By Ben Deatherage
JEFFERSON, S.D. (July 20, 2025) — A stacked Sunday night card at Park Jefferson Speedway delivered high drama and thrilling finishes during the Dave Riley Memorial, highlighted by a green-white-checkered nailbiter in the $2,556-to-win Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature.
The 28-lap Hobby Stock main event saw Albion, Nebraska’s Ryan Fajman steal the spotlight in dramatic fashion. Driving a special throwback tribute wrap honoring the late Dale Bittner, Fajman charged from seventh and edged defending South Dakota State and track champion Kalyb Brunssen by a razor-thin 0.026 of a second at the stripe. The victory marked Fajman’s first of the season in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region and made him the fourth different winner in as many years at the Dave Riley Memorial.
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida’s Joel Magee, a two-time South Dakota State champion and 2023 Park Jefferson track champ, ran up front early before slipping back in the final laps. Spencer, Iowa’s Brandon Nielsen, a five-time Hancock County Speedway track champion, mounted an impressive charge from 13th to finish third at the checkers.
Thompson Powers to Third Park Jeff Modified Win
The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds went 22 laps for $1,056-to-win, and Sioux City, Iowa’s Cody Thompson put on a show. Thompson, the 2021 National Rookie of the Year and two-time Park Jefferson SportMod track champion, started eighth and took the lead on lap 14 with a low line pass on former track champ Shane DeMey. Thompson never looked back, notching his fifth Razor Chassis North Central Region win of the year and third of the season at Park Jeff. 2015 National champion Chris Abelson was second, with DeMey third.
Zeitner Slings Hot Slider For Late Model Triumph
In the Sunoco IMCA Late Models, Bellevue, Nebraska native Zach Zeitner scored his eighth win of the season and fourth at Park Jefferson, executing a decisive slider on six-time defending National champion Cory Dumpert on lap 18. Zeitner, the defending Crawford County and Shelby County Speedway champ, started seventh and methodically worked his way forward. Dumpert led early and fended off several attacks but couldn’t hold back Zeitner. Kale Kosiski rounded out the top three.
Luinenburg Nabs Last-Lap Victory in Stock Car Showdown
Reading, Minnesota’s Justin Luinenburg added to his impressive resume with a late pass to win the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car main. The 2015 Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock National champion overcame a ninth-place starting position and beat two-time South Dakota State and two-time track champ Travis Barker by half a car length. Barker led nearly the entire race until Luinenburg made his move coming to the white flag. Jason Ward, a six-time South Dakota State champion, finished third.
Woodard Storms from 11th to Capture SportMod Glory
The Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods also entertained. Bennington, Nebraska standout Caleb Woodard raced from 11th to the lead in the SportMod main, his seventh win of the season and third at Park Jeff. Three-time Off Road Speedway champ Cameron Meyer and defending track titlist and 2022 National Rookie of the Year Willy Kirk completed the podium.
Aldape Adds Another State to the Win Column in Compact Feature
In the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts, Sioux City’s Gilbert Aldape, the reigning IMCA.TV Winter Nationals champ, earned his eighth win of the year, his first at Park Jefferson, and his fourth different state with a win in 2025. He passed four-time Lady Eagle winner Kaytee DeVries for the lead and never looked back. DeVries and Mike Vogt rounded out the top three.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $24.99/month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
