IMCA Modified regions realigned

[rebelracewriter]

For Immediate Release/Your Information Jan. 20, 2005

From Bill Martin, I.M.C.A. Public Relations (319) 472-2201, x225

 

Realignment results in five I.M.C.A. Sunoco Modified regions

VINTON, Iowa (Jan. 20) – I.M.C.A. Sunoco Modi-fieds will compete in five

regions this season.

The realignment from seven to five regions will be accomplished with mergers

of the Western and Moun-tain regions, and the North-eastern and Gulf Coast

re-gions. Payouts from the $28,000 regional point fund will be adjusted

accordingly, with the top 10 drivers in each region earning shares of $5,600.

Point standings had been kept and champions crowned in seven regions since

1995, with a $4,000 point fund for the top five drivers in each.

“When you combine the membership in the West and Mountain, and the

Northeastern and Gulf Coast regions, the number of drivers is very comparable to

membership in the Central, North Central and South Central regions. This is a

very logical thing to do,” commented I.M.C.A. Vice President of Operations Brett

Root. “It puts our regional point funds on a more even basis because there are

just about the same number of drivers in each region.”

The newly merged regions will be titled the Western and Eastern regions,

respec-tively. Western Region Di-rector Paul Vetter and Mountain Region Director

Al Buschelman will be co-directors of the new Western Region. Northeastern

Re-gion Di-rector Ed Billings will be the sole director in the Eastern Region.

Several changes in geo-graphical borders accom-pany the realignment:

•Western Colorado will be in the Western Region; the eastern half of the

state moves to the Central Region;

•All of New Mexico and all of Louisiana will be in the South Central Region;

•And Illinois moves from what had been the North-eastern Region to the North

Central.

“This should give drivers the opportunity to race more often, if they choose

to do so,” Root said. “Most drivers will have the opportunity to race at least

two nights a week, plus special events, and should be able to get in the 30

starts we base regional and national standings on.”

“We had at least one driver from each region in the top 14 of our national

standings last year. That in itself says we’re close in the number of

opportunities drivers from across the country have to race,” he added. “We’ll

continue to do our best to keep national point standings as fair as possible for

each region.”

I.M.C.A. first experi-mented with designating tracks in various regions in

the early 1980s, when sanctions existed in six different states.

With sanctions from coast to coast by 1993, I.M.C.A. revived the con-cept

and created five geo-graphical regions. Sev-eral boundary changes were made when

that number was expanded 10 years ago.

I.M.C.A. anticipates making an announcement on title sponsorship of the five

regions in February.

 

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