February 24, 2026

Martini and Winemiller Split Casa Grande SportMod Weekend

SPM Mark Martini VL PB Ron Pelton Jr. Photography — Mark Martini poses in victory lane after winning the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature on Feb. 22, at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, Arizona. (Photo by Ron Pelton Jr. Photography)

By Rowdy Briggs

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Feb. 22, 2026) — Avon, Minnesota’s Mark Martini captured the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature on Sunday night at Central Arizona Raceway, scoring his second victory of the season — both coming at the Casa Grande 3/8-mile oval.

Martini seized the early lead and established control of the main event before chaos erupted on lap two. Joseph Patterson, running second at the time, spun in turn one, triggering a multi-car pileup that collected several contenders including Eric Winemiller, pole sitter Austin Wiseman, Scott Francoeur, Ty Weidner, and others.

Following the restart, Bubba Stafford mounted the strongest challenge to Martini. A late debris caution with five laps remaining set up a decisive run to the finish. Martini hugged the bottom groove while Stafford threw everything he had at the top side, but Martini maintained his advantage to secure the win.

Stafford finished second, followed by Tyler Johnson, Anthony Madrid, and Winemiller, who rebounded from the earlier incident to complete the top five. Tyke Miles delivered an impressive hard charger performance, advancing from 21st to eighth.

Saturday night’s feature saw a different storyline unfold as Ty Weidner led the opening two laps from the pole before Eric Winemiller powered to the front on lap three. The Casa Grande native quickly found himself under pressure from Tyler Johnson as the pair battled intensely through multiple restarts.

The race’s turning point came in the closing laps when Johnson jumped the cushion on a restart, surrendering second to Andy Sole with five laps remaining. Winemiller capitalized and drove away to score his second victory of 2026 at the Casa Grande oval. Johnson recovered to finish third, followed by Weidner and Michigan’s Jesse Denome. Rex Hasley earned hard charger honors, advancing from 20th to ninth.

centralarizonaraceway

First-Time Champions Sweep Winter Nationals Titles at Casa Grande

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Feb. 4, 2026) — More than 300 drivers representing five Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing divisions converged on Central Arizona Raceway for the 2026 DeVilbiss Racing Chassis IMCA TV Winter Nationals, competing across eight nights of racing at the 3/8-mile clay oval. Racers from over 20 states and multiple Canadian provinces made the journey to Casa Grande, highlighting the national and international reach of the Winter Nationals as first-time champions emerged across every division. A total of 112 competitors contested Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified action. Dylan Thornton of Belle Plaine, Iowa, secured the Winter Nationals Modified championship after winning the opening three rounds and adding a fourth victory in round six. The Santa Maria, California, native claimed the title by a 20-point margin, recording four feature wins, six top-five finishes, and seven top-10s, while bringing his career Winter Nationals Modified win total to six. Brandon Beckendorf finished second in the final point standings. The Danube, Minnesota, racer and 2018 Razor Chassis North Central Region champion earned his first Winter Nationals [Read More]

Morris finds setup solution, Beeter and Parker both end IMCA Early Thaw with first feature wins

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 27, 2024) – Just in time, Troy Morris III found the setup that took him to the winner’s circle at Central Arizona Raceway. The Californian had broken before completing a lap on opening night of the Ernie Mincy Early Thaw, then ran 10th in the next three Friesen Performance IMCA Modified features at CAR. Then the lightbulb came on and Morris was fourth in the Friday night show. Saving the best for last, he won the 25-lap finale … from 12th starting … and $1,250 on Saturday. “We have always struggled at Casa Grande because of the banking. It took us until the last two nights to figure out how to get the car to turn the way we wanted it to,” Morris said. “We finally found a base setup we could use before the heats on Friday.” He started on the outside row and followed the high line to the front the next night. “Starting that far back, I didn’t think I had anything to lose by trying it and literally drove [Read More]

Czarneski conquers Stock Car feature at Casa Grande

By Ben Deatherage (Photo Courtesy of Pixel Boss Productions) Casa Grande, ARIZONA (January 16, 2025)—Cole Czarneski made a lasting impression on Thursday night, securing his first career IMCA TV Winter Nationals, presented by Pitt Stop Motorsports, victory in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car main event. The Denmark, Wisconsin driver delivered a stellar performance at Central Arizona Raceway, seizing the lead on lap nine and holding off all challengers to take the checkered flag. The race began with Jason Berg asserting himself as the early leader, setting a strong pace through the opening laps. However, the momentum shifted following a lap nine restart when Czarneski, running the top of the 3/8-mile oval without fear, powered around Berg on the outside to claim the top spot. Once in command, Czarneski showcased both speed and composure. Even a pair of late-race cautions couldn’t rattle him, as he executed flawless restarts to pull away from the field and seal the deal on a milestone victory in a field chalk full of stout competition from all around the [Read More]

Feature

Martini and Winemiller Split Casa Grande SportMod Weekend

By Rowdy Briggs CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Feb. 22, 2026) — Avon, Minnesota’s Mark Martini captured the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature on Sunday night at Central Arizona Raceway, scoring his second victory of the season — both coming at the Casa Grande 3/8-mile oval. Martini seized the early lead and established control of the main event before chaos erupted on lap two. Joseph Patterson, running second at the time, spun in turn one, triggering a multi-car pileup that collected several contenders including Eric Winemiller, pole sitter Austin Wiseman, Scott Francoeur, Ty Weidner, and others. Following the restart, Bubba Stafford mounted the strongest challenge to Martini. A late debris caution with five laps remaining set up a decisive run to the finish. Martini hugged the bottom groove while Stafford threw everything he had at the top side, but Martini maintained his advantage to secure the win. Stafford finished second, followed by Tyler Johnson, Anthony Madrid, and Winemiller, who rebounded from the earlier incident to complete the top five. Tyke Miles delivered an impressive hard charger performance, [Read More]

Feature

Gould Goes Wire-to-Wire in Ice Breaker Finale at Abilene

By Ben Deatherage ABILENE, Texas (Feb. 21, 2026) — William Gould captured the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature on the final night of the 32nd Annual Ice Breaker at Abilene Speedway, scoring the $1,000 victory in the 20-lap main event. The Calera, Oklahoma driver led from the outset aboard the Kenny Fryer Motorsports no. 60 to earn his first win of the season in the GRT Race Cars South Central Region. The race also served as a Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifier for the 2026 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, placing Gould on the eligibility list to attempt to qualify later this September. The 2013 National champion and eight-time reigning regional titlist snatched the lead immediately at the drop of the green and proved dominant through multiple stoppages. Gould was flawless on restarts following several early cautions while 2021 South Central Region Rookie of the Year Steve Askew settled into second and worked to keep pace. Askew faced heavy pressure from New Mexico’s Rob Moseley as the pair battled intensely for the [Read More]

Feature

Morris Gets Winter Nationals Finale Victory at Southern Raceway

By Ben Deatherage MILTON, Fla. (Feb. 21, 2026) — Troy Morris III was declared the winner of the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature on the final night of the Winter Nationals at Hunt The Front’s Southern Raceway following the post-race disqualification of Wesley Wise for a rev box infraction. The 20-lap, $1,000-to-win main event before a packed house. The decision completed a weekend sweep for Morris, who also won the previous night’s main event and is already on the eligibility list for the 2026 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational. The sweep also earned Morris a $1,000 bonus for the achievement. Tyler Allen led the opening lap before Cory Wray, a two-time Missouri State champion, powered around the outside to take command on lap two. A caution soon after reset the field, and on the restart Wray got sideways, handing the lead to Wise — last year’s track champion at Arkansas’ Two Dollar Pistol Motor Speedway. Chase Rosebrugh, the 2023 Close Racing Supply Eastern Region Rookie of the Year, moved into second while Dylan Thornton, a three-division [Read More]

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