By Christine Rublack
VINTON, Iowa (May 17, 2026) — John Oliver Jr. topped a stellar Sunoco IMCA Stock Car field at Benton County Speedway. Riley Hanson took command early in the event while Tony Olson, Dave McCalla, and Oliver battled for second as Hanson stretched his advantage. Kyle Olson worked the high side and joined the fight for the runner-up spot.
Oliver, the West Burlington driver, dove to the bottom groove and worked his way into second before eventually taking over the lead. Olson and Tony Olson continued to battle behind him as Oliver drove away for his seventh EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region win of the season and first score of 2026 at Benton County. Oliver started ninth on the grid.
Kyle Olson charged from 10th to finish second while Tony Olson crossed the line third. Hanson held on for fourth and McCalla completed the top five.
Olson Holds Off Thomas in SportMods
Kyle Olson returned to victory lane in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods after holding off a hard-charging Brett Thomas. Aiden Gelner moved into the early lead while Josh Barnes stayed close behind. Olson worked the low groove and reeled in Gelner as Thomas climbed into the top four.
Thomas advanced from 10th into second just a few laps later while Austin Kemp stormed from 12th into third. Jackson Carey and Jacob Berry, who started 11th, battled inside the top five during the closing stages. A late caution reset the field one final time, but Olson, from Cedar Rapids, held strong to secure his first SportMod win of the 2026 season. Thomas finished second while Kemp and Carey followed. Berry rounded out the top five.
Hibdon Hustles to Modified Victory
Kollin Hibdon scored the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified victory after charging from the sixth starting spot. Josh Fisher and Ethan Krall battled for the lead early while Hibdon and Ethan Braaksma worked their way into the top four. Hibdon used the high groove to his advantage while Krall stayed committed to the bottom.
The Waterloo driver eventually took over the top position and drove to his fifth IMCA Modified win of the season, fourth in the Razor Chassis North Central Region, and second at Benton County Speedway in 2026. Braaksma finished second while Krall crossed the line third. Joel Rust advanced from 10th to fourth and Troy Cordes rallied from 15th to finish fifth.
Jared Breaks Through for First Benton County Hobby Stock Win
Kyle Jared led the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature from start to finish. Jared quickly separated himself from the field while Brandon Beyer and Leah Wroten battled for second. Joren Fisher chased Wroten while Jacob Floyd and Brett Vanous worked into the top five.
As Jared encountered lapped traffic, Fisher began to close the gap before a late caution bunched the field for one final restart. Jared, from Troy Mills, held off a charging Wroten to earn his second B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region victory of the year after winning the previous Sunday at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway. Vanous and Floyd followed while Justin Stander charged from 13th to complete the top five.
Rick Breaks Through in Sport Compacts
Lukas Rick captured the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature after starting eighth. Rick quickly worked past Aaron Kirkpatrick to take over the lead while Clayton Loeb pressured for second. Cristian Grady and Robert Rundle moved into the top four as Mike Peyton advanced through the field.
Rick, from Walker, drove away to secure his first win of the 2026 season. Grady charged from ninth to finish second while Rundle crossed the line third. Peyton rallied from 12th to fourth and Aaron Swearingen rounded out the top five.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $25.99/month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries, streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
