Modified Archives

Probst Powers from Eighth to Hobby Stock Victory at Arlington

By Susan Allen ARLINGTON, Minn. (Sept. 20, 2025) — The Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks stole the show with the most dramatic feature of the night at Arlington Raceway. Jonathon Schroeder’s car caught fire down the backstretch, ending his run early after the same issue plagued him in his heat. Once the smoke cleared, Mac Tollefson led the opening laps before Cory Probst charged from eighth to the front. Tollefson’s night unraveled with mechanical woes, and the battle for second fell to Brad Becker and Jordan Robinson. Robinson made the late move to secure runner-up honors behind Probst. Loverude Times It Right in Modifieds The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds saw a clean and fast main event. Jeremy Mills led the first 16 laps, but with three to go, Trent Loverude pounced. A decisive late move gave him the win in a caution-free race that left fans on their feet. Enter Charges from Ninth for SportMod Score The Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods featured three different leaders in a 20-lap shootout. Matthew Schoenke set the early pace, Joey [Read More]

Jordan Page Memorial Winter Nationals Set for Oct. 2–4 at Southern Oklahoma Speedway

By Ben Deatherage ARDMORE, Okla. (Sept. 21, 2025) — The 21st annual Jordan Page Memorial Winter Nationals returns to Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore on Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 2–4, with three Speedway Motors IMCA-sanctioned divisions set to compete for impressive payouts. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds headline the action with a $2,500-to-win, $300-to-start main event. Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMods chase a $1,500 payday with $200 to start, while Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars will compete for $1,000 to win and $150 to start. Drivers are encouraged to get entries in early. IMCA Stock Cars are $100 to enter until Oct. 1 at midnight, then $125 after. Southern SportMods are $125 until Oct. 1, increasing to $150 afterward. Modifieds are $150 until Oct. 1, then $175 after. The weekend kicks off with an open practice on Thursday, Oct. 2, from 6:00–9:00 p.m. Pit passes are $20 per person. Friday, Oct. 3, will serve as qualifying night, with the top 12 in each division locking into Saturday’s A Main. On Saturday, Oct. 4, the final 12 spots [Read More]

$3,000-to-Win Greg Durbin Memorial Highlights Season Finale Weekend at Davenport Speedway

By Mike McGuire DAVENPORT, Iowa (Sept. 24, 2025) — Davenport Speedway will close out its 2025 season with a pair of blockbuster events this weekend. Friday, Sept. 26, brings the Davenport Dirt Stars, while Saturday, Sept. 27, the Greg Durbin Memorial comes to Davenport for the first time. Friday’s card is headlined by the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, and Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites. Entry fees are $30 for SportMods. Pits open at 3:30 p.m., the front gates at 4:00, the drivers meeting is set for 5:30, and hot laps begin at 6:30. On Saturday, Sept. 27, the Greg Durbin Memorial will pay $3,000 to win for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, with a $100 entry fee. Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, and IMCA Mod Lites will also be in action. Pits open at 3:30 p.m., front gates at 4:00, hot laps at 6:00, and racing to follow. Grandstand admission each night is $20 for adults and $10 for kids ages 5–10, [Read More]

Partain Steals the Show in Stock Cars at Casa Grande

By Rowdy Briggs CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Sept. 20, 2025) — The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars delivered the biggest fireworks at Central Arizona Raceway, where Bo Partain put on a show with a weekend sweep. On Friday, Mitchell Ferguson looked strong in the runner-up spot until disaster struck when his left rear wheel came off, opening the door for Partain to dominate. Clay Erickson finished second with Larry Brigner third, while John Parmeley completed the top four. Saturday’s feature again belonged to Partain, who checked out and never looked back. Erickson earned another runner-up finish, with Trevor Hidalgo third and Casey Murdoch fourth. Hidalgo ended the weekend as track champion, while Brigner secured the state crown. Silber Sweeps Modifieds, Egurola Takes Track Title Luke Silber left no doubt in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, checking out both Friday and Saturday to claim the Arizona State Championship. Friday saw Michael Egurola Jr. run second ahead of Sean Stacy and John Parmeley. Saturday’s feature looked much the same with Egurola again runner-up, Parmeley third, and KC Dieckman fourth. Consistency [Read More]

Gruber Grabs Late SportMod Win as Walt Takes Title

By Sheldon Wickwar WaKEENEY, Kan. (Sept. 20, 2025) — The 20-lap Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod main event at WaKeeney Speedway started with Trevin Frye and Blaine Walt on the front row. Walt quickly took command and began clicking off laps with confidence. A couple of cautions slowed the pace but didn’t shake the leader, as Kamren Gruber, Adam Weber, Josh Barnhart and Brianna Maughlin all chased hard. With four laps to go, Walt looked poised to cruise to victory and lock up the championship when heartbreak struck — his car slowed down the frontstretch, bringing out a caution and ending his shot at the win. Walt and Gearhart tied in the final standings, but his earlier consistency secured him the track championship. The restart put Gruber out front, and the LaCrosse driver fired off strong, holding off Weber and Barnhart to the checkered flag. He celebrated with dirt-flying donuts on the frontstretch, delighting the crowd. It was Gruber’s second win of the season, his first coming at the Rush County Fairgrounds Bullring. Weber finished second, [Read More]

Dockter and Chipp Deliver Last-Lap Thrillers in Maquoketa Modifieds

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Sept. 20, 2025) — The racing was second to none as two nights of action at Maquoketa Speedway provided thrilling finishes and plenty of wheel-to-wheel battles during the All-Star Classic weekend. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds contested 20-lap feature events both nights, and both mains went caution-free, flag-to-flag. Friday night’s main event came down to the white flag as Norwich, N.D., driver Zach Dockter pulled off a dramatic last-lap pass on race leader Troy Cordes, slipping by as the two exited turn four to the checkers. Saturday’s finale was equally exciting as Brennen Chipp used a crossover move in the last set of turns to fend off a slider from Drew Janssen and secure the victory. Stock Cars Split Dramatic Maquoketa Weekend The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars also ran 20-lap features each night, with loaded fields showcasing some of the Midwest’s best. On Friday, Maquoketa Speedway regular Andrew Burk of Milan, Ill., earned the win by less than a car length over John Oliver Jr. Oliver came back even stronger on [Read More]

John Shoptaw: The Flight Medic’s Racing Comeback at 65

By Ben Deatherage MENA, Ark. (Sept. 19, 2025) — The Ouachita Mountains rise green and rugged around Mena, a town shaped by timber, trains, and resilience. It’s here that 65-year-old John Shoptaw calls home — a critical care paramedic by profession, and a racer by passion. His journey has carried him from Carthage, Missouri, to firehouses across Arkansas, and back behind the wheel of a Modified long after many thought his driving days were over. On July 30, 2017, at Diamond Park Speedway, Shoptaw’s career nearly ended. “I had a horrendous wreck,” he said. “Broke my lower back, my coccyx, my collarbone, and suffered a concussion so bad you wouldn’t think I’d ever climb back in a car.” With help from a friend, he patched together a car for the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s that fall. But it never came around, and by week’s end, he sold it off. For years, he stayed away entirely. “I didn’t watch, didn’t go, didn’t want anything to do with racing,” he admitted. Golf became his [Read More]

Elmer Saathoff Classic Headlines Octoberfest at Beatrice Speedway Oct. 9–11

By Ben Deatherage BEATRICE, Neb. (Sept. 21, 2025) — The seasons are changing, and so is the 2025 campaign at Beatrice Speedway, where the annual Octoberfest will run Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 9–11, capped by the prestigious Elmer Saathoff Classic on Saturday night. The weekend begins Thursday, Oct. 9, with an open practice session for all divisions from 6:00–9:00 p.m. Any class of cars is welcome, pit passes are $20, and admission to the grandstands is free. Friday, Oct. 10, will feature a complete program for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Modifieds headline with $1,000 to win and $130 to start, while Stock Cars, SportMods, and Hobby Stocks will also race for $1,000 to win. Sport Compacts join the card with a $600-to-win program. Pit gates open at 3:00 p.m., grandstands at 6:00, the drivers meeting and draw close at 6:30, opening ceremonies are at 6:55, and racing begins at 7:00. Saturday, Oct. 11, kicks off early with breakfast [Read More]

Rick Smith: From the Operating Room to the Winner’s Circle

By Ben Deatherage MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (Sept. 19, 2025) — The Skagit Valley stretches north of Seattle, where the Skagit River bends through farmland and tulip fields before emptying into Puget Sound. Along its banks sits Mount Vernon, a city first carved out by loggers in the 1870s and toughened by floods, fires, and the grit of rebuilding. Just beyond town, the mist of the North Cascades rolls down into fields of color each spring, while at night the roar of Skagit Speedway turns the valley into a dirt-slinging cathedral. For Rick Smith, it’s more than a backdrop — it’s home, and the stage where three generations of his family have chased speed. That stage nearly slipped away in December 2024, when Smith suffered a heart attack and underwent open-heart surgery. But eight months later — on Aug. 2, his 35th year in the sport — he was back in victory lane at Skagit Speedway in his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified. Rick Smith celebrates in victory lane at Skagit Speedway on Aug. 2, marking his 35th [Read More]

Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing National Point Standings through September 18, 2025

Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds – 1. Jeffrey Reay, Portland, Michigan, and Jeremy Mills, Clear Lake, Iowa, both 981; 3. Spencer Diercks, Davenport, Iowa, 979; 4. Johnny Whitman, Suamico, Wisconsin, 970; 5. Logan Anderson, Eddyville, Iowa, 964; 6. Todd Shute, Norwalk, Iowa, 958; 7. Chris Zogg, New Liberty, Iowa, 956; 8. Ethan Killingsworth, Yreka, Calif., 955; 9. Kevin Williamson, Eugene, Oregon, 951; 10. Ty Clemens, Belgrade, Montana, 950; 11. Shawn Harker, Nebraska City, Neb., 949; 12. Izac Mallicoat, Boone, Iowa, 948; 13. William Gould, Calera, Okla., 947; 14. Kinzer McCord, Molt, Montana, 946; 15. Jed Freiburger, Dubuque, Iowa, and Myron DeYoung, Stanton, Michigan, both 944; 17. Kyle Anton, Gillette, Wyoming, 942; 18. Jeff Larson, Freeport, Ill., 939; 19. Steven Pfeifer, Bowbells, N.D., 938; 20. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton, Iowa, 937. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars – 1. Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, 996; 2. John Oliver Jr., West Burlington, Iowa, 992; 3. Mike Albertsen, Audubon, Iowa, 973; 4. Justin Luinenburg, Reading, Minn., and Dan Mackenthun, Hamburg, Minn., both 969; 6. Kodey Miles, Bernard, Iowa, 947; 7. Braden Richards, Madrid, [Read More]