Choate Conquers Ocala, Claims First ’26 Winter Nationals Triumph

By Ben Deatherage OCALA, Fla. (Feb. 5, 2025) — Corey Babbit got his shot at redemption in race three of the 2025 Florida Winter Nationals at Ocala Speedway, claiming victory in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite main event. After being overtaken late in lapped traffic the night before, the New Caney, Texas polesitter dominated the 25-lap finale to secure his first win of the season. The event drew an impressive 42 entries from across the United States, as well as the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Despite a red flag incident on the initial start, Babbit rocketed away once the race got underway. 2023 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s winner Ronnie Choate tried to keep pace, but the Tennessee driver soon found himself losing ground as Babbit stretched his lead. Navigating through lapped traffic, the former Texas Mod Lite Nationals winner efficiently maneuvered past slower cars without incident. However, a caution on lap 11 bunched the field back up, setting up a dramatic restart. When racing resumed, Iowa’s Josh May [Read More]

By Ben Deatherage Ocala, Florida (February 4, 2025) — Bakersfield, California transplant Riley Clem brought the crowd to its feet with a thrilling late-race pass to win the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite $1,000-to-win feature at Ocala Speedway. The event, part of the second leg of the 2025 Florida Winter Nationals, drew an impressive field of 48 cars from across the United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Texas racer Corey Babbit jumped out to the early lead from the pole position, setting a quick pace before a lap-one caution halted his momentum. On the restart, Clem wasted no time charging into second, and the two frontrunners began to distance themselves from the rest of the field. A second caution on lap six reset the action, but Babbit and Clem again pulled away on the restart. Clem made his first serious challenge on the eighth circuit, but Babbit held his ground and kept the California driver in check. As the race stayed green, lapped traffic came into play in the final three [Read More]

OCALA, Fla. (Feb. 2-3, 2024) – Most of Dillon Raffurty’s first visit to Ocala Speedway was spent as a spectator. Saturday night, he was the $4,000 Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite feature winner at the Florida speed plant’s Brick City Nationals. The Kansas City, Mo., hotshoe began his quest for a fourth consecutive IMCA national championship as runner-up to Tennessee star Ronnie Choate in Friday’s $1,000 to win main event at Ocala. He flipped the script the next night in topping the big money show, 1.2 seconds ahead of Choate following multiple cautions late in the 30-lapper. “We went back and forth Friday and I led early but caught lapped traffic at the wrong time and he got by me. I was able to make it close at the end but it was too little, too late,” said Raffurty. “Ronnie was fast early but I figured it out near midway,” he continued, after IMCA career win number 89 on Saturday. “Ocala is a very unique track. You can get creative there with the way [Read More]