By Gary Thomas
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Aug. 7, 2026) — The 25-lap Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified finale provided another entertaining battle Friday night at Watsonville Speedway, with Tyler Bannister charging through the field on the high side to score his 11th DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region victory of the season.
Several movers and shakers highlighted the feature, with the eventual winner even making a stop in the work area early in the evening.
Multi-time Watsonville champion Cody Burke led the opening laps before Markus Frazier slipped by to take command with Jim Pettit II also in the mix. Frazier maintained the lead until the always-fast Robby Sawyer powered past on lap 14.
By then, Bannister had methodically worked his way forward by running the cushion around the quarter-mile. He cracked the top five on lap 13 and surged into second with six laps remaining before hounding Sawyer for the lead. Bannister completed the winning pass on lap 22 and held off Sawyer to earn the victory.
The Bakersfield driver now owns 11 DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region wins in 2026, with two of those coming at Watsonville Speedway.
Sawyer finished second, followed by Burke, Pettit, and Fred Lind.
Denman Breaks Through for First SportMod Win
The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod main event was a lengthy affair with several cautions slowing the pace, but Paso Robles veteran Rich Denman remained steady out front and executed every restart to perfection.
Denman raced to his first victory of the season, finishing ahead of Bo Crebs, Trent Golden, Steven Allee, and Tanner Thomas. Another strong field of 19 Northern SportMods signed into the pits for the evening.
Stone Capitalizes Late for Fourth Watsonville Stock Car Victory
The Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature delivered another exciting 20-lap contest as Winton’s Paul Stone claimed another Watsonville Speedway triumph.
Oakley’s Troy Foulger led the opening 12 laps before mechanical issues ended his night, handing the lead to Stone. Once out front, Stone had to fend off the fast-closing Villanueva boys, who battled each other while trying to reel him in.
Stone held on for the victory over Justin Villanueva, Mike Villanueva, Rob Gallaher, and Adriane Frost.
The win was Stone’s 12th EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region victory of 2026 and his fourth at Watsonville Speedway this season.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate Stars On Dirt TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for $25.99/month, and don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone docuseries, streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
