Batesville reschedules $1,500 to win IMCA Auto King special

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 30) – Ricky Thornton Jr. captured the inaugural Race For Hope 74 title Saturday night at Batesville Motor Speedway. Thornton took the lead on lap 28 of 74 before going on to score the $20,000 IMCA Modified payday. “This one is definitely at the top of my list of races I’ve ever won, honestly,” said Thornton in vic­tory lane following the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. “It’s definitely the most money I’ve ever won. It’s pretty cool to get it done in Larry Shaw’s backyard.” Preliminary night feature winners Kyle Strickler, Justin Kay, and Jordan Grabouski led the 27-car field to the green for the three-wide start. Strickler grabbed the lead on the opening lap while Grabouski settled into second. Kay and Thornton both moved by Grabouski on the low side on lap four to take second and third, respectively. By halfway of the first 40-lap segment, Kay remained within five car lengths of Strickler, as the lead duo distanced themselves from the rest of the field. Thornton found [Read More]

BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 30, 2023) – A win that’s been a long time coming came Saturday night for T.J. Herndon. Herndon led the last 29 of 50 laps and banked $10,000 after the long green flag run that ended the 28th annual Schoenfeld Headers Mid-America IMCA Sunoco Stock Car Championship at Batesville Motor Speedway. “I’ve been after this one for 10 or 15 years. It took me a long time,” said Herndon, from Atwood, Tenn., and newly guaranteed a starting spot in the 2024 B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. “I feel like I had two or three taken away from me but we finally got one.” There was no taking anything from Herndon once he worked his way from fourth starting to the front on lap 22, passing Zane DeVilbiss and outrunning early leader Troy Burkhart the rest of the caution-free distance. “I was just praying ‘Please don’t let the caution come out,’” said Herndon, fully aware of an ailing car ahead of him trying to stay out of the way and get off [Read More]

BATESVILLE, Ark. (March 23-24) – A first-time visitor and a regular at Batesville Motor Speed­way both raced their way to victory lane during the Arkansas Spring Nationals. Hunter Marriott topped Friday’s IMCA Modified feature while Jeff Taylor went from last on open­ing night to first in the Saturday show. Both features paid $1,500 to win and both Marriott and Taylor were already on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Marriott started opening night from outside the front row and led the distance, pulling away from everybody en route to his eight Fast Shafts ballot qualifying victory already this season and 11th since last August. After running in lapped traffic much of the way, Marriott won ahead of Tyler Stevens, Peyton Tay­lor, Jeff James and Mark Norris. “We were getting ready to race and decided on Thursday to go to Batesville,” Marriott said. “We went down there to learn and had a pretty good weekend.” Jeff Taylor, a double winner at Spring Nationals each of the last two years, started on the pole, held [Read More]