Articles by Ryan Clark

Feature

Pierce Aiken Scores Friday the 13th Florida Winter Nationals Victory at Ocala

By Ben Deatherage OCALA, Fla. (Feb. 13, 2026) — Pierce Aiken turned Friday the 13th into a lucky night, capturing the Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite feature during night seven of the 2026 Florida Winter Nationals at Ocala Speedway. The 20-lap main event on the 3/8-mile oval saw the rising contender outduel a stacked field to secure his first Winter Nationals triumph of the season and his third overall victory of 2026 after sweeping a pair of January events at Hendry County Motorsports Park. The Lake Worth, Florida, racer also became the first in-state driver to reach victory lane during the 2026 Florida Winter Nationals series. Early on, it appeared Corey Babbitt might be the driver to beat after winning the night before. Ronnie Choate — the inaugural Florida Winter Nationals champion and 2023 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s winner — grabbed the initial advantage down the backstretch, but Babbitt powered underneath him exiting turn four to assume command. The Texan quickly built momentum, surviving cautions on laps two, three, and eight while [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing National Point Standings through February 12, 2026

Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds – 1. Dylan Thornton, Belle Plaine, Iowa, 300; 2. Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn., 280; 3. Kollin Hibdon, Pahrump, Nev., 274; 4. Ethan Braaksma, Newton, Iowa, 270; 5. Troy III Morris, Waterloo, Iowa, 264; 6. Chaz Baca, Stanhope, Iowa, 260; 7. Bryson Yeager, Green River, Wyoming, 234; 8. Jonathan Mawhinney, Las Vegas, Nev., 225; 9. Jeff Larson, Freeport, Ill., 216; 10. Luke Silber, Laveen, Ariz., 201; 11. Logan Drake, San Luis Obispo, Calif., 179; 12. Tate Johnson, Homestead, Montana, 170; 13. Bart Taylor, Sheridan, Wyoming, and Jeremy Richey, Gold Hill, Oregon, both 169; 15. Tyson Blood, Tumwater, Washington, 163; 16. Steven Whiteaker, Robstown, Texas, and Jesse Patterson, Marana, Ariz., both 153; 18. Cody Laney, Fort Dodge, Iowa, 152; 19. Jeff Taylor, Duncan, Okla., 151; 20. Kevin Williamson, Harrisburg, Oregon, 147. Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars – 1. Cameron Starry, Robstown, Texas, 478; 2. Shelby Williams, Bonham, Texas, 418; 3. Curt Lund, Redwood Falls, Minn., 341; 4. Mike Albertsen, Audubon, Iowa, 285; 5. Dillon Richards, Wymore, Neb., 280; 6. Chaz Baca, Stanhope, Iowa, 262; [Read More]

Feature

Babbitt Breaks Through at Ocala with Florida Winter Nationals Victory

By Ben Deatherage OCALA, Fla. (Feb. 12, 2026) — Corey Babbitt put together a dominant performance Thursday night, capturing the Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite feature during night six of the 2026 Florida Winter Nationals at Ocala Speedway. The New Caney, Texas, driver took command early and never relinquished it, mastering multiple restarts on the 3/8-mile oval to secure his first series victory of the season. Ohio’s Carson Hubbard led the field to green and paced the early circuits, but Delaware’s Ryan McKinney quickly went to work on the high side in pursuit of the lead. A charge into the marbles cost McKinney momentum, allowing Corey Babbitt to slip into second. From there, the New Caney, Texas driver wasted little time tracking down Hubbard, executing a clean inside pass at the stripe on lap three to take command. When the green-flag rhythm set in, Babbitt began stretching his advantage before cautions on laps six and seven reset the field. Behind him, a three-wide battle for second erupted between McKinney, Hubbard, and defending Florida Winter Nationals champion [Read More]

Feature

Racine Thompson Takes the Reins at Eagle Raceway

By Ben Deatherage EAGLE, Neb. (Feb. 12, 2026) — Eagle Raceway, long known as “America’s Home Track,” has officially been passed down to the next generation of the Hadan family, as Racine Thompson has been named the new promoter of the famed Nebraska 1/3-mile oval. Roger Hadan, who has owned Eagle Raceway since 2007 after leasing and promoting the facility in 2006, formally handed over day-to-day leadership to his daughter with the goal of continuing the track’s long-standing success and family legacy. Racetrack promotion runs deep in the Hadan family. Roger’s grandfather, Albert Hadan, built the historic Sunset Speedway in Omaha, embedding the sport into the family’s foundation. With a desire to ensure racing remains strong in Eagle for years to come, the transition to Racine represents both continuity and evolution. Thompson has spent her entire adult life at the raceway. Since her parents took over operations, she has worked in virtually every role imaginable at the facility. “When my parents purchased the track in 2007, I’ve worked there since then,” Thompson said. “I started off [Read More]

Feature

Choate Conquers Ocala, Claims First ’26 Winter Nationals Triumph

By Ben Deatherage OCALA, Fla. (Feb. 11, 2026) — Ronnie Choate of Cookeville, Tennessee, delivered a dominant performance in the Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite feature on night five of the 2026 Florida Winter Nationals, capturing the 20-lap main event at Ocala Speedway. The defending Florida Winter Nationals champion controlled the race on the 3/8-mile oval to secure his first series victory of the season. Choate jumped to the early lead on the opening start and immediately established command. Behind him, a spirited battle for second unfolded in the opening laps between Texan Corey Babbitt and Delaware’s Ryan McKinney, with McKinney initially holding the position. A caution on lap seven reset the field, allowing Babbitt to move into second on the restart, but Choate quickly stretched his advantage once green-flag racing resumed. Another slowdown on lap 11 again erased the leader’s margin, yet Choate remained flawless on the restart, driving away from Babbitt and the rest of the field. Brandon Dennis worked past McKinney for third on lap 13, while Babbitt attempted to chip into Choate’s [Read More]

Feature

Hubbard Charges to Bullring Bash Victory at Marion County

By Ben Deatherage OCALA, Fla. (Feb. 10, 2026) — Carson Hubbard broke through in a big way Tuesday night, capturing the Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite feature during night four of the 2026 Florida Winter Nationals and the second round of the Bullring Bash at Marion County Speedway. The Fredericktown, Ohio, driver led the entirety of the 25-lap contest on the tight 1/5-mile oval to score his first victory of the season and halt Riley Clem’s series dominance. The race opened with Texas driver Scott Jordan jumping to the early lead, but Carson Hubbard stormed around the outside off turn four to lead lap one before an immediate caution slowed the field. On the restart, Delaware’s Shane McCarron — who had flipped the previous night — surged into second and quickly set his sights on the leader.  A lap-six caution reset the field, and McCarron briefly took the lead on lap seven before another yellow negated the pass and restored Hubbard out front. The race settled into a long green-flag stretch until a red flag on [Read More]

Feature

Clem Commands Marion County Bullring, Stays Perfect in Winter Nationals

By Ben Deatherage OCALA, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2026) — Riley Clem continued his dominant run through the 2026 Florida Winter Nationals, capturing the Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite feature on night three of competition and the opening round of the Bullring Bonanza at Marion County Speedway. The Bakersfield, California, standout led every lap of the 20-lap main event on the 1/5-mile oval to secure his third victory in three Winter Nationals starts. Clem beat defending Florida Winter Nationals champion Ronnie Choate to the lead on the opening start and quickly established control before an early caution slowed the pace. Multiple stoppages repeatedly erased his advantage, but Clem remained flawless on each restart. Brandon Dennis, the 2024 Delaware State champion, surged into second late, while the 2023 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s winner, Choate, and Missouri’s Billy Beard waged a spirited battle for a podium position through the middle stages. A late caution on lap 18 set up a green-white-checkered finish, but Clem once again executed perfectly, driving away over the final circuits. Dennis [Read More]

News

Michaels Mercer Raceway Park Continues RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Sanctioning for 75th Anniversary Season

By Ben Deatherage MERCER, Pa. (Feb. 10, 2026) — RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars will once again thunder around Michaels Mercer Raceway Park in 2026, as the western Pennsylvania facility sanctions the division for a track championship campaign for the second consecutive year. The 3/8-mile clay oval, located roughly an hour from the shores of Lake Erie and just minutes from the Ohio–Pennsylvania border, has quickly established itself as the Saturday night battleground for Sprint Car competition in the region. Under the leadership of promoter Mike Mathieson, now entering his third season at the helm, the speedway continues to build momentum with strong fields and competitive racing. “When these gates open, it’s all about hard racing, clean competition, and giving the fans every bit of action they came for,” Mathieson said. The upcoming season also marks a major milestone for the historic speedway. Michaels Mercer Raceway Park enters its 75th anniversary campaign under new ownership, as Earl and Michelle Michaels finalized the purchase of the facility in late 2025 from Earl’s brother, Edward. Following the acquisition, Earl [Read More]