Feature Archives

Runge, Raynard Crowned 2025 Tougher Than Dirt Tour Champions

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (Jun. 12, 2025) — With rain washing out the finale at Nodak Speedway, the 2025 Tougher Than Dirt Tour wrapped up following Saturday night’s action at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Bottineau. The tour saw five nights of racing across North Dakota and one in the province of Saskatchewan. For the first time in the 10-year history of the series, both champions hailed from the “Land of the Living Skies,” making it a landmark year for Canadian competitors. Runge Earns First SportMod Title Leevi Runge from Lampman, Saskatchewan, claimed the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod championship after a consistent and powerful week. He kicked things off with a 10th-place run at McLean County Speedway on June 3, then earned his first-ever Tougher Than Dirt Tour win the following night at Southwest Speedway. Runge followed with back-to-back runner-up finishes at Williston Basin Speedway and Estevan Motor Speedway, before closing the week in triumph by winning the $2,000-to-win Robbie Conway Memorial on June 7 at Thunder Mountain Speedway. Chad Strachen, of Minot, finished second in [Read More]

Lamphere Charges to Second Win After Wild Woodhull Modified Feature

By Joe Cook WOODHULL, N.Y. (Jun. 7, 2025) – A string of early cautions slowed the start of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Woodhull Raceway, setting the stage for a dramatic and unpredictable main event. Shawn Bruce led the opening laps before mechanical trouble forced him to the back of the field, bringing out a yellow. That handed the lead to Jakub Ingham, who paced the field for a couple circuits until longtime Street Stock veteran Earl Zimmer muscled his way into the top spot. But heartbreak struck again—Zimmer’s car suffered a rear-end failure that ended his night prematurely. Ingham regained the lead, but his challenge was just beginning. Keith Lamphere, charging forward with momentum, closed in and eventually made the pass to take over the top spot. Lamphere then held off all challengers to score his second win of the season at Woodhull and second overall in the DeVilbiss Racing Eastern Region. Ingham settled for a strong runner-up finish, with Jacob McConnell crossing the line third.

Kinzley Captures First 2025 Win in Don Gumke Memorial Thriller

By Becca Pelkey JAMESTOWN, N.D. (June 7, 2025) – Jamestown Speedway hosted the 6th Annual Don Gumke Racers Memorial on Saturday night. Gumke, a racing legend from the Jamestown area, competed for many decades across the country before tragically passing away in January of 2020 while working on his race car. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds honored his legacy by battling for a $2,222 top prize in one of the region’s competitive events. When the green flag waved, Marcus Tomlinson and Jordan Sours traded early sliders in a spirited duel for the lead. An early caution regrouped the field, and on the restart, Quentin Kinzley found momentum along the high side of the track. He surged past both Tomlinson and Sours to take command before a string of cautions disrupted the flow. Kinzley then came under fire from racing veteran John Corell, who was just as fast running the bottom groove. As the two navigated lapped traffic, Corell slipped by to take the lead with nine laps remaining. But a caution with six to go reshaped [Read More]

Mullen Masters Stock Car Main in $1,000 Showdown at Outagamie

By Joe Verdegan SEYMOUR, Wis. (Jun. 6, 2025) — Hometown driver Mike Mullen gave the locals plenty to cheer about at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour Friday. The second-generation driver not only pulled off feature wins in two divisions — the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars and one of the local divisions — he also scored heat wins in both classes, earning clean sweeps in each respective division. Mullen jumped into his IMCA Stock Car to scrap for the $1,000 top prize. Starting eighth on the grid, he sliced through the field to take second place by lap seven, right behind leader Travis Van Straten. Mullen motored past the former IMCA National champion to snag the lead on lap nine. While Mullen kept all challengers at bay, Van Straten had his hands full, duking it out with another former IMCA National champion, Rod Snellenberger, in the battle for second. When the checkers flew, Mullen scored his second feature win of the night — his third of the season in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region — and his [Read More]

Zeitner Doubles Up at Park Jefferson with Sweep of IMCA Late Model Features

By Ben Deatherage JEFFERSON, S.D. (June 6, 2025) — Zach Zeitner made it a perfect night in Sunoco IMCA Late Model action at Park Jefferson International Speedway, sweeping both features on a special Friday doubleheader. The Bellevue, Nebraska, driver claimed the regularly scheduled $1,000-to-win 25-lap feature and the rescheduled main event from the rained-out April 18 opener. In the evening’s headliner, Zeitner jumped to the lead early and was smooth and steady out front despite a couple of caution flags, including a key restart on lap 19. Kale Kosiski, the 2023 Crawford County Speedway track champion, managed to reel Zeitner in and pulled alongside with two laps to go. But Zeitner kept his composure, running the middle lane to perfection and holding off Kosiski at the finish. Eric Faber completed the podium in third. The win was Zeitner’s fourth of the season, and he also collected the Sunoco Race Fuels Bonus, which included a commemorative door panel, fuel jug, hat, and a $300 prize. Zach Zeitner (left) is joined by Sunoco IMCA Late Model division director [Read More]

Runge Wins $2,000 Robbie Conway Memorial SportMod Feature at Thunder Mountain

By Ben Deatherage BOTTINEAU, N.D. (Jun. 7, 2025) — Leevi Runge outlasted multiple restarts and late-race pressure to claim the $2,000-to-win Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature at Thunder Mountain Speedway’s Robbie Conway Memorial and the fifth night of the Tougher Than Dirt Tour. The 25-lap main event, one of the highest-paying SportMod races in North Dakota, saw Runge take the lead from the outset. The Lampman, Saskatchewan racer — a three-time Estevan Motor Speedway SportMod track champion — maintained his edge through multiple cautions and a green-white-checkered finish. He held strong through it all to secure his second win of the week and first career Conway Memorial victory. Utah’s reigning Junior National Champion Payce Herrera rallied late to finish second, while Chad Strachan — the 2006 Sunoco IMCA Stock Car champ at both Geographical Center and McLean County Speedways — recorded his fourth third-place finish of the week. Raynard Runs Away With $1,000 Hobby Stock Check Diezel Raynard continued his winning ways with the Tougher Than Dirt Tour in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, charging [Read More]

Deschamp Ties All-Time Tour Win Record With Estevan Triumph

By Ben Deatherage ESTEVAN, SK (Jun. 6, 2025) — Gabe Deschamp handled a string of restarts and major pressure to come out on top in Friday’s 25-lap Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature at Estevan Motor Speedway, part of the Tougher Than Dirt Tour. The Westhope, North Dakota, driver adjusted his line following a lap seven caution and mastered the 3/8-mile oval the rest of the way. As the battle for second unfolded behind him, Deschamp pulled away for his third straight win at Estevan with the tour, second at the track in 2025, third victory of this year’s tour, and ninth career tour win – tying him with Erik Laudenschlager for most all-time. Deschamp started second. Three-time Estevan SportMod champion Leevi Runge was the runner-up, while the 2006 McLean County and Geographical Center Speedway Stock Car champion completed the podium. Raynard Awarded First Career Tour Win in Hobby Stocks Diezel Raynard was officially declared the winner of Friday’s 20-lap Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock Tougher Than Dirt Tour main event at Estevan Motor Speedway. Raynard led [Read More]

Curtis and Tiffany Towns: Together in Victory on a Fairytale Night

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (Jun. 6, 2025) — May 17 was more than just a night of racing at Cottage Grove Speedway. For Curtis and Tiffany Towns, it was magic — a shared dream realized. Racing in front of their hometown crowd, both husband and wife picked up wins in their respective IMCA divisions: Curtis in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, and Tiffany in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. It marked Tiffany’s first career feature win, and for the Towns family, it was unforgettable. As she climbed out of her car and pumped her fists into the air, the crowd roared. Within seconds, Curtis sprinted into victory lane, wrapped her in a hug, and raised her arm in triumph. “I said once that my biggest dream was to win on the same night as Curtis,” she said. “To have it actually happen still doesn’t feel real.” A Journey From Skybox to Speedway Curtis began his racing career in 2006, following in the tire tracks of his uncle Don Muth — a local legend at [Read More]

Deschamp Doubles Up with Tougher Than Dirt Tour at Williston

By Ben Deatherage WILLISTON, N.D. (Jun. 5, 2025) — Gabe Deschamp mastered restarts and lapped traffic at Williston Basin Speedway to win Thursday’s 25-lap Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature during the Tougher Than Dirt Tour at the Upper Missouri Valley Fairgrounds. Tanner Conlin paced the field early, only for the previous night’s winner, Leevi Runge, to take command the next lap. Two-time defending tour champion Deschamp got past Runge on lap three, but a caution reverted the lead back to Runge. Runge, the three-time Estevan Motor Speedway track champion, had to deal with multiple restarts. On the final green flag run, which began on lap seven, Deschamp applied heavy pressure and eventually grabbed the lead on lap nine. Despite encountering lapped traffic on lap 13, Deschamp, from Westhope, mastered the conditions to secure his second win of the week, his second straight at Williston, and his eighth career tour victory. It was his sixth overall win of the season in the SportMod ranks. Runge held on for second, edging out the 2006 McLean County and [Read More]

Runge Rules in SportMod Main at Southwest Speedway

By Ben Deatherage DICKINSON, N.D. (Jun. 4, 2025) — Leevi Runge turned in a dominant performance to win the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature during the Tougher Than Dirt Tour stop at Southwest Speedway. Ryder Raynard took the initial lead in the 25-lap main event, but reigning Junior National champion Payce Herrera, of Utah, made an early move to the front on lap two. Herrera’s bid for victory came to an end a few laps later when his car came to a stop, handing the lead to Runge. Runge, a three-time Estevan Motor Speedway SportMod champion from Lampman, Saskatchewan, took off from there and only had to withstand a lap 22 caution for debris to seal the win. The triumph marked his first of the season and first career victory with the series. Cole Hanshew recovered from an early-race incident to finish second, with Taylor Stenvold rounding out the podium in third. Heaton Hustles to First Career Tour Win in Hobby Stocks Taylor Heaton made a statement in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock 20-lap feature, [Read More]