Newswire

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]

15 marketing partners to receive awards during IMCA national banquet in November

LINCOLN, Neb. – Fifteen marketing partners will be recognized with special awards during the national IMCA banquet next month. Speedway Motors, IMCA’s longest tenured sponsor, receives a 35-year award. Bassett and Intercomp both get 20-year awards. Ten-year plaques go to Chevrolet Performance, Dynatech Headers, Landrum Springs and Smiley’s Racing Products. Recipients of five-year plaques include Allstar Performance, Arnold Motor Supply, CPD Racing Tools, HJC Motorsports, Integra Shocks, PRO Shocks, Summit Racing Equipment and Sweet Manufacturing. 2014 champions and rookies of the year receive awards, as do promoters of tracks to be recognized with length of sanction awards. IMCA’s national awards banquet is Saturday, Nov. 29 at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, Neb. Room reservations can be made by calling 866 706-7706 and requesting the IMCA group rate. Tickets are $35 and banquet reservations should be made by Nov. 20, by mail or by calling the IMCA home office at 319 472-2201. The champions’ reception will be held at the Smith Collection of American Speed, on the Speedway Motors campus in Lincoln on Friday, Nov. 28.

20th Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge this weekend at Abilene Speedway

ABILENE, Texas – Abilene Speedway marks a milestone with its 20th annual Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge special Oct. 17-19. Four sanctioned divisions are on the program for the Friday through Sunday special, which totes a total purse of $75,000. IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds chase a $3,000 top check, with a minimum of $450 paid to start their 2015 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods race for $2,500 to win and a minimum of $250 to start. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars vie for $2,000 to win and a minimum of $300 to take the main event green. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks race for $1,000 to win and $100 to start. “B” feature starters get $250 in the Modifieds and $150 in both the Southern SportMods and Stock Cars. Non-qualifier pay is $100 for the Modifieds and Stock Cars and $75 for the Southern SportMods and Hobby Stocks. Gates open at 5 p.m. and an open practice session will be held from 6-10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16, with complimentary [Read More]

Mari tops October entries in non-fendered divisions

By Ryan Clark IMPERIAL, Calif. – What Lance Mari considered a mediocre year would be a successful one by the standards of many drivers. The Imperial, Calif., veteran earned three wins en route to a third place finish in the final standings at Cocopah Speedway, a mere 13 points short of earning his second straight track championship. He was also the winner of October’s Sybesma Graphics IMCA Facebook Fan Favorite Contest for non-fendered divisions. The honor earns him a mini-mod door courtesy of Sybesma. “We built a new car,” said Mari, “and when it’s on, it’s real good. When it’s not, it’s a struggle. I think we’re at the end of the struggles with it.” Mari, who runs MRT Race Cars, has built his own cars since the mid-2000s. “The newer designed car seems like it wants to work, it’s just a matter of putting it all together,” he explained. Along with the weekly battles at Cocopah, Mari did his fair share of traveling by following the Winter Challenge Series in Arizona and Kupper Chevrolet [Read More]

Cosper collects fendered division honors

By Ryan Clark BELTON, Texas – Charles Cosper’s approach is simple. “We try to look good even if we’re not fast.” The Belton driver had all bases covered in 2014. Following a very successful season on the track, Cosper was the October winner of the Sybesma Graphics IMCA Facebook Fan Favorite Contest for fendered divisions. He’ll get a mini-hood courtesy of Sybesma. A weekly runner at Heart O’ Texas Speedway in Waco and 281 Speedway in Stephenville, the second-year IMCA Sunoco Stock Car driver exceeded expectations in 2014. “We had a very good season,” stated Cosper. “We ended up winning both track championships and 10 features.” Cosper’s local success made him a player in the regional and national standings, as well. He unofficially ended the season fourth in the Arnold Motor Supply Southern Region and 14th nationally. Final points will become official Oct. 27. After eight years in an IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Cosper made the move to the Stock Car ranks in 2013. “We had won state, region and track championships in the Hobby [Read More]

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.

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]

Boyd Grand Nationals IMCA Modified checkers worth two grand to Wojtek

BOYD, Texas (Oct. 11) – Three feet or so made the difference between Fred Wojtek’s biggest-paying IMCA IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified feature win and second place. Wojtek beat Charie Harmon to the checkers by that distance Saturday at Boyd Raceway’s Grand Nationals. The $2,000 victory put Wojtek on the ballot for next year’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “I had a couple guys pull up next to me,” he said. “It was a close one there at the end with Charlie.” Wojtek had started the 25-lapper from outside the front row. Kevin Sustaire took over the lead near midway but exited with mechanical problems with 10 circuits left. That put Wojtek back in first and he stayed there despite Harmon’s best efforts. Justin Radcliff, Mark Patterson and Jason Hunter completed the top five. Matt Guillaume and Doug Easterling each earned $1,500 for their IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod victories, respectively. Ronnie Ellis took the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock checkers and a $1,200 top prize. Brant Bachman bested the $250 to [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]

Fall Nationals at RPM Speedway rained out

By Mike Hughes HAYS, KS—The Xtreme Motorsports Fall Nationals VIII fueled by Casey’s General Stores at RPM Speedway in Hays, Kan., this past weekend was rained out and will not be rescheduled. Rain started to fall Thursday afternoon and continued into Friday afternoon, forcing track officials to cancel the race program both nights. The sun came out on Saturday and track prep crews did their best to try and roll in the track, but with all the rain, they were unable to do so and officials had to cancel the Saturday show as well. IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Mach-1 Sport Compacts were on the program at RPM.