Feature Archives

Saathoff Delivers Hometown Victory on Final Night of Beatrice Spring Nationals

By Ben Deatherage BEATRICE, Neb. (Mar. 14, 2026) — Jaxon Saathoff delivered a thrilling hometown victory in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature on the final night of the 33rd annual Spring Nationals at Beatrice Speedway. The Beatrice driver charged from ninth to win the 25-lap, $2,000-to-win main event, which served as a Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifier for the 2026 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s and placed him on the eligibility list to attempt to qualify. The triumph marked Saathoff’s first Jet Racing Central Region win of the season and his first career Spring Nationals title — exactly 30 years after his father Johnny captured the event in 1996. Shawn Harker, last year’s Jet Racing Central Region and Nebraska State champion as well as the reigning Eagle Raceway track titlist, initially shot to the lead on the opening start. Bryson Yeager, a two-time Sweetwater Speedway champion, wrestled the top spot away on the backstretch and led the opening lap. A caution slowed the field on lap four, but Yeager executed the [Read More]

Maupin Masters Texana Raceway Park for STIMS Modified Win

By Nick Robbins EDNA, Texas (Mar. 14, 2026) — The Southern Touring IMCA Modified Series presented by On Demand Shirts served up another helping of incredible racing at Texana Raceway Park. 25 Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds signed in for the $1,000 to win, 20-lap main event. Jared Maupin made a statement early by taking the win in DIY Equipment Sales and Rental Heat One over Steven Whiteaker Jr., Sundowner Performance Diesel Heat Two would go to Ryan Doyon, with Steven Whiteaker III finishing second in only his second IMCA Modified start. Cody Leonard scored the win in 3-D Landscaping and Irrigation Heat Three with Johnny Torres coming second. A full field lined up for the feature ready to thrill the Texana fans once more. Maupin and Leonard set the pace early with Whiteaker Jr. close behind. Cautions would ultimately slow the field three times, but Maupin led all 20 laps in the Rick Pollaro-provided no. 96 on the way to his first STIMS victory in 2026 as well as his first in the GRT Race Cars [Read More]

Whiteaker Scores STIMS Season Opener Victory at Texana Raceway Park

By Tim Robbins EDNA, Texas (Mar. 13, 2026) — The Southern Touring IMCA Modified Series presented by On Demand Shirts opened its 2026 campaign at Texana Raceway Park. A strong field of 23 Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds were on hand for the $1,000-to-win 20-lap main event. Twenty-one of the 23 cars made the call for the 20-lap main event and gave the crowd a great four-wide salute, complete with fireworks. Once the green dropped, Robstown driver Steven Whiteaker Jr. jumped out front from the outside of the first row with Rob Slott in tow. The field would run 15 green-flag laps before seeing its first yellow. That stretch allowed Jared Maupin and Johnny Torres to work toward the front in their pursuit of the Whiteaker machine. The caution flew two more times, but ultimately Whiteaker came out on top to score his second win of the season in the GRT Race Cars South Central Region, but his first in STIMS competition. The race was a qualifier for the Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational to be run [Read More]

Sobbing Surges Late to Capture Spring Nationals Stock Car Opener at Beatrice

By Ben Deatherage BEATRICE, Neb. (Mar. 13, 2026) — Jesse Sobbing powered to victory in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature on opening night of the 33rd annual Spring Nationals at Beatrice Speedway, earning a spot on the eligibility list for the B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational to be held during the 2026 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. The Malvern, Iowa driver and reigning Super Nationals Sunoco IMCA Late Model winner grabbed the lead on the opening lap of the 20-lap, $1,000-to-win main event, but immediately had his hands full with Damon Murty. The 2005 National Stock Car champion and six-time Iowa State titlist repeatedly worked the bottom of the track trying to unseat Sobbing while 2019 National champion Jordan Grabouski soon entered the battle. Grabouski powered into second on lap seven as Sobbing stretched his advantage until a lap nine caution erased the gap. On the restart, Grabouski seized the lead on lap 10 and briefly appeared in command before another pair of cautions slowed the pace. Grabouski mastered the [Read More]

Michigan IMCA Stock Car Scene Expands with Crystal and Mt. Pleasant in 2026

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Mar. 13, 2026) — Two Michigan race tracks will host Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars on a regular basis during the 2026 season, creating additional opportunities for drivers in the Great Lakes region. Crystal Motor Speedway and Mt. Pleasant Speedway will both sanction the division this year, with track, Michigan State, EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region and national IMCA points awarded at both facilities. Crystal Motor Speedway first hosted IMCA Stock Cars during the 2024 Great Lakes Nationals and will expand the division significantly in 2026. Approximately 20 nights for the class are currently scheduled, beginning with the season opener on April 11. Promoter Brian Le Baron believes the division will be a great fit for the speedway moving forward. “I love the class and the racing is great,” Le Baron said. “Our local Stock Car class had gotten to the point where the motors were getting out of hand and expensive. IMCA has a great package to keep everything under control.” “We’re going to run them quite a few times this [Read More]

Arkansas Spring Nationals Returns as Batesville Motor Speedway Invests in Upgrades

By Ben Deatherage LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (Mar. 12, 2026) — Batesville Motor Speedway will host the Arkansas IMCA Spring Nationals “Wimp” Reed Memorial on March 26-28, featuring Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars. The three-day program opens Thursday, March 26 with a practice session only. Pit passes will be $30, while grandstand admission will be free for spectators that evening. The racing portion of the weekend starts Friday, March 27 and continues through Saturday, March 28 with full shows each night. Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars will each race for $1,500 to win nightly. Modified feature winners will earn Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifying eligibility, while Stock Car feature winners will do the same for the B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational. Entry fee for both divisions is $50 per night, and non-qualifiers will receive $50 in tow money. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. each day. For the Friday and Saturday race programs, draw opens at the pit gate, hot laps are scheduled for 7 p.m., [Read More]

Joel Magee: Collecting Toys and Checkered Flags

By Ben Deatherage PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (Mar. 9, 2026) — Inside hotel ballrooms and convention halls across America, Joel Magee can often be found leaning over a folding table with a magnifying glass in hand, carefully studying a toy that might be decades old. A faded lunchbox, a worn toy car, or a well-loved action figure could all hold stories — and sometimes surprising value. For the past several decades, collectors have brought their treasures to Magee hoping to learn what they’re worth. To many in the collecting world, he’s known simply as “The Toy Scout.” But when the appraisal tables close and the lights go down, Magee trades vintage toys for something much louder — the rumble of a race car engine. The Sioux City, Iowa native is also the driver of a Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock, and at 64 years old, he’s chasing checkered flags with the same enthusiasm he brings to tracking down rare collectibles. And in 2026, he’s already off to a strong start. Winter Champion, Summer Contender Magee opened the [Read More]

Johnson Avenges Opening Night Flip with Round Two SportMod Victory in Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Mar. 7, 2026) — Following a prolific 2025 season at Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway across various Stock Car classes, Nicholas Johnson took on the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods in 2026. His season opener in February ended on his lid, but he quickly regained his form at the one-third-mile dirt track on Saturday during March Madness with a coveted comeback victory. Johnson dominated his heat race, then lined up third for the 25-lap feature alongside his brother Ethan. Ethan jumped ahead at the start with Nicholas sliding into second. Following a crash in turn one on the opening lap, Nicholas Johnson used the restart to take over the lead on the second lap. Johnson dominated the rest of the feature to score his first Bakersfield SportMod win. Tate Lofts drove from eighth to second, with Chris McKellar, 2024 champion Jason Bannister, and Alyssa Smith rounding out the top five. 2023 and 2024 Bakersfield Speedway Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified champion Gavyn Manning returned to the top step of the podium, winning the [Read More]

Frostbuster Week Set to Launch Iowa IMCA Season April 1–4

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Mar. 3, 2026) — The traditional opening swing of the Iowa IMCA season returns as Frostbuster Week brings four Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing divisions to four tracks in four consecutive nights of racing, April 1–4. Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars will each compete for $1,000 to win nightly, while Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods and Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks race for $500 top prizes at every stop. The 2026 Frostbuster schedule opens Wednesday, April 1 at Stuart Speedway, followed by Thursday, April 2 at Independence Motor Speedway. Marshalltown Speedway hosts the third night on Friday, April 3, with the finale set for Saturday, April 4 at Boone Speedway. Series champions will receive the largest shares of a $1,000 point fund and earn eligibility for Race of Champions events at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Modified and Stock Car feature winners throughout the week will qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational and B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational, respectively. Stuart [Read More]

Heart O’ Texas Speedway Joins IMCA TV Broadcast Lineup in 2026

By Ben Deatherage WACO, Texas (Mar. 2, 2026) — Heart O’ Texas Speedway is headed to IMCA TV, joining a growing catalog of tracks that showcase weekly competition and marquee events from the Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing program. The 1/4-mile Waco oval will now stream its IMCA-sanctioned action to fans across the country, bringing the intensity of its weekly battles to a broader audience. The 2026 season opens March 6 with the Jack Bagby Memorial and concludes with championship night on August 28. A total of 27 nights of weekly racing are scheduled throughout the campaign. Heart O’ Texas Speedway sanctions weekly competition for the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, and Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMods — three divisions with deep roots at the facility. IMCA Modified competition at Heart O’ Texas dates back to 1995, when Paul White earned the first championship. Over the years, the division has featured several multi-time track champions, led by Keith White, who captured six championships between 2009 and 2015. Kevin Green has also been [Read More]