DeVilbiss Powers to Second Race For Hope 71 Victory at Batesville

Feature, Modified, News, Stock Car

Zane DeVilbiss celebrates in victory lane with his family after winning the 9th Annual Race For Hope 71 presented by IMCA TV at Batesville Motor Speedway. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified driver from Farmington, N.M., earned $4,000 for his second career triumph in the prestigious event. (Photo by Sam Rodgers Photography)

By Ben Deathearge

LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (Oct. 11, 2025) — Zane DeVilbiss stole the spotlight Saturday night at Batesville Motor Speedway, powering to victory in the 9th Annual Race For Hope 71 presented by IMCA.TV. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified standout from Farmington, N.M., earned $4,000 for the 40-lap triumph — his first win of the season and second career Race For Hope 71 victory, adding to his 2021 triumph. With the win, DeVilbiss became just the second driver ever to capture the event more than once, joining three-time winner Ricky Thornton Jr. The victory also locked him into eligibility for the 2026 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational at Boone Speedway.

Defending race winner and 2020 National champion Tom Berry Jr. grabbed the early advantage after a tight first-lap duel with 2023 event winner Wendell Wallace. Berry, piloting the Andrews Autosport No. 11 owned by Spencer Andrews, stretched his lead until heavy lapped traffic closed the gap. Two-time and reigning Super Nationals champion Tim Ward, driving the Doug and Amy Eckrich No. 151, climbed to second on lap 16 and began pressuring Berry as the frontrunners sliced through slower cars.

A lap-31 caution bunched the field and set the stage for a furious finish. Berry held the top spot on the restart while DeVilbiss powered from fifth, sliding into contention with Ward and Wallace close behind. Trading sliders with Berry over laps 34 and 35, DeVilbiss surged ahead for good on lap 36. Ward slipped past Berry two circuits later but couldn’t close the gap in time.

DeVilbiss crossed the line ahead of Ward, Berry, Wallace, and Drew Janssen in the Danny Meier-owned No. 127. Preliminary $3,000-to-win features on Thursday and Friday were won by Wallace and Curtis Cook, both earning Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational eligibility.

Linn Leads the Way in Batesville Stock Car Showdown

The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars also put on a crowd-pleasing show to close out the weekend, where Little Rock’s Hayden Linn fended off a fierce late-race charge to capture the feature win.

After a caution on the opening lap, Linn jumped back out front and quickly built a comfortable lead, while Tennessee’s T.J. Herndon and Patrick Linn went door-to-door for second. Herndon eventually claimed the spot and began reeling in the leader as the laps wound down. Patrick Linn — the 2022 Arkansas State champion — kept the pressure on both drivers, setting up a three-way battle in the closing circuits.

At the checkers, Hayden Linn held strong for the victory, with Patrick Linn making a last-lap surge to edge Herndon for the runner-up position. 2023 Arkansas State champion Joe Payne crossed in fourth, and Haydan Hartwick rounded out the top five.

The win capped an exciting weekend for the division, following Friday’s triumph by Herndon and Thursday’s victory by Peyton Taylor, who wheeled the Brandon and Jodi Simon-owned no. 20PT entry to victory lane earlier in the event.

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.

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