April 20, 2026

Cooper Cruises to First SportMod Win of Season at Marysville

SPM Todd Cooper OT PB Jessica Cucuk — Todd Cooper powers around Marysville Raceway en route to winning the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature on Apr. 18, earning his first victory of the season. (Photo by Jessica Cucuk)

By Troy Hennig

MARYSVILLE, Calif. (Apr. 18, 2026) — The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods continued their resurgence in car count at Marysville Raceway, with 16 competitors signing in for championship point race number five.

A familiar name dominated the 20-lap feature, as Yuba City’s Todd Cooper started on the front row and led every lap without issue. Cooper, teaming with the Shelby family, piloted the No. 86 to a commanding victory.

Former track champion Jimmy Ford chased Cooper for much of the race but ultimately finished just over a second behind at the checkered flag. Mike Merritt completed the podium in third.

Two early contenders encountered trouble. Buddy Olschowka stopped on lap three with a mechanical issue and was unable to continue, while Jason Clayton Jr., who had been running second, pulled off on lap five.

Defending track champion Mark Garner charged from 10th to finish fourth, while newcomer Al Johnson impressed with a fifth-place run.

Olschowka won the first eight-lap heat race, while Clayton Jr. dominated heat race two, building a lead of more than two seconds over Cooper during the short distance.

The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate NorCal Speed. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $25.99 per month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries, streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.

marysvilleraceway

Wagner Breaks Through for First 2025 Win at Marysville

By Troy Hennig MARYSVILLE, Calif. (Mar. 22, 2025) — Danny Wagner took care of business Saturday night by capturing the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod main event at Marysville Raceway. The Baypoint racer claimed the lead in the second half of the 20-lap feature and cruised to his first win of the 2025 season. The race began with 2022 Marysville track champion Jimmy Ford setting the pace out front. Ford looked strong early, fending off pressure from both Jace Wright and two-time California State champion Trevor Clymens. Clymens nearly made a stunning double overtake on lap 8 but was forced back to third when a caution halted his momentum. On the ensuing restart, Wright tried to dive underneath Ford for the lead but came up short. That allowed Wagner to close in. When Wright bobbled slightly on lap 10, Wagner slipped by into second. From there, Wagner steadily tracked down Ford, biding his time before executing the decisive move underneath the leader on lap 13 to take over the top spot. Wagner quickly built a comfortable [Read More]

Ford finishes first at Marysville

By Ben Deatherage MARYSVILLE, Calif. (April 2, 2022) – IMCA Northern SportMods were back on track at Marysville Raceway and Yuba City speedster Jimmy Ford made his way to victory lane following the Saturday night 20-lapper. Shaun Merritt captured the top spot when the green flag dropped. The race saw eight total stoppages taking place and five in the first five laps. Merritt was heavily challenged by Scott Savell on several restarts, going as far as taking the lead only for the pass to be negated due to yellow flags. After Merritt spun on a restart, Savell inherited the lead on lap five. Savell himself, unfortunately, would get sideways on a lap 12 restart, relinquishing first place to Ford, piloting the Scott Kaams-owned entry, who then had to hold off a quick Damian Merritt. Ford kept Merritt in check to pick up the victory while Shaun Merritt recovered to third. Hunter Merritt placed fourth over Savell.

Merritt Dominates Marysville SportMod Feature for First Win of 2026

By Troy Hennig MARYSVILLE, Calif. (Mar. 21, 2026) — Yuba City chauffeur Mike Merritt was dominant during the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod 20-lap main event at Marysville Raceway. Merritt passed Thomas Reynolds for the lead on lap two and never looked back, opening a sizeable advantage. Merritt beat second-place Dan Brown Jr. by nearly four seconds at the checkered flag to score his first win of the year. Jason Clayton Jr. ran in the third spot for most of the race but unfortunately pulled off the track with less than two laps to go. This moved Oregon’s Travis Pruitt into third after starting ninth. Cole Fear finished fourth, while Reynolds secured the fifth spot at the finish. Brown Jr. won the first heat race, and Jeff Bentancourt picked up the win in heat race two. The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate NorCal Speed. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $24.99 per month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries, streaming exclusively on IMCA [Read More]

News

Cooper Cruises to First SportMod Win of Season at Marysville

By Troy Hennig MARYSVILLE, Calif. (Apr. 18, 2026) — The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods continued their resurgence in car count at Marysville Raceway, with 16 competitors signing in for championship point race number five. A familiar name dominated the 20-lap feature, as Yuba City’s Todd Cooper started on the front row and led every lap without issue. Cooper, teaming with the Shelby family, piloted the No. 86 to a commanding victory. Former track champion Jimmy Ford chased Cooper for much of the race but ultimately finished just over a second behind at the checkered flag. Mike Merritt completed the podium in third. Two early contenders encountered trouble. Buddy Olschowka stopped on lap three with a mechanical issue and was unable to continue, while Jason Clayton Jr., who had been running second, pulled off on lap five. Defending track champion Mark Garner charged from 10th to finish fourth, while newcomer Al Johnson impressed with a fifth-place run. Olschowka won the first eight-lap heat race, while Clayton Jr. dominated heat race two, building a lead of more [Read More]

Late Model

Merchant Storms from 16th to Capture Park Jefferson Modified Feature

By Chance Riley JEFFERSON, S.D. (Apr. 16, 2026) — The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds were the stars of the show Thursday night at Park Jefferson Speedway with a thrilling 20-lap main event. For most of the race, it was a two-car battle for the lead between Shane DeMey and Brian Mahlstedt. But on the white flag lap, charging down the front stretch, R.J. Merchant of South Sioux City, Nebraska stormed from his 16th starting position to steal the win—despite a bent suspension. It was Merchant’s first victory of the year in the Razor Chassis North Central Region. DeMey finished second ahead of Duke Erickson, while Mahlstedt and Ricky Stephan completed the top five. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods also delivered an exciting 18-lap feature. Braydon Ahlers controlled much of the race, but Willy Kirk, who restarted at the back following an early caution, made a last-lap pass on the front stretch during a green, white, checkered finish to take the win. The Salix, Iowa driver earned his first victory of the season. Ahlers settled for [Read More]

Modified

Modifieds and SportMods Set to Get Rolling at Santa Maria

By Stephanie Odom SANTA MARIA, Calif. (Apr. 20, 2026) — Santa Maria Speedway is set to host an action-packed night of racing this Saturday, April 25, on the famed third-mile clay oval. The evening marks the season championship opener for the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods. IMCA Modifieds competed six times at Santa Maria Speedway in 2025 and produced six different winners, proving just how deep and competitive the division was all season long. Cody Burke opened the year in victory lane, and the Salinas native will look to repeat that performance as he heads south on US 101 for this season’s opener. Josh Combs, Larry Wise, Gavyn Manning, Rob Sanders, and Logan Drake also found victory lane last season, and several are expected back this weekend in pursuit of the first win at SMS in 2026. IMCA Northern SportMods were just as competitive in 2025, producing six different winners over seven nights of racing. The only two-time winner, Tyler Bannister, has moved to the IMCA Modified ranks and will make [Read More]

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