Luinenburg Powers from Eighth for Hobby Stock Win in Summer Nationals Opener at Spencer

Feature, Hobby Stock, News, Sport Compact

Blake Luinenburg celebrates his $1,000 Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature win on opening night of the IMCA Summer Nationals at Clay County Fair Speedway. The Reading, Minn., driver started eighth and earned his third B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region victory of the season at as many tracks. (Photo by NW Iowa Pics)

By Ben Deatherage

SPENCER, Iowa (Jun. 1, 2025) — Blake Luinenburg made the most of a green-white-checkered restart to capture the first night of the 2025 IMCA Summer Nationals at Clay County Fair Speedway in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks.

The 20-lap, $1,000-to-win main event saw Jay DeVries take command early before bobbling on the backstretch on lap four. That allowed Nick Schilling to sneak by for the lead just before a yellow flag slowed the field.

On the ensuing restart, Schilling and Luinenburg waged a fierce battle down the backstretch before Schilling suffered a flat tire. Jimmy Johnson took evasive action and briefly inherited the lead, but amid the scramble, DeVries found himself back out front.

Luinenburg, the reigning track champion at both Murray County and Worthington Speedways, was on a mission. The Reading, Minnesota driver chased down the two-time Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact track champ, DeVries, and took over on lap eight. A caution with seven laps to go tightened things up, but Luinenburg nailed the restart and never looked back.

A late caution set up a green-white-checkered finish, and the eighth starting Luinenburg sealed the deal for his third win of the season in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region — all coming at different tracks. Evan Schettler won a wild battle for second, while 17th-starting Kalyb Brunssen charged to third.

Sport Compact Feature Decided by Inches as Frye Edges Mahlberg

Zach Frye came from 14th to win a heart-stopper in the 15-lap, $400-to-win Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact main event to close out the program.

Five-time national champion Nate Coopman led early, but 2021 national champ Caine Mahlberg was hot on his heels. Mahlberg tracked down Coopman and pulled away with seven circuits remaining, appearing to have the win in hand.

But heartbreak hit on the white flag lap when Mahlberg’s engine gave out. With the car coasting toward the finish, Frye surged forward and won it by a mere 0.171 seconds at the line. The Sioux City driver collected his second win of the season. Mahlberg held on for second, and Jerry Coopman completed the podium in third.

The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate Advantage Racing TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $24.99/month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.

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