By Koen Shaw
TULARE, Calif. (May 15, 2026) — The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars closed out the Kris Mancebo Memorial with a thrilling 25-lap, $3,500-to-win feature at Thunderbowl Raceway on Friday night.
Troy Foulger jumped out to the early lead and established a strong pace while 10th-starting Paul Stone and 12th-starting Nicholas Johnson quickly carved their way into the top five by lap five.
Johnson momentarily got loose in turn one but managed to save the car and maintain his position. Shortly after, Terry DeCarlo and Fred Ryland were involved in an incident that ended Ryland’s night.
A lengthy green-flag run allowed Foulger, Stone, and Johnson to separate themselves from the field before late-race cautions reset the action.
Austin Pugh brought out one of the late yellows after pounding the turn three wall, while Jeff Olschowka also fell victim to multiple stoppages.
On the restart with five laps remaining, the Winton driver, Stone, made the winning move around Foulger and quickly stretched his advantage to capture the $3,500 payday and his first Kris Mancebo Memorial victory.
The triumph marked Stone’s fifth EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region victory of the season and his first win of the year at Thunderbowl Raceway. The event also served as a B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational qualifier for the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September, although Stone had already secured eligibility with his qualifier victory at Watsonville Speedway on April 24.
Johnson edged Foulger by just .014 seconds in a dramatic photo finish for second. Justin Schweitzer and Tom Smith rounded out the top five.
Wilson Charges from Ninth for $2,000 SportMod Score
The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods delivered another exciting chapter of the Kris Mancebo Memorial with a $2,000-to-win feature in front of a packed Thunderbowl Raceway crowd.
Fred Ryland and Chris McKellar led the field to green, with Ryland taking command early while McKellar kept pressure on throughout the opening laps. Nicholas Johnson and Alyssa Smith battled intensely for third while also contending for second.
Several cautions slowed the feature early. Santiago Lopez suffered heavy right-front damage after colliding with the wall, while Johnson later spun in turn four and collected Paul Brown, ending both drivers’ nights.
The race settled into a rhythm until midway when McKellar’s No. 18C slowed dramatically on the front stretch while battling for a podium position.
Ryland continued to fend off Jason Bannister before Dylan Wilson entered the fight late. Wilson found speed on the bottom groove and slipped past Ryland with three laps remaining.
Starting ninth, the Bakersfield driver raced away to capture the $2,000 victory and his first win of the season. Bannister finished second while Ryland settled for third. Rich Denman came home fourth, and Chris Smith delivered one of the drives of the night by charging from 21st to fifth.
22 IMCA Northern SportMods were in attendance.
Bannister Claims Fourth Straight Mancebo Memorial Victory
The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature paid $2,000 to win and saw Tyler Bannister dominate much of the 20-lap contest.
Starting from the pole, Bannister quickly built a sizable advantage and appeared untouchable until a midway caution for a spinning Michael Scruggs erased his nearly five-second lead.
Eric Hamilton repeatedly challenged Bannister on the ensuing restarts, diving to the inside several times, but Bannister remained flawless each time the green flag waved.
The Bakersfield driver went on to secure his fourth consecutive Kris Mancebo Memorial victory and first in the Modified division. The win was also his fourth DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region triumph of the season at four different tracks.
The feature served as a Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifier for the IMCA Super Nationals, placing Bannister on the eligibility list to attempt to qualify for the prestigious event.
The battle for second remained intense throughout the closing laps as Bobby Hogge and Hamilton exchanged the position multiple times. At the finish, Hogge edged Hamilton by a razor-thin .017-second margin for the runner-up spot.
Gavyn Manning advanced from ninth to fourth while Troy Foulger charged from 10th to complete the top five.
