By Ryan Duggan
ALTA, Iowa (May 20, 2026) — Justin Frederick emerged victorious in a dramatic Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature Wednesday night at Buena Vista Raceway after a thrilling late-race duel during the season opener.
Chaos erupted on the initial start, quickly bringing out a caution flag before a lengthy green-flag stretch allowed the race to settle in. Will Smith and Drew Barglof battled early before Brandon Nielsen worked his way to the lead and controlled much of the feature.
As the laps wound down, Nielsen found himself under pressure from Smith while Frederick steadily closed in on the lead battle. A late caution bunched the field and set up a frantic finish.
On the restart, Frederick made a bold double pass to briefly take the lead before Nielsen answered back. Frederick regained the top spot moments later as Smith re-entered the fight. The leaders drag-raced off the final corner with Frederick edging Smith at the line for the victory.
The Cleghorn driver started 10th and earned his first B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region win of the season. Smith settled for second while Nielsen crossed the line third. Colby Christensen advanced from 12th to fourth and Kurtis Bonneson completed the top five.
Sachau Scores SportMod Season Opener
Jake Sachau led from the pole and held off repeated challenges to capture the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature.
Sachau and Rusty Montagne brought the field to green, with Sachau quickly building an early advantage. Mike Smith charged from ninth toward the front just two laps into the race, eventually turning the contest into a three-car battle for the lead.
Several cautions kept the field tightly packed, but Sachau maintained control and drove away in the closing laps for his first victory of 2026 and his third win at three different tracks this season.
Smith finished second after his strong run through the field while Montagne came home third. Brady Joynt was fourth and Alex Bailey rounded out the top five.
Volkert Prevails in Sport Compact Battle
The Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature produced one of the tightest battles of the evening as Tyler Thompson and Levi Volkert traded the lead while Cody Gorden joined the mix in an intense three-car fight.
Crossovers and side-by-side racing highlighted the contest before Volkert gained the advantage late and held on for the victory.
The Correctionville driver started seventh and scored his fourth win of the season at four different racetracks. Thompson finished second ahead of Brooke Osler, Gilbert Aldape, and Justice Limoges.
Doug Smith Holds Off Masters in Stock Car Main
Doug Smith outdueled the field in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature to collect his first EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region victory of the season.
Doug and Devin Smith battled for the lead at the drop of the green while intense racing unfolded throughout the pack. Doug Smith eventually secured the top spot and slowly stretched his advantage.
Jake Masters methodically worked through traffic and climbed into second as the leaders pulled away from the field. Smith maintained control to secure the victory.
Masters crossed the line second while Devin Smith finished third. Dayton Ullrich claimed fourth ahead of Randy Brands.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate Advantage 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, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
