willistonbasinspeedway Archives

IMCA Dakota Tour win at Williston as good as it gets for Strickler

WILLISTON, N.D. (July 9, 2024) – He’s won a lot of big races in his career and Kyle Strickler has to rank his first Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric victory among them. Strickler stalked and caught up with long-time leader Kollin Hibdon, finally making the pass to the front on the 30th and final lap in winning Tuesday’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at Williston Basin Speedway. “This is about as good as it gets,” Strickler said after taking the $2,000 checkers six tenths of a second ahead of Hibdon, who’d won the opening night show Sunday at Nodak Speedway. “Kollin is really, really good on the top. He showed everybody that on night one,” he continued. “I tried being as patient as possible and actually rolled right through the middle. Some crumbs were getting thrown there and that helped me out. I could put right up next to him.” Ninth starting Ethan Braaksma, Brady Bjella and Cody Laney completed the top five. Strickler was already eligible to qualify for the Fast [Read More]

Early entry list is “stacked’ for 35th Dakota Classic IMCA Modified Tour

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (July 1, 2024) – After looking over the names, new co-promoter Byron Fichter could have used any number of words to describe pre-entry lists for the upcoming Dakota Classic IMCA Modified Tour. But it turned out he only needed one: “Stacked.” Fichter and partner Aaron Turnbull take over at the helm of the 35th annual tour, which travels to six tracks in North Dakota and Saskatchewan July 6-11. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds race for $2,000 to win, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $1,000 to win each night Saturday, July 6 at Jamestown Speedway with following dates Sunday, July 7 at Nodak Speedway in Minot; Monday, July 8 at Estevan Motor Speedway; Tuesday, July 9 at Williston Basin Speedway; Wednesday, July 10 at Southwest Speedway in Dickinson; and Thursday, July 11 at Dacotah Speedway in Mandan. “We’ve got former tour champions, former national champions and former Super Nationals champions pre-registered,” said Fichter, listing the likes of four-time tour king Hank Berry, 2023 tour champions Tim Ward – also champion at Super Nationals – and Rob [Read More]

IMCA Dakota Classic Tour history made in 35th season

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (May 31, 2024) – Byron Fichter and Aaron Turnbull have been part of the Dakota Classic Tour for maybe more years than they’d like to admit. This year, they’ll be in charge of it. The two are new co-directors of the tour for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, set to visit six tracks in North Dakota and Saskatchewan from July 6-11. “We have big shoes to fill,” Fichter said, acknowledging the efforts of founder and director John Gartner over the tour’s first 34 years. “People who come on the tour know the tracks in North Dakota and Canada are good hosts. We’re proud of our racing facilities and our racing communities.” “We have a lot of history, including 34 years of history as the best traveling series for Modifieds in North America.” The 35th annual tour opens Saturday, July 6 at Jamestown Speedway with following dates Sunday, July 7 at Nodak Speedway in Minot; Monday, July 8 at Estevan Motor Speedway; Tuesday, July 9 at Williston Basin Speedway; Wednesday, July [Read More]

Sale of Dakota Classic Modified Tour announced

MANDAN, N.D. (Dec. 5, 2023) – Dakota Classic Modified Tour owner John Gartner has agreed to sell the long-time running series to a promoters’ governing group that represents the six tracks currently hosting the tour. The tour for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars will be held during the previously agreed upon dates next July starting with Jamestown Speedway on Saturday, July 6; Nodak Speedway in Minot on Sunday, July 7; Estevan Motor Speedway on Monday, July 8; Williston Basin Speedway on Tuesday, July 9; Southwest Speedway in Dickinson on Wednesday, July 10; and Dacotah Speedway in Mandan on Thursday, July 11. No significant changes are planned to be made with tour payouts, fees or procedures. The governing group will be selecting a tour director/promoter at some point in the future. The new governing board members and promoters of each track state that that “Words cannot do enough to describe our gratitude to John for his commitment to this tour over the years. This tour would not exist without him. As we move [Read More]

IMCA.TV bonuses paid to Dakota Tour Modified drivers defending home tracks

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (July 7, 2023) – Modified drivers defending their home track(s) earn almost $2,000 in bonuses during the upcoming IMCA.TV Dakota Classic Modified Tour. The top three finishing drivers appearing in local track standings coming into the night at July 8-13 tour events each receive $110 IMCA.TV DCMT Defender Awards. Where they finish in the feature doesn’t matter: The sole requirement is that they have competed and earned weekly points at that track/or tracks this season. Bonuses totaling $330 will be paid each night. Checks will be mailed from the IMCA office when results are official. The 34th annual Dakota Classic Tour for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars opens July 8 at Jamestown Speedway and travels to Nodak Speedway in Minot on July 9, Estevan Motor Speedway on July 10, Williston Basin Speedway on July 11, Southwest Speedway in Dickinson on July 12 and Dacotah Speedway in Mandan July 13. IMCA.TV broadcasts each of those race programs. Modifieds race for $2,000 to win along with Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility [Read More]

34th IMCA.TV Dakota Classic Modified Tour starts Saturday in Jamestown

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (July 6, 2023) – Online entries continue to come in for the 34th annual IMCA.TV Dakota Classic Modified Tour. The six consecutive night tour for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stocks Cars is again an international series with Estevan Motor Speedway in Saskatchewan back after a three-year absence due to the Covid pandemic. At this point, drivers have pre-registered from 15 US states and a healthy contingent from Canada. Modifieds will be running for $2,000 to win and $300 to start their 26-car features, along with Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Stock Cars will be paid $1,000 to win their 24-car feature events with B & B Racing Chassis All-Star qualifying eligibility awarded as well. More than $140,000 in payout for the series will be paid and there is a $10,000 point fund between the two divisions for the top 10 in tour points. In addition, over $25,000 in contingency prizes will be awarded to the top 25 in Modified and top 20 in Stock Car tour points. All six race [Read More]

IMCA Dakota Classic Tour will be ‘back to normal’

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (June 1, 2023) – For the first time in what’s been years, the guy who’s been around for all the years of the Dakota Classic Tour powered by Industrial Electric believes things will be back to normal. And normal is good. The 34th annual tour takes Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars to six different tracks in North Dakota and Saskatchewan over the course of its July 8-13 run. Modifieds run for $2,000 to win, Stock Cars for $1,000 to win each night. “Finally, it seems like we’re getting back to what feels normal,” said John Gartner, director of the tour since day one. “We haven’t had to deal with tornadoes, or flooding, and there’s no pandemic, which means we’re back to being an international series.” After dates July 8 at Jamestown Speedway and July 9 at Minot’s Nodak Speedway, the tour returns to Canada and Estevan Motor Speedway on July 10. “The tour hasn’t been north of the border since 2019, the year before COVID,” Gartner said. “I made the [Read More]

Estevan is back on schedule for 2023 IMCA Dakota Tour

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (Dec. 19, 2022) – History teacher turned tour director John Gartner channeled his inner Douglas MacArthur when he promised a return to Estevan Motor Speedway. And like the general who made good on his promise to return to the Philippines, Gartner and the IMCA Dakota Classic Modified Tour will return to the Saskatchewan track in 2023. “I’m a history major and always talked to kids about MacArthur’s promise,” he explained. “The tour hasn’t been to Canada since 2019, the year before COVID, and I told people we would go back as soon as we could.” “We made that promise and we’re going to keep it,” he continued. “We will be back in Estevan on July 10.” Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds run for $2,000 to win, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $1,000 to win each night of the July 8-13 tour. Opening night is Saturday, July 8 at Jamestown Speedway. The tour is at Nodak Speedway in Minot on July 9 and Estevan the next night. Williston Basin Speedway hosts the July 11 show. [Read More]

Berry three-peats, Speckman tops Stocks in IMCA Dakota Classic Tour at Williston Basin

By Becca Pelkey WILLISTON, N.D. (July 11, 2022) – Tom Berry Jr. went back-to-back-to-back and Matt Speckman went back to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2019 when the Corral Sales IMCA Dakota Classic Tour traveled to Williston Basin Speedway on Monday night. Berry raced to a third $2,000 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win in as many tour starts. Speckman’s $1,000 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers were his career 89th in the division and earned him B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility as well. Entries again topped 90 with 13 states and Canada represented in the Modified main event. Veterans Ed Turnbull and Hank Berry started on the front row in the Modified feature. Turnbull led from the initial green flag as Lucas Lambreries, Ricky Alvarado and Berry tussled three-wide close behind him. Using the high line around the speedway, Berry grabbed the second position and quickly caught Turnbull. He took over the top spot on lap nine and pulled away from the field, dominating from that point to win [Read More]

It’ll be a classic: 33rd IMCA Dakota Tour starts Saturday at Jamestown

MANDAN, N.D. (July 6, 2022) – Guaranteed to be a classic, the 33rd annual Corral Sales IMCA Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric opens this Saturday at Jamestown Speedway. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds race for $2,000 to win, $300 to start and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility each night July 9 at Jamestown, July 10 at Nodak Speedway in Minot, July 11 at Williston Basin Speedway, July 12 at Southwest Speedway in Dickinson, and July 13 and 14 at Dacotah Speedway in Mandan. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for a top check of $1,200 at Jamestown and $1,000 to win the next five nights, plus $100 to start and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. IMCA and Hoosier Race Tire provide the $10,000 tour point fund, paying $6,500 to top 10 Modified drivers and $3,500 to top 10 Stock Car drivers. “The tour is just about ready to go,” noted Director John Gartner. “More than a dozen states and two Canadian provinces are now represented by the Modified entries and [Read More]