By Ben Deatherage
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (Apr. 29, 2026) — The 3rd Annual IMCA Summer Nationals is set to deliver four days of high-paying action at Independence Motor Speedway, running Sunday, May 31 through Wednesday, June 3.
After the first two editions were held at Clay County Speedway in Spencer, the event shifts to Independence for 2026, continuing its mission of providing racers a lucrative, multi-day showcase to kick off the summer racing season in the Midwest.
The inaugural Summer Nationals drew more than 100 IMCA Stock Cars and 100 IMCA Northern SportMods, and the event has since expanded to include all five Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly divisions. This year’s total purse exceeds $200,000.
Over the course of the week, competitors in Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars will race for a combined $13,000 to win, while IMCA Northern SportMods compete for $8,000, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks for $5,500, and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts for $2,750.
A new addition for 2026 is the Invitational Night on Monday, June 1, featuring all five divisions. The Invitational will be non-sanctioned with no IMCA points awarded.
Sunday, May 31 will feature an open practice session along with time trials. The top four qualifiers in each division will be locked into the redraw for Monday’s Invitational feature events.
Monday’s Invitational program will see all features start three-wide, with starting fields determined by car count. Payouts include $5,000 to win for Modifieds and Stock Cars, $3,000 for SportMods, $2,000 for Hobby Stocks, and $1,000 for Sport Compacts.
The week continues with two full programs.
On Tuesday, June 2, Modifieds and Stock Cars will race for $3,000 to win, SportMods for $2,000, Hobby Stocks for $1,500, and Sport Compacts for $750.
The event concludes Wednesday, June 3 with increased payouts, as Modifieds and Stock Cars each race for $5,000 to win, SportMods for $3,000, Hobby Stocks for $2,000, and Sport Compacts for $1,000.
Tuesday and Wednesday programs will also serve as qualifying events for the Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational and the B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational to be held during the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September. The Wednesday Stock Car winner will be guaranteed a starting position in the All-Star Invitational.
Tuesday and Wednesday programs will be separate, full-point IMCA-sanctioned events, with no track points awarded but Iowa State, regional, and national points up for grabs. Modified drivers will compete for Razor Chassis North Central Region points, Stock Cars for EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region points, and Hobby Stocks for B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region points.
Drivers looking to take advantage of discounted entry fees for the IMCA Summer Nationals must be registered by May 15 on MyRacePass.
Drivers will also have an additional opportunity to get on track the night before, as the Travis Smock IMCA Summer Nationals Prelude is scheduled for Saturday, May 30.
Fans unable to attend can catch every lap live on IMCA TV affiliate Advantage Racing TV.
For the latest updates, news, and event information, follow Independence Motor Speedway on Facebook.
