Ryan Clark

Janssen Captures Second Straight Sparkling City Classic Modified Feature

By Ben Deatherage CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Dec. 12, 2025) — Drew Janssen doubled down at the inaugural Sparkling City Classic, capturing the $2,000-to-win Friesen Performance IMCA Modified 25-lap main event on Friday night at South Texas Race Ranch. The Pella, Iowa, racer piloted the Kyle Wisdom-owned no. 91 to his second straight victory, backing up Thursday’s win with another commanding performance in the event’s richest Modified feature. Janssen and Johnny Torres traded shots for the lead on the opening lap before Janssen secured the top spot and immediately began stretching the field. Early cautions on laps five and 12 slowed momentum, but each time Janssen was flawless on the restart. Three-time Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod National champion Dean Abbey worked steadily forward, climbing to third on a long green-flag run before advancing to second on a restart. Another yellow on lap 18 again tested the leader, but Janssen continued to answer every challenge. Torres regained second during the late stages as Steven Whiteaker Jr. charged from deep in the field, vaulting into the top [Read More]

Janssen Shines on Opening Night of Sparkling City Classic Modifieds

By Ben Deatherage CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Dec. 11, 2025) — Drew Janssen powered to victory in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified 20-lap main event on opening night of the inaugural Sparkling City Classic at South Texas Race Ranch. The Pella, Iowa, driver wheeled the Kyle Wisdom-owned no. 91 to the $1,000 triumph in the first night of action for the new event. The win also placed Janssen on the eligibility list for the 2026 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational to be held during the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Janssen got to the point on the opening circuit and quickly settled into a strong rhythm, building a comfortable advantage as green-flag laps clicked off. Once the race found its flow, three-time Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod National champion Dean Abbey closed the gap and began applying heavy pressure to the leader. A caution with ten laps remaining reset the field, and on the restart, 2012 Super Nationals Modified champion Jeff Taylor surged past Abbey to take over second. Janssen again pulled away [Read More]

IMCA Champions Take Center Stage at 2025 National Awards Banquet

By Ben Deatherage LINCOLN, Neb. (Dec. 10, 2025) — The best of the best in IMCA were honored Saturday night as national champions, rookies, track and state crown winners, special series titlists, and crew chiefs shared the spotlight at the 2025 IMCA national awards banquet. More than 600 drivers, crew members, sponsors, track officials, and family packed the ballroom at the Cornhusker Marriott. Despite blizzard-like conditions in the area, a near-capacity crowd was on hand to celebrate the accomplishments of IMCA’s 2025 champions. National champions recognized during the evening were Jeff Reay, Friesen Performance IMCA Modified; Zach Zeitner, Sunoco IMCA Late Model; Lee Goos Jr., RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Car; Kelly Shryock, Sunoco IMCA Stock Car; Cory Probst, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock; Landon Capps, Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod; Brayton Carter, Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod; Dillon Raffurty, Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite; and John Martinez, Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact. The Junior National Champion was Hunter Ferrell, and the Lady Eagle champion was Mylee JoAnn Goldwich-Rhames. Modified Regional championships went to Kevin Williamson in the [Read More]

SCE Gaskets Joins IMCA as Official Gasket Partner

By Ben Deatherage MOUNT PLEASANT, Tenn. (Dec. 4, 2025) — IMCA is proud to welcome SCE Gaskets as the official gasket of IMCA Weekly Racing, marking the company’s debut in the world of dirt track competition. The support of SCE will extend across IMCA’s highest seasonal honors. Complete engine gasket kits will be presented to each of the six Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Division national champions, including the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified, Sunoco IMCA Stock Car, Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod, Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock, and Sunoco IMCA Late Model title winners. Decal placement is required on both sides of every IMCA Stock Car, IMCA SportMod, and IMCA Hobby Stock throughout the season. This national program is paired with a strong presence at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, where IMCA Modified, IMCA Stock Car, and IMCA Northern SportMod champions will also receive complete gasket kits during the industry’s most prestigious week-long event at Boone Speedway. To broaden racer participation throughout the year, SCE will additionally award [Read More]

DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Named Title Sponsor of 2026 Winter Nationals; Mod Lites Added To First Week

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Dec. 11, 2025) — DeVilbiss Racing Chassis has been announced as the new title sponsor of the IMCA TV Winter Nationals powered by Pitt Stop Motorsports and Dynamic Drivelines, expanding its long-time support of Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly racers and bringing a major West Coast influence to one of Arizona’s biggest January traditions. The 2026 edition of Winter Nationals will once again be held at Central Arizona Raceway from Jan. 20 to Jan. 31. In addition to the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, and Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites will be a part of the card for the opening week only, running Jan. 21–24. Mod Lites will race for $500 to win each night and $100 to start. The title sponsor for the Eastern Region for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, the DeVilbiss name takes an even larger step forward with the title partnership. For owner and chassis builder Zane DeVilbiss, the decision was driven by [Read More]

Sports Park Raceway Joins IMCA for 2026 Season, Moves Weekly Racing to Sunday Nights

By Sarah Stewart FORT DODGE, Iowa (Dec. 5, 2025) — Sports Park Raceway has announced a major step forward for the 2026 season, confirming that the facility will operate under Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing sanctioning beginning next year while shifting its weekly program to Sunday nights. The track’s 2026 IMCA lineup will feature Sunoco IMCA Late Models, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Owner and promoter Jeff Frevert said the decision aligns with the track’s long-term goals for growth, stability, and consistency. “We believe it’s time to grow,” said Frevert, “and with IMCA’s strong consistent support and a move to Sunday nights, we’re confident this step will help Sports Park Raceway continue to thrive for years to come.” The track previously sanctioned IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Northern SportMods, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Sport Compacts, and IMCA Hobby Stocks in 2018–19. Operations manager Sarah Stewart echoed that excitement, noting both personal experience and the benefits for competitors and fans. “As someone [Read More]

Ken Hansen: A Life Remembered

By Ben Deatherage MYTON, Utah (Dec. 5, 2025) — The Uintah Basin has always been a place shaped by work, resourcefulness, and people who build their own opportunities. Among those who left a lasting mark on the region’s racing community, few names carry more weight or affection than Ken Hansen — a father, inventor, promoter, and friend who helped bring IMCA racing westward and connected drivers across eight states. Hansen passed away on November 18, 2025, at age sixty-five after complications from a stroke. His loss is felt across the Basin and beyond, in the tracks he helped guide, the racers he supported, and the family he poured his life into. Early Years and a Move West Hansen grew up in Powell, Wyoming, exposed to racing without ever taking up the wheel himself. Ken later moved to Utah during the oil boom, drawn by opportunity and the chance to build something of his own. He founded Jet Lift Systems, inventing parts for oil and gas wells that are still used today. His creativity and engineering mind [Read More]

2026 Winter Nationals Stage Set as Mod Lites Tackle Georgia and Florida

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Dec. 4, 2025) — The Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites will launch the 2026 season for many teams with one of the most demanding stretches of racing on the winter calendar, as the 2nd Annual Georgia–Florida Speedweek brings ten events in fourteen days to four tracks across two states. The early-season tour made a strong debut last year, and the 2026 edition promises an even deeper, tougher field as teams converge on the Southeast to chase big money, early momentum, and a Speedweek championship. Everything begins at Swainsboro Raceway in Georgia, where teams will gather for an open practice on Sunday, February 1. The first two nights of racing are set for Monday and Tuesday, February 2 and 3, with both features paying $1,000 to win. After the Georgia opener, the Speedweek caravan heads into Florida and stays there for the remainder of the journey. Hendry County Motorsports Park in Clewiston hosts the next leg of the schedule, beginning with a Thursday practice on February 5. Two lucrative nights follow, [Read More]

Fugly Push Co. Gears Up for High-Octane Fundraiser at Central Arizona Raceway on Jan. 24

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Dec. 3, 2025) — With the 2025 IMCA racing season in the books, Fugly Push Co. is already shifting gears toward 2026 and its second annual fundraiser to benefit Camp Eyabsut, a camp dedicated to helping children who have suffered burn injuries. The effort will once again be anchored at Central Arizona Raceway during the 2026 DeVilbiss Racing Chassis IMCA TV Winter Nationals powered by Pitt Stop Motorsports and Dynamic Drivelines. The big day is set for Saturday, from 10 am to 1:30 pm on Jan. 24, 2026, when Fugly Push Co. teams up with the Arizona Cascade Renegade Riders for a full Motorcycle & Car Show on the grounds of Central Arizona Raceway. Last year’s inaugural fundraiser generated a little over $10,000 for Camp Eyabsut, and organizers are aiming to push that total even higher this time around. Sunshine, the well-known Fugly Push Co. tow truck, is also getting a round of off-season improvements to better serve racers — and to be even more fun to wheel around the [Read More]

Taylor Heaton: Long Roads, Long Nights, and a New Beginning

By Ben Deatherage BAKER, Mont. (Nov. 25, 2025) — The highway out of Baker runs straight and lonely, a ribbon of asphalt cutting through open prairie and endless sky. It’s the kind of road where you measure distance not in miles, but in hours — the kind that every racer from eastern Montana knows by heart. Most weekends, Taylor Heaton and his family point their rig toward North Dakota, chasing laps across the badlands, putting in three-, four-, even five-hour hauls just to race. For Heaton, that long road is part of the deal. It’s where the thinking happens, where the nerves settle, where the excitement builds. It’s where the weekend begins. This is the landscape that shaped him — wide, rugged country where nothing comes easy and every mile matters. It’s where his family put down roots, where racing first sparked to life, and where that spark carried him from off-road machines to the no. 11H Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock. Now, as he prepares for 2026, those same long miles are leading him into a [Read More]