Newswire

Deery Series, Stock Car drivers on track for Intercomp IMCA contingency awards

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Intercomp returns for a 21st consecutive sponsorship season with contingency awards for competitors in the Deery Brothers Summer Series and the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car division. The Minneapolis, Minn., company is manufacturer of the official scales for IMCA and will give $100 product certificates to designated place finishers at all events in the series for Late Models and to top 10 drivers in official 2015 point standings for both Arnold Motor Supply Northern and Southern Stock Car regions. Drivers in each division are required to display two Intercomp decals on their race car to be eligible. Certificates can be applied toward the purchase of RFX wireless scales or digital chassis setup equipment. Certificates will be mailed to Late Model drivers the week after Deery Series races are held and presented to Stock Car drivers during the national awards banquet in November. Intercomp manufactures high-performance products for use in the shop or at the track including alignment equipment, tire and shock gauges and lap timers. Information about those products is available by calling [Read More]

Thornton makes it two straight at Canyon

By Lonnie Wheatley PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan. 25) – Ricky Thornton Jr. picked up his second IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified win in a row on night three of the Winter Challenge at Canyon Speedway Park. Thornton took advantage of a slight bobble by Zane DeVilbiss to race into the lead with laps left in Sunday’s $1,250 to win main event. Forty-two Modifieds were entered in the third and final Winter Challlenge event of the weekend. DeVilbiss had drawn a front row start while Thornton worked his way up from eighth and headed pursuit of the defending national champion most of the 25-lapper. “The longer we ran, the tighter he got and the better my car got,” said Thornton, who shot into the lead coming out of turn two and stayed in front the last five times around the track. His share of the Winter Challenge purse at Canyon came to $3,100. “It was definitely a good weekend,” Thornton said. Tim Ward charged from 21st starting to capture the show position. Hunter Marriott advanced from 17th [Read More]

Fraction of a second makes Saturday difference in Canyon Modified feature

By Lonnie Wheatley PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan. 24) – A tenth of a second made the difference between first place and second Saturday at Canyon Speedway Park. Ricky Thornton Jr. beat Tim Ward to the finish line by that blink of an eye margin in Saturday’s 25-lap Winter Challenge feature for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, which drew 46 entries. The 17th starting Thornton earned $1,250 for his efforts; he was already on the ballot for September’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Ward had scored Friday Winter Challenge honors at Canyon Winner of the second ‘B’ feature, Thornton ran multiple lines early on, was in the top four by lap 10 and was second when the 15th circuit was scored. Ward and Thornton had both taken the white flag before a spun car brought out what proved to be the final caution. Thornton, in Marlyn Seidler’s back-up car, moved off the bottom and higher on the track for the last two laps. “It was kind of a Hail Mary thing. I’ve won close races before but never [Read More]

Ward opens Winter Challenge weekend with win at Canyon

By Lonnie Wheatley PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan. 23) – Tim Ward raced forward from the seventh starting position to take IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified honors over a stout field of 41 competitors on opening night of the Winter Challenge Weekend at Canyon Speedway Park. The new Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier earned $1,250 and took the checkered flag ahead of defending track champion Ricky Thornton Jr. as Missouri’s Hunter Marriott topped his “B” feature and rallied from 18th to take third. Brian Schultz raced from 15th to fourth with defending national champion Zane DeVilbiss rounded out the top five. Ward was quickly up to second and led briefly before a couple early cautions. Thornton passed him for the front spot before two more yellows came out. After falling back to third, Ward got his opportunity when the caution flag waved again late in the contest. He went high to pass Schultz and then Thornton coming out of turn two and down the back straightaway, and drove to his first feature win of the season. [Read More]

Brett Root named president of IMCA

VINTON, Iowa – Brett Root will follow in some big footsteps at IMCA. Root succeeds his mother Kathy as president of the Vinton-based automotive racing sanctioning body. She’d purchased IMCA and sister company CarPac Publications from the family of Keith Knaack in the mid-1990s. “I realize that I am just the third president of IMCA since the 1970s. It’s good company to be in,” said Root. “I hope everyone understands how important IMCA is to me. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.” Root started working part-time at CarPac on his 14th birthday in 1986. The University of Northern Iowa graduate joined IMCA full-time as marketing director in July of 1997. He became vice president of operations in 1999, spending as much as 10 months every year traveling to IMCA sanctioned tracks, special events and trade shows around the country. “My responsibilities have shifted more to day to day operations and race night issues so I have traveled less the last couple years,” Root said. “Hiring Jim Stannard as director of track relations and Dave [Read More]

Crawford County on schedule for April 4 Deery Series opener

DENISON, Iowa (Jan. 23) – The 2015 Deery Brothers Summer Series will take its first green flag at Crawford County Speedway. After inclement weather washed out numerous attempts to bring the series back to Denison last spring, the upcoming IMCA Late Model tour travels to Crawford County for opening night action on Saturday, April 4. In all, the 29th annual series currently has 16 dates. The first 15 of those events pay $3,000 to win and a minimum of $300 to start. Additional tour dates are still pending. “It’s nice to have our highest paying race as the series finale at the Yankee Dirt Track Classic at Farley Speedway,” Tour Director Kevin Yoder said. “That feature pays $7,500 to win so it should make for an exciting conclusion to the series.” The one previous Deery race at Denison was held in 1994. Kossuth County Speedway in Algona has also hosted just one tour event, in 2008, and brings the series back for a July 2 show. “If we get all our races in, this year’s [Read More]

Deery Series pole starters receive Justice Brothers/Gillund awards

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (Jan. 23) – Every driver starting on the pole in a Deery Brothers Summer Series main event this season is a guaranteed award winner. Justice Brothers and Gillund Enterprises give a car care package to the driver taking the green from inside row one at all IMCA Late Model tour features again in 2015. Drivers must display two Justice Brothers decals on their race car to be eligible. They’ll receive car care packages once the pole is determined. Ten different drivers enjoyed pole starts over the course of the 2014 Deery Series, with Tyler Bruening, Joel Callahan, Ray Guss Jr. and Justin Kay each drawing the spot twice. One-time pole starters were Mike Cothron, Andy Eckrich, Tommy Elston, Nick Marolf, Jason Rauen and Colby Springsteen. Gillund distributes Justice Brothers Car Care products manufactured for high-performance and commercial vehicles and begins its 19th season as a marketing partner with IMCA. The Eden Prairie, Minn., company introduced the Deery Series pole starter prize in 2011. Information about the JB brand is available at the [Read More]

Smiley’s adds Sprint Cars to post-season IMCA program

MESQUITE, Texas – Drivers in a sixth sanctioned division receive awards this season, with the addition of Sprint Cars to the Smiley’s Racing Products program with IMCA. The high-performance parts manufacturer and distributor gives $50 gift cards to top 10 finishers in national point standings for IMCA Eagle Motorsports RaceSaver Sprint Cars, Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. Gift cards of the same value, also redeemable at Smiley’s Mesquite, Texas, location go to top 10 drivers in the Razor Chassis South Central Region for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, the EngineQuest Southern Region for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and the Charger Chassis Southern Region for IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. “Smiley’s Racing Products is a natural partner with the Sprint Car division and by adding their support it strengthens their presence outside of Texas with our Eagle Motorsports RaceSaver Sprint Cars,” said IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “Smiley’s has been a great partner over the years and we appreciate owner Tom Lorenz and his entire staff for their continued support.” Also home to [Read More]

Bloomington brings IMCA RaceSaver Sprints to Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Jan. 22) – The 2015 season will be the first for IMCA and RaceSaver at a track with an already long and distinguished Sprint Car history. Bloomington Speedway features the IMCA Eagle Motor Sports RaceSaver Sprint Car division on Friday programs beginning April 17. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Allstar Performance State and local track points will be awarded through season championship night on Aug. 21. Weekly features will pay $600 to win and a minimum of $150 to start. “I like the total package of IMCA and RaceSaver,” explained third-year General Manager Kris Kirchner. “I come from the 410 (sprint car) world and know that people who want to get into that have to spend a lot of money.” “I’ve heard more and more about RaceSaver and know that a guy can get into the class, race and not be broke at the end of the day,” he added. Dan Roberts, a co-owner of the ¼-mile, high-banked clay oval located in south central Indiana, suggested track officials look into RaceSaver. “The [Read More]

No changes in IMCA procedures, points, regional boundaries for 2015

VINTON, Iowa – You’ll have to look pretty hard to find differences between 2014 and 2015 IMCA procedures. Aside from some wording in the engine claim process, there isn’t any. Both the point system and how bonus points are awarded will be the same this season as last. IMCA President Brett Root also noted there won’t be any change in regional boundaries for Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks. “We announced in December there was a possibility of realigning those borders and creating regions for the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods,” he said. “After much discussion, we determined that changing the borders for Stock Car and Hobby Stocks was feasible but at this time, not necessary.” “There definitely will be regions, likely east and west, for the Northern SportMods in 2016,” Root added. “They are now our second largest division in terms of members and regions would make perfect sense.” The areas of the country represented in top national Modified standings last season dispelled any notions to make bonus point changes. “Everyone has an idea on how [Read More]