Tour sponsor Kupper Chevrolet in Mandan, ND will be supplying the GM Performance #88958604 Crate Engine for the IMCA Modified division for the 2013 season. The cost will be $5395.

Kupper will also have available the IMCA Hobby Stock and Northern Sport Mod Crate Engine GM # 88958602/19258602 for cars in Minot and Williston. The cost for this engine will be $3350.

These engines will be on display at the Mandan/Bismarck Swap Meet & Trade Show on February 23 at Corral Sales in Mandan.

MANDAN, ND-The six cooperating tracks which make up the Dakota Classic Modified Tour have released their dates and locations for the upcoming series. This year a new track that was one of the original Tour tracks in 1990 when the long standing series was created--Jamestown Speedway--has been added to the series eliminating the double header at one track that has been a staple of the Tour for many years. Once again, the series will feature IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars.

   The series will start on Saturday, July 6, 2013, at Jamestown Speedway in Jamestown, ND. The track will be leased to Tour Director John Gartner as a private promotion. The next night the series heads north to Nodak Speedway in Minot, ND, on Sunday, July 7. On Monday, July 8, the Tour heads just north of the US Canadian border at Estevan Motor Speedway, in Estevan, Saskatchewan. The booming city of Williston, ND and the Williston Basin Speedway is next up on Tuesday, July 9. On Wednesday, July 10, its south to the Southwest Speedway in Dickinson, ND. The series wraps up its six consecutive night swing with Championship Night at Dacotah Speedway in Mandan, ND, on Thursday, July 11.

   The same rules, procedures, flagman, announcers and IMCA’s national tech inspector will again be a part of the series. Another record purse that features added payout in specific positions gained by additional sponsorship in the growing Bakken oil field will be released at a later date, along with contingency prizes and a points fund generated for both classes.

   Racers and fans seeking hotel rooms should book early as there is still a shortage of rooms, despite many new hotel chains moving into the area. For more information call John Gartner at (701) 202-6075, or email at johnygman@bis.midco.net

Hank Berry took a double digit point lead going into the last night of the Dakota Classic Modified Tour. The Sidney, MT driver already had a tour win in Estevan on Tuesday, coupled with a string of strong finishes all week long.  However, he was facing a driver from Cave City, Arkansas who had cut his teeth driving on dry slick conditions that resemble asphalt more than dirt. Jeff Taylor had already won two Tour features so everyone knew “the animal”  was coming and Hank knew his lead could evaporate quickly if he didn’t race aggressively while keeping the #25 qualified without that DNF he just couldn’t risk to make his week complete.

Both drivers qualified, along with 24 others that looked like a who’s who of modified racing talent.  As expected, Taylor wasted no time getting to the front while passing his teammate Aaron Turnbull after five laps of racing in the long 30 lap feature. Berry had to stay in the top 10 and he was comfortably racing in 4th place—well within sight of the aggressive Taylor who started to get into lap traffic.  Taylor battled traffic wel,l but Berry put his 30 plus years of experience to good use staying out of trouble for that needed top 10 finish. At races end it was Taylor taking the win, but Berry held on for fourth to get his fourth Tour title—more than any other driver in its long 23 year history.

Taylors win was good for $1200, along with another $100 bill from Tour sponsor Kupper Chevrolet of Mandan, and a $500 bonus kicked in by Mott Agronomy and its “No Farms-No Food” program.  The #5 driver took over $4,000 back home to Arkansas for his week’s work. However, it was Berry who received the lion’s share of the contingency prizes provided by title sponsor Dakota Trackside, the Tour’s sponsors, and contingency awards provided by IMCA.

Rounding out the top five were Taylor, Aaron Turnbull of Estevan, SK., John Hanson of Brush, CO, Berry, and Will Brack of Mead, CO. A total of 98 drivers competed at the five nights of the Tour as night four at Williston was rained out.

The IMCA Stock Car division of the Tour had a solid contingent of drivers from a wide geographical area. Steven Pfeifer of Minot came into the night with a slight two point lead over Shawn Havel of Algoma, WI. Both drivers qualified from their preliminary heats in good shape for the 25 lap feature.  However, early in the feature Pfeifer cut down a tire, forcing him to go to the pits to change it before he could re-enter in last place. Havel gained the lead racing hard with eventual runner-up Kelly Henderson of Minot, but the #9 machine took his fortunes into
his own hands by taking the win and the championship. Pfeiffer ran through most of the pack, but had to settle with seventh. Havel went on to win, with Henderson taking second, Kyle Frederick of Oconto Falls, WI third, Ocheyedan Iowa’s Elijah Zevenbergen came in fourth, and Joe Flory of Williston took fifth. A total of 47 Stock cars entered the Tour this year—a best for this division since it starting running with the mods five years ago.

Fans who want to see great footage of the series are encouraged to go to www.IMCAondemand.com to see this new website that made its debut during the Tour. Complete results, points and Tour photos of cars and winners can be found at www.dakotaclassicmodtour.com

Tentative dates for the 24th annual Tour have already been set for July 13-19, 2013. Negotiations are already underway to add Jamestown Speedway to the series next year to either start or end the six day Tour.

Mandan, ND—Without the threat of a flood or construction of a grandstand, the 23rd Annual Tour is set to go this Sunday at Nodak Speedway in Minot, ND. Pre-registrations have already beat previous Tour bests in both IMCA divisions, with drivers from 10 US states and three Canadian provinces signed up to race.

The series starts in Minot on Sunday, July 8 at the 3/8 mile Nodak Speedway. Since Minot lost the past two years of the Tour due to factors beyond their control, the track was awarded a double-header for the Monday, July 9 race date. The Tour then heads north of the border to the 3/8 mile Estevan Motor Speedway on Tuesday, July 10. On Wednesday, July 12 Williston Basin Speedway and its re-constructed 1/3 oval hosts the series once again. The ¼ mile Southwest Speedway in Dickinson has the Thursday, July 12 date. The series wraps up its six day run on Friday, July 13 in Mandan and the 3/8 mile Dacotah Speedway. IMCA Stock Cars compete on the same dates as the Modifieds, running identical programs. WISSOTA Street Stocks will be allowed to run with the IMCA cars under provisions established to allow both cars to compete. Both divisions will be running for contingency prizes and points funds established by the series title sponsor—Dakota Trackside, IMCA, and the Tour itself. IMCA’s National Tech Inspector will be at all races.

Fans are encouraged to get to the track early, especially at Williston where overflow crowds have forced the track to limit grandstand admissions. 

Fans can get more information by accessing the Tour website at: www.dakotaclassicmodtour.com or by calling Tour Director John Gartner at (701) 202