By Christine Rublack
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Oct. 17, 2026) — Jed Freiburger of Dubuque collected his 11th Razor Chassis North Central Region victory of the season in the $2,000-to-win, 20-lap Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature, holding off a late charge from Cody Laney.
Freiburger started on the pole and established the early advantage while Jace Eckrich moved into second, followed by Jeff Bodendorfer and Laney. Following a restart, Bodendorfer advanced into the runner-up position as Laney worked the bottom groove to take over third.
Laney, who started eighth, continued his charge and moved into second with only a few laps remaining. Despite the late pressure, Freiburger maintained his advantage and crossed the finish line first.
Laney finished second after advancing six positions, with Bodendorfer third, Eckrich fourth, and Chris Zogg fifth.
Gifford Makes Three-Wide Move Count in Hobby Stocks
Bradyn Gustin of Marshalltown used the bottom groove to his advantage in the $1,000-to-win, 15-lap Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature, taking control early and pulling away as Josh Banes and Jarett Franzen battled for second.
Gifford, who started third, established the early advantage while Braxton Franks and Justin Wacha battled for second. Carson James and Matt Bennett also worked their way into contention, with Bennett advancing from seventh on the starting grid.
Following a restart, James took advantage of the field being bunched together and moved into third behind Franks. James eventually advanced into second, but Gifford maintained his advantage once racing resumed and pulled away to secure his ninth B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region victory of 2026.
The win also earned Freiburger eligibility to attempt to qualify for the 2027 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational at next September’s Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
James finished second, Bennett was third, and Wacha finished fourth. Brycen Wilson completed the top five after starting ninth.
Neal Controls Stock Car Feature
Gage Neal of Anamosa dominated the $1,000-to-win, 20-lap Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature, quickly establishing a comfortable advantage while Bronson Spaw and Kyle Merkes battled for second. Tony Olson joined the fight as the positions continued to change, with Andrew Burk and Dustin Vis eventually entering the mix.
Neal, who started second, continued to build his lead and worked his way into lapped traffic before a caution brought the field back together. On the restart, Burk challenged Merkes for second as the laps wound down, but Neal maintained control and raced to his third EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region victory of 2026, with all three wins coming at different tracks.
The triumph also earned Neal eligibility to attempt to qualify for the 2027 B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational at next September’s Super Nationals.
Merkes held on for second, followed by Burk in third after starting seventh. Vis advanced eight positions from 12th to finish fourth, while Olson completed the top five.
Gustin Rides Bottom Groove to SportMod Victory
Bradyn Gustin of Marshalltown used the bottom groove to his advantage in the 15-lap Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature, taking control early and pulling away as Josh Banes and Jarett Franzen battled for second.
Behind the leaders, Carsin Cullen and Bryson Eckrich fought for fourth, with Eckrich eventually making the pass to move into the position.
As the laps wound down, the top four competitors remained committed to the bottom groove, but Gustin proved too strong and drove to his fourth feature victory of 2026.
Banes finished second, followed by Franzen in third, Eckrich in fourth, and Cullen in fifth.
Bielenberg Cruises to Sport Compact Victory
Mitchell Bielenberg of Charlotte controlled the 12-lap Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature from the drop of the green flag, building a commanding advantage while Ryan Cheney and Corey Crispin battled for second.
Colton Stewart moved into third as Bielenberg continued to stretch his lead. Meanwhile, Cristian Grady began working his way through the field after starting 11th, advancing into the top four before using the high groove to take over second just a few laps later.
Despite Grady’s charge, Bielenberg remained comfortably ahead and completed his flag-to-flag performance for his third feature victory of 2026 and second consecutive triumph at Dirt on the Downs.
Grady finished second after advancing nine positions, followed by Cheney in third, Stewart in fourth, and John Carnahan in fifth.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $25.99/month. Don’t miss Season 3 of The Boone Docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
