Feature Archives

Mark Martini: 100 Wins in Homebuilt Equipment

By Ben Deatherage AVON, Minn. (June 10, 2026) — The grandstands at North Central Speedway had seen a lot over the years. Championships. Heartbreak. Future stars. Veteran racers. And thousands upon thousands of laps turned around the Brainerd-area clay. On May 23, 2026, the Brainerd-area track witnessed something it had never seen before. Mark “Bud” Martini parked his No. 4Q2 IMCA Northern SportMod in Victory Lane for the 100th time in his career, becoming the first Minnesota driver to reach the century mark in the division and just the 13th member of the SportMod Century Club. The moment carried extra significance. The victory came on the final night of Cliff Sasker’s tenure as promoter before retirement, ending an era at a racetrack Martini had called home for decades. “That was pretty special,” Martini said. “I’m probably one of the longest racing guys there at Brainerd. Cliff is a super, super guy. I don’t know anyone in the racing industry better than him. He is a good man, and it was an honor to race at his [Read More]

Scott Cook Memorial One-Eye Nationals SportMod Special Set for June 11 at Kossuth County Speedway

By Ben Deatherage ALGONA, Iowa (June 9, 2026) — Kossuth County Speedway will honor the memory of Scott Cook with the Scott Cook Memorial One-Eye Nationals SportMod Special on Thursday, June 11. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods will headline the evening with a lucrative $1,000-to-win feature. An additional $100 bonus will be awarded to the winner if 24 SportMods are entered, pushing the top prize to $1,100. The special-event purse pays $800 for second, $700 for third, $500 for fourth, $400 for fifth, $300 for sixth, and $200 for seventh. Positions eighth through 24th will each receive $100. In addition to the featured SportMod special, Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, and Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks will also be in action as part of a full night of Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing competition. Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6:50 p.m., with racing to follow. Fans unable to attend can watch every lap live on IMCA TV, where America comes to watch racing. For additional event information and updates, follow Kossuth [Read More]

Spring Fling SportMod Nationals Set for June 12 at Hancock County Speedway

By Ben Deatherage BRITT, Iowa (June 9, 2026) — A big night for the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods at Hancock County Speedway is set for Friday, June 12, as the Spring Fling SportMod Nationals presented by Gold-Eagle Cooperative comes to the historic oval. The featured event will see SportMod competitors race for a $1,250 winner’s share, while a full slate of Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing action is also scheduled. Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars will each compete for $1,000 to win, while Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks will race for a $500 top prize. Both the Modified and Stock Car features will serve as qualifying events for the 2026 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational and B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational, respectively, to be held during the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September. Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing National, Iowa State, track, and regional points will be awarded. Modified competitors will race for Razor Chassis North Central Region points, while Stock Car drivers will compete for [Read More]

IMCA Wild West Speedweek Set to Storm Oregon Border to Border June 13–20

By Jeremy Means VINTON, Iowa (June 9, 2026) — From the Columbia River on the Oregon–Washington border to the doorstep of California, the 2026 IMCA Wild West Speedweek will push drivers through eight consecutive nights of racing June 13–20. The tour opens at Sunset Speedway Park in Banks and heads south, testing teams across bullrings and bigger layouts before champions are crowned in the finale in Southern Oregon. Three Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing divisions—Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, and Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods—will be in action each night. Sunset Speedway Park opens the tour on Saturday, June 13, returning to its role as the “Banks Bullring.” Located just outside the Portland metro area, the quarter-mile oval sets the tone for the week with tight racing after weather impacted last year’s finale. Round two shifts to a new venue, River City Speedway in St. Helens, on Sunday, June 14. Situated near the Columbia River along the Oregon–Washington border, the tight and technical quarter-mile will host its first IMCA-sanctioned event, adding a fresh [Read More]

Hagen Hustles to Don Gumke Memorial Victory, Earns Fast Shafts Eligibility

By Jon Breckel JAMESTOWN, N.D. (June 6, 2026) — Travis Hagen added another special-event victory to his resume Saturday night, charging to the front and capturing the seventh annual Don Gumke Racers’ Memorial for Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds at Jamestown Speedway. The victory was worth $2,222 and also made the McGregor driver eligible to attempt to qualify for the 2026 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. The 25-lap feature produced intense racing from the opening green flag as defending track champion Quentin Kinzley and Marcus Tomlinson brought the field to the start. A caution on the opening lap slowed the action before John Nord emerged as the early leader following the restart. Nord paced the field through the opening stages while Hagen methodically worked the low groove and reeled in the frontrunners. Kinzley maintained second for much of the early going, but Hagen steadily closed the gap as the race settled into a long green-flag stretch. A caution just past the halfway point proved pivotal. Hagen utilized [Read More]

Petersen Earns First Career Stock Car Victory at Shelby County Speedway

By Don Hawkins HARLAN, Iowa (June 6, 2026) — Dylan Petersen’s transition from Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods to Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars paid off in a big way Saturday night as the Jacksonville driver captured his first career Stock Car feature victory at Shelby County Speedway. Twenty-seven Stock Cars filled the pit area and put on a show worthy of the division’s reputation. Petersen entered the night with just two previous starts in the class but showed veteran poise throughout the 20-lap feature. Starting second, Petersen quickly established himself among the frontrunners and never relinquished the lead despite constant pressure from behind. As the laps wound down, Miciah Hidlebaugh mounted a charge from his 16th starting position and closed the gap on the leader, but Petersen held his line and raced to the checkered flag. The victory was Petersen’s first career Stock Car triumph and came in EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region competition. Hidlebaugh’s impressive run netted a runner-up finish, while Mike Albertsen crossed the stripe third. Ryan Webb finished fourth and Dayton Ullrich rounded [Read More]

Eckrich Earns Second SportMod Victory of Rookie Season at Maquoketa

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (June 6, 2026) — Twenty-two Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods took the green flag Saturday night at Maquoketa Speedway, and the drivers used every inch of the well-prepared racing surface while putting on a thrilling display of three- and four-wide racing. Fifteen-year-old Bryson Eckrich of Oxford worked both the top and bottom grooves as he charged forward from the eighth starting position. Eckrich eventually overtook Josh Starr for the lead and drove away to score his second victory of the season and first at Maquoketa Speedway. Jarett Franzen turned in a strong run from 11th to finish second while Starr completed the podium in third. Ed Mills crossed the stripe fourth and Nathan Silaggi rounded out the top five. Garnhart Dominates Late Model Main Event Bryce Garnhart proved to be the class of the field in the Sunoco IMCA Late Model feature. The Lanark, Illinois, driver started third and quickly worked his way to the front before leading all 25 laps en route to his first victory of the season. Dalton [Read More]

Glasser Ties Tougher Than Dirt Tour Record; Herrera Claims Crown at Nodak

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (June 7, 2026) — Keenan Glasser capped off a remarkable week by winning the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature on the final night of the 2026 T&A Tong and Indicator Tougher Than Dirt Tour presented by Schatz Storage at Nodak Speedway. Reigning track champion Chad Stratchen emerged from a three-wide battle on the opening lap with the lead and quickly settled into a duel with Glasser. The pair separated themselves from the field before a caution on lap seven erased their advantage. Lapped traffic came into play on lap 13, and Glasser stayed glued to Stratchen’s rear bumper while searching for an opening. The 2024 North Dakota State champion finally found one on lap 19, completing the pass for the lead just before a caution slowed the pace. The 18-year-old from Estevan, Saskatchewan was flawless on the restart and pulled away to earn his fourth victory of the week and eighth overall triumph of the season. Four of those wins have come at Nodak Speedway. The victory also tied Gabriel [Read More]

Raynard Repeats in $2,000-to-Win Robbie Conway Memorial Hobby Stock Feature at Bottineau

By Ben Deatherage BOTTINEAU, N.D. (June 6, 2026) — Defending series champion Diezel Raynard held off a late-race charge from Caden Appelt to capture the $2,000-to-win Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature and earn his second victory of the week on the fourth night of the 2026 T&A Tong and Indicator Tougher Than Dirt Tour presented by Schatz Storage. The Lampman, Saskatchewan driver took command on the opening lap and established himself as the driver to beat. Although several cautions slowed the pace throughout the 20-lap contest, Raynard flawlessly executed each restart to maintain control. Behind him, five-time reigning North Dakota State champion and former two-time track champion Kyler Satran found himself in a spirited battle with 2024 McLean County Speedway champion Caden Appelt for second. Appelt eventually secured the position and set his sights on the leader. The ninth-starting Appelt closed rapidly in the final laps and mounted a serious challenge coming to the checkered flag, but Raynard held on by a narrow margin. The victory was his second of the week, fourth career Tougher Than [Read More]

Marsh Masters Modifieds at Watsonville

By Gary Thomas WATSONVILLE, Calif. (June 5, 2026) — The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds showcased some of their best racing of the season Friday night at Watsonville Speedway, with multiple grooves in play and side-by-side battles throughout the 25-lap feature. Jonathan Hagio led the opening three circuits before Salinas driver Robert Marsh took command. Although Marsh built a sizable advantage out front, the action remained intense behind him as drivers traded positions lap after lap around the quarter-mile oval. Marsh stayed smooth and steady to secure his second DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region victory of the season and first Watsonville Speedway triumph of 2026. Bobby Hogge Jr. finished second, followed by Markus Frazier, Logan Drake, and Fred Lind. Wagner Charges from Tenth for SportMod Victory The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods also delivered plenty of excitement despite several caution periods slowing the pace. Chris Smith led the opening stages before mechanical issues on lap 13 forced him to the pit area, handing the lead to reigning Watsonville Speedway champion Danny Wagner. The Bay Point driver, who [Read More]