By Ben Deatherage
VINTON, Iowa (May 28, 2026) — Josh May put together a consistent and impressive Memorial Day weekend performance to claim the 2026 Corn Belt Clash mini-series championship for Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lites, earning his second career series crown and first since the inaugural edition in 2021.
The three-race swing visited Marshalltown Speedway, Boone Speedway, and Stuart Speedway, drawing an impressive 45 competitors from across the Midwest. Drivers battled not only for nightly honors but also for a $150 bonus awarded to the top 20 in the final standings.
May opened the weekend with a statement performance on May 22 at Marshalltown Speedway. Starting 12th in the feature, he charged through the field to score the victory over Colby Oberembt. Joel Huggins advanced from eighth to finish third, while Jaxon Carr and Colin Anderson completed the top five.
Randy Bryan, Garrett Barber, Bryan Zehm, and Oberembt each collected Weekend Performance $30 heat race bonuses. Tracen Glick earned the Stealth Racing Hard Charger Award after advancing 15 positions from 22nd to seventh. Hard Luck Awards went to R.J. Gonzales and William Nobles after both suffered engine failures.
The following night at Boone Speedway, Jon Padilla dominated from the pole position to earn the feature win. Bryan Zehm finished second while May rallied from ninth to third. Austin Gray advanced from 16th to fourth and Huggins rounded out the top five after starting 11th. Colin Anderson also turned heads by driving from 19th to sixth.
Padilla, May, Oberembt, and Huggins were the heat race winners and recipients of the Weekend Performance bonuses. Garrett Barber earned Hard Charger honors after gaining 15 positions from 23rd to eighth. Oberembt received the Hard Luck Award following a rollover incident.
The series finale at Stuart Speedway saw May cap off the weekend in style. Starting from the pole, he led the field to victory over Riley Clem. Padilla advanced from 10th to third, while Colin Anderson charged from 20th to fourth. Garrett Barber completed the top five.
Josh May celebrates his May 24 feature victory at Stuart International Speedway with a kiss from the winner’s pig during post-race festivities. The unique Victory Lane tradition followed May’s triumph in the Cornbelt Clash event. (Courtesy Photo)
May, R.J. Gonzales, and Padilla claimed heat race victories, while Brandon Cox earned the final Weekend Performance bonus by winning the B Feature. Anderson secured Hard Charger honors after advancing 16 positions. Grant Anderson received the Hard Luck Award after a mechanical issue sent him into an infield tractor tire while running second.
When the points were tallied, May stood atop the standings to secure the Corn Belt Clash championship. Padilla finished second in points, followed by Colin Anderson, Austin Gray, and Riley Clem in the top five. Garrett Barber, Jaxon Carr, Brandon Cox, Cory Sonner, and Colby Oberembt rounded out the top ten.
Additional contingency awards were distributed throughout the weekend. Performance Wiring provided injector cleaning services to the first non-qualifiers at each event, with Robert Moore earning the award at Marshalltown, R.J. Gonzales and Jaxon Carr receiving the honors at Boone, and Jared Douglas collecting the award at Stuart.
