By Bill Martin
FALLON, Nev. (Jan. 26, 2026) – Colton Blankenship found himself with some pretty good company in just his second Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod season.
Blankenship raced to four track championships, joining the likes of Sunoco IMCA Stock Car National champion Kelly Shryock and fellow IMCA Northern SportMod speedster Ryan Moser in earning so many local titles during the 2025 campaign.
Winning four or more such crowns in a single IMCA season is a feat now accomplished 38 times by 48 different drivers. Blankenship has a further claim to fame in being the first from Nevada to complete that quest.
“It was a little after midway of the season when we were leading at two tracks, we were right there in points going into the weekend at the third and I was close at the fourth when I realized it was really possible,” said Blankenship, who would reign at Battle Mountain Raceway, Lovelock Speedway, hometown Rattlesnake Raceway and Winnemucca Regional Raceway, understandably earning Nevada State championship as well.
“We just tried to stay consistent and kept the focus on.”
Winner in nine of his 31 starts, Blankenship finished with a flourish by taking the checkers in five of his last eight outings.
Nineteen years old and a mechanic for sponsor KD Automotive in Fallon, Blankenship ran a Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact for three seasons before moving up to the IMCA Northern SportMod in 2024.
As a rookie, he made 28 starts at seven tracks in California and Nevada, winning the title at Lovelock and finishing as runner-up at Rattlesnake.
“I like the competition in the (IMCA Northern) SportMod class. I was getting to the point where I was keeping up with the guys in the Sport Compacts and decided it was time to move up,” he explained. “There were a couple guys I ran with regularly, Charlie Kelley and Jeremy Stephens, and we ran everywhere and tried out new tracks.”
“The big things to get used to that first year was feeling that twist going into the corner and just the amount of power you have going down the straightaway. It’s very different than the front wheel drive car. They don’t even compare,” continued Blankenship. “That first season we just wanted to run with those other guys and see how they’re doing. After winning that first track championship, I was really only going for three track titles and the state. It came around that the fourth was not that far away, we decided to run for it and ending up winning it, too.”
He’d begun last season in a 2020 Shaw Chassis, which was totaled in a mid-season wreck at Rattlesnake, then got into a 2016 BMS Chassis that had been rebuilt after an earlier crash.
Blankenship picked up all those August and September feature wins in the BMS ride in completing the sweep of state and track titles.
Battle Mountain is four hours from home, Winnemucca is a two-hour tow and Lovelock is an hour away, while Rattlesnake is so close Blankenship can see it from his house.
“Lovelock is probably my favorite track, it’s a great facility and it’s got great people,” he said. “Rattlesnake had to be the toughest to win with all those drivers from California coming over to join the local guys.”
Blankenship’s father Ray raced briefly and is now the crew chief for his son. The track and state plaques he received at the IMCA national banquet in November will be part of a large display, along with everything he took home from Speedway Motors Weekly Racing wins and local track banquets, in his room at home.
Team Blankenship paused for a quick selfie during the IMCA national banquet, as Colton Blankenship made the trip to Lincoln with (at left) brother Tyler and mother Karie and (at right) father and photographer Ray. Colton took home hardware, jackets and plenty of congratulations after winning four Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod track titles and the Nevada State crown in 2025.
His plans for the upcoming season could include both the SportMod and an IMCA Stock Car. The level of competition has Blankenship hoping to challenge himself in The Class Too Tough To Tame.
“There is just such good competition in the Stock Car where we’re at,” he said. “There are so many good drivers, and more tracks I can go to and series I can run with.”
The record for IMCA track championships in a single season is eight, set by Jordan Grabouski on his way to winning both Modified and Stock Car national titles in 2019.
And Mike Nichols won four local Stock Car titles during four national championship chases between 2014 and 2024.
In addition to KD Automotive, Blankenship has enjoyed sponsorship support from Campbell Construction, Mommas Meat Co., Fallon Sign, RGR Auto & Diesel and Grace Productions.