Racer-first mantra spurs IMCA Deery Bros changes

VINTON - The 30th season of the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series for Late Models kicks off April 8, and with it come several changes.

Series Director Kevin Yoder and IMCA released the 2016 season schedule on Wednesday, and it features 18 races (full schedule below) at tracks very familiar to IMCA racers and veterans of the Summer Series. In addition to the return of Davenport Speedway and Iowa State Fairgrounds Speedway as tour dates, a significant shift in the purse structure highlights the changes for this season.

In an effort to accommodate more racers while keeping the total purse the same, the winner's check was reduced from $3,000 to $2,000 for regular Summer Series races. That reduction allows the payout for second on back to increase.

After 'feedback from racers,” Yoder and IMCA felt it was the right move to 'pay more money to more drivers in more finishing positions.”

'Really everything we did this year when we made some adjustments was with the mantra of ‘More money for more racers more often',” Yoder said. 'We've done that, I think, with adjustments we made to the purse.

'All of it collectively really benefits the racer and our membership as a whole. I think it will lead to some really good racing and good attendance numbers at events from start to finish.”

Feedback from racers on the decision to change the payout has been, essentially, non-existent on Yoder's end - and he sees that as a positive.

No news is good news, as the saying goes.

Every change is expected to be met with some resistance from somewhere, but the goal in this situation was to listen to the group and come up with something the majority could benefit from. Contrary to popular belief, Yoder said, IMCA does listen, and hopes people see that with this move.

'We do, despite what the popular opinion might be, we do listen to racers,” Yoder said. 'We try and make adjustments accordingly. Some suggestions aren't feasible or aren't things we can do. Others make sense and things we strive to do to make things as positive as we can for the racers.

'All of these changes are directly related to those conversations. I haven't really heard anything, which is good. Normally if you do something they don't like, they'll tell you right away. I'm looking at it a little bit as a positive because there hasn't been a ton of pushback from those changes.”

The season kicks off in Davenport on April 8 with the Rebel 5K, marking the return to the southeast Iowa track after a year away due to scheduling conflicts. Davenport held its first Rebel 5K in place of the Summer Series race last year, but this season the two events merge, with the $5,000 winner's check in place. Defending Rebel 5K winner and two-time defending series champion Justin Kay looks for a repeat and three-peat in 2016.

The Rebel 5K joins the IMCA Supernationals (potentially $3,500), the Liberty 100 at West Liberty Raceway (which closes the season with $4,000 to win across Sept. 23 and 24) and the year's top money-prize race, the Yankee Dirt Track Classic at Farley Speedway ($7,500) as the premier races on the schedule.

The point fund for the season in 2016 was set at $18,650, and unlike years past will be split among mid- and end-of-season. The amount will be divided in half at the midway point and handed out to points positions held through nine races, with the remainder given out at the national awards banquet at the end of the season. The effort there, Yoder said, is to maybe extend some guys' season with a points check.

Another major change this season will be the addition of a non-qualifier race at each Summer Series event with more than 32 cars. Those not qualified to run for the $2,000 in the A-main will run a Dash for Cash before the main event worth $300 - the same amount paid to the last place driver in the main. Yoder hopes with this added 10-lap race to get guys more laps and more experience to put to future use.

Spreading the wealth via the payout, getting more guys track time, and getting as many cars to the track as possible - as any series would hope to do - are the biggest goals for 2016.

'We've got a lot of races where guys load up on the trailer, guys who haven't made a lot of Deery features or guys who just need extra laps - and a little extra cash, too,” Yoder said. 'We wanted to be able to put on a show for the fans, add to the quality of what we're putting out as a product for the series, and getting those guys more seat time and more points.”

HAWKEYE DIRT TOUR SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

The Hawkeye Dirt Tour schedule was released Thursday, a day after the Deery Brothers Summer Series schedule. The seventh edition of the IMCA Modified series has nine dates spread across the state.

The tour pays a minimum of $1,000 to win each time out, and begins May 30 at Benton County Speedway in Vinton. Combined dates with the Deery Brothers Summer Series will run June 14 at West Liberty Raceway and Aug. 2 at Cedar County Raceway in Tipton. The HDT Modifieds also will visit Iowa State Fairgrounds Speedway for the first time July 19, followed that week by races at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa on July 20 and Knoxville Raceway on July 21.

Buena Vista Raceway in Alta hosts the tour finale on Aug. 10. Kyle Brown is the defending champion.

2016 Deery Brothers Summer Series Schedule

Friday, April 8 – Davenport Speedway, Davenport, IA

Saturday, April 9 – West Liberty Raceway, West Liberty, IA

Friday, April 15 – Farley Speedway, Farley, IA

Saturday, April 16 – Hamilton County Speedway, Webster City, IA

Sunday, May 1 – Quad City Speedway, East Moline, IL

Monday, May 30 – Boone Speedway, Boone, IA

Tuesday, June 7 – Marshalltown Speedway, Marshalltown, IA

Tuesday, June 14 – West Liberty Raceway, West Liberty, IA

Wednesday, July 6 – Independence Motor Speedway, Independence, IA

Thursday, July 7 – Kossuth County Speedway, Algona, IA

Sunday, July 10 – Dubuque Speedway, Dubuque, IA

Friday, July 29 – Iowa State Fair­grounds Speedway, Des Moines, IA

Tuesday, Aug. 2 – Cedar County Raceway, Tipton, IA

Friday, Sept. 2 – Farley Speedway, Farley, IA

Saturday, Sept. 3 – Farley Speedway, Farley, IA

Thursday, Sept. 8 – Boone Speedway, Boone, IA

Friday and Saturday, Sept. 23 & 24 – West Liberty Raceway, West Liberty, IA

2016 Hawkeye Dirt Tour Schedule

Monday, May 30 – Benton County Speedway, Vinton, IA

Thursday, June 9 – Kossuth County Speedway, Algona, IA

Tuesday, June 14 – West Liberty Raceway, West Liberty, IA

Tuesday, June 28 – Hancock County Speedway, Britt, IA

Tuesday, July 19 – Iowa State Fairgrounds Speedway, Des Moines, IA

Wednesday, July 20 – Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, IA

Thursday, July 21 – Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, IA

Tuesday, Aug. 2 – Cedar County Raceway, Tipton, IA

Wednesday, Aug. 10 – Buena Vista Raceway, Alta, IA

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com