maquoketaspeedway Archives

First scoring job leads Feller to Maquoketa promoter’s post

MAQUOKETA, Iowa – Score a career highlight this season for Kevin Feller. Feller returns to his hometown Maquoketa Speedway to promote Saturday night racing, with four IMCA divisions on regular weekly programs and high hopes of introducing a legion of young fans to the sport. “I haven’t been this fired up about the new race season in a long time. If it wasn’t for this little track, I wouldn’t be where I am,” said Feller, who scored his first race at Maquoketa in 1975 and has since kept track of laps and lineups at another 52 tracks nationwide. “This is a very, very special place for me.” “I am very driven on getting a young crowd to the track. I’m working with the schools and with the library on a reading program,” he continued. “We want to get kids interested in racing and we want to get them and their parents to the track.” Opening night at Maquoketa is April 18 with the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco [Read More]

Soppe wins number 100 plus track title at Maquoketa

By Rob Hinckley MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Aug. 24) – Again, no matter the obstacle, Tyler Soppe cranked the steering wheel one way and then back the other while at full speed. It was no surprise he was at the front of the 15-lap B&D Pit Stop IMCA Northern SportMod Season Championship feature Saturday evening at Maquoketa Speedway. Soppe had clinched the track championship before the green flag ever flew. “This is what we’re here for and the championship tops it off,” Soppe said. ““We like the track and what Nick (Promoter McCrady) has done with it. We’ll be back next year.” Soppe’s victory was the ninth at Maquoketa and 26th overall in 2019. It also was his 100th IMCA career victory in the division. “The car wasn’t really that good tonight,” Soppe added. “We tried the top early and were able to make it work when we got out front.” Jerry Miles, Bob Silaggi, Jacob Ellithorpe and Scott Williams rounded out the top five. Jeff Larson launched from midpack at the start and then to the [Read More]

Soppe speeds to topless win at Maquoketa

By Rob Hinckley MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Aug. 3) – As the yellow flag waved the car may have slowed down, but Tyler Soppe’s mind kicked into high gear. “I really didn’t want to see those cautions, but that’s part of it,” Soppe said. He reformed strategy and still raced to the 30-lap B&D Pit Stop IMCA Northern SportMod topless special win Saturday evening at Maquoketa Speedway. “Obviously the place to be was on the bottom (groove),” Soppe added in Hoker Trucking / C&W Trucking / Kam Koncepts Victory Circle. “We used where we needed to get to the front. The yellows hurt as the car was bogging down at the end. I knew guys like the 12D and 21 were close and we were able to pull away some.” Soppe won his heat from the front row and redrew No. 8 for the feature. He was one of two cars that utilized the middle groove early and took the point from T.J. Fortmann on lap three. A lap two caution sent four of the top six [Read More]

Soppe scores seventh at Maquoketa

By Rob Hinckley MAQUOKETA, Iowa (July 6) – Like a lot of drivers, Tyler Soppe surveyed the right side damage to his car. Unlike the others, he did it in Hoker Trucking/C&W Trucking/Kam Koncepts Victory Circle after taking another 15-lap B&D Pit Stop IMCA Northern SportMod feature Saturday evening at Maquoketa Speedway. “Seemed like a top side track, but made the bottom stick and here we are,” Soppe said. “This is our 15th win of the year and each one seems different.” His seventh Maquoketa win came on Husco International Family Night before a great pre-fireworks display crowd. Soppe jetted from his ninth starting spot on the bottom groove and passed Jacob Ellithorpe on lap nine. He also endured several cautions to wait out the win. “I knew Jacob was sticking high and a tough run,” Soppe added. “This was different type of track, more of a hammer down, but we can adjust.” Ellithorpe would later drop out. Kyle Olson, Rusty Deshaw, Jerry Miles and 17th-starting Brandon Tharp rounded out the top five. Jeremiah Hurst [Read More]

Miles finds fast line at Maquoketa

By Rob Hinckley MAQUOKETA, Iowa (June 22) – Jerry Miles bided his time, worked the high groove and sped by Logan Veloz with six laps left to win the 15-lap B&D Pit Stop IMCA Northern SportMod finale on Hall of Fame Night at Maquoketa Speedway. Veloz, Rusty Deshaw, Tyler Soppe and Wes Digman came next. Point leader Soppe suffered a mechanical issue in his own no. 3T ride during his heat. He hopped into Scott Williams’ no. 9 and raced from the tail to that finish, his first outside the top two all season at Maquoketa. Other feature winners were Ray Cox Jr. in the QCJeeps.com IMCA Modifieds, David Brandies in the 15-lap GRE/REV Chassis IMCA Stock Cars and Randy Lamar in the Shawn’s Auto Service IMCA Hobby Stocks. The wins came after the inaugural class of the Maquoketa Speedway Hall of Fame was inducted. Ernie Cook, Bob Current, Pickle Edwards, Tom Feller, Lloyd Nabb and Karl Vohringer were honored during intermission.

Aikey’s new ride passes Deery Series test, Maquoketa checkers are tour career 69th

By Rob Hinckley MAQUOKETA, Iowa (June 18) – As Jeff Aikey drove the four-wide parade lap, he knew his car would be competitive. The 56-year old veteran put his fairly new ride to the test early in Tuesday evening’s 50-lap Deery Brothers Summer Series feature at Maquoketa Speedway. It passed the test with flying colors as he flew to the $2,000 IMCA Late Model tour victory. “I could go anywhere on this track,” the all-time Deery Brothers feature win leader said in victory circle after his 69th career win. “The track was prepared great.” Aikey rolled off third and had the point by lap four, passing pole starter Andy Eckrich. He drew away from a charging Joel Callahan for several laps after Callahan took second on lap 10. Callahan finally caught and then led for a couple laps before Aikey regained control on the 45th circuit. “I can’t believe we won this thing,” Aikey added. “Rick Dralle gave me a perfect car. I hadn’t been in a Deery Brothers race for three years, so this [Read More]

Deery Series doubleheader next at Maquoketa, Independence

MAQUOKETA, Iowa – Deery Brothers Summer Series drivers return to a pair of familiar venues next week, with $2,000 to win features Tuesday, June 18 at Maquoketa Speedway and Wednesday, June 19 at Independence Motor Speedway. Both IMCA Late Model main events pay a minimum of $300 to start. Maquoketa, the site of a dozen previous Deery events, opens the pit gates at 3:15 p.m. Racing follows 6:15 p.m. hot laps, with IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods on the program as well. Spectator admission is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and students and free for kids ages 12 and under, while pit passes are $30. The Wednesday show will be the 30th held at Independence since 1987, the series’ inaugural season. Pit gates open at 4:30 p.m., hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. and racing gets underway at 7 p.m. Also on the card are IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. Admission to the grandstand is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $15 for students and [Read More]

Larson’s IMCA Modified win is grand at Maquoketa

By Rob Hinckley MAQUOKETA, Iowa (June 8) – The pill draw was key for Jeff Larson Saturday at Maquoketa Speedway. The Freeport, Ill. ace drew the number one after his heat and fended off a crazy finish to win the QCJeeps.com IMCA Modified 25-lap special and the $1,000 top prize, as well as a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth. Larson led all but two laps that a high-side charging Ray Cox Jr. paced. A caution as the white flag was about to fly bunched the field for a two-lap dash. Cox broke on the restart to bring out another yellow. Larson ran the low groove early in the event, switched high to try and run down Cox and then finished high to outrun Timmy Current. Matt Short, Mike Fryer and Jarrett Franzen followed. Andy Nezworski’s string of two straight Andover Meat IMCA Late Model wins came to an end. Todd Malmstrom started fifth, moved to the point early and held off Justin Kay to win the 25-lap feature. Justin Becker ended an even bigger win streak [Read More]

Franzen beats Schrader, rest of Modifieds at Maquoketa

By Rob Hinckley MAQUOKETA, Iowa (June 1) – He watched the monkey jump off his back. Jarrett Franzen actually pushed that chimp in dominating form, leading all 20 laps of the QCJeeps.com IMCA Modified feature Saturday evening at Maquoketa Speedway. “I got lucky on the start,” Franzen said. “(Polesitter) Tyler Madigan pushed on the start and I started second row inside and it was pretty much a bottom race track.” The win ended a string of “almosts” in the Fryer Motorsports No. 60F. “Seems like we’ve led until lap 16 and the car burns off,” he said. “ We’ve finally been changing some stuff, dropping some bars we usually don’t do and it ended up working.” Franzen and team celebrated on Stead Family Children’s Hospital Night and beat all the stars, including Ken Schrader, who wound up fifth. Timmy Current started 11th and picked his way to the runner up spot, followed by Bryce Garnhart and Tyler Madigan. Schrader was complimentary of his first visit to Maquoketa. “Nice and smooth, nice little track. I really enjoyed it.,” [Read More]

Maquoketa IMCA Late Model win goes to Nezworski

By Rob Hinckley MAQUOKETA, Iowa (May 25) – It was revenge against Mother Nature. A great crowd witnessed an overflowed pit area of 120 race teams Saturday evening at Maquoketa Speedway after no racing since May 4. No one was more ready for a win than Andy Nezworski. The Buffalo ace started out front, held off early challenges from Todd Malmstrom and then a charging Jeremiah Hurst to capture the season opener for the Andover Meat IMCA Late Models. “It’s an advantage starting up front, no doubt,” Nezworski said in Hoker Trucking/C&W Trucking Victory Lane. “But you have to stay there and we were quick enough to hold them off.” Nezworski opened a quick advantage. Hurst moved to second about halfway through the 25-lapper and closed a half straightaway deficit as Nezworski hit traffic on lap 15. A pair of circuits later, the leader got into lapped traffic just in time for a caution to fly. The last eight laps belonged to Nezworski. “I knew they would be coming in the traffic,” the winner said. [Read More]