By Ben Deatherage
COOS BAY, Ore. (June 18, 2026) — Matt Sanders drove away from a stacked field in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature to capture the sixth round of the 2026 IMCA Wild West Speedweek on the final night of competition at Coos Bay Speedway.
Defending Southern Oregon Speedway track champion and reigning National Rookie of the Year Ethan Killingsworth jumped to the early lead before Matt Sanders, winner of Monday’s Modified feature at Cottage Grove Speedway and the last two Wild West Speedweek IMCA Northern SportMod championships, closed in and took command on lap four.
Two-time defending Wild West Speedweek champion Bricen James worked his way into second on lap nine aboard the Schram Motorsports No. 13 as he and Killingsworth battled for position. Lapped traffic began to enter the equation around lap 10, but a caution slowed the pace before it could become a major factor.
The leaders again encountered slower traffic on lap 19, only for another caution to erase the challenge. On the ensuing restart, James pressured Sanders for the lead while Grey Ferrando, winner of the previous two nights and the 2017 Cottage Grove Speedway champion, advanced into third after getting around Killingsworth on lap 21.
James and Ferrando became locked in a spirited battle for second, allowing Sanders to steadily build his advantage. Even after encountering traffic again on lap 30, the Brookings driver remained untouchable.
Sanders earned his second career Wild West Speedweek Modified victory and fourth DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region win of the season at four different racetracks. Starting third, he became the sixth different winner in the first six Modified Speedweek races.
The feature served as a Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifier. Sanders was already on the eligibility list to attempt to qualify for the event at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
James held on for second, while Ferrando charged from eighth to third. Defending Western Region and Oregon State champion Kevin Williamson finished fourth in the Superior Fuel Cells-owned No. 42. Southern Californian Steve McCollough, a two-time Imperial Valley Speedway and 2018 Cocopah Speedway track champion, rounded out the top five.
Berkeley Tracks Down Wild for Coos Bay Stock Car Score
B.J. Wild, aboard the Dwayne Klein-owned No. 22K, took control of the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature at the drop of the green flag.
A series of cautions during the opening laps slowed the pace, but once the race settled down, the race pretty much went incident-free. Wild appeared headed for a fourth consecutive Speedweek victory as he built a comfortable advantage.
Three-time series champion Chase Berkeley steadily worked his way forward and moved into second on lap 17. The Colville, Washington driver tracked down his brother-in-law and made the winning pass with only a few laps remaining.
Berkeley scored his 13th career Wild West Speedweek victory, second triumph of the week, and fifth career Speedweek win at Coos Bay Speedway. Starting ninth, he also earned his third EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region victory of 2026.
Wild settled for second, followed by Tyler Pagel in third. Eighteen-year-old Tallon Dubisar drove the Matt Smith-owned No. 14 to fourth, while Cody Humphrey completed the top five.
Johnson Breaks Through for First Speedweek SportMod Victory
Trevor Points, a two-time Oregon State champion and winner the previous evening, led the opening lap of the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature.
Points got out of shape on lap four, opening the door for Tyler Johnson to take over the lead. Once out front, Johnson quickly established himself as the driver to beat before Kody Greer began closing the gap.
The 2024 National Rookie of the Year and Arizona State champion successfully fended off Greer’s advances and appeared headed for victory before a caution on lap 21 set up a late restart.
Johnson was flawless when racing resumed, pulling away from the field to score his first career Wild West Speedweek triumph. The 17-year-old from Laveen, Arizona started third and earned his fourth overall victory of the season after collecting his previous wins at Central Arizona Raceway.
Greer finished second, while Points won a spirited battle for third over Jordan Stevens. Lyle Yeager 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.
