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Kathy Root Honored with Jody Deery Award at RPM Workshops

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Feb. 17, 2026) — Long before she became one of the most influential executives in grassroots motorsports, Kathy Root was answering phones, selling advertising, and laying out pages for a fledgling racing publication. Nearly five decades later, her lifelong commitment to affordable dirt track racing was recognized on one of the sport’s biggest industry stages. Root, of Vinton, Iowa, was announced as the fourth annual recipient of the Jody Deery Award during the RPM Promoters Workshop held February 10 in Daytona, Florida. The honor, named in memory of the late promoter Jody Deery, has quickly become one of the most prestigious recognitions presented within the short-track industry. Her journey in motorsports leadership traces back to the formation of CarPac (Consolidated American Race Promoters of Automobile Competition) Inc., founded by Keith Knaack in 1967. Built on Knaack’s passion for auto racing, the organization launched Hawkeye Racing News in January of that same year, planting the seeds for what would eventually become a national sanctioning powerhouse. In 1976, Knaack and two partners purchased the [Read More]

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Hibdon Repeats, Makes Meyer Showdown History at Mohave Valley Raceway

By Ben Deatherage MOHAVE VALLEY, Ariz. (Feb. 14, 2026) — Kollin Hibdon etched his name deeper into Mohave Valley Raceway history, capturing the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature in the 6th Annual Bill and Shirley Meyer Showdown. The 25-lap, $1,500-to-win main event saw the 2025 Marshalltown Speedway track champion become the first repeat winner in event history while scoring his first DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region victory of the 2026 season. Originally from Pahrump, Nevada, and now calling Waterloo, Iowa home, Hibdon delivered a commanding performance from the outset. Hibdon rocketed to the lead on the initial start and never relinquished command, even through a string of cautions that repeatedly reset the field. Austin Kuehl and Adam Hommerding battled for second through multiple restarts while Jake Pike — the 2019 DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region Rookie of the Year — joined the fray in the early going. Dalton Houghton, a two-time Mohave Valley track champion, entered the picture after the halfway mark, working the bottom to climb into second on lap 15. Kuehl and Houghton exchanged [Read More]

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Shelby Williams: Legacy in the No. 82 and The Road to 100 Wins

By Ben Deatherage BONHAM, Texas (Feb. 16, 2026) — In North Texas, where red dirt roads wind toward open water and family names carry weight long before trophies ever do, racing isn’t just a sport. In Bonham, one of the oldest cities in Texas, Shelby Williams grew up surrounded by roaring engines and racing stories that came with the Williams name, a lineage rooted as deeply in local racetracks as it is in family history. On January 24, 2026, beneath the desert lights of the IMCA TV Winter Nationals, Williams reached a milestone reserved for only a handful of drivers. He captured his 100th career Sunoco IMCA Stock Car victory, earning entry into the division’s prestigious Century Club and cementing his place among Texas dirt racing’s modern standouts. The moment itself unfolded in a fashion that mirrored his driving style — patient, observant, and calculated rather than flashy. “I wasn’t too excited about the main event going in,” Williams admitted. “Last year, you pretty much had to start on the front row, so I didn’t expect [Read More]