By Don Hawkins
HARLAN, Iowa (May 3, 2025) — Riley Christensen thrilled the Shelby County Speedway crowd with a dramatic breakthrough victory in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, leading the final laps of a wild feature that included multiple lead changes, a tangle between frontrunners, and a green-white-checkered finish.
Christensen, of Audubon, grabbed the point on lap 1 but was reeled in by Mike Vondrak and Larry Robinson Jr. midway through the race. Vondrak snuck underneath to lead lap 10, but a caution changed everything. Robinson made a move on the restart and got around Vondrak in turn three, but the two made contact, bringing out another caution. Vondrak came to a stop, handing the lead back to Christensen.
In the final laps, Christensen held off intense pressure from Dustin Reeh to claim his first-ever Stock Car feature win — a milestone that also marked his first career victory in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region. Reeh made a strong bid but had to settle for second at the finish, followed by Bryan Snell in third.
The race served as a qualifying event for the B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational, to be held during the 2025 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. With the win, Christensen is now eligible to attempt qualify for the prestigious event later this summer.
Sachau Strikes Late in the SportMods
Dylan Petersen set the early tone in the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature and was the driver to beat until Corey Madden executed a perfect pass with ten to go—only to get swept up in a caution in turn one. Madden was reinstated as leader for the restart, but Petersen pulled away when green returned.
Jake Sachau, however, had other plans. He surged into second with just a few laps remaining, then timed a low-side run perfectly on the backstretch of the final lap to overtake Petersen for the win. It was Sachau’s first score of 2025. Joe Hendricks finished third.
Christensen Doubles Up for Team Otis in the Hobby Stocks
Colby Christensen paced the early laps before a slight bobble on lap 5 nearly cost him the lead to Andrew Burg. A caution nullified the pass, and on the restart, Christensen again faced pressure—this time from Jeff Fink.
Fink made a bold charge from his eighth starting position and pulled alongside Christensen on the final lap, but Christensen held strong to score a photo finish victory — his first of the season in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region. He also became the second “Team Otis” member to earn a win on the night, joining his brother Riley. Fink settled for second ahead of Joel Magee.
Mahlberg Fends Off Steiner in Sport Compacts
Shannon Mahlberg led from the start in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature but faced persistent threats from Sander Steiner following an early caution. The two traded momentum in the second half of the race, especially through lapped traffic.
Despite Steiner’s closing speed, Mahlberg maintained his advantage to grab the win. Steiner was second, followed by Mike Vogt in third.
Baker Prevails in the Late Models
Drew Baker shot to the lead early in a stop-and-go Sunoco IMCA Late Model feature, managing multiple restarts after several cautions. Despite the disruptions, Baker maintained a blistering pace and kept Mike Collins and Nick Deal at bay.
A green-white-checkered finish set up a final challenge, but Baker outdueled Collins at the line to earn his first Shelby County Speedway win. Deal, who started at the tail, settled for second, with Collins in third.
The event was broadcast live by IMCA TV. Missed the action? Watch every lap on demand with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription for just $24.99 a month. Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries is now streaming exclusively on the IMCA.TV Replay Subscription.
