Smith Scores Dramatic Late Model Victory at Maquoketa
By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (July 18, 2026) —The Sunoco IMCA Late Models capped another outstanding night of racing Saturday at Maquoketa Speedway with a thrilling finish. The perfectly prepared racing surface at the Jackson County Fairgrounds quarter-mile allowed competitors to race two and three-wide throughout the evening, producing an exciting 25-lap feature that wasn’t decided until the final few feet. Steve Johnson paced the field early before Dalton Simonsen took over the top spot. Tenth-starting Blaise Lewis worked the extreme low groove to take the lead with 10 laps remaining and appeared headed to victory. A late caution, however, erased Lewis’ advantage and set up a dramatic four-lap sprint to the finish. Lewis hugged the bottom while Dustin Smith powered around the top and Ron Klein repeatedly threw sliders at the leaders. Smith completed the winning pass less than 50 feet before the checkered flag, edging Lewis by only a couple of feet for his third victory of the season, with his wins coming at three different tracks. Lewis finished second, Klein crossed the stripe [Read More]
