By Ben Deatherage
VINTON, Iowa (Mar. 13, 2026) — Two Michigan race tracks will host Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars on a regular basis during the 2026 season, creating additional opportunities for drivers in the Great Lakes region.
Crystal Motor Speedway and Mt. Pleasant Speedway will both sanction the division this year, with track, Michigan State, EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region and national IMCA points awarded at both facilities.
Crystal Motor Speedway first hosted IMCA Stock Cars during the 2024 Great Lakes Nationals and will expand the division significantly in 2026. Approximately 20 nights for the class are currently scheduled, beginning with the season opener on April 11.
Promoter Brian Le Baron believes the division will be a great fit for the speedway moving forward.
“I love the class and the racing is great,” Le Baron said. “Our local Stock Car class had gotten to the point where the motors were getting out of hand and expensive. IMCA has a great package to keep everything under control.”
“We’re going to run them quite a few times this year and it’s awesome that Mt. Pleasant is on board too so drivers can get a couple of nights of racing each week,” he continued. “We’re crunching some numbers to try and give them a great payout every night they’re here and I’m excited to be a part of leading the way and I think once people get a taste of it we’ll really have something here.”
The division has already seen strong support from Michigan drivers on the national stage. The IMCA TV Clash On The Coast has been a major showcase for Michigan competitors, with the last two editions won by Michigan standout Mike Vandermark Jr. Vandermark also captured the Sunoco Race Fuels Race of Champions at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s last year.
This winter more than half a dozen Michigan drivers made the trip south to compete in the Clash On The Coast events in Florida and Alabama, and in recent years several teams from the state have also traveled to Boone for the Super Nationals.
Mt. Pleasant Speedway will also feature Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars frequently throughout its 2026 schedule.
Promoter Betty Crook said the decision to add the division made sense once Crystal committed to running the class.
“There seemed to be quite a few cars around here that were IMCA legal in the past,” Crook said. “When Crystal decided to go all-in with IMCA Stock Cars we decided to go with them too, because they’re Saturday and we’re Friday.”
“I’ve been talking with Brian at Crystal for some time about making something happen,” she added. “It works great because drivers have two nights they can run if they want to.”
One of the biggest events on the calendar will be the Great Lakes Nationals at Crystal Motor Speedway, where Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars will race for $2,000 to win on September 18–19.
