By Ben Deatherage
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Oct. 20, 2026) — Six seasons into the Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite division’s history under Speedway Motors IMCA sanctioning, Dillon Raffurty remains the only national champion the division has known. The 29-year-old Kansas City racer continued that streak in 2026, securing his sixth consecutive national title by 21 points following a career-best season that produced 36 feature victories in 47 starts.
Raffurty’s latest championship came during a year that also included his third Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s victory, making him the only driver in 2026 to capture both a national championship and a Super Nationals Big Dance. He also earned his sixth consecutive Missouri State championship, the IMCA TV Winter Nationals title, and track championships at Valley Speedway and Electric City Speedway.
“It’s been quite a run we’ve been on,” Raffurty said.
Driving a new Raffurty Chassis, Raffurty faced the challenge of adjusting to a different car and engine combination during the season. The transition brought immediate success, although mechanical issues occasionally interrupted his momentum.
“This year I built a new car and changed to the newer motor like a bunch of guys have been running,” Raffurty explained. “Ever since that, it seems like this car would win or have some kind of issues.”
Raffurty won his first start with the new car at Batesville Motor Speedway in Arkansas while competing with the Mod Lites of Arkansas.
His 36 victories surpassed his previous career high of 30, accomplished in 2022, 2024, and 2025. He also recorded 42 podium finishes and 44 top-10 results, winning more than three-quarters of his 47 starts.
Valley Speedway accounted for 17 of his victories, followed by seven at Electric City Speedway, four at Lakeside Speedway, and three at Central Arizona Raceway. He added one victory each at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, Batesville Motor Speedway, Boone County Raceway, CJ Speedway, and Weedsport Speedway.
The success also carried Raffurty to his sixth consecutive track championship at Valley Speedway and third straight title at Electric City Speedway.
While much of Raffurty’s success came at his regular Missouri tracks, his travels took him to several other states, where he encountered unfamiliar competitors and different racing surfaces. His trip to New York presented a particularly different challenge compared to the tracks he regularly competed on in the Midwest.
“That’s pretty cool, especially doing it in regions where the dirt is different and a whole set of different competitors in different parts of the country,” Raffurty said.
“I’m a big supporter of the Mod Lites. I like the shows like they do in Winter Nationals because it’s a big show but has a weekly vibe because every night is a fresh night. New York, it’s completely different over there. I don’t know what you would call their dirt, but it’s much different to get ahold of than what we have in the Midwest, so that was a challenge.”
His three victories at Central Arizona Raceway helped secure his first career IMCA TV Winter Nationals championship, while a victory at Weedsport Speedway in August highlighted his success away from his regular racing grounds.
For all his success throughout the regular season, one of Raffurty’s most meaningful accomplishments came at Boone Speedway during the 44th annual Super Nationals.
Raffurty had won the first two Mod Lite Big Dances in 2021 and 2023, but his pursuit of a third championship had been interrupted by several frustrating setbacks.
“I won the first two and then had a right rear flat while leading, having a shifter break coming to a halt while leading, and last year I got caught up in a wreck early while racing second,” Raffurty recalled. “This year I went up in smoke during my first qualifier, and I thought, ‘I can’t believe all the bad luck I have here,’ but it all worked out.”
Despite the early setback, Raffurty qualified for the Big Dance and started sixth in the championship feature. He worked his way forward and took the lead on lap 11, then held off the competition through a late restart to secure his third Super Nationals championship and first since 2023.
The victory at Boone added another major accomplishment to a season in which Raffurty continued to establish himself as the division’s most successful driver under IMCA sanctioning.
Feature Wins: 36
Total Top Fives: 42
Total Starts: 47
His Pit Crew: Brother Michael and mother Sherry
His Sponsors: Raffurty Chassis, Raffurty Motorsports, Raffurty Enterprises, Fritter Racing Engines, Quad Power Hydraulics.