to attend the July 14 Urbana 5 Memorial will still have the chance to see the stars shine Sunday at Benton County Speedway. The special main events for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds presented by Wright Way Trailers and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods fell to rain last weekend and have been rescheduled for this Sunday, July 21. A complete show for Modifieds, SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars presented by Christie Door Company, IMCA Hobby Stocks presented by iHeart Radio, Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts and INEX Legends presented by Legends.Direct will be held on the quarter-mile Bullring before the make-up features from last Sunday. In addition to the expanded night of racing, July 21 will also be Christmas in July for the kids in attendance. Pit gates and grandstand open at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, with hot laps set for 5:30 and racing at 6. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and veterans, and $5 for ages 6-12. Kids ages five and under will be admitted [Read More]

IMCA Hobby Stocks headline Dave Riley Memorial at Interstate

JEFFERSON, S.D. (July 16, 2024) – IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks are the spotlight division in Sunday night’s Dave Riley Memorial at Interstate Speedway. The July 21 main event pays at least $2,556 to win and a minimum of $156 to start with contingency awards to be given throughout the field. There is no entry fee. The Hobby Stock hard charger earns a $256 product certificate from Interstate Powder Coating and a 3D printed model race car courtesy of VT’s 3D Prints; the long haul driver gets $256 from J & J Fitting. The $456 back row challenge to win for the Hobbies is presented by TMF Recycling and Dillon Streets. Non-qualifiers for the Hobby Stock feature get $56. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds race for $1,056 to win in their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifier, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $1,056 to win their B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifier. Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods race for $756 to win, Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts for $256 to win. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, [Read More]

Winebarger sails to Modified Nationals checkers at Grays Harbor

By Ben Deatherage ELMA, Wash. (July 13, 2024) – Four wins in four races led to the biggest payday of Collen Winebarger’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified career. Winebarger topped both his heat races and the $500-to-win race of champions on Friday, then followed with the $7,500 checkers in Saturday’s 25th annual Modified Nationals main event at Grays Harbor Raceway. “The weekend was really good, Winebarger said after leading the caution-free, 40-lap finale start to finish, racing the last 19 times around the track with a broken right front upper control arm. “It was rough. I couldn’t feel my arms afterwards. The last few laps, holding onto the steering wheel, was tough,” he added. “We were still OK, we just slowed down a fair amount. Fortunately it didn’t break all the way off and end our race.” Grey Ferrando ended in second with Nick Trenchard, Brenton Schnitzler and Craig Moore completing the top five. Lapped traffic came into play starting on lap eight but didn’t slow Winebarger’s methodical run on the inside line. Ferrando made his move [Read More]

Sanders wins $15,000 IMCA Western SportMod Nationals at Yreka

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (July 13, 2024) – Matt Sanders would be the first driver to the stripe of the 40-lap finale for the $15,000 to win Finley Farms Western SportMod Nationals at Yreka Speedway on Saturday, July 13. The Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds assembled some of the country’s best Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod pilots to the 1/4-mile clay over the weekend. When the main event began, Friday night prelim winner Joe Docekal led the opening stanza after a brief battle with Ethan Killingsworth. Docekal tried to pull away from the runner-up as Tyler Bannister settled into third. After eight laps were completed, things slowed down due to a chain reaction crash on the front stretch. When the green returned, Docekal had his hands full with Bannister overtaking Killingworth shortly followed by a claymaker toward Docekal for the lead in turn three. Docekal countered with a bit better run off the bottom of the fourth corner, retaining the position. Sanders came to call on the ninth circuit with a move under Killingsworth to procure [Read More]

Tuttle, Reynolds, Ballard are best in rain-shortened Urbana 5

VINTON, Iowa (July 14, 2024) – Nolan Tuttle checked a must-win race off his bucket list while Kaden Reynolds and Nathan Ballard both raced to career-third Urbana 5 Memorial feature wins Sunday at Benton County Speedway. A cousin of three of the youth remembered during the 10th annual event, hometown driver Tuttle led the distance of the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature, running just ahead or alongside Lukas Rick much of the 12-lapper. “This is everything I’ve ever wanted. Winning that race is something I’ve wanted to do since I was 14,” Tuttle said following the $400 victory, his second of the season at The Bullring. “I got out of my car and the first thing I could do was grab my mom and give her the biggest hug I could. I cried a little bit. It just means the world to me.” “I feel like I’m living our dream that they couldn’t do.” Cristin Grady ended a distant third. Jay Crabill was fourth and another cousin, Stephen Randall, rounded out the top five despite an ailing [Read More]

Rage Chassis 40 special for IMCA Modifieds to headline fair show at Fayette County Speedway

WEST UNION, Iowa (July 15, 2024) – Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds are back for another blue ribbon show next Thursday, July 25 when Fayette County Speedway hosts the fourth annual Rage Chassis 40. The 40-lap special in West Union, hometown of race sponsor Rage Chassis, headlines entertainment at the Fayette County Fair and pays $2,000 to win and a minimum of $200 to start. The winner becomes eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational and IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Razor Chassis North Central Region and Iowa State points will be awarded at the draw/redraw show. Pit gates and the grandstand open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 7 p.m. and racing to follow. There is no entry fee and pit passes are $30. Grandstand admission is $20 for adults, $10 for kids ages 6-11 and free for ages five and under. More information is available on the Fayette County Speedway Facebook page or by calling 563 380-7075. Rage owner Justin O’Brien invited anyone who’d like to do so to stop [Read More]