Divisions Archives

Herrera Breaks Through for First Tougher Than Dirt Tour Victory

By Ben Deatherage WILLISTON, N.D. (June 4, 2026) — Seventeen-year-old Payce Herrera raced to his first career T&A Tong and Indicator Tougher Than Dirt Tour presented by Schatz Storage victory in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods at Williston Basin Speedway. The Price, Utah driver led the opening lap before a caution immediately slowed the pace. On the restart, Herrera and reigning Nodak Speedway track champion Chad Stratchen separated themselves from the rest of the field as the 2024 Junior National champion established himself as the driver to beat. A pair of cautions just before the midway point kept the field close. Buffalo River Speedway’s defending track champion Jayden Pavlicek mounted several challenges on the high side, but Herrera remained composed while Stratchen and Pavlicek battled intensely for second. The leaders encountered lapped traffic on lap 18, but Herrera never wavered and drove away in the closing laps. The victory was his first career tour triumph and eighth win of the 2026 season at four different racetracks. Stratchen finished second. Pavlicek narrowly beat Tanner Conlin to [Read More]

Wilson Wins $5,000-to-Win IMCA Summer Nationals Stock Car Thriller at the Wire

By Christine Rublack INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (June 3, 2026) — Tyler Wilson emerged victorious in one of the closest finishes of the week, edging Brandon Schmitt by just .025 seconds to win the $5,000-to-win Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature on the final night of the 2026 IMCA Summer Nationals at Independence Motor Speedway on Wednesday night. Schmitt, aboard the Stephanie and Josh Sorce-owned No. 20 entry, established himself as the early leader and quickly pulled away from the field. Behind him, Wilson, Nick Buckarma, and Damon Murty engaged in a spirited battle for position while Kelly Shryock steadily worked his way forward. Shryock, in the Mike Hauan-owned Lake Mills Motorsports No. 3, cracked the top three as the laps wound down, but the battle for the lead belonged to Wilson and Schmitt. Wilson finally edged ahead in the closing laps and narrowly held off Schmitt at the checkered flag for the $5,000 payday. The Little Suamico, Wisconsin, driver earned his third EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region victory of the season and automatically qualified for the 2026 B&B [Read More]

Glasser Captures Tougher Than Dirt Tour Opener with Late Pass

By Ben Deatherage UNDERWOOD, N.D. (June 3, 2026) — Keenan Glasser emerged victorious in a thrilling Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature on opening night of the T&A Tong and Indicator Tougher Than Dirt Tour presented by Schatz Storage at McLean County Speedway, holding off Payce Herrera in a dramatic late-race duel to earn his first career tour victory. The 25-lap main event began with 2006 Sunoco IMCA Stock Car track champion Chad Stratchen taking command before a lap one caution slowed the pace. On the restart, 2024 Junior National champion Payce Herrera and 2024 North Dakota State champion Glasser immediately went to work on the leader. Glasser used the high side to wrestle away the lead on lap three and began setting the pace. The Utah native repeatedly challenged Glasser as the two teenage racers broke away from the rest of the field. The battle intensified when the leaders encountered lapped traffic on lap nine, and Herrera finally found a way around the leader on lap 12. The two frontrunners remained locked together for the [Read More]

Rust Races to IMCA Summer Nationals Opening Night Modified Victory at Independence

By Christine Rublack INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (June 2, 2026) — Joel Rust topped a stellar field of Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds Tuesday night at Independence Motor Speedway, scoring a $3,000 victory on opening night of the IMCA Summer Nationals and earning eligibility to attempt to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September. Jed Freiburger took command early while Brennen Chipp and Spencer Diercks battled for second. Rust, the Grundy Center driver, worked his way forward from the fourth starting position while engaged in a battle with Tripp Gaylord. A caution bunched the field and gave Rust an opportunity to attack. Utilizing the high groove, he surged to the lead and never looked back. The victory was Rust’s first Razor Chassis North Central Region win of the season. Gaylord finished second ahead of Freiburger. Tim Ward charged from 11th to fourth, while Cole Czarneski advanced from 14th to complete the top five. Kelsie Black turned in a notable run from 17th to eighth, while Brandon [Read More]

Rush County Speedway Launches 2026 Season with Myers Racing Engines Bullring Nationals

By William Nusser LA CROSSE, Kan. (June 3, 2026) — Rush County Speedway will open its 2026 season on Friday, June 5, with the Myers Racing Engines Bullring Nationals at the quarter-mile oval located on the Rush County Fairgrounds. The 2026 campaign marks a significant milestone for the speedway with the addition of five Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing sanctioned divisions. Rush County Speedway will sanction Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts during the 2026 season. Drivers competing in the IMCA Modified division will race for Jet Racing Central Region points, while IMCA Stock Car competitors will earn EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region points and IMCA Hobby Stock drivers will race for B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region points. Competitors in those divisions, along with IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Sport Compacts, will also earn Kansas State and IMCA National points throughout the 2026 season. “Adding full IMCA sanctioning is an important step for our speedway and our racers,” said promoter [Read More]

Tristao Leads Wire-to-Wire for Bakersfield Sprint Car Victory

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (May 30, 2026) — George Tristao Jr. made the most of his pole position start Saturday night, leading all 25 laps to capture the RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Car feature at Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway with the California RaceSaver Sprint Series. The Tulare driver grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag and never relinquished the top spot, keeping a comfortable advantage as the battle behind him intensified throughout the main event. While Tristao controlled the race from the front, Davey Pombo worked his way forward from fourth on the starting grid to claim the runner-up position. Jeremy Alves remained among the leaders throughout the feature and finished third after starting alongside Tristao on the front row. Rino Felicioni crossed the stripe fourth while Phil Heynen completed the top five. The night’s action aired live on IMCA TV affiliate TrackVision TV powered by Low Budget TV. Catch every lap again with an IMCA TV Replay Subscription for just $25.99/month. Plus, stream Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries exclusively on IMCA [Read More]

Freedom Race Lifts Named Official Race Car Lift of IMCA

By Ben Deatherage LAKE CITY, Minn. (June 3, 2026) — Freedom Race Lifts is proud to announce its designation as the Official Race Car Lift of IMCA, bringing its award winning battery-operated lift technology to the nation’s oldest active racing sanctioning body in the country. “It is a great honor to be affiliated with a series who put racers first,” said owner Josh Rodewald. “It’s the heart of what we do at Freedom Race Lifts, and we are thrilled to be able to contribute to the future of the sport.” Owned by engineer and former racer Josh Rodewald, Freedom Race Lifts has fast become nationally recognized for establishing the first truly portable wireless-operated vehicle lifts and jacks designed specifically for race teams. That success was fueled by first hand experience; facing the everyday risk of working under vehicles— whether in the shop or at the track. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports more than 4,800 people are injured each year in the U.S. while working on vehicles, due to automotive jack failures. Rodewald believes those numbers [Read More]

Don Gumke Racers’ Memorial Returns June 6 at Jamestown Speedway

By Ben Deatherage JAMESTOWN, N.D. (June 3, 2026) — Jamestown Speedway will honor one of the most influential figures in its history when the 7th Annual Don Gumke Racers’ Memorial takes center stage on Saturday, June 6. Presented by Wilhelm’s and North Star Buick & GMC Dealers and I-29 Trailer Sales, the special event will feature Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds racing for a $2,222 top prize in memory of Don Gumke and his iconic No. 2* Modified. The event will also serve as a Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifier, giving the winner an opportunity to earn eligibility for the 2026 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Gumke, who passed away in January of 2020 at the age of 66, left a lasting impact on the racing community throughout North Dakota and beyond. A fierce competitor behind the wheel, he later helped transform Jamestown Speedway into one of the region’s premier dirt track facilities. Alongside his partner Joanne and Keith Veil, Gumke helped build the speedway’s reputation as a destination for both racers and [Read More]

Feature

Simpson Family Enjoys Memorable Night at Kossuth County Speedway

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (May 28, 2026) — It was a night the Simpson family won’t soon forget at Kossuth County Speedway. Thirteen-year-old Ryan Simpson celebrated his first career feature victory in one of the track’s local divisions, and later in the evening father Jake added a Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature win to complete a memorable family double. With Ryan already in victory lane, the spotlight shifted to Jake in the Northern SportMod feature. The Algona driver answered the challenge in impressive fashion. Drew Fett led the opening laps before cautions on consecutive circuits slowed the action. Following the second restart, Simpson powered past Fett and took command. Starting third, Simpson maintained the lead over the final eight laps to score his second victory of the season, with both wins coming at Kossuth County Speedway. Josh Appel finished second while Grant Kramer completed the podium in third. Charlie Stevens charged from ninth to fourth and Alec Fett rallied from 11th to fifth. Swearingen Wins Stock Car Thriller for Second Straight Week The Sunoco [Read More]

Olsen Charges Late for Shelby County SportMod Victory

By Don Hawkins HARLAN, Iowa (May 30, 2026) — Thirty-three Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods signed in at Shelby County Speedway and the feature lived up to expectations. Josalyn Elmquist jumped out to the early lead before defending track champion Hayden Hillgartner worked his way to the front. As the laps wound down, Red Oak’s Cody Olsen charged through the field from the eighth starting position and made a late-race move to steal the victory. The win was Olsen’s second of the season and came at his second different track in 2026. Hillgartner settled for second while Corey Madden completed the podium in third. Elmquist finished fourth and Brayden Shepherd rounded out the top five. Meiners Scores First Stock Car Win of Season The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars closed out the evening with Austin Meiners putting together an impressive drive from the eighth starting position. The Polk City driver worked his way through traffic and eventually overtook Larry Robinson Jr. to score his first EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region victory of the season. Robinson finished second [Read More]