by Bob Mays of Lincoln, Nebraska



It was the smell of farm animals in the barns and the smell of nitro in the air. It was roller coasters and rooster tails. It was the magic of the fair – it was IMCA.

The International Motor Contest Association began in 1915 and with it, sprint car racing. J. Alex Sloan put together a circuit with a bunch of dirt track veterans and scared the heck out the bigwigs who thought they were running all of organized racing. Author and columnist, Bob Mays, will show how IMCA went from being a nuisance to the establishment to the most influential sanctioning body in just a few short years.