By Ben Deatherage
SPENCER, Iowa (Sept. 11, 2025) — Jake Masters from Graettinger came out on top of a caution-filled Blue Ribbon Showdown 20-lap Sunoco IMCA Stock Car main event at Clay County Fair Speedway, holding off the Brands family to earn his third EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region win of the season and his second at the track.
Levi Feltman showed the way at the start before a caution on lap one quickly slowed the pace. Masters wasted no time on the restart, blasting to the high side and charging into contention. After another yellow on lap four, Masters stayed committed to the cushion and powered to the front on lap eight. Traffic closed the gap as Randy and Austin Brands worked through the field, setting up a tense three-car fight.
A late caution waved with two circuits remaining, tightening the field for a green–white–checkered finish. Randy threw everything he had at Masters but had to fend off son Austin in their battle for second, giving Masters the breathing room he needed. At the stripe, it was Masters first, Randy second, and Austin third.
Hometown Hero Nielsen Crowned Hobby Stock Winner
Brandon Nielsen of Spencer delivered for the home crowd in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature, being awarded the win after a wild crash on lap eight brought the 18-lapper to an early close. The victory was Nielsen’s ninth of 2025 in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region.
John Ross grabbed the early advantage but Nielsen slid under him on lap three to take the lead. The two traded momentum through multiple side-by-side tours around the oval, with Ross strong up high and Nielsen hugging the low line. A caution on lap seven set up a restart, where Nielsen edged ahead again, but moments later a massive crash on the backstretch damaged the catch fence and ended the night.
Officials called the race complete with Nielsen out front, Ross second, and two-time defending national champion Cory Probst third.
Thompson’s Last-Lap Heroics Seal Sport Compact Victory
Sioux City’s Tyler Thompson stole the show in the 12-lap Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature, winning in a dramatic three-wide finish. The victory was his sixth of the year, two coming at Clay County.
Former National champion Caine Mahlberg paced the field early, but a caution on lap two brought the pack back together. On the restart, Mahlberg was pressured by both Thompson and Kossuth County Speedway champ Brooke Osler, setting up a thrilling three-car battle.
Osler even slipped into the lead on lap 11 before a yellow negated the pass, forcing a green–white–checkered shootout. On the final lap, the trio stormed three-wide out of turn four, with Thompson surging past to claim the win over Osler and Mahlberg.
Beckendorf Blazes to Modified Domination
Brandon Beckendorf, representing Danube, Minnesota, turned the 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature into his own showcase, charging from 10th to score his sixth Razor Chassis Northern Region win of 2025.
Alex Reetz led the opening round before a lap-three caution reset the field. On the restart, Brandon Beckendorf ripped the top side, slicing through traffic from his 10th starting spot. By the time the field completed the next circuit, the five-time Minnesota State champion was in command, and from there he left the pack in his dust.
Multiple cautions failed to faze the 2018 North Central Regional champion, as each restart saw Beckendorf rebuild his advantage while three-time Redwood Speedway champ Dan Menk and Reetz could only watch him disappear.
Nordquist Nets First SportMod Win of 2025
Keegan Nordquist of Beresford, South Dakota, captured his first win of the year in the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, topping the 18-lap feature with strong restarts and steady driving in traffic.
The 2021 Park Jefferson Speedway champion held the lead from the drop of the green, but a caution on lap two tightened the field. Cam Reimers and Justin Klynsma lined up behind him and tested him on each restart, especially after another slowdown on lap five.
Nordquist never flinched, using the clean air to break away before slicing through lapped traffic in the closing circuits. Klynsma closed late, but Nordquist had built enough of a cushion to seal the victory. Reimers completed the top three.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate Advantage Racing 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.
