Mod Lite Archives

IMCA TV Revenue Share Program Pays Back Big to Racers in 2025

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Dec. 17, 2025) — The IMCA TV revenue sharing program continued to put money back into racers’ pockets in 2025, matching last season’s payout levels while expanding to more tracks and rewarding strong weekly support across the country. Fueled by IMCA TV Replay Subscription viewership of weekly and special events, the program once again turned digital exposure into direct financial benefits for drivers. More than 600 drivers qualified for IMCA TV bonus checks during the 2025 season. Revenue was generated from replays of weekly and special events at 54 tracks broadcast by IMCA TV or its affiliates, then distributed to drivers finishing in the top three in point standings in each sanctioned division at qualifying facilities. Drivers in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified, Sunoco IMCA Late Model, RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Car and Sunoco IMCA Stock Car divisions receive checks of $255, $205 and $150. Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod and Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod competitors earn $155, $120 and $115, while Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock, Stealth Racing IMCA STARS [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]

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]

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]

Thanksgiving Thunder Set for Nov. 22 at Smoky Mountain Speedway; $1,200 Awaits Mod Lite Winner

By Ben Deatherage MARYVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 10, 2025) — The Tennessee Mod Lite Racing Association is set to light up the foothills of the Smokies as Thanksgiving Thunder returns to Smoky Mountain Speedway on Saturday, Nov. 22. This can’t-miss event in the scenic Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee will showcase the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites, competing for $1,200 to win on one of the South’s premier clay ovals. The weekend opens with a Friday night practice on Nov. 21 from 6:00–9:00 p.m. Pit passes are $20, offering teams valuable track time before race day. Saturday’s main event schedule features pit gates opening at 9:00 a.m., grandstands at 10:00 a.m., a drivers’ meeting at noon, and hot laps at 12:30 p.m., followed by a full program of high-speed Mod Lite competition. Grandstand admission is $20 for adults and $5 for kids 11 and under, while pit passes are $35 on race day. Adding to the prestige of the second annual event, the winning chassis will receive exclusive post-race recognition through a dedicated IMCA media spotlight [Read More]

Avila Outduels Carter in SportMods at Marshalltown’s Harvest Hustle

By Kaden Krebs MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Oct. 25, 2025) — The Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods produced another exciting showdown at the Fast Shafts Harvest Hustle on a seasonally chilly night at Marshalltown Speedway, highlighted by an early restart that changed everything. Matt Avila used the high side perfectly to surge around National champion Brayton Carter and take command of the race. Despite a late caution tightening the field, Avila stayed smooth and steady to the finish. Carter finished runner-up, followed by Brayden Shepherd, Dylan VanWyk, and Cam Reimers. Rookie Butt Steals Show in Hobby Stocks The Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks delivered the most dramatic finish of the night, where a packed grandstand braved the cool air to see a first-time winner steal the spotlight. Veteran Bradley Graham, no stranger to leading laps on the High Banks, paced the early circuits until 14-year-old rookie Carson Butt mounted a stunning late-race charge. Butt slipped past Graham in the closing laps to capture a thrilling, crowd-pleasing victory — a breakout moment to close his rookie campaign. Graham settled for [Read More]

Allstar Performance to Reward 2025 IMCA Heat Race Standouts; Submissions Due Nov. 18

VINTON, Iowa (Nov. 4, 2025) — IMCA drivers who piled up heat race wins this season can cash in with Allstar Performance gift cards — but they must submit proof by Nov. 18. Any driver who wins more than 10 heat races in 2025 is eligible for a $100 Allstar Performance gift card. The single driver with the most heat-race wins nationwide will receive a $250 Allstar Performance gift card. Gift cards will be presented during the IMCA National Banquet on Nov. 29. To be eligible, drivers must email a photo of their car showing the official heat-win decal in place, as distributed by tracks, to IMCA Marketing Integration & Sponsorship Director Carson Becker-Gramm at cbgramm@imca.com. Photos must be received no later than Nov. 18.

Robbie Throop Captures National IMCA STARS Mod Lite Rookie of the Year title

By Ben Deatherage WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 29, 2025) — Florida racer Robbie Throop capped a breakout 2025 campaign by claiming the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite Rookie of the Year title, the culmination of a season built on determination, family effort, and redemption. The 22-year-old from West Palm Beach opened the year with a devastating crash during a Georgia event that destroyed his race car before the season had even begun in earnest. But the setback only fueled the drive of the Tuff Solutions/Anthony Long Fence Contracting/Smokin Joe’s Race Engines no. 55 Joker Chassis team. Backed by his mother Wendy, father Steve, cousin Andrew, uncle Scott, and grandfather Ronnie, the Throop family rallied to rebuild the car in time for the Sugar Bowl Nationals at Hendry County Motorsports Park, Robbie’s home track. “This was a great season even though it started off rough,” Throop said. “We were able to bounce back, keep our heads up, and just keep working. The people around me never gave up, and that made all the difference.” Throop’s [Read More]

Raffurty Reigns Again with Fifth Straight IMCA STARS Mod Lite National Title

By Ben Deatherage KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Oct. 21, 2025) — Dominance, determination and drive once again defined Dillon Raffurty’s season as the Missouri standout extended his record streak to five consecutive Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite national championships. Piloting the Raffurty Motorsports/Raffurty Excavating/Fritter Racing Engines No. 46 Raffurty Chassis, the Kansas City driver again set the benchmark for precision and perseverance. His 2025 campaign produced 30 feature victories across five tracks in three states, highlighted by 16 wins at Valley Speedway, eight at Electric City Speedway in Butler, two at Central Arizona Raceway’s IMCA TV Winter Nationals, and single triumphs at Marshalltown and Davenport Speedways. That total ties his previous best of 30 wins in a single season when he did so last year and in 2022. Across 45 starts, Raffurty posted 35 podiums, 38 top-five finishes and 44 top-tens, ultimately clinching the national crown by just three points. The season also included an especially emotional highlight — his third career victory in the David Raffurty Memorial, held each September at Valley Speedway in honor [Read More]

Reay Brings Modified Crown Back to Michigan; IMCA Names Six First Time National Champions

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Oct. 9, 2025) — The 2025 Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing season was one for the record books, filled with razor-thin finishes, breakout performances, and enduring dynasties. Six of the nine National titles were decided by three points or fewer, two required tiebreakers, and six drivers celebrated first-time championships. Portland, Michigan’s Jeff Reay earned his first National championship — and became the first Michigan driver since Rick Stout in 1995 to claim the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified crown — by just two points. He also won the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Eastern Region, the Michigan State Championship, and track titles at Crystal Motor Speedway, where he’s now a two-time champion, and at I-96 Speedway, where he earned his first. Reay closed the season with 14 wins in 42 starts. Across the rest of the division, four additional Regional champions also added to the Modified season’s prestige. William Gould, of Oklahoma, topped the GRT Race Cars South Central Region for his eighth career Regional title, repeating his 2024 success. Jeremy Mills, from Iowa, [Read More]