Newswire

Unbelievable start for Season 59 at Stuart Speedway

By Josh Reynolds STUART, Iowa (May 20) – The engines came to life Wednesday evening with drivers from all around in attendance for the season opener at Stuart Speedway. IMCA feature winners for the night were Ethan Braaksma, Damon Murty, Chuck Madden Jr. Cam Reimers and Bryan Vannausdle. Braaksma and Clay Money led a stacked IMCA Modified field to speed with Braaksma taking control early. By halfway Braaksma was in heavy lapped traffic with Money and Ricky Thornton Jr. in prime position to pounce, but the Newton driver was poised and up to the challenge as he weaved and worked his way through. Even a bounce off of the turn two wall didn’t slow Braaksma down as he went on to the wire-to-wire win. North Dakota’s Tom Berry Jr. made a last-lap pass for second with Money third. Within two laps of the start of their feature, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars were five wide at times as Brandon Pruitt showed the way over Buck Schafroth and Kellie Drury. Schafroth began to flex his muscles around [Read More]

First $250 Sunoco bonus of season paid Saturday to IMCA Late Model winner at Independence

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa – The payday got even better for the winner of Saturday’s opening night main event for IMCA Sunoco Late Models at Independence Motor Speedway. The first $250 Sunoco Race Fuels bonus of the season will be paid to the May 23 Late Model winner at Indee, on top of a possible $800 check. Sunoco bonuses will be presented at Late Model sanctioned tracks this year. Drivers are eligible for one bonus during the 2020 racing season. IMCA will announce mid-week before the dates bonuses are to be awarded at each track. While the grandstand will be closed, fans will have the opportunity to watch the night’s racing action by logging on to IMCA.tv or affiliate DoneRight.tv. The live streaming service will carry a one-time charge and will not require a membership to watch from the comfort of your living room. Hot laps are scheduled to take to the track at 6 p.m. with racing to follow.

Late night call seals the deal for URSS opener at Salina

By David Smith, Jr., OKTidbits SALINA, Kan. – It has been a bustling 24 hours for Lucas Oil POWRi United Rebel Sprint Series presented by Mel Hambelton Ford Racing president Rick Salem. After thinking the upcoming Memorial Weekend of racing would not happen after the event at Oberlin Speedway was canceled, a late-night phone call from Salina Speedway owner Tommie Hendrickson and Chris Sutton wanting to bring in IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars for a Memorial Weekend special, both parties came to terms and the series will open the 2020 race season at the speedway this coming Saturday, May 23. Originally a $700 to-win event, contributions and support from Missouri’s Mike Sosebee, Steve Hilker of Hilker Trucking and Austin McLean Motorsports now has this event paying $1,000 to-win and $200 to start. It will be the first time in the 14-year history that the URSS will be competing at the Salina 3/8-mile oval and more than 20 drivers from four states have already indicated they will be competing. There are some guidelines that we ask everyone [Read More]

IMCA extends rookie of the year eligibility to 2021

VINTON, Iowa – First-year competitors in all IMCA divisions will have a second year to run for national and regional rookie of the year honors. With the exception of drivers winning national and/or regional rookie honors in 2020, drivers eligible to compete for those titles will be eligible to do so again in 2021. The reason, of course, is COVID-19 and the resulting interruption or delays in racing at the local level at tracks nationwide and in Canada. Previously, drivers could make no more than four career sanctioned starts during the point season(s) in any division before losing rookie status. “We have done our best to find a solution that is fair to all rookie drivers,” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “While a number of rookies have been able to race more often in Western and Southern states, many of those in the Northern and particularly Eastern parts of the country have yet to get on the track.” “Situations are different in every state and that affects when and how tracks can open,” he continued. [Read More]

Modified Madness on Memorial Weekend at U.S. 36 Raceway

OSBORN, Mo. – Modified Madness is set for Friday, May 22 at U.S. 36 Raceway and the three IMCA divisions running have an increased payout for this special event. IMCA Modifieds headline the program, along with the Wayne Hicks Memorial Shootout for the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars. Modifieds are racing for $1,066 to win and $125 to start their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. The Wayne Hicks Memorial Shootout pays $1,066 to win and $100 start. To add to the fun, the Sprint Cars are racing for $750 to win and $150 to start. As drivers prepare for race day, they will hit a track that has seen some change over the last week. With special thanks to Shaw Excavating, U.S. 36 Raceway has seen a complete makeover during the course of the week. In an effort to provide a better racing surface for both drivers and fans, the Shaw Excavating crew has helped with a complete reworking of the high banks. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. The [Read More]

Benton County Speedway starts season Sunday with Fast Shafts All-Star ballot qualifier

VINTON, Iowa – Four IMCA divisions will be on the track, on the big screen and on pay per view when Benton County Speedway opens for the season this Sunday, May 24. IMCA Modifieds run for $1,000 and a spot of the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot at The Bullring while IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods both chase $400 top checks and the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature pays $300 to win. IMCA.TV broadcasts the event, which features the first All-Star ballot qualifier of the year in Iowa. No grandstand seating will be sold and a maximum of 10 people admitted with each car in the pit area. Security will be on the grounds to enforce social distancing. All social distancing guidelines must be followed. Face masks are optional. BCS will be using My Race Pass pre-registration for this event, which is now available by visiting https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/1151/registrations/2726. A portable Drive in Theater will be set up in front of the grandstand entrance in the grandstand parking area. The race program will be live shown live on [Read More]

New sanction sees five IMCA divisions running weekly at Concordia High Banks

CONCORDIA, Kan. – Five IMCA divisions will be new to weekly race programs this season at “a fun little track” in Kansas. Concordia High Banks has 13 point nights, all but two of them on Sundays, scheduled this season. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts will look to tame the quick quarter-mile clay oval. “This is a fun little track,” said Terry Eidet, who got into the promotional business to help the sport survive and thrive in the Jayhawk State. “Last year we had 133 different drivers from seven states race here. They all enjoyed it.” Opening night is set for Saturday, June 20, with a midweek date on Thursday, July 2. Eidet expects the 11 Sunday shows slated through the final night of the IMCA point season on Sept. 27 to bring point chasers to town. “We have a lot of drivers here that run IMCA and we went by IMCA rules last year,” he said. “Sundays should be good days to [Read More]

May IMCA Dirt Knights Tour dates postponed

VINTON, Iowa – The three May dates for the Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour for IMCA Modifieds have been postponed. What was to have been opening night on May 7 at Marshalltown Speedway will now be held Tuesday, June 9 during the Dale DeFrance Memorial. The Dirt Knights Tour event at Stuart Speedway on May 20 has been postponed but opening night IMCA racing is still on the schedule that evening. The traditional Memorial Day event at Vinton has also been postponed but Benton County Speedway will still open its season Sunday, May 24 with the first $1,000 to win Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier this year in Iowa. New Stuart and Vinton dates are to be announced. Promoters at both tracks cited restrictions on fans attending in the grandstand in their decisions to reschedule. All Dirt Knights Tour events will be broadcast by Speed Shift TV.

Independence Motor Speedway set to open Saturday

By Jerry Mackey INDEPENDENCE, Iowa – The 2020 racing season will see its first green flag of the season this Saturday, May 23. The sweet sounds of race cars flying around the 3/8-mile dirt track located on the Buchanan County Fairgrounds will be heard as five IMCA divisions will be in competition. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Late Models, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods will all be in action with hot laps scheduled to take to the track at 6 p.m. with racing to follow. The season opener for 2020 will be very different as the track will open under the Iowa Governor’s restriction due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which means the grandstand will be closed. Each race car entering the pit area will be allowed to be accompanied by 10 persons, the social distancing guidelines will be in effect and cars will be pitted a minimum of six feet apart. Fans will have the opportunity to watch the night’s racing action by logging on to Done Right TV. [Read More]

Dover tops podium in opener for Sprint Series of Nebraska

JEFFERSON, S.D. (May 17) – His third trip to The New Raceway Park ended with Jack Dover on the top step of the podium. After third- and second-place finishes in his first two visits to the Jefferson speedplant, Dover topped the Sprint Series of Nebraska opener on Sunday night. “We’ve had really good results every time we’ve run there,” Dover said following the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car victory. “It’s a pretty fun little track. I wish I could race there more often.” The threat of rain disappeared before features were run. Dover started eighth, avoided getting caught up in any of the early cautions that slowed the 20-lapper and wasn’t challenged once he got to the front. “It was a really good track come feature time,” he said. “I picked off a car about every lap, got the lead on about lap six and never looked back.” Second went to Danny Nekolite and defending series champion Tyler Drueke was third. Completing the top five were Toby Chapman and young Texan Trey Burke. Feature results – 1. [Read More]