By Ben Deatherage
LOXLEY, Ala. (Feb. 28, 2025) — After near-misses last year and again on Monday, Jim Horejsi finally broke through at the IMCA TV Clash On The Coast, leading all 25 laps of the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature at Deep South Speedway. The Marshall, Minnesota driver held off a late charge from defending series champion Dallon Murty to claim his first Clash victory.
Horejsi jumped to the lead in his Pearl Harbor tribute Salute To Veterans Tour wrap at the start while Shelby Williams of Texas and Wisconsin’s Rod Snellenberger battled for second. This allowed Horejsi to build an early advantage.
Williams, the 2025 IMCA TV Winter Nationals champion, saw his night cut short due to mechanical trouble, bringing out the first caution. That set up a fierce battle for second between Snellenberger, the 2008 National Stock Car champion, and Iowa’s Gage Neal, again giving Horejsi room to pull away.
A series of additional cautions kept the pressure on Horejsi, with the final yellow waving with three laps to go. Before the stoppage, two-time Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Stock Car winner Dallon Murty was closing in fast and looked poised to take the lead.
On the final restart, Murty made his move, setting up a thrilling showdown to the finish. He found space on the bottom of turn two, creating a drag race down the backstretch. But Horejsi held his line perfectly, keeping Murty at bay to secure an incredible victory in EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region action.
Murty finished a close second, while Tuesday night winner Mike Vandermark Jr. of Michigan rounded out the podium in third.
Becerra Cruises to IMCA Modified Victory
Austen Becerra dominated the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature, leading all 25 laps at the 3/8-mile red clay oval. The Carthage, Illinois driver secured his fourth career Clash victory, his first since his 2023 championship-winning season with the series.
Piloting the Jon and Joyce Fuller-fielded entry, Becerra took control early and never looked back. The race’s only caution came on the opening lap, but after the restart, he pulled away and quickly built a commanding lead.
With the race staying green, lapped traffic became a significant factor by lap 10. Becerra skillfully worked his way through, maintaining his advantage over the field. The 2021 Super Nationals champion in the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods made it look easy, besting a tough field of DeVilbiss Racing Eastern Region competitors for his first win of the season.
Joseph Joiner, driving the Spencer Andrews-owned Andrews Autosport entry, finished second, while 2003 Gulf Coast Region champion Chris Smith put on a strong performance in front of the home-state crowd to take third.
55 IMCA Modifieds journeyed to the track for the first-ever Clash race in Alabama.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV.
