Newswire

Compliments keep coming for McGaha on Southern Challenge IMCA Modified victory

ABILENE, Texas (Oct. 19) – Josh McGaha was getting compliments long after the IMCA Modified checkers flew at Abilene Speedway’s Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge. McGaha stayed in front after swapping the lead late with frequent foe Chris Elliott in winning Saturday’s headliner, earning $2,000 and a 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth for the victory. “It was a barnburner, a heck of a good race,” said McGaha, also winner of 2011 and 2012 Southern Challenge titles. “It’s one of the most fun races I’ve been in and I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on how exciting it was.” Elliott, Herring, Matt Guillaume and Chase Allen rounded out the top five. Now the six-time track champion at Abilene, McGaha had started fourth and passed Herring near midway for the lead. He built up a straightaway advantage before getting stuck behind a slower car. Elliott was quick to catch up and challenge. Their back-and-forth battle ended with McGaha ahead by a car length and a half at the finish. “I raced with Chris all year [Read More]

Marshalltown primed for 13th annual World Nationals

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa – Marshalltown Speedway puts the wraps on the 2019 race season with the 13th annual World Nationals Oct. 24-26. The $10,000 special for IMCA Modifieds is a qualifying feature for the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods both race for $1,000 to win, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $500 to win during Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25 and 26 programs. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. Racing starts at 7 p.m. both nights. Friday spectator admission is $15 for adults and $12 for seniors. On Saturday, admission is $20 for adults and $15 for seniors. Kids 10 and under get in free and pit passes are $30 both days. The Thursday, Oct. 24 Cookies BBQ Sauce Kickoff to the World Nationals practice session runs from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Camping is $20 a night and showers and limited electrical hookups will be available. More information is available from promoter Toby Kruse at 515 231-5444. The track website is www.marshalltownspeedway.com.

$5,000 is top IMCA Modified check at Heart O’ Texas Fall Classic

WACO, Texas (Oct. 21) – IMCA Modifieds chase a top check of $5,000 at Heart O’ Texas Speedway’s Oct. 24-26 Fall Classic. Saturday’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier pays a minimum of $300 to start. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods both race for $1,500 to win and $125 to start. Tow money is $100 for the Modifieds and $60 for both the Stocks and SportMods. Entry fees are $150 for Modifieds and $60 for Stock Cars and SportMods. Pit passes are $20 while grandstand admission for Thursday’s open practice is free. Friday pit passes are $30. Grandstand admission is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors, students and military. On Saturday, pit passes are $35 and spectator admission is $15 for adults and $12 for seniors, students and military. Kids ages 6-12 are $5 and five and under get in free both nights. More information about the 22nd annual Fall Classic, to be broadcast by IMCA.TV, is available by calling 254 715-5742.

Boyd Fall Finale checkers fly for Gober

BOYD, Texas (Oct. 12) – The exclamation point to John Gober’s season at Boyd Raceway came with Saturday’s $1,000 Fall Finale checkers. Gober collected three of his seven 2019 IMCA Modified feature wins along with the track title at Boyd. He started the Fall Finale from 10th and passed Cody Shoemaker for the lead with seven laps left. “I fell back a couple spots going into the first turn but was back up to seventh by the first caution and in third by the second caution,” the new Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier said. “We had a pretty good year and this turned out to be another good night for us.” Gober and Shoemaker tussled over second in a duel interrupted by yellow flags before leader William Gould exited with mechanical issues. Shoemaker ended the night in second with Matt Guillaume third. Other $1,000 winners were Jeffrey Abbey in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Kaden Honeycutt in the Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods and Jeff Emerson in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars. Abbey started third [Read More]

Momentum, perfect line carry Sweigart to IMCA RaceSaver Keystone Challenge win

PORT ROYAL, Pa. (Oct. 12) – Nick Sweigart saw an opening on the last lap and seized it, passing both cars battling for the lead and holding on to win the eighth annual Keystone RaceSaver Challenge Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway. Sweigart, who had started 10th in the Blue Collar Classic for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, had fought his way to third place when Doug Dodson, running second, dove to the inside of leader Zach Newlin in turn two of the 25th and final lap, and Newlin came down to try for a crossover to regain first. Sweigart fired his ride into the narrow space outside of Dodson and went by both cars. Newlin got to the inside in turns three and four, but Sweigart’s outside momentum and perfect line enabled him to take the checkered flag. Newlin finished second while Dodson took third. “It all just kind of played out there in that last lap,” Sweigart said from victory lane. “Those two guys were in a helluva race the entire race, and it’s just racing, [Read More]

IMCA features pay $2,000 to win at Abilene’s 25th Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge

ABILENE, Texas – Two thousand dollars is the top prize in IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod features at Abilene Speedway’s Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge. The 25th annual event is Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18 and 19. The Modified feature is a qualifier for the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot and pays a minimum of $300 to start. Both the Stock Car and SportMod features pay a minimum of $200 to start. An open practice runs from 6-10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17. Pit gates and the grandstand open at 3 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. both days. Adult grandstand admission is $12 on Friday and $15 on Saturday. Kids ages 6-12 get in for $5 and five and under are free both nights. Military with ID are $10. More information is available from promoter Rob Poor at 325 725-3849 or 325 692-8800, on Facebook and at the www.abilenespeedway.com website. The Southern Challenge will be broadcast by IMCA.TV.

2019 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings

Point standings become official on Oct. 28 IMCA Modifieds – 1. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb., 1,236; 2. Thomas Berry, Newburg, N.D., 1,208; 3. William Gould, Calera, Okla., 1,201; 4. Joel Rust, Grundy Center, Iowa, 1,198; 5. Anthony Roth, Columbus, Neb., 1,192; 6. Bricen James, Albany, Oregon, 1,182; 7. Zane DeVilbiss, Farmington, N.M., 1,179; 8. Drew Armstrong, Benton, Arkansas, 1,178; 9. Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn., 1,175; 10. Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, 1,174; 11. Tim Ward, Chandler, Ariz., 1,158; 12. Jeremy Mills, Britt, Iowa, 1,153; 13. Matt Szecsodi, Clio, Michigan, 1,147; 14. Aaron Johnson, Brainerd, Minn., 1,146; 15. Casey Arneson, Fargo, N.D., 1,145; 16. Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls, Iowa, 1,143; 17. Jeff Larson, Freeport, Ill., Chris Morris, Taylor, Texas, and Kevin Green, Waco, Texas, each 1,142; 20. Brenten DeYoung, Carson City, Mich., 1,141. IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars – 1. Kenneth Duke, Selinsgrove, Pa., 802; 2. Scott Lutz, Jonestown, Pa., 791; 3. Billy Johnson, St. Peter, Minn., 778; 4. Tyler Drueke, Eagle, Neb., 772; 5. Mike Houseman, Des Moines, Iowa, 758; 6. Jake Martens, Fairview, Okla., 754; 7. Zach Newlin, [Read More]

Little line takes Gottschalk to big Fall Nationals payday

HAYS, Kan. (Oct. 5) – After finding a little line, Daniel Gottschalk took the big check at RPM Speedway’s Fall Nationals. A caution late in the 40-lapper helped open the door as Gottschalk topped the $5,000 Saturday night main event. “I didn’t know if I had a chance midway through but I found a little line and made it work,” said Gottschalk, who passed Tanner Black and Cody Laney for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying victory. “I don’t get real emotional but that was probably the most excited I’ve ever been after taking the checkered flag.” Once in front, he pulled away on the white flag circuit and took the win half a second ahead of Black, who’d raced his way up from 14th starting. Laney, Jeff Taylor and defending race winner Jordan Grabouski completed the top five. “We broke last year at Fall Nationals and DNF’d,” said Gottschalk, who started seventh this time around and wheeled a Slider Chassis. “This year we found some extra speed. This was our last race of the [Read More]

IMCA season full of firsts ends with six first-time national champions

VINTON, Iowa (Oct. 8) – An IMCA race season that saw its share of first-time accomplishments will end with the crowning of six first-time national champions. Those titles went to Kenneth Duke in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, Jeff Ware in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, James Hanusch in the Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods and Alex Dostal in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts. Duke, from Selinsgrove, is the first Pennsylvania driver to win an IMCA national championship in any division. He won 10 features as well as Pennsylvania Sprint Series and E3 Spark Plugs Pennsylvania State titles. Columbus, Neb., pilot Ware was a 29-time feature winner and also the top driver in the Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region, in Nebraska State points and in Boone County Raceway, Dawson County Raceway, Eagle Raceway and U.S. 30 Speedway standings. Hanusch hails from Belton, Texas. He had five feature wins and the 281 Speedway track title to his credit this season. Dostal collected 25 feature wins. From Glencoe, he’s also the Minnesota State and Arlington Raceway, Princeton [Read More]

US 36 Raceway postpones Missouri IMCA Nationals to Oct. 25 and 26

OSBORN, Mo. – Due to the weekend forecast of thunderstorms and cold temperatures, US 36 Raceway officials have postponed the Missouri IMCA Nationals to Oct. 25 and 26. Drivers from all across the region have planned to make the trip for the first ever event, and US 36 officials wanted to make the decision early to allow those drivers time to adjust their plans. Many contingency plans were discussed, and US 36 Raceway officials decided this to be the best possible option to complete a successful first ever event. Friday, Oct. 25 will be a practice night for all divisions. Saturday, Oct. 26 will include heats, “B” features and main events to crown the first-ever Missouri IMCA Nationals champions. Racing will start at 2 p.m. Pre-entry to the event will re-open and is available at https://www.myracepass.com/register/?n=17636. More information regarding the postponement of the Missouri IMCA Nationals will be made available soon.