October 25, 2026

Ritchie records first Shawano IMCA Modified win

By Scott Owen

SHAWANO, Wis. (Aug. 18) – Justin Ritchie has won a number of features at Shawano Speedway, but the former late model track champion scored his first IMCA Modified feature Saturday night.

Cautions plagued the start of the event, but once the race got going Tim Rothe took the lead. Ritchie pursued Rothe until lap three when he made an inside pass to take the lead.

As Ritchie led, the action was hot and heavy behind him as Jason Czarapata, Lance Arneson and Wyatt Block all came from deep in the field to battle for second and third. In the end it was Ritchie making his way to victory lane followed by Czarapata, Block, Arneson and Konnor Wilinski.

Mitch Stankowski returned to victory lane after some time away from the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car division. Lucas Lamberies raced to his seventh local Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod victory of the year ahead of Tyler Sobiesczyk, who finished a career-best second.

shawanospeedway

First IMCA checkers for Van Straten fly at Shawano

SHAWANO, Wis. (Aug. 12, 2023) – On a beautiful August evening Saturday, Mother Nature allowed Shawano Speedway to host the first annual Retro Night. Several teams put together a few throwback schemes from yesteryear and oh did it bring back a lot of emotional memories of the cars and stars that once raced at the legendary half mile. In the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature, pole sitter and former limited late model champion Dave Lytie and Andrew Engels, who had his dad’s no. 33 on the side of his usual no. 29 machine, set the pace for what would become a caution-plagued feature. Taylor Sorenson used his fourth place starting spot to jump out to an early lead. Michael Springborn was on the move to contest for a bid for the win as well. The hot shoes of Tyler Sobiesczyk and Jeffery Teske found their way to the front. As Sobiesczyk grabbed the lead the top four of Sobiesczyk, Teske, J.J. Vanderloop and Bryce Clements started to break away from field. As the laps ticked away, [Read More]

Whitman tops season opener at Shawano

By Scott Owen SHAWANO, Wis. (May 5) – One hundred forty-three racers were on hand to open the 2018 season at the Shawano Speedway on Saturday and Johnny Whitman won the IMCA Modified lidlifter for the second year in a row. Joey Taycher kicked off the Modified feature by grabbing the lead on lap one. Whitman took the top spot on lap two and instantly began to pull away while Mike Mullen and Marcus Yarie began working their way through the pack. By mid-race, Whitman had built up nearly a full straight away lead as Mullen moved to second on the track after a pass on Taycher. Lap after lap Whitman led as Mullen inched closer. As the white flag flew, Mullen had cut Whitman’s lead to a few car lengths. As the leaders dealt with lapped traffic over the final circuit, Mullen was glued to Whitman’s rear bumper entering turn three. Whitman was not to be denied, though, as he beat Mullen to the checkered flag for the win. Yarie, Taycher, and Jason Czarapata completed the top five in [Read More]

Oreskovich, Yarie, Nolan treated to Halloween at the Half Mile IMCA wins

SHAWANO, Wis. (July 15, 2023) – Racing was spooktacular and Max Oreskovich, Marcus Yarie and Trent Nolan were all spectacular in their respective IMCA feature wins during Shawano Speedway’s Saturday Halloween at the Half Mile show. In the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature, Dustin Marquardt and Shannon Fandrey paced the field to green but JJ Vanderloop quickly used his fourth starting spot to get past Marquardt for the lead. As laps continued to tick away, the machines of Oreskovich, Jeffery Teske and Tyler Sobiesczyk, were making a charge to the front. A yellow flag flew on lap nine which Oreskovich took advantage of and was a few car links away from Vanderloop. Sobiesczyk fell victim to mechanical issues and had to be surrender his spot and unfortunately ending his night. In the closing laps multiple drivers were all the potential winner. As the green flag fell Oreskovich dropped to the inside of corners three and four, slip by and took the lead and the win. Yarie found himself in second by lap three and was challenging [Read More]

Feature

Caleb Gardner: Carrying a Family Number and Answering a Call to Serve

By Ben Deatherage GLYNDON, Minn. (Oct. 23, 2026) — When Caleb Gardner climbed out of his No. 39 Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock at Dacotah Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 3, another night of racing had come to an end. But this particular evening carried a little more significance for the Glyndon, Minn., driver, who was preparing to trade the familiar surroundings of dirt tracks and race shops for an overseas deployment with the Minnesota National Guard. The Oktoberfest program in Mandan, N.D., marked Gardner’s final race before departing overseas, where he will serve as a tracked-vehicle recovery operator. For Gardner, racing has always been more than a weekend pastime. His grandfather, Al, raced before his father, Randy, and brother, Doug, followed into the sport. The family competed in several different divisions, and the No. 39 on Caleb’s Hobby Stock is the same number carried by his grandfather and father. Yet for all that family history, it was one particular childhood experience at Buffalo River Speedway that convinced Gardner he wanted to move beyond go-karts and into a [Read More]

Feature

Whiteaker Wins Three-Wide Showdown while Torres Breaks Through in STIMS Texana Clash

By Nick Robbins EDNA, Texas (Oct. 17, 2026) — The Southern Touring IMCA Modified Series presented by On Demand Shirts took the green flag for its 2026 season finale at Texana Raceway Park during the Lance and Martha Toler Last Call Racing Texana Clash. Two separate $1,500-to-win shows produced two different winners, with one grabbing his first victory of the season. The first heat race went three-wide at the green flag, with Steven Whiteaker Jr. storming through the middle of the track to take the lead from fourth off turn two. Reigning series champion Jared Maupin got loose entering turn three, leaving Shawn Sandegren with nowhere to go as contact brought out the caution. The second attempt saw polesitter Brian Machicek hold off a charge from Logan Dinsmore to lead the opening lap. Dinsmore took command on lap two and led through lap seven, but Whiteaker grabbed the lead off turn four coming to the white flag. Whiteaker held on to win, with Dinsmore second. The second heat saw Cody Leonard walk away from the field [Read More]

Events

Inaugural Wild River Diamond in the Desert Set for Cocopah Speedway Nov. 4-7

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Oct. 21, 2026) — Some of the biggest names in Speedway Motors IMCA racing will converge on Cocopah Speedway Nov. 4-7 for the inaugural Wild River Diamond in the Desert, featuring three nights of competition and an $8,000 payday awaiting the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified winner. Presented by Wild River Family Entertainment Center, the first-year event will bring five IMCA divisions to the Diamond in the Desert for a weekend of racing in southwestern Arizona. The four-day gathering begins Wednesday, Nov. 4, with an open practice session before racing gets underway Thursday, Nov. 5, and continues through Saturday, Nov. 7. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds will headline the event, with $8,000 awaiting the winner of the division’s main event. The Modifieds will be joined by the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, with both divisions competing for $4,000 top prizes. Saturday’s Modified and Stock Car features will serve as qualifying events for the 2027 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational and B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational, [Read More]

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