Ryan Clark

Baca Charges Late to Capture Night Seven Modified Thriller at IMCA TV Winter Nationals

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 30, 2026) — A dramatic late-race surge lifted Chaz Baca Jr. to victory in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature during the seventh night of the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis IMCA TV Winter Nationals powered by Pitt Stop Motorsports and Dynamic Drivelines at Central Arizona Raceway. Three-division Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s winner Dylan Thornton jumped to the lead on the opening lap after overtaking two-time Sweetwater Speedway champ Bryson Yeager. Pressure mounted immediately as Baca moved into second on lap two and began challenging Thornton following an early caution. The two raced side-by-side for several circuits before Baca edged ahead at the stripe on lap six. Brandon Beckendorf soon entered the battle, working past Thornton and setting his sights on the leader as the race settled into a long green-flag stretch. Beckendorf, the 2018 Razor Chassis North Central Region champion, seized the lead on the backstretch on lap 17 and started to pull away. The closing laps delivered a stunning reversal. Baca, the two-time IMCA Modified [Read More]

Thornton Rallies Late for Fourth Modified Victory at ’26 IMCA TV Winter Nationals

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 29, 2026) — Belle Plaine, Iowa’s Dylan Thornton added another chapter to his dominant Winter Nationals run with a hard-fought victory in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature during the sixth night of the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis IMCA TV Winter Nationals powered by Pitt Stop Motorsports and Dynamic Drivelines at Central Arizona Raceway. The former Santa Maria, California, resident earned his fourth win of the 2026 event, his fourth victory of the year in the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region, and his sixth career Winter Nationals Modified triumph. Thornton, a three-division winner at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, jumped to the early lead from the bottom groove before 2018 Razor Chassis North Central Region champion Brandon Beckendorf began applying pressure. Beckendorf took control on lap five and briefly stretched the advantage as the leaders navigated lapped traffic. A caution on lap 18 reset the field, and Thornton went to work on the outside, pulling alongside Beckendorf and completing the winning pass on lap 22. Beckendorf [Read More]

Braaksma Holds On for Night Five Modified Victory at IMCA TV Winter Nationals in Casa Grande

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 28, 2026) — Ethan Braaksma from Newton, Iowa, captured his fourth career IMCA Modified Winter Nationals series victory with a hard-fought win in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature during the fifth night of the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis IMCA TV Winter Nationals powered by Pitt Stop Motorsports and Dynamic Drivelines at Central Arizona Raceway. The defending Winter Nationals champion and two-time Dakota Classic Modified Tour titlist drove the Trent Guest and Danny Meier-owned no. 111 to victory, earning his first win of the 2026 campaign in the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region. Braaksma jumped to the early lead at the drop of the green and immediately began setting the pace, while three-division Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s winner Dylan Thornton moved into second and methodically began closing the gap. A strong battle developed behind them as Jonathan Mawhinney and reigning Marshalltown Speedway track champion Kollin Hibdon fought for third, with Hibdon eventually securing the position. Lapped traffic became a factor by lap 13, and Braaksma navigated [Read More]

IMCA TV Clash On The Coast Returns Bigger Than Ever for 2026

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Jan. 26, 2026) — The 4th Annual IMCA TV Clash On The Coast is set to return February 21–28, 2026, featuring four nights of racing at two premier Gulf Coast dirt tracks with expanded racer amenities and one of the most unique offseason experiences in IMCA competition. It will feature three Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly divisions including the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, and Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods. The 2026 Clash On The Coast will be split between Northwest Florida Speedway in Baker, Fla., and Deep South Speedway in Loxley, Ala., continuing the successful dual-venue format that has defined the event’s rapid growth. Practice sessions are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21, at Northwest Florida and Thursday, Feb. 26, at Deep South. Full race programs will follow Sunday and Monday, Feb. 22–23, at Northwest Florida before the tour shifts to Deep South for the final two shows on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27–28. Nightly payouts will pay $1,250 to win and $100 to start in each division, [Read More]

IMCA TV Winter Nationals Explode to Life with Action-Packed Opening Week

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 26, 2026) — The first week of the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis IMCA TV Winter Nationals powered by Dynamic Drivelines and Pitt Stop Motorsports at Central Arizona Raceway delivered an incredible start to the 2026 season in the Copper State, with more than 240 teams from across the United States and Canada making the journey to the 3/8-mile clay oval. The three-division Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s winner from Belle Plaine, Iowa, Dylan Thornton, took care of business in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, winning the first three nights of competition. One of those victories came in dramatic fashion, as Thornton edged out Mesa native and two-time national champion Chaz Baca Jr. by just 0.021 seconds in the second night’s feature. Baca, the runner-up in that close finish and the 2024 Winter Nationals champion, rebounded to capture the final-night win of the opening week. Three-time IMCA Sprint Car Super Nationals winner Curt Lund of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, claimed the opening Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature before 2024 [Read More]

Blankenship Finishes With a Flourish to Complete Four Track Title-Winning Quest

By Bill Martin FALLON, Nev. (Jan. 26, 2026) – Colton Blankenship found himself with some pretty good company in just his second Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod season. Blankenship raced to four track championships, joining the likes of Sunoco IMCA Stock Car National champion Kelly Shryock and fellow IMCA Northern SportMod speedster Ryan Moser in earning so many local titles during the 2025 campaign. Winning four or more such crowns in a single IMCA season is a feat now accomplished 38 times by 48 different drivers. Blankenship has a further claim to fame in being the first from Nevada to complete that quest. “It was a little after midway of the season when we were leading at two tracks, we were right there in points going into the weekend at the third and I was close at the fourth when I realized it was really possible,” said Blankenship, who would reign at Battle Mountain Raceway, Lovelock Speedway, hometown Rattlesnake Raceway and Winnemucca Regional Raceway, understandably earning Nevada State championship as well. “We just tried to stay [Read More]

Aiken Powers to Second Straight IMCA Mod Lite Feature Win at Hendry County

By Justin Newman CLEWISTON, Fla. (Jan. 23, 2026) — Pierce Aiken continued his strong start to the season at Hendry County Motorsports Park in the Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite division, scoring his second feature win and capping off another impressive night at the speedway. The Lake Worth driver set the tone early by capturing his heat race victory before carrying that momentum into the main event. Early cautions slowed the pace of the feature, but once the race settled into extended green-flag conditions, Aiken went to work from mid-pack, methodically slicing through traffic. At the halfway mark, he powered around Tyler Garey to take command of the race, making a decisive move in his Joker Chassis. Once out front, Aiken was in complete control, pacing the field and stretching his advantage as the laps clicked off. Garey, who led the early stages, held on for a solid second-place finish. Ben Blalock crossed the line third, followed by Richard Houston in fourth, with James Vary rounding out the top five. The event was broadcast live on [Read More]

Baca Masters Traffic and Late Restart to Win at IMCA TV Winter Nationals

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 24, 2026) — Chaz Baca Jr. scored his eighth career Winter Nationals series victory with a hard-fought win in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature during the fourth night of the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis IMCA TV Winter Nationals powered by Pitt Stop Motorsports and Dynamic Drivelines at Central Arizona Raceway. The two-time IMCA National champion also earned his first win of the 2026 campaign in the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region. The Mesa motorist jumped to the early lead and quickly separated himself as the top three checked out from the field. Kevin Williamson, the reigning Western Region champion in the Superior Fuel Cells-fielded no. 42, and Joey Price, the 2018 Montana State titlist in the Shawn Zelenka-provided no. 11*, battled for position behind the leader as Baca began working lapped traffic on lap 12. Pressure mounted in the closing laps when reigning Winter Nationals champion Ethan Braaksma reeled Baca in as traffic tightened the racing groove. A caution on lap 18 set up a green-white-checkered finish, but Baca [Read More]

Thornton Extends IMCA TV Winter Nationals Streak with Third Straight Modified Win

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 23, 2026) — Dylan Thornton of Belle Plaine, Iowa, continued his dominant run at Central Arizona Raceway with a commanding victory in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature during the third night of the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis IMCA TV Winter Nationals powered by Pitt Stop Motorsports and Dynamic Drivelines. The former Santa Maria, California native earned his fifth career Winter Nationals series victory, his third win of the 2026 event, and his third straight triumph in the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region. Thornton jumped to the lead immediately from the high side on the opening start and began pulling away as the green-flag run developed. Two-time defending Dakota Classic Modified Tour champion and reigning Winter Nationals champion Ethan Braaksma gave chase from the bottom groove in the Danny Meier and Trent Guest-owned no. 111, while a spirited mid-race battle for fourth between reigning Marshalltown Speedway track champion Kollin Hibdon and Tate Johnson provided the best fight inside the top five. A caution on lap 14 reset the field just [Read More]

Karl Kustoms Named National Title Sponsor of IMCA Modifieds and Northern SportMods

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Jan. 22, 2026) — IMCA is proud to announce Karl Kustoms as the new national title sponsor of IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Northern SportMods, strengthening a long-standing relationship between the company and IMCA racing. Since their introduction in 1979, IMCA Modifieds have grown into the largest division of race cars in the United States. Known for fierce competition and unmistakable open-wheel design, the class continues to showcase many of the nation’s top racers at dirt tracks before standing-room-only crowds from coast to coast and border to border. Originating in 2005, the IMCA Northern SportMods have seen steady growth as tracks across the country look for a class that allows budget-minded drivers to get on, and stay on, the racetrack. The division has become a staple at a growing number of weekly racing facilities, valued for its affordability and competitive racing. A longtime supporter of IMCA racing, Karl Kustoms has been actively involved in the sport through sponsorship of tracks, events, and racing programs across the Midwest and beyond. That continued commitment [Read More]