By Susan Allen
ARLINGTON, Minn. (Aug. 23, 2025) — The Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature at Arlington Raceway produced one of the night’s most dramatic finishes with three different leaders. Chris Neisen paced the field early before A.J. Zimmerman worked underneath him to take command. The pair pulled away from the pack until Matt Speckman charged through the middle of the field, only to fall out with mechanical issues just as he was challenging for the lead.
That left Zimmerman to duel with Dan Mackenthun over the final five laps. At the line, Mackenthun edged ahead to take the victory, with Zimmerman second and Josh Larsen third. The triumph was Mackenthun’s eighth win of the season in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region, with five of those coming at Arlington.
Richards Makes Nebraska Trip Count With Hobby Stock Win
National points contender Dillon Richards made the trip north from Nebraska worthwhile in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks. Multiple cautions early helped him climb through the field, and by lap six he was on the heels of leader Cory Probst. Another yellow bunched the field and allowed Richards to power into the lead over R.J. Esqueda, with Jonathan Schroeder also moving forward.
Probst’s night ended early with mechanical issues, and Richards held steady through lapped traffic to earn the win. Schroeder finished second, George Motto third, and Chad Volk fourth. The victory was Richards’ 47th of 2025 in the division, including 39 in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region, and his first at Arlington this season.
Enter Cruises in Northern SportMod Flag-to-Flag Battle
The Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature went the distance without a caution. Joey Reimers jumped out front early, but Broddy Enter made his move on lap three and never looked back. Reimers tried multiple lines but couldn’t retake the lead.
On the final lap, Zach Davis surged from tenth starting to steal second, while Enter raced unchallenged to the win. The victory was Enter’s fifth at Arlington this season and his ninth overall in the division in 2025.
Graf Dominates Sprint Feature While Chaos Unfolds Behind
The RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Car feature looked straightforward up front, with Owen Graf leading from start to finish. Behind him, however, misfortune struck several contenders. Mike Stien exited with engine issues on lap two, while Brett Allen and Andrew Allen both suffered front-end damage after tangling with infield tires.
Graf built a commanding margin as Rob Rawson moved to second and Justin Allen to third. Drama capped the race when Hannah Graf flipped after the checkered flag, though she was unhurt. The win was Graf’s second of the season, with both coming at Arlington.
Hatlestad Commands IMCA Modified Main
In the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Jason Schroeder led the first two laps before Clint Hatlestad took over. Curt Lund’s night ended early with mechanical trouble, and Matt Looft was sidelined on lap five. Up front, Hatlestad was untouchable, fending off challenges from Dan Menk and later Trent Loverude to collect the win.
Hatlestad’s triumph was his fifth of 2025, all coming at Arlington and in the Razor Chassis North Central Region.
Lahr Goes the Distance in Sport Compact Showdown
The Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature saw David Marshall lead the first three laps before Alan Lahr took command on lap four. From there, the race went caution-free and Lahr pulled away to seal the victory.
The score marked Lahr’s first win of the 2025 campaign.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate Dirt Race Central. 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.
