August 5, 2025

Heffner Wins With Late Pass at Big Diamond

SP Kenny Heffner VL PB Jim Young — Kenny Heffner was all smiles in victory lane after his late-race pass secured the River Valley Builders PA Sprint Series win at Big Diamond Speedway on Aug. 1. (Photo by Jim Young)

By Frank Buhrman

MINERSVILLE, Pa. (Aug. 1, 2025) — Kenny Heffner was in the right place at the right time, and it earned the Watsontown veteran his second River Valley Builders PA Sprint Series win of 2025 in Friday night’s 20-lap feature at Big Diamond Speedway.

Heffner had spent most of the race trailing Mike Alleman, who was looking for his first PASS win in decades after ending a long winless streak earlier this year in a Laurel Highlands Sprint Series event. Alleman built a sizeable lead, but Heffner began steadily cutting into the margin over the final six laps.

Then, just a quarter-lap before taking the white flag, Alleman drifted high in turn four, opening the door for Heffner to sneak by on the inside. Moments later, Jeff Weaver spun in the same corner, triggering a caution and setting up a one-lap shootout for the win.

Heffner held his ground on the restart and crossed the finish line with a one-second advantage. The victory made him the fourth two-time PASS winner of the season.

Alleman’s heartbreak still resulted in a strong second-place finish—running an old engine while waiting on a new one—followed by Jeff Paulson in third.

Rookie schools IMCA RaceSaver foes at Bloomsburg

By Frank Buhrman BLOOMSBURG, Pa. (July 25) – Rookie Zack Bealer found a way around Bloomsburg Fair Raceway that nobody else could match and scored his first win in a full-sized sprint car in Sunday’s IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature co-sanctioned by the Pennsylvania Sprint Series and the Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series. The former micro-sprint driver, running regularly with MASS, already had amassed two top-five finishes and four top-10’s in just six starts, including a seventh at Bridgeport Speedway in his first RaceSaver start, the season-opening co-sanctioned event for both groups. He announced early Sunday he might be ready to do even better at Bloomsburg, coming from ninth starting position to finish fourth in his heat. That was the best charge by any driver in the preliminaries. Then he drew the pole for the 25-lap feature, the first ever for full-size, winged sprints on the Bloomsburg track, built earlier this year inside the horse track that was the site of many classic open-wheel races beginning nearly a century ago and ending in the 1980s. In a [Read More]

Duke adds Keystone Challenge to IMCA RaceSaver resume

By Frank Buhrman PORT ROYAL, Pa. (April 6, 2024) – Drew Young and Doug Dodson seemed ready to settle the 12th annual Keystone RaceSaver Challenge between themselves; third-running Ken Duke admitted he had nothing for the leaders. Then, with two laps to go in the River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series’ biggest race of the year Saturday at Port Royal Speedway, both Young and Dodson slowed with flat tires. Duke admitted he broke out in a smile when he saw that had happened. He had the lead, but he had veteran Roger Irvine, 2023 PASS points runner-up Zach Rhodes, Jeffrey Weaver and high-riding Nick Sweigert on his bumper for the restart. Known for strong restarts, Duke didn’t flinch, but then he had to do it again after Rhodes brought out the caution with yet another flat tire with one lap to go. No matter. Duke’s second restart was as good as the first, and the two-time PASS champion and 2019 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Ca national champion again held off the challenges and returned to victory [Read More]

BAPS hosts co-sanctioned IMCA RaceSaver show this Saturday

By Frank Buhrman YORK HAVEN, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Sprint Series will be joined by the Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series for co-sanctioned racing at BAPS Motor Speedway in York Haven Saturday, July 6. Racing is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. This will be the fifth PASS IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car event at BAPS this season. Zach Newlin has won two of the previous four, with single wins for Cale Reigle and John Walp. This is the first of three co-sanctioned events at the track. Ken Duke currently leads PASS point standings, as well as national standings for the division, with Newlin in second. Doug Dodson, Reigle and Devin Adams round out the top five. The Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series (MASS) races at tracks in eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Feature

Heffner Wins With Late Pass at Big Diamond

By Frank Buhrman MINERSVILLE, Pa. (Aug. 1, 2025) — Kenny Heffner was in the right place at the right time, and it earned the Watsontown veteran his second River Valley Builders PA Sprint Series win of 2025 in Friday night’s 20-lap feature at Big Diamond Speedway. Heffner had spent most of the race trailing Mike Alleman, who was looking for his first PASS win in decades after ending a long winless streak earlier this year in a Laurel Highlands Sprint Series event. Alleman built a sizeable lead, but Heffner began steadily cutting into the margin over the final six laps. Then, just a quarter-lap before taking the white flag, Alleman drifted high in turn four, opening the door for Heffner to sneak by on the inside. Moments later, Jeff Weaver spun in the same corner, triggering a caution and setting up a one-lap shootout for the win. Heffner held his ground on the restart and crossed the finish line with a one-second advantage. The victory made him the fourth two-time PASS winner of the season. Alleman’s [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Tony Olson Tops Bald Tire Bash at Benton County

By Christine Rublack VINTON, Iowa (Aug. 3, 2025) — Tony Olson captured the IMCA Stock Car win during Sunday’s Bald Tire Bash at Benton County Speedway, powering to his eighth EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region victory of the season — and fourth at The Bullring — in a dominant drive through the field. Tommy Fain took command early in the event as Olson and Buck Schafroth moved into the top three. Olson worked the low groove to take the lead while Cole Czarneski challenged Schafroth for third. Once in front, Olson extended his advantage and never looked back, taking the checkers ahead of Fain and Czarneski. Van Wyk Scores First Benton County SportMod Victory in 2025 Dylan VanWyk was the top runner in the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods. From the wave of the green, VanWyk took the lead while Joe Docekal and Austin Kemp battled for second as Brady Hilmer and Will Wolf challenged for fourth. Kyle Olson had moved into the top five as the leaders began working through lapped traffic. VanWyk cruised to [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Wahoo Ends Shryock’s Streak in Stock Cars at Kossuth County

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (July 31, 2025) — Kossuth County Speedway hosted a thrilling Thursday night program for the Harken/Hovinga Memorial Race. In the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature, Loren Pesicka Jr. took the early lead before giving way to Mike “Wahoo” Albertsen just two laps in. Behind him, a heated battle for second brewed between McCain Jennings, Kelly Shryock, David Wickman, Calvin Lange and Pesicka. Shryock eventually won that battle and slowly began reeling in Albertsen by the halfway point of the 20-lap main. With four laps remaining, Shryock was right on Albertsen’s rear bumper when a caution flew for a Zayn Feaster spin. Shryock threw everything he had at Albertsen on the restart, but the Audubon driver held his ground to score his second win of the season at Algona. The victory also snapped Shryock’s personal six-race win streak at the track. Albertsen now owns 10 overall wins in 2025, including eight in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region. Shryock was second and Jennings crossed the line third. Krug Collects Second Win of [Read More]

Related Articles