ArizonaSpeedway Archives

Ward tops record-setting Arizona Mod Tour opener

By Jackson Braun QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. (Feb. 8) – An action-packed night of racing at the 1/3 mile Arizona Speedway speedplant was capped off by a first-time winner in Arizona Mod Tour action as Arizona native and Iowa transplant Tim Ward bested the field of 26 stout IMCA Modified drivers. A tour record 92 Modifieds and 37 IMCA Northern SportMods checked into the pit gate for opening night of the third annual tour. Ward’s victory paid $1,500 and put him on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Robert Hellebust and Joey Price led the field to green for 25 trips around the Arizona Speedway oval. Hellebust jumped out to an early lead, but a caution reset the field back to square one. Hellebust got the jump on the restart but Bobby Hogge IV challenged early on. After a few laps of battling, Hellebust started to pull away. Ward started 11th on the field and had already made his way up into the top five within a few laps. He got past Hogge quickly [Read More]

Marriott collects second Arizona IMCA Modified Tour checkers

By Mike Spieker CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Feb. 11) – Round three of the second annual Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour continued with a Sunday matinee at Central Arizona Speedway. Just as he did on opening night, Hunter Marriott picked up the $1,500 feature win. “I just had to keep hitting my marks. The checkered came out and I thought it was the yellow. I figured we had another 10 laps to go. I was just focused on keeping my speed up and not letting them get too close,” said Marriott in victory lane. Marriott, who started on the outside of the front row, grabbed the lead on the opening lap over pole sitter Chaz Baca. Casey Arneson moved into second and rode right on the rear bumper of Marriott in the early going of the 25-lap event. By lap 10, 19th starting Ricky Thornton Jr. moved into third with a pass of Russell Allen. With nine circuits remaining, Allen’s top five effort came to an end when he and Ethan Dotson were racing for the [Read More]

O’Neil rebounds for round 2 Arizona IMCA Modified Tour victory

By Mike Spieker QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. (Feb. 10) – After a solid third place effort was negated the night before in post-race tech, Jake O’Neil cruised to the win on night two of the Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour at Arizona Speedway. O’Neil started on the pole for the 25-lap main event with Kody Scholpp to his outside. O’Neil led the opening circuit with Scholpp in tow. Meanwhile, Jason Wolla, Casey Arneson and Ethan Dotson raced three-wide for third. The race for third quickly became a battle for second as Dotson and Arneson reeled in Scholpp. Dotson, who was the lone driver in the top five riding the rim around the thin cushion, squeezed around Scholpp for second and brought Wolla with him. Wolla snuck by Dotson for second with 18 laps to go but O’Neil had already stretched his advantage to over two seconds. Lapped traffic slowed O’Neil’s pace significantly, which allowed Wolla to close the gap to just over a half second. Fortunately for O’Neil, the caution was displayed as Wolla was closing [Read More]

Marriott charges to opening night Arizona IMCA Modified Tour victory

By Mike Spieker QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. (Feb. 9) – Defending champion Hunter Marriott was the $1,500 main event winner when the highly anticipated Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour got underway Friday at Arizona Speedway. Eighty-eight Modifieds checked in for battle on opening night of the second annual tour. Marriott powered from the eighth starting position to battle Jason Wolla for the lead with four laps to go. Marriott placed a bid for the lead entering turn one as he attempted a slide job on Wolla amongst lapped traffic. Contact was made between Marriott and Wolla, which sent Wolla into the outside retaining wall and Marriott over the thick cushion. “That happens on this kind of race track,” said Marriott of the pass for the lead on Wolla. “[Wolla] messed up exiting turn four and I had a run on him. I knew that would be a good shot to take the lead if I was going to win. We weren’t quite clear, but it was close, though. I wasn’t going to lift and I [Read More]

Thornton is $1,000 Dirt Dominator winner

By Mike Spieker QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. (Feb. 8) – The second annual Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour got underway Thursday evening with practice night at Arizona Speedway. Following the night’s practice session was the inaugural Dirt Dominator, a $1,000-to-win, 16-car bracket race for the IMCA Modifieds. Chandler driver Ricky Thornton Jr. walked through the field to capture the overall victory. Thornton topped Jake O’Neil in the championship round, utilizing the inside line starting position. “I knew it was going to be tough. Jake (O’Neil) has been really good,” Thornton said from victory lane. “I picked the bottom because I only ran one lap on the top. I knew I just had to get out front and not mess up.” Thornton took the lead coming to the flag stand off turn four after taking the green flag down the backstretch. O’Neil put his no. 0 machine on the cushion but Thornton was too strong on the bottom and ran unchallenged en route to the victory. Thornton defeated Delbert Shannon in the opening round before knocking off Russell [Read More]

Feature

Nerud Nets Bonus Cash With Last-Lap Pass at Eagle’s Ice Breaker Challenge

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (Apr. 19, 2025) — Tyler Nerud had his work cut out for him if he hoped to double up at Eagle Raceway’s Ice Breaker Challenge and collect the extra $1,000 bonus offered for a repeat win in the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, as he was starting deeper in the field from inside the sixth row. The first official lap saw Adam Vrbka showing the way. Vrbka continued to show the way, but Nerud effectively moved his way forward getting into third after a triple overtake on lap 7 and got into second around the midway mark. Nerud closed the gap steadily until he flew high and wide through turns 3 and 4 on the final lap and passed Vrbka just before the flag stand. Despite having to begin the race eleventh it did not deter the Dorchester driver’s path to the winner’s circle for his second feature win of 2025. Vrbka was second while Cole Wayman finished third. Vanover Fends Off Grabouski in Intense Stock Car Feature In the main [Read More]

News

Shatzer Storms to Win at Hagerstown

By Jim Haines HAGERSTOWN, MD (Apr. 19, 2025) — Starting out as a warm spring race night, Dylan Shatzer took Al Moser’s sprinter to the top spot and stayed there in the 25-lap RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Car feature at Hagerstown Speedway. The co-sanctioned event between the Virginia Sprint Series and Laurel Highlands Sprint Series marked the 2025 season opener for the Virginia tour and showcased Shatzer’s dominance on the historic Maryland half-mile. As storms were on the way the feature started with Kolby Weaver and Colton Hindershot pacing the field to green, Weaver stayed high as Shatzer dove to the inside rail and was already going for the lead off turn four as he crossed the line just in front of Weaver and Donnie Hendershot. Shatzer really had the bottom line working as Ken Duke made his way to second with Weaver and Donnie Hendershot in tow. At the halfway mark it was still Shatzer with Duke and now John Scarborough making up the top three. Nobody was giving up the bottom line up front [Read More]

Feature

Austin Daae: From Ice to Dirt, the Final Shift

By Ben Deatherage ESTEVAN, SK (Apr. 21, 2025) — For most, playing professional hockey would be enough. For Austin Daae, it’s just one half of the story. The Estevan, Saskatchewan native is just as comfortable skating across frozen rinks as he is sliding through the corners of dirt ovals. And in 2024, he added a big milestone to his résumé—Sunoco IMCA Stock Car champion at Estevan Motor Speedway. “It was a good season,” said Daae. “I haven’t gotten to run for points in 7 or 8 years at least. Per usual, I got home late from playing hockey down south. I was still down there when the first night got rained out. I would’ve liked to race more, but I had hockey things going on. I was able to race every night at home and finally get a points championship.” He picked up four wins at Estevan and added another at Nodak Speedway in Minot, North Dakota. The competition in the region is never easy. “Anywhere you go in North Dakota, you know you’ve got your [Read More]