VINTON, Iowa (Oct. 2) – A division-best 28 feature wins and bonus points from three local track titles paved the way for Dylan Smith’s first national IMCA Modified championship.

The Osceola, Neb., driver edged Garner’s Jeremy Mills by five points for the title. Mills won 25 features and was the only driver in the division with four track crowns to his credit this season.

Smith’s banner season also included the championship in the ButlerBuilt Central Region and Boone County Raceway, I-80 Speedway and US 30 Speedway crowns.

Also capturing national titles were Dustin Smith of Lake City in the Sunoco Stock Cars, Neil Stevens of Bing ham Lake, Minn., in the KSE Racing Products Sprint Cars, Jesse Sobbing of Glenwood in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, Garrett Rech of Davey, Neb., in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts and John McNeil of Denton, Texas, in the GM Performance Crate Models.

Shannon Anderson of Atlantic and Keith White of Little River Academy, Texas, defended their titles in the Sunoco Hobby Stock and Southwest Racing Specialties Southern SportMod divisions, respectively.

Dan Lewis Photo - danlewisphoto.netBy Joe and Jordan Verdegan
(Luxemburg, WI) Sept. 19- IMCA modified track champion Brian Mullen of Seymour took the lead at the drop of the green and led every lap en route to capturing the caution free, 30 lap IMCA modified feature to cap off day two of the Two Day Fall Classic presented by Tisler Salvage at Luxemburg Speedway Saturday night.

Mullen also won his feature Friday night, giving him a double for the weekend.

A total of 214 drivers representing seven different classes took part in the two day race.

Luxemburg’s Pat Davister snuck past Kewaunee’s Brian Bruechert on the final circuit to win the 25 lap stock car feature.

Shawano’s Tracy Wassenberg fought off a late race surge from Oconto’s Travis Cain to capture the sportmod feature. Cain settled for second, followed by Jason Guyette, Greg Wichman and Johnny Whitman.

Ed Anschutz of Kewaunee led every lap and survived six caution periods to win the 23 lap street stock feature. The victory was Anschutz’s second of the weekend, as he won Friday night as well.

Dan Lewis Photo - danlewisphoto.net(Luxemburg, WI - 9/4/2009) - Scott “Scooter” Boyea withstood a late charge from Benji LaCrosse to win the Tri-County Heating Championship Night IMCA Modified feature Friday at the Luxemburg Speedway in Luxemburg.

Late race dramatics came into play in the Speedway’s three other IMCA classes as Troy Muench in the Stock Cars, Tracy Wassenberg in the Sport Mods and Tyler Wilson in the Hobby Stocks all claimed narrow victories. Jeff Behm capped off the night’s features with a convincing win in the Sport 4 class.

25 straight green flag laps proved to be the recipe for Boyea’s success in the Modifieds. He took the lead from Chris Derenne on the second circuit, building a solid cushion over the rest of the field through the first half of the event.

Dan Lewis Photo - danlewisphoto.net(Luxemburg, WI - August 28, 2009) - Persistent showers arrived late into the heat races, forcing officials to cancel the race program Friday night at the Luxemburg Speedway in Luxemburg.

Luck ran out on the Speedway as the IMCA Northern Sport Mods took to the track for their third heat. Rain intensified at that point, and the track was lost.

With no points awarded due to the rain out, the standings will stay as they are heading into Championship night this Friday.

The closest contest is for the title in the IMCA Northern Sport Mods where Travis VanStraten leads Eric Arneson by a single point. Eugene Gregorich (-14), Johnny Whitman (-19) and Tracy Wassenberg (-23) are all still mathematically alive in the chase.

Dan Lewis Photo - danlewisphoto.netIn the IMCA Modifieds, Brian Mullen will carry his ten point advantage over Jared Siefert into the final night. Shawn Kilgore is 15 back, with Benji LaCrosse 24 points behind the leader.

by Chris Budzban
August 22, 2009; Sturgeon Bay, WI - Seeking his 7th modified track title, Todd Dart cut his deficit to a mere two points by winning the IMCA modified feature over Shawn Kilgore at Prestige Yacht Coatings Thunderhill Raceway.

Ryan LeMieux and Chris Derenne fought for the early lead of the modified feature, with Brett Wenzel close behind. Kilgore rode the outside lane into the 4th spot, and motored past Wenzel and in between LeMieux and Derenne to take the lead. Kilgore built up a strong lead with Dart getting into the second spot. A caution flag flew with 4 laps remaining, taking away Kilgore's advantage. Dart made his move with the white flag in the air, and was able to make the inside pass stick to get the win. Kilgore settled for second, Tim Czarneski third, Jeremy Jacobs fourth and Jay Matthias fifth.

In the special "King of the Hill" IMCA modified races, Czarneski defeated Dave Zeitler, Dan Ratajczak and finally Kilgore to pick up the $500 prize, courtesy of Packerland Whey.

Dan Lewis Photo - danlewisphoto.netby Joe and Jordan Verdegan
(Luxemburg, WI) August 21- Two Rivers' Kyle Kudick fought off former track and national champion Benji LaCrosse of Green Bay in the final laps to win the 25 lap IMCA modified feature at Luxemburg Speedway Friday night.

122 cars were in the pits, including 24 IMCA modifieds, 24 stock cars, 22 northern sportmods, 22 street stocks, 15 hobby stocks and 25 sport fours.

Luxemburg’s Chris Derenne paced the opening three laps of the IMCA modified main before dropping out with mechanical problems, handing the lead to Abrams’ Scooter Boyea. Boyea’s lead was short lived as Kudick stormed past into the lead on lap five. Kudick pulled out to a five car length lead by lap 6 when Dan Ratajczak broke through traffic into second, and began chasing down Kudick.

DES MOINES, Iowa (Aug. 18) – Another blue ribbon-worthy performance resulted in another Deery Brothers Summer Series feature win for Jeff Aikey.

Aikey stretched his advantage in the IMCA Late Model tour point standings with his fourth victory of the season Tuesday night at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Speedway.

After catching Ray Guss Jr. for the lead on lap 10, Aikey ran in front to the finish of the state fair show. He caught up with the back of the field late in the 35-lapper and took the checkers most of a straightaway in front of Guss.

The $2,000 win was the career 52nd for Aikey, gunning for his sixth Deery crown. Jay Johnson, Tommy Elston and Jason Frankel rounded out the top five.

Todd Cooney drew the pole start and led the first three circuits. Guss took over following an early restart and set the pace before losing the front spot to Aikey.

“B” qualifier Craig Jacobs moved up 13 positions to finish eighth. Terry Neal was challenging Guss for second before coming to stop on the track at midway. He restarted at the back and ended in 13th.

By Chris Budzban
August 15, 2009; Sturgeon Bay, WI – Frog Station’s Dan Ratajczak passed Two Rivers’ Kyle Kudick and held off defending track champion Todd Dart to pick up his 1st feature win of the season in the IMCA modified division at Prestige Yacht Coatings Thunderhill Raceway.

Dan Lewis Photo - danlewisphoto.netby Joe and Jordan Verdegan
(Luxemburg, WI) August 14- Green Bay’s Benji LaCrosse slipped past Frog Station’s Dan Ratajczak on lap 13 to take the lead and collect the 25 lap IMCA modified feature at Luxemburg Speedway Friday night.

A total of 115 cars checked in, including 22 IMCA modifieds, 29 stock cars, 21 northern sportmods, 21 hobby stocks and 22 sport fours.

The IMCA modified feature was only one lap old when Scooter Boyea and RM Van Pay spun in turn four, drawing an early amber. When racing resumed Ratajczak kept the lead and pulled away to a four car length lead over Jay Matthias by lap 10, when the second yellow flew for a Brian Joski spin.

When racing resumed LaCrosse charged from third past Matthias into second, and began pressuring Ratajczak. The former track and national champion ducked underneath Ratajczak to take the lead on lap 13. Boyea drew his second yellow of the race on lap 15, setting up a 10 lap dash to the finish.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Aug. 5) – Jeff Aikey proved again that he’s just as fast on asphalt as he is on dirt.

Aikey led the last 31 times around the half-mile oval in winning Wednesday’s “Dirt At The Downs” Deery Brothers Summer Series feature at Hawkeye Downs Speedway.

The victory, his third of the season, career fourth at Cedar Rapids and IMCA Late Model tour 51st, paid $2,000.

Jason Frankel, second behind Aikey in the series point standings, ran in the runner-up spot most of the way. Terry Neal, Ray Guss Jr. and Rob Toland rounded out the top five.

Neal, piloting Rick Dralle’s car after his own ride expired early in the evening, drew the pole start but Aikey made his move from outside row two and was at the front of the field when the fourth lap was scored.

He was pulling away before catching up with the back of the pack on the 11th circuit. Frankel made up most of the distance as the two ran in lapped traffic, trying unsuccessfully high and low to make his way into first.

The front pair continued to negotiate their way through backrunners as the race ran caution-free. Johnny Spaw passed nine cars and finished sixth.