By Ben Deatherage
RAMONA, Calif. (Jun. 21, 2025) — Steven Luecht continued his dominance in the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods at the Summer Shootout, winning his ninth straight feature at Barona Speedway Park. After two-time track champion David Kilpela led early and several cautions slowed the action, Luecht grabbed the lead around lap six in the Mike Atkinson-owned no. 47.
A lap 15 yellow set up a tense restart with Kilpela close behind, but the Chula Vista chauffeur held strong to win his fourth race of the 2025 season and extend a winning streak at the track that began last August. Kilpela finished second and Arizona’s Scott Francoeur was third.
Hicks Hustles to Modified Victory
Matthew Hicks made the most of the final night of the Summer Shootout, capturing the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified win after an impressive drive from fifth. He took the lead by lap three and never looked back, surviving cautions on laps nine and 11 before holding strong through a green-white-checkered finish.
The Lakeside driver, a three-time defending track champion, earned his second win of the year—both at Barona and in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. Vinny Raucci Jr. rebounded from a midrace spin to finish second, while four-time champ Cole Dick completed the podium.
Partain Powers to Stock Car Score
Bo Partain charged from seventh to win the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car main event and pick up his first EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region triumph of 2025. P.J. Dyke led early before Partain muscled his way to the front by lap six. Despite repeated challenges and multiple restarts—including one with eight laps to go—the defending regional champion, Partain, remained composed and took the checkers. Brian Fitzgibbons finished second with Dyke in third.
Daffern Doubles Up in Hobby Stocks
Thomas Daffern swept the weekend in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks in the Jason Hickingbottom-owned no. 81 entry, winning both nights of the doubleheader. After starting fourth, the 2023 B&B Racing Chassis Southern Region and two-time California State champion outdueled Kevin Reuter and never wavered. The Brawley native now has three wins in three starts at Barona in 2025. Arizona’s Scott Bernards and Reuter finished second and third.
Foultz Navigates Traffic for Sport Compact Win
Billy Foultz earned his eighth overall victory of the year—and third at Barona—in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Foultz led early but briefly got bottled behind lapped traffic near lap five, allowing Nick Manalo and Marci McKown to close in. A late tangle between the pair gave Foultz the breathing room he needed, and he sealed the win following a lap 16 caution. McKown and Manalo completed the top three.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $24.99/month. Don’t miss Season 2 of The Boone Docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
