By Ben Deathearge
JEFFERSON, S.D. (May 2, 2025) — The 20-lap IMCA Stock Car main event capped the evening with a white-knuckle thriller that ended in a photo finish. Chad Ten Napel took the lead on lap 3 and looked strong through two early cautions. Two-time South Dakota State champion Todd Gereau, who started 12th, patiently carved through the field and entered the lead battle with just a few laps to go.
Gereau made a daring move on lap 17, diving low to briefly grab the lead, only to drift wide and surrender the position. Undeterred, he switched to the high side and carried the momentum off the final corner to nip Ten Napel at the line by inches. It was Gereau’s first EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region win of the year. Justin Addison held off Ryan Harris to complete the top three.
Ankrum Holds On in Hobby Stock Nail-Biter
Zach Ankrum took the early lead from Lowell Janssen and built a solid advantage before a lap 10 caution bunched the field. Tyler Smith closed quickly and pulled alongside on the final lap, but Ankrum, the 2019 Park Jefferson track and South Dakota State champion, held him off at the stripe in a thrilling drag race.
The Sioux City, Iowa, driver claimed his first B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region win of 2025. Smith settled for second, while the defending Beatrice and Eagle Raceway champion, Dillon Richards, crossed the line in third.
Zach Ankrum claimed the checkers in the IMCA Hobby Stock main event. (Photo by Purdy Photography)
DeMay Charges from 10th to Modified Victory
Bob Moore and R.J. Merchant swapped the lead early in the Modified feature until contact between the pair on lap 8 ended Merchant’s night when he went to the pits under caution. Moore, a three-time state and five-time track champion, resumed the lead but had Shane DeMay closing fast from 10th.
DeMay, the 2021 track champ, powered around Moore on lap 10 and never looked back. The Denison, Iowa, native pulled away to win his first Razor Chassis North Central Region feature of 2025. Moore finished second, with two-time regional and track champion Ricky Stephan taking third.
Shane DeMay drove to victory in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature. (Photo by Purdy Photography)
Kirk Controls SportMod Showdown
After Kirk Beatty and Cameron Meyer traded the lead through the opening laps, a lap 6 restart gave Willy Kirk the opening he needed. The defending Midwest Madness Tour and Park Jefferson track champ blasted past both and never looked back.
Kirk, of Sloan, Iowa, led the rest of the way for his first win of the year. Meyer, the 2012 IMCA Sport Compact National champion, finished second while 2012 South Dakota State champ Geoff Olson rounded out the top three.
Willy Kirk dominated the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod main for his first win of 2025. (Photo by Purdy Photography)
Vogt Drives to First Sport Compact Victory
Defending state champion Mike Vogt saw his first bid for the lead erased by a yellow but wasted no time reclaiming the spot after the restart. Vogt powered to the front from fifth and controlled the pace the rest of the way.
The Sioux City racer picked up his first feature win of 2025. Defending Park Jefferson track champ and 2023 National Rookie of the Year Johnny Thomas made a late rally to second, with Kiegan Werner scoring third.
Mike Vogt picked up his first Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature win of the season. (Photo by Purdy Photography)
The event was broadcast live on IMCA.TV. Missed the action? Catch every lap with an IMCA TV Replay Subscription for just $24.99/month. Boone Docuseries Season 2 is also streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
