Ryan Clark

Laney Holds Off Diercks in Traffic for Kathy Dlouhy Memorial Victory at Cedar County

By Jerry Mackey TIPTON, Iowa (Sept. 27, 2026) — Cedar County Raceway hosted 152 race teams Sunday for the Kathy Dlouhy Memorial, an event honoring a woman who poured her heart and soul into the Tipton facility. The Modifieds headlined the program with 24 cars taking the green for the 20-lap, $1,500-to-win feature. Cody Laney advanced from the third row and took the lead away from early pacesetter Donovan Lodge. Laney remained out front as Spencer Diercks began closing the gap late in the race. Lapped traffic gave Diercks an opportunity to challenge in the closing circuits, but Laney held him off by less than a car length to secure the win. The win was Laney’s sixth of the 2026 season at five different tracks and his first at Cedar County this year. It was also the Torrance, Calif., driver’s fourth Razor Chassis North Central Region victory. Laney’s $1,500 triumph also earned him eligibility to attempt to qualify for the 2027 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. [Read More]

Maupin Seals STIMS Championship With I-37 Victory

By Nick Robbins PLEASANTON, Texas (Sept. 26, 2026) — The Southern Touring IMCA Modified Series presented by On Demand Shirts wrapped up its 2026 points season at I-37 Speedway, where 17 Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds signed in for the $1,000-to-win, 20-lap main event at the racy South Texas bullring. Cody Leonard set the tone early, taking the win in the first heat over Steven Whiteaker Jr. Contact between Johnny Torres and Brandon Sanderson coming into turn one after the green ended the heat for both drivers. Once the field was restacked, Leonard and Whiteaker Jr. pulled away, while Shawn Sandegren, Cameron Dinsmore, and Chris Carroll fought hard throughout the race. Carroll ultimately held on for third, with Sandegren fourth and Dinsmore fifth. The second heat started with the field three-wide into turn one after the green flag dropped, and again on lap two, before things sorted themselves out. When the checkered flag fell, points leader Jared Maupin had claimed the win over Ryan Doyon, with Logan Dinsmore third. Leonard and Maupin brought the field to green [Read More]

French Grimes: A Life Remembered

By Ben Deatherage MADISON, Va. (Sept. 28, 2026) — French Grimes once compared himself to Johnny Appleseed. Instead of carrying a sack filled with apple seeds, Grimes believed his contained something else. RaceSaver. “I said I’m Johnny Appleseed,” Grimes explained during a 2013 interview. “I’ve got a sack of seeds for RaceSaver, and I go around the country. I poke them in a hole where I think it’ll grow, and then we find somebody who’s dedicated to make sure we water it and make it grow.” For nearly three decades, that is essentially what he did. Grimes helped plant those seeds in Virginia. They took root in Pennsylvania, Texas, New Jersey, the Carolinas and eventually across much of the country. What began as an effort to make Sprint Car racing affordable enough for ordinary working racers grew into a national movement and eventually became intertwined with IMCA racing across the country. Grimes, the founder and driving force behind RaceSaver, died Sept. 13 at the University of Virginia Hospital surrounded by his family. He was 83. He [Read More]

Johnson Strikes Late as Bannisters Secure Bakersfield Championships

By Steven Blakesley BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Sept. 26, 2026) — Tyler Bannister and Jason Bannister completed championship-winning seasons at Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway on Saturday night during Championship Night on the dirt. Brad Pounds, the 2025 Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified track champion, dominated the 20-lap feature. Pounds started fourth and drove to his third DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region victory of the season, with all three coming at Bakersfield. Newly crowned 2026 track champion Tyler Bannister finished second after starting from the pole, while Markus Frazier was third and Rob Sanders fourth. Pounds also won the heat race. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods led the action with 15 entries on hand and an exciting 25-lap championship finale. Jason Bannister built a sizeable advantage on several occasions, but a pair of cautions on lap 16 erased his lead and tightened the field for the closing stages. Ethan Johnson took advantage of the opportunity. Johnson worked the high side and drove around Bannister in turn four to take the lead on lap 20 before going [Read More]

McKinney Makes 1,000-Mile Trip Pay Off With MLA Nationals Victory

By Bryce Vowan WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. (Sept. 26, 2026) — A roughly 1,000-mile trip from Magnolia, Del., paid off in a big way for Ryan McKinney Saturday night as he captured the $2,000 Mod Lites of Arkansas IMCA Nationals at Riverside International Speedway. McKinney started third and found himself in the right place at the right time late in the feature, taking advantage of trouble for the leaders before driving the No. 25M to victory. The trip to Arkansas was far from a certainty for McKinney, who suffered a spine injury in a racing accident two months earlier. “I came to Riverside on a whim,” McKinney said. “We were iffy on going due to a spine injury from a wreck two months ago, but decided to give it a shot and I’m glad we did!” McKinney said the Riverside surface provided plenty of options throughout the feature. “The track was awesome and racey,” he said. “The line changed a lot throughout the race, and could run anywhere!” McKinney admitted his car wasn’t quite good enough to [Read More]

Southern Challenge Brings Two Nights of Racing to Abilene Oct. 16-17

By Ben Deatherage ABILENE, Texas (Sept. 28, 2026) — The Southern Challenge returns to Abilene Speedway for two nights of Speedway Motors IMCA racing Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16-17, with $3,000 awaiting the Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod winner and $2,000 top prizes on the line for both Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars. The weekend begins with qualifying Friday night. Heat races and qualifying features will set the stage for Saturday’s last-chance races and championship features. SportMods headline the IMCA purse in the second annual Brown Plumbing Southern SportMod Blowout, paying $3,000 to win and $200 to start. Non-transfers will receive $100. Bradley Poor returns as the defending race winner after capturing the inaugural event in 2025. Modifieds race for $2,000 to win and $200 to start, with $100 going to non-transfers. Stock Cars will also compete for $2,000 to win and $200 to start, with $100 for non-transfers. The Modified winner will earn eligibility to attempt to qualify for the 2027 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational, while the Stock Car [Read More]

NY-Penn Series Closes 2026 With Two-Night Thunder Mountain Finale Oct. 30-31

By Ben Deatherage CENTER LISLE, N.Y. (Sept. 28, 2026) — The final two stops of the 2026 NY-Penn IMCA Modified Series season bring the tour to Thunder Mountain Speedway for a pair of special events Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30-31. Friday’s Billy Ward Memorial presented by Patriot Tank Lines will pay $1,004 to win before the season concludes Saturday with the Ed and Jan Billings Classic presented by 71 Speed & Design, paying $3,116 to win. Both Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified features will serve as qualifying events for the 2027 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Each winner will earn eligibility to attempt to qualify for next year’s Invitational at Boone Speedway next September. The Billy Ward Memorial has quickly become a staple of the NY-Penn schedule. Eddie Sites captured the inaugural running in 2023 at Afton Motorsports Park, while Keith Lamphere enters this year’s event as the defending winner after taking the checkers in 2025 at Thunder Mountain. Saturday brings the 2026 NY-Penn campaign to a [Read More]

The Duel Brings Three Nights of Racing to Mohave Valley Nov. 12-14

By Ben Deatherage MOHAVE VALLEY, Ariz. (Sept. 28, 2026) — The Duel returns to Mohave Valley Raceway for three nights of racing Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 12-14, culminating with a $9,777.77-to-win feature for Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds. Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods, and Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks will join the Modifieds during the three-day event. Stock Cars and SportMods each race for $3,500 to win Saturday, while Hobby Stocks chase a $2,000 top prize. Thursday and Friday will each pay $500 to win for Modifieds, Stock Cars, and SportMods. Second place receives $400 and third $300. Hobby Stocks will race for $400 to win Thursday and Friday. Second pays $300 and third $200. Saturday’s Modified main event pays $9,777.77 to win, $3,750 for second, and $2,500 for third, with $400 paid to start from 13th through 22nd. Stock Cars and SportMods each race for $3,500 to win Saturday, followed by $2,000 for second and $1,250 for third. Both features pay $150 to start from 12th through 22nd. The Saturday Hobby Stock main [Read More]

Braaksma Banks $10,000 in Survive the 55 at Skagit

By Blake Anderson ALGER, Wash. (Sept. 26, 2026) — Newton, Iowa’s Ethan Braaksma added another marquee victory to his résumé Saturday night, capturing the $10,000 Skagit Casino Resort Survive the 55 for the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds at Skagit Speedway. Braaksma, the 2026 IMCA TV Clash on the Coast champion, started third in the Campbell River, B.C.-based No. 90 provided by Tammy and Jason Beaulieu and survived a caution-filled 55-lapper to his first career Skagit Speedway victory. The victory also gave Tammy and Jason Beaulieu their second Survive the 55 triumph as car owners. Tom Berry Jr. drove the Beaulieu-owned entry to victory in 2024. Grey Ferrando, the 2023 Survive the 55 winner, took command from the pole on the opening lap before an early caution for Adam Holtrop and Cole Logan, who stopped in turn two. Ferrando continued to lead after the restart, but Braaksma began applying pressure. The two were side-by-side for the top spot in turn four when a slowing Matt Sanders brought out the yellow in turn two on lap 10. Tyson [Read More]

Nicholas Ronnebaum: Racing His Way Into the Century Club

By Ben Deatherage ONAGA, Kan. (Sept. 21, 2026) — Nicholas Ronnebaum began the weekend nearly 700 miles from home. By the time he finished it, he had joined one of the most exclusive groups in Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock racing. Ronnebaum won Friday night at Fix It Forward Speedway in West Fargo, N.D. He won again Saturday at Salina Speedway. Then came Sunday, Aug. 23. Ronnebaum arrived at Goodland Raceway in western Kansas sitting on 99 career victories and facing another track he barely knew. “The night wasn’t too bad,” Ronnebaum said. “I hadn’t really raced Goodland before and didn’t know what to expect, but I got out to see the track and set the car up for tracks that I’d been on that looked similar to it.” Whatever he saw worked. Ronnebaum started eighth in his heat race and charged to second. He rolled off ninth for the feature and began working his way through the field. “I picked them off one by one,” he said. When the checkered flag fell, Ronnebaum had completed a [Read More]