By Ben Deatherage
LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (Mar. 12, 2026) — Batesville Motor Speedway will host the Arkansas IMCA Spring Nationals “Wimp” Reed Memorial on March 26-28, featuring Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars.
The three-day program opens Thursday, March 26 with a practice session only. Pit passes will be $30, while grandstand admission will be free for spectators that evening.
The racing portion of the weekend starts Friday, March 27 and continues through Saturday, March 28 with full shows each night. Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars will each race for $1,500 to win nightly. Modified feature winners will earn Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifying eligibility, while Stock Car feature winners will do the same for the B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational.
Entry fee for both divisions is $50 per night, and non-qualifiers will receive $50 in tow money.
Pit gates open at 4 p.m. each day.
For the Friday and Saturday race programs, draw opens at the pit gate, hot laps are scheduled for 7 p.m., and racing starts at 7:30. Grandstands open at 5:30 p.m. General admission is $20 for adults, $5 for kids ages 11-14, and free for children 10 and under.
Batesville Motor Speedway co-owner Mooney Starr said the event is part of continued efforts to invest in and improve the long-standing Arkansas facility.
“My wife and I have been there for 34 years, and I just sold the other half to my friend Keith Beard,” Starr said. “We’re committed to spending $400,000 to $500,000 over the next three years. A racetrack is just like a house — you’ve got to repaint it and clean it. We’re excited to take it to the next level by building new buildings and putting new fences up. We already have awesome racing and a great facility, but we want an even better facility.”
Among the planned improvements are updated grandstands, a brand-new catch fence, upgrades to the pit area, and fresh dirt being added to the racing surface.
Starr’s connection to racing runs deep, having spent decades both behind the microphone and in track management.
“I started as an announcer when I was 18. When I was 21 I promoted a big show and hit a home run, and I said, ‘I love this business,’” Starr added. “I was able to buy half of Batesville from my brother-in-law and his wife 34 years ago, and a few years later I bought them out.”
He also credits the sanctioning body for helping maintain competitive racing over the years.
“I’ve been with IMCA for about 30 years and I feel like they have the best game in town with the fairest rules and an equal playing field,” Starr said. “A guy can go from Maine to Spain and know what he’s racing against, and that’s great for the sport.”
For more information, contact 870-613-1337, visit batesvillemotorspeedway.com, email csstarr2@yahoo.com, or follow Batesville Motor Speedway on Facebook.
For those unable to attend in person, the Arkansas IMCA Spring Nationals “Wimp” Reed Memorial will be broadcast live exclusively on IMCA TV.
Other special Speedway Motors IMCA events at Batesville include the 31st annual Mid-American IMCA Stock Car Championship on September 17–19 and the 10th annual Race For Hope 71 on September 24–26.
