Birkhofer Scores Birthday Victory at Maquoketa

Hobby Stock, Late Model, News, Northern SportMod, Results, Stock Car

Muscatine, Iowa’s Cruz Birkhofer stands in victory lane after winning the Sunoco IMCA Late Model feature on May 16 at Maquoketa Speedway. The victory was Birkhofer’s second triumph of the season after also winning the previous night at Davenport Speedway. (Photo by B.A. Photography)

By Jerry Mackey

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (May 16, 2026) — The Sunoco IMCA Late Models saw a strong field of 19 drivers take the green for their main event Saturday night at Maquoketa Speedway.

Muscatine’s Cruz Birkhofer celebrated his 24th birthday in style by scoring a hard-fought feature victory. Starting second, Birkhofer raced the topside of the smooth racing surface to perfection while holding off a hard-charging Ron Klein at the checkers. Klein, from Dubuque, advanced from seventh to finish second, while Davenport’s Matt Ryan charged from 10th to third. Mitch Morris and Dustin Smith rounded out the top five.

The victory was Birkhofer’s second win of the season after also scoring a triumph the previous night at Davenport Speedway.

The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods put on an exhibition of slide jobs Saturday night as fans witnessed one of dirt racing’s most exciting moves lap after lap. Multiple drivers traded the lead throughout the feature before Maquoketa’s Jarrett Franzen made the winning move entering turn two on the white flag lap. Franzen then held off a final slider attempt from Josh Starr exiting turn four to secure the victory.

Franzen started 12th and earned his third win of the 2026 season at three different tracks. Cole Stichter advanced from eighth to finish second, while Bryson Eckrich charged from 11th to third. Starr crossed the stripe fourth ahead of Finn Oppenheimer.

The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars used every inch of the speedway while racing in a tight pack throughout their feature. Jarrett Franzen led several laps in the No. 12T TCE Enterprises entry before Bernard’s Kodey Miles mounted a late-race charge.

Miles, who started sixth, executed a slide job with two laps remaining to take command and drive away for his second consecutive Maquoketa Speedway victory. The win marked Miles’ fourth EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region triumph of 2026, with half of those victories coming at Maquoketa. Franzen held on for second ahead of Jerry Miles. Jordan Miles finished fourth, while David Brandies advanced from 10th to complete the top five.

The Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks once again provided some of the best racing of the evening, with the feature decided at the checkers. Bernard’s Jared Miles emerged from a pack of contenders to nip Leah Wroten for the win.

Miles started 10th and collected his second B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region victory of the season, both coming at Maquoketa Speedway. Independence driver Wroten finished second while Jaice Tuttle stormed from 19th to third. Randy LaMar advanced from 12th to finish fourth, and Kile Vohringer climbed from 15th to round out the top five.

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