
By Ben Deatherage
Ocala, Florida (February 4, 2025) — Bakersfield, California transplant Riley Clem brought the crowd to its feet with a thrilling late-race pass to win the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite $1,000-to-win feature at Ocala Speedway. The event, part of the second leg of the 2025 Florida Winter Nationals, drew an impressive field of 48 cars from across the United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
Texas racer Corey Babbit jumped out to the early lead from the pole position, setting a quick pace before a lap-one caution halted his momentum. On the restart, Clem wasted no time charging into second, and the two frontrunners began to distance themselves from the rest of the field.
A second caution on lap six reset the action, but Babbit and Clem again pulled away on the restart. Clem made his first serious challenge on the eighth circuit, but Babbit held his ground and kept the California driver in check.
As the race stayed green, lapped traffic came into play in the final three trips around the track, setting up a dramatic finish. With two laps to go, Clem strategically used a lapped car as a pick, sweeping around the outside of Babbit to take the lead.
Babbit made a last-ditch effort to reclaim the top spot, but Clem had already built too much of a gap. Now calling Wildersville, Tennessee home, Clem cruised to the checkered flag, securing his third victory of the season after winning twice in Arizona the previous month.
Babbit finished a strong second, while fellow 18-year-old Ryan McKinney of Delaware rounded out the podium in third.