By Christine Rublack
VINTON, Iowa (May 24, 2026) — Tom Berry Jr. made the most of his pole starting spot in the $2,047-to-win Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified on Sunday feature during the Memorial Weekend Rumble celebrating 47 years of IMCA Modified racing at Benton County Speedway, jumping to the lead at the drop of the green and controlling the pace throughout the main event.
Tripp Gaylord settled into second early while battling Blaine Bryant as Cody Laney soon entered the mix. Berry began stretching his advantage before lapped traffic allowed Laney to close the gap late in the race. A caution tightened the field again and brought Ethan Braaksma and Rayce Mullen into contention inside the top five.
Berry stayed flawless on the restart and drove away for his fifth Razor Chassis North Central Region victory of the season at five different tracks. The Marshalltown driver, originally from Oregon, also capped off a three-win holiday weekend.
The event also served as a Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifier, putting Berry on the eligibility list to attempt to qualify for the prestigious event at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September.
Gaylord finished second while Braaksma rallied to third and Mullen took fourth. Jake McBirnie advanced from 11th to fifth while Arizona racer Luke Silber turned in another notable drive from 15th to sixth.
VanWyk Scores $1,047 SportMod Thriller Over Suckow
The $1,047-to-win Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature, celebrating 21 years of SportMod competition at Benton County Speedway, produced one of the best races of the night as Dylan VanWyk raced from fifth to victory lane for his seventh win of the season and first Benton County triumph of 2026.
Josh Banes commanded the early laps while cautions repeatedly kept the field close. VanWyk wasted little time charging into the lead as Tony Olson and Cole Suckow battled behind him.
Suckow eventually worked past Olson into second while Ben Chapman climbed from 11th into contention. Kyle Olson also entered the picture late after starting 12th as the leaders moved to the top groove around the fast Vinton oval.
VanWyk held strong over the closing circuits to secure the win. Suckow charged from eighth to second while Chapman completed an impressive run from 11th to third. Kyle Olson’s 12th-to-fourth drive earned him a top-five finish while Tony Olson rounded out the top five.
Will Wolf turned in one of the biggest charges of the night, advancing from 22nd to sixth.
Tony Olson Captures Stock Car Main
Tony Olson raced from fourth to the front to score the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature victory, his second EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region win of the season and first Benton County Stock Car triumph of 2026.
Kyle Olson, John Oliver Jr. and Tony Olson traded the top positions during the opening laps before Olson took command for good. Oliver and Kyle Olson continued their fight for second while Riley Hanson moved into the top four.
Olson eventually distanced himself from the field and cruised to the checkers. Oliver finished second while Kyle Olson crossed the line third. Hanson claimed fourth and Terry Dulin completed the top five.
Vanous Dominates Hobby Stock Feature
Brett Vanous dominated the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature after taking command early and never surrendering the lead.
The Quasqueton driver built his advantage while Justin Wacha, Zach McNeese and Jacob Floyd battled fiercely for second. As the race progressed, Leah Wroten, Joren Fisher and Justin Stander all entered the mix for top-five positions.
Vanous drove away for his second B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region victory of the season and first at Benton County after winning the previous night at Independence Motor Speedway.
Wacha held on for second while McNeese finished third. Wroten claimed fourth and Justin Stander completed a strong run from ninth to fifth.
Grady Holds Off Chargers for Sport Compact Victory
Cristian Grady led every lap of the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature from his pole position, but the battle behind him remained intense throughout the race.
Jake Anderson and Lukas Rick battled for second early while Devin Coghlan and Robert Rundle fought inside the top five. Meanwhile, Stephen Randall steadily carved through the field from the tail of the lineup.
Grady maintained his advantage to secure his second victory of the season, with both wins coming at Benton County Speedway.
Coghlan finished second while Rundle advanced from ninth to third. Randall completed a tremendous run from 21st to fourth and Ryan Cheney 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.
