July 5, 2026

Noteboom makes history at Park Jefferson

M-Jay-Noteboom-F — Jay Noteboom’s Aug. 18 IMCA Modified victory at Park Jefferson Speedway was his career 74th at the South Dakota speedplant. (Photo by Jeff Bylsma)

JEFFERSON, S.D. (Aug. 18) – IMCA Modified driver Jay Noteboom stole the show Saturday at Park Jefferson Speedway.

Noteboom notched career win number 74 at Park Jefferson to pass Late Model Hall of Fame driver Joe Kosiski as the speedway’s all-time feature winner.

With tears in his eyes, Noteboom accepted the checkers and trophy from flagman Nate Peterson.

It was not an easy battle in the Artworks Graphics IMCA Modified special, as Chris Abelson was first to move to the lead on the multi-lane oval. Toward the late stages, Abelson drifted high off the track and gave up the lead.

Noteboom saw his chance and pounced, then held off the challenges of Bob Moore to take the historic win. Abelson was third.

Ryan Voss took the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car win and Colin Smith the unofficial 2018 track championship.

parkjeffersonspeedway

Midwest Madness Tour Returns for 7th Annual Run Through the Heartland

By Ben Deatherage WORTHINGTON, Minn. (May 22, 2025) — The summer racing calendar heats up once again as the 7th Annual Midwest Madness Tour storms back into action, bringing five consecutive nights of thrilling IMCA competition to tracks across Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota from June 29 through July 3. The tour kicks off on Sunday, June 29 at Worthington Speedway, followed by a stop at Clay County Fair Speedway on Monday, June 30. On Tuesday, July 1, the action heads west to Park Jefferson Speedway in South Dakota. Buena Vista Raceway hosts night four on Wednesday, July 2, and the tour concludes at Stuart Speedway on Thursday, July 3. Free pre-registration is now open through MyRacePass. Links can be found on the Midwest Madness Tour Facebook page. “I’m really looking forward to a really busy week of racing at some amazing facilities,” said tour organizer Tim Skaren. “We’re looking to build this up bigger and better each year.” Each event features a full IMCA-sanctioned program for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, [Read More]

Memorial Clash checkers put Thies on All-Star ballot

JEFFERSON, S.D. (May 23) – Fans at Park Jefferson Speedway have been cheering for Jim Thies since he started racing some 27 years ago. They got to cheer for him again Saturday night, as Thies scored his first IMCA Modified feature win of the season. The Memorial Clash checkers paid $1,000 and put the Mapleton, Iowa, hotshoe on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “It’s nice when you can still get it done when you’re this old,” said Thies, who held off Shane DeMey and Chris Mills following a late restart in the flag-to-flag run. “It’s always fun to win.” The victory, his career 32nd in the class, came in Thies’ sixth start close to home after starting the season in Texas. After chalking up a single-season best six wins last year, he won on Saturday aboard a new Razor and ahead of DeMey, Mills, Bob Moore and Anthony Ross. Jesse Sobbing rushed out to an early lead and fended off challenges by Justin Luinenburg in winning the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main. Austin Brauner was [Read More]

Harris Goes Back-to-Back in Park Jefferson Stock Cars

By Chance Riley JEFFERSON, S.D. (May 29, 2026) — Ryan Harris continued his winning ways Friday night at Park Jefferson Speedway, racing from the 10th starting position to capture the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature. The Homer, Nebraska driver earned his second EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region victory of the season, with both wins coming at Park Jefferson Speedway. Lowell Roeber finished second while Dayton Mosher completed the podium in third. Jason Ward advanced from 14th to fourth. Wyatt Luke rounded out the top five, while Devin Tripp charged from 21st to sixth. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature belonged to South Sioux City’s R.J. Merchant. Starting third, Merchant worked his way to the front and held off a late challenge from Duke Erickson to secure his third Razor Chassis North Central Region victory of the season. All three wins have come at Park Jefferson Speedway. Erickson advanced from ninth to finish second while Bob Moore crossed the stripe third. Brian Mahlstedt rallied from eighth to fourth and Ricky Stephan completed the top five. Willy Kirk [Read More]

Modified

Schnitzer Scores First Win of 2026 at Grays Harbor Raceway

By Shaun Hulbert ELMA, Wash. (July 3, 2026) — A large crowd kicked off the Independence Day weekend as Q-Mart presented the Mid-Season Championship at Grays Harbor Raceway. Fans enjoyed Fan Appreciation activities before the evening concluded with a spectacular fireworks display. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature delivered plenty of drama as Brenton Schnitzer capitalized on misfortune for the frontrunners to earn his first DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region victory of the 2026 season. John Gaynor appeared to have the race under control until a flat tire and subsequent mechanical issues ended his bid for the win, opening the door for Schnitzer. The Shelton driver took over the lead and held off a determined charge from Austin Rognlin over the closing laps to secure the victory after starting ninth. Rognlin, who started eighth, finished second, followed by Craig Moore, who advanced from 10th to third. Tyson Blood charged from 11th to fourth, while Brian Harding rounded out the top five after starting on the pole. Trevor Labarge also turned in an impressive drive, advancing from [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Glasser Outduels Herrera in Williston SportMod Thriller

By Ben Deatherage WILLISTON, N.D. (July 3, 2026) — A pair of teenage stars put on a show Friday night at Williston Basin Speedway as 18-year-old Keenan Glasser and 17-year-old Payce Herrera traded sliders and crossed the stripe separated by mere hundredths of a second before Glasser emerged victorious in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature. Fifteen-year-old Sladen Pfeifer won a thrilling side-by-side battle with Tanner Conlin to lead the opening lap. Conlin briefly took the top spot exiting turn two on the next circuit before Pfeifer crossed back underneath entering turn three to reclaim the lead. A caution on lap four bunched the field and allowed 2024 Williston track champion and North Dakota state champion Glasser to move into second on the restart. Pfeifer maintained command while Glasser and 2026 Tougher Than Dirt Tour champ, Herrera, battled for the runner-up spot before another caution slowed the pace on lap nine. Herrera charged around the cushion and nipped Pfeifer at the line to lead lap 10 before Glasser reclaimed second three circuits later. Another caution [Read More]

Feature

Jake Walters: Carrying the Family Name to Victory Lane

By Ben Deatherage BANKS, Ore. (July 1, 2026) — The first one always seems to take the longest. Jake Walters had come close before. Second-place finishes. Nights when he found himself racing door-to-door with his father, Greg. Opportunities that slipped away by only a few car lengths. Each one brought another lesson, but none brought the one thing every racer spends countless hours chasing. That first trip to Victory Lane. “It seemed like we were always right there,” Walters said. “I’d had a couple second-place finishes and raced my dad for a win a few times, but I just couldn’t seem to get the monkey off my back.” As the laps wound down on June 27 at Sunset Speedway Park, everything that had seemed just out of reach finally came together. When the checkered flag waved, Walters had earned his first career Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature victory. “It’s super special to get the first one out of the way, and to do it at Sunset, it means a lot,” he said. For most drivers, a [Read More]

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