By Ben Deatherage
ABILENE, Texas (Feb. 14, 2025) — Hobbs, New Mexico’s Toby Herring was untouchable on opening night of the 2025 Abilene Speedway Ice Breaker, claiming a dominant victory in the IMCA Modified main event. The only thing that slowed him down was a single caution near the halfway mark of the feature, which attracted top talent from across the South Central Region.
Herring wasted no time taking control from his inside front-row starting position, quickly building a comfortable lead. Consistently hitting his marks and showcasing impressive speed, the leader faced a brief scare on lap 11 when a spinning car brought out the race’s lone caution.
On the restart, it was business as usual, as Herring once again pulled away from the competition and cruised to victory. The win marks his first of the season and backs up his Ice Breaker triumph from last February.
Three-time Abilene Speedway track champion Fred Wojtek secured the runner-up spot, while Charles Brewer made a decisive move following the lone restart to claim third.
Holzmeister’s Late Race Heroics Secure IMCA Stock Car Victory
The Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature delivered a thrilling finish, with Doug Holzmeister executing a breathtaking late-race pass to claim the win.
The Colby, Kansas driver initially struggled at the start, losing ground in the shuffle, but methodically worked his way forward. A strong restart in the second half of the race propelled him into second place.
Dustin Mooney was in control for much of the event, but following a final restart with just a few laps remaining, Holzmeister increased the pressure. The defending Sherman County Speedway track champion searched high and low for a way around Mooney, who repeatedly shut the door.
However, Holzmeister finally found an opening on lap 18, swinging to the high side on the backstretch before completing the pass in turn four. From there, he stretched his lead slightly and secured his first EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region win of 2025.
Mooney settled for second, while Johnny Torres rounded out the podium in third.
Poor Charges From 12th To IMCA Southern SportMod Victory
Hometown standout Bradley Poor put on a clinic in the Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod feature, storming from 12th to the lead in the closing laps.
Methodically, working his way forward, Poor cracked the top three by lap 6 and moved into second on lap 13. Race leader David Sanford had set a strong pace, but as the race stayed green, he found himself bottled up in lapped traffic, allowing Poor to close the gap.
The four-time Abilene Speedway track champion made his move on lap 17, slipping past Sanford and holding on to score an impressive victory.
Sanford finished second, while Haeden Wingrove secured third.
Martin Fends Off Late Challenges For IMCA Sport Compact Win
Randy Martin led from start to finish in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact main event, but the 2023 National Champion had to work for it.
Starting sixth, Martin quickly surged to the lead on lap one, building sizable gaps in the early going. However, a series of cautions prevented him from checking out completely.
Meanwhile, Keagan Haralson battled past Brooke Osler for second and applied heavy pressure on Martin in the final restarts. Matching the leader’s speed, Haralson was glued to Martin’s rear bumper but was unable to complete the pass, allowing the Springtown, Texas driver to secure his first win of the 2025 season.
Haralson settled for second, while the Iowa Lade Eagle racer Osler held off several challenges to finish third.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV.
