Newswire

Natenstedts earn his and hers track title trophies

FERNLEY, Nev. – Track championship trophies came in two types in 2013 for the Natenstedt Race Team: His and hers. Shawn Natenstedt won the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified title at his hometown Reno, Tahoe Fernley Speedway for the third time in his career. His wife Melissa topped point standings at Rattlesnake Raceway in Fallon, in just her first full season in the open-wheeled division. A couple for 20 years, married for 15 and the parents of daughters Kayla and McKenzie, the Natenstedts traveled together much of the season utilizing a stacker trailer. Shawn won eight of his 19 starts – including two outings at Canyon Speedway Park in Arizona and another pair at Southern Oregon Speedway – while Melissa took the checkers in two of her 20 shows. “I take more pride in Melissa’s track championship than I do in my own by far. It was a big deal for me because I set up her car,” Shawn said. “I knew what kind of driver she was and had encouraged her to race a [Read More]

Expanded Cocopah Speedway IMCA Winter Nationals set for mid-February

SOMERTON, Ariz. – Continuing with the theme of building on already successful events, Cocopah Speedway has begun preparations for the third annual IMCA Winter Nationals, coming to the Somerton, Ariz., oval for two consecutive weekends in mid-February. The event annually features a big field of the best IMCA racers from across the country and the 2014 IMCA Winter Nationals at Cocopah grows to a total of four nights of racing, up from three nights last year. Race dates are Friday and Saturday, Feb. 7 and 8, and Friday and Saturday, Feb. 14 and 15. Also growing is the amount of prize money to be paid out, along with the divisions represented as IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods will be joined by IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. “We want to build this event into one of the brightest stars in the IMCA racing world and the enhancements this year are another step towards achieving that goal,” said Cocopah Speedway Director of Operations Greg Burgess said. Modifieds will race for $1,000 to win [Read More]

New ownership, improvements highlight 2014 at 141 Speedway

FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. – When the green flag drops on the 141 Speedway in 2014 race fans and competitors will be greeted with many new changes. The most notable will be the new ownership of Dan and Scott Ratajczak along with Toby Kruse. The ¼-mile Saturday night speedplant, located some 20 miles southeast of Lambeau Field, has proven to be one of the strongest Wisconsin tracks under the leadership of Bruce and Renee Conard for the past five years. “I went up there three years ago and absolutely fell in love with the place,” said Kruse, who will continue promoting Marshalltown Speedway in Iowa and Beatrice Speedway in Nebraska. “The upcoming season is going to be very exciting. It’s going to be a busy summer.” IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods return to weekly race programs on the clay oval, along with Street Stocks, Grand Nationals and Sport Fours. “I had first conversed with Bruce about purchasing 141 about a year and a half ago,” Kruse said. [Read More]

Thunderhill Raceway reaches $10,000 in contingency awards for drivers in 2014

By Edward Anschutz STURGEON BAY, Wis. – Driver contingencies will be the name of the game in 2014 at Thunderhill Raceway as the total amount reaches a staggering $10,000. In a time of tracks changing promoters, ownership or even closing, Thunderhill has raised the bar with several hefty driver giveaways. “I couldn’t have dreamt in only one week we‘d go from $6,500 in contingencies to $10,000,“ said Thunderhill promoter Woody Wodack, “The support from all these great businesses is exciting to say the least. I‘m confident this will only get bigger and better.” A brand new IMCA Modified Brinn transmission will be given away courtesy of Billy LeMieux Racing. Fast Ed Distributors is donating a full race version GM HEI Distributor that can be used in anything from a Modified to a Hobby Stock. The Bull Pen Bar & Grill will give out several gift certificates for food and drinks. David Kohn at AMSOIL will be giving away synthetic oil and lubricants. All awards will be presented at the 2014 awards banquet. Tentatively, plans are [Read More]

25th annual Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour dates announced

MANDAN, N.D. – The 25th annual Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour dates and locations have been announced for 2014. IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars will be on the program at all six tracks during the July 6-11 tour in North Dakota and Saskatchewan. Another record payout is in the works, with each Modified feature winner earning $1,700 and each Stock Car winner pocketing $800. Modified features are 2014 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying events. Home region points will be awarded in both divisions. Nodak Speedway will host the tour opener on Sunday, July 6. On Monday, July 7, the tour heads north of the border to Estevan Motor Speedway. Williston Basin Speedway will host night three of the tour on Tuesday, July 8. On Wednesday, July 9, the series heads to Southwest Speedway in Dickinson. Dacotah Speedway in Mandan has the Thursday, July 10 date. The tour wraps up Friday, July 11 at Jamestown Speedway. Minot and Mandan were both on the inaugural tour schedule in 1990. IMCA rules [Read More]

Clinton County proceeds benefit veterans, families

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified drivers will be the ones in victory lane next season but the biggest winners will be veterans of the armed services and their families. Proceeds from Friday night race programs at the Lock Haven, Pa., venue, newly promoted by Mike Evock, retired from the Army special services, go to disabled veterans, their families, and the families of American Service men and women killed in action. “This is one way we can give back to those who served,” explained Evock, a Pennsylvania native who will also be on the five-member board that decides how funds will be disbursed. “We want to be able to give something back to veterans and their families.” Evock raced three-wheelers, motocross and enduro cars before settling into a late model after retiring from the service. He also owns a motocross and ATV track in North Carolina. Clinton County will be part of IMCA’s Dirt Works Eastern Region for Modifieds. “We are putting on new clay now. We’ll add 12-18 inches of clay [Read More]

News

Three IMCA divisions new in 2014 at Norman County Raceway

ADA, Minn. – Norman County Raceway has scheduled six dates for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, 12 shows for the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and 14 races for the Mach-1 Sport Compacts in 2014. The sanctioned divisions will run Thursdays and Saturdays on the 3/8-mile semi-banked dirt oval, located on the county fairgrounds in Ada. “The economics are very important. I believe these divisions will be good alternatives for our racers,” said promoter and long-time driver Jake Bitker. “The crate motor is a good option and I like IMCA’s tire rule. It’s a great equalizer.” Modifieds at Norman County will be part of IMCA’s Belleville Motorsports North Central Region and run May 31, June 25 and 28, and Aug. 9, 16 and 23. Northern SportMod dates are May 31, June 5, 19 and 28; July 3, 10, 17 and 31; and Aug. 9, 16, 21 and 23. Sport Compacts are on May 1, 15, 29 and 31; June 12, 19 and 28; July 10 and 24; and Aug. 7, 9, 16, 21 and 23 programs. [Read More]

IMCA Modifieds, Northern SportMods new at Buffalo River Race Park in 2014

GLYNDON, Minn. – Both IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods will join Sunday night programs at Buffalo River Race Park in 2014. Opening night is set for May 11 with the final night of racing on Sept. 21. “We needed to make a change. We needed to find a sanctioning body with better cost control methods,” explained Kevin Nathe, who has promoted the 3/8-mile semi-banked dirt track for seven years and the adjacent motocross track for 15 years. “A little bit of everything went into our decision to sanction with IMCA, from the crate engine to the point structure and the tires.” “We have a lot of good ‘B’ Mod guys looking to go with a Modified now that it’s affordable,” he added. “They haven’t been able to do that before and we needed to find a way to help them do it.” Nathe also cited insurance benefits that accompany IMCA membership as well as point fund shares in his decision to switch sanctions. With added local contributions, Modified drivers will [Read More]

Crane Cams rewards top built engine drivers, builders with cash, credit prizes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Top finishing drivers in seven IMCA divisions and their engine builders will receive $250 in cash and another $250 credit toward future purchases from Crane Cams. Those drivers and their respective engine builders include national champions William Gould, IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified, Karl Performance, Des Moines, Iowa; Justin Kay, IMCA Late Model, Grove Automotive, Dubuque, Iowa; John Ricketts, IMCA Eagle Motorsports RaceSaver Sprint Cars, Russell Shoulders Race Engines, Forney, Texas; Brandon Czarapata, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, Fisher Race Engines, Oshkosh, Wis.; and Gabe Tucker, Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods, Fletcher Racing Engines, Abilene, Texas. Justin Luinenburg and Tyler Frye also received $250 in cash and $250 product credit as the highest finishing built engine competitors in national standings for the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod. The same awards went to their engine builders, L & D Motors of Reading, Minn., and Dr. J’s Performance of Anaheim, Calif., respectively. Mach-1 Sport Compacts are not part of the program, introduced this year by the Daytona Beach, Fla., high [Read More]

Third straight Design 500 Lady Eagle title highlights career season for Tiffany Bittner

By Ryan Clark NORFOLK, Neb. – Good things came in threes for Tiffany Bittner this season. The IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock driver not only earned her third straight Design 500 Lady Eagle title, but she added her first track championship and a qualifying run at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s to her list of 2013 accomplishments. The Lady Eagle championship is awarded to the female driver with the highest point total among all divisions nationwide. “This year was a little more difficult than the previous ones,” admitted Bittner of her Lady Eagle title. “The competition continues to get stronger.” While an increasing number of female competitors make that award more difficult to earn, Bittner stepped up her game in 2013 to also earn her first track championship at Albion Speedway. “Jason Wilkinson runs at all of my tracks,” explained Bittner of her weekly wars with the multi-time track champion and former Super Nationals titlist. “It’s pretty amazing to get a title running against him but that’s always been my goal.” Despite [Read More]