By Ben Deatherage
BEATRICE, Neb. (Jul. 14, 2025) –– Ricky Thornton Jr. stormed from third to first in the closing laps of the 22-lap opening segment for the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars at the Joey Hergott Memorial at Beatrice Speedway, collecting a $3,000 payday and adding yet another impressive chapter to his IMCA résumé. The four-time Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s winner—twice in Friesen Performance Modifieds and twice in Sunoco IMCA Late Models—put the Jordan Graoubski Racing no. 20RT entry to the top shelf to track down early leader Cayden Carter and make the winning move on lap 20.
The first stage began with hometown ace and four-time track champion Kyle Vanover grabbing the lead before a caution on lap one. Carter took over on lap nine in the Mike Peterson Motorsports no. 1X, but as the laps clicked by, Thornton closed fast. A yellow with six laps to go bunched the field, and Thornton used it to his advantage, surging past Carter in turn three with two to go.
Brayton Carter went from 10th to first in the second 22-lap segment, grabbing $3,000 for his second Stock Car win of the season in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region. The Oskaloosa, Iowa pilot took command with a slick move off turn four on lap 17 in the Carter Van Denberg no. 7V.
Following a full invert drawn during the pit break, early leader Travis Hatcher gave way to former National Modified champ David Murray Jr. on lap two, but Eagle Raceway SportMod champ Cole Wayman came storming to the front by lap five. Hatcher regained control briefly, only to be run down by Carter. Behind them, Thornton, Tyler Frye, and Hatcher dueled for second with Thornton ultimately emerging as the closest pursuer.
Despite a late charge from Thornton in the final corners, Carter held on for a triumphant return, racing at Beatrice Speedway for the first time since 2017. A total of 58 Stock Cars were on hand for the action.
Brayton Carter races to a $3,000 win in Stage 2 of the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car main event at Beatrice Speedway’s Joey Hergott Memorial. (Photo by Pixel Boss Productions)
Thornton Storms to Modified Glory with $2,000 Drive from 11th
Ricky Thornton Jr. was relentless in the 25-lap Modified main, powering from 11th to score a $2,000 win in the Razor Chassis North Central Region. Driving the Jordan Grabouski Racing no. 20RT entry, the Arizona native made the winning pass on lap 14 and never looked back.
Jesse Dennis led the opening lap before two-time National champ Zane DeVilbiss took over on lap four. Jacob Hobscheidt then slipped by both to take the top spot on lap five in the Timmy and Marsha Current-owned no. 12TC. But Thornton was closing fast, and once in front, he cruised to his first Modified win of 2025. Hobscheidt settled for second while defending race winner and nine-time reigning track champ Grabouski took third.
Richards Rules Hometown Hobby Stock Showdown for 34th Win of Season
Three-time track champion and 2022 national title holder Dillon Richards grabbed the $3,000 win in a 25-lap caution-plagued Hobby Stock feature. The Beatrice native passed Taylor Huss on lap two and weathered multiple restarts to take home his 34th victory of the season—26 of which have come in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region.
After early stoppages slowed the pace, Richards opened a gap while 2024 race winner Nicholas Ronnebaum gave chase. A caution with eight to go allowed Ronnebaum to close in, but Richards remained steady and held off a final challenge to return to Hobby Stock victory lane at his home track. Bradly Graham, the reigning Independence Motor Speedway champion, rounded out the top three. 50 Hobby Stocks signed up on the registration sheets.
Sachau Awarded SportMod Win
Manning, Iowa’s Jake Sachau picked up a $2,000 win in the 25-lap Northern SportMod feature after post-race tech inspections docked on-track winner Tyler Nerud for a wheelbase infraction. Sachau, the 2022 Super Nationals winner from Manning, charged from eighth to second and inherited the top spot after the ruling.
Nerud, the defending track champion, had been dominant through traffic and restarts, fending off both Sachau and Devyn Peterson after multiple cautions. The final restart came with four laps left, and although Nerud crossed the line first, he was officially scored third. Peterson moved up to second. 46 cars showed up for competition.
Richards Rallies Late to Repeat as Hergott Memorial Champion
Dillon Richards capped off the night with his second straight Joey Hergott Memorial win, collecting $4,000 in a wild 25-lap, 3-wide-start Sport Compact feature. The three-time track champ and 2017 national title holder thrilled the crowd with a daring high-side pass on lap 22 to seal the deal.
John Martinez, the 2018 track champion, led early while Alex Boyden and Richards battled for position. After slipping into the lead, Richards held off a late slider from Brad Chandler following a green-white-checkered finish triggered by a lap-23 caution. Martinez and reigning track champ and National Rookie of the Year Johnny Thomas completed the podium. 48 entries were in the pit area.
The entire night of racing was broadcast live on IMCA TV. Replay every lap with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available now for just $24.99/month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
