Feature Archives

Jason Robbins: Machinist Professor by Day, Racer by Night

By Ben Deatherage BENTON, Wis. (May 30, 2025) — The number on the door says 211. But the story behind that number is as layered and handcrafted as the engines Jason Robbins builds in the quiet hours of his life, tucked in the rolling farmland of southwest Wisconsin. It’s a Friday evening in Benton, population hovering just above 1,000, where lead mines once fed the Union’s rifled muskets and now powers the dreams of stock car hopefuls. In a town where the most famous factory is Spooky Pinball — a family-run outfit building arcade marvels and fielding a race team — Jason Robbins lives a dual life. By day, he’s a machining instructor at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. By night, he’s the wheelman of the no. 211 Sunoco IMCA Stock Car for Spooky Pinball founder Chuck Emery. The story of the number? It was quite the compromise. “Chuck had 11E, and I’ve had 21 in the family forever,” said Robbins. “But the 11E was big for Chuck. His uncle raced that number back in the ’80s [Read More]

Hudson Hunts Down Whisler, Claims $2,500 West Coast Clash Finale at GHR

By Shaun Hulburt ELMA, Wash. (May 25, 2025) — Jeffrey Hudson made a late charge pay off in the final night of the 2025 West Coast Clash at Grays Harbor Raceway, collecting a $2,500 victory and his second win of the season in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. The Oregon native piloted the Don Roemer-owned no. 83R to the front after chasing down early leader Eston Whisler in the 35-lap main event for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Whisler set the early pace, leading from the drop of the green until lapped traffic forced him out of the groove on lap 11. That misstep opened the door for Jeffrey Hudson, who had been closing steadily and took over the top spot. Hudson began to pull away before a lap 14 caution erased his advantage and restacked the field. On the restart, Nick Trenchard moved into second with Kevin Williamson following into third. The Keno, Oregon pilot faced traffic again in the closing circuits and handled a late restart with eight to go to seal the win. The [Read More]

Carter Claims Whole Hog 50 Stock Car Victory at Stuart

By Ben Deatherage STUART, Iowa (May 25, 2025) — Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars headlined the Sunday night program at Stuart Speedway with the fifth running of the Whole Hog 50, and for the first time in event history, someone not named Dallon Murty was crowned king. Cayden Carter, piloting the Michael Peterson-owned no. 1X, claimed the 50-lap feature after taking the lead on a lap seven restart and never giving it up. The Oskaloosa driver dealt with multiple cautions and navigated thick traffic to build a comfortable lead en route to his third EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region win of the year, each coming at a different track in Iowa. Carter started fourth and sealed the deal by kissing a real live hog in victory lane. Two-time defending track champion Buck Schafroth rallied into second and began to track down Carter during a long green-flag stretch around the race’s midpoint, but the lap 25 caution gave Carter clean air once again. Brad Derry, who led the first few laps before Carter took over, managed to hold [Read More]

Gregory, Gould, Bransom Crowned 2025 All Star Shootout Champions

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (May 28, 2025) — Garrett Gregory, William Gould and Jerrett Bransom each topped their respective divisions in the 2025 edition of the All Star Shootout, earning hard-fought championships in one of the most anticipated IMCA tours of the year. For Gregory, from Plantersville, Texas, the title marked his first career All Star Shootout championship in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. He started the week with a sixth-place showing at Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore and backed that up with a solid fifth-place effort at Grayson County Speedway. The breakthrough came on night three when Gregory charged to victory at Heart O’ Texas Speedway, and he wrapped up the week with a sixth-place finish at Kennedale Speedway Park to secure the championship. Garrett Gregory of Plantersville, Texas, celebrates his first career All Star Shootout championship in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds after a strong and consistent week across four tracks. (Photo by Southern Sass Photography) Drake Findley, making the haul from Bryant, Ark., put together a consistent string of performances to earn [Read More]

Baca Blazes to $4,600 Anniversary Win at Vinton

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (May 25, 2025) — Benton County Speedway celebrated the 46th anniversary of the IMCA Modified division with a 46-lap, $4,600-to-win main event, and it was two-time and defending national champion Chaz Baca Jr. who cashed in. The Mesa, Arizona, standout sliced his way through the field from ninth to score his third Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifier win. He had already secured eligibility to try and qualify for the event at the 2025 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s with two victories during January’s IMCA.TV Winter Nationals. 2020 National champion Tom Berry Jr. paced the opening circuits until trouble on lap 13 handed the lead to Jerry Flippo. Flippo’s own mechanical issues forced him to the infield not long after a red flag on lap 16, giving the top spot to defending IMCA SportMod Super Nationals winner Logan Anderson. Anderson looked poised to go the distance, but Baca reeled him in by lap 29. The battle soon included Zachary Madrid, who stormed into second just before a lap 31 [Read More]

Feature

Tougher Than Dirt Tour Returns for 10th Annual Run Through North Dakota and Saskatchewan

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (May 27, 2025) — The 2025 edition of the Tougher Than Dirt Tour is set to launch into its 10th season with six straight nights of high-powered IMCA racing, spotlighting the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods and the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks. The tour kicks off Monday, June 3 and runs through Sunday, June 8, offering some of the most competitive racing for these divisions in the Northern Plains. The action begins at McLean County Speedway in Underwood, North Dakota on June 3, followed by a stop at Southwest Speedway in Dickinson on June 4. Williston Basin Speedway hosts round three on June 5, with the lone Canadian date coming at Estevan Motor Speedway in Saskatchewan on June 6. Thunder Mountain Speedway in Bottineau welcomes racers on June 7, before the finale on Sunday, June 8 at the historic Nodak Speedway in Minot. “I’m really looking forward to this week because it’s a great series of races for the local racers around these parts while also attracting some drivers from out [Read More]

Harris Clash Returns to Boone Speedway for 34th Running on June 24

By Ben Deatherage BOONE, Iowa (May 27, 2025) — A tradition unlike any other in IMCA racing makes its long-awaited return to Boone Speedway as the 34th annual Harris Clash presented by Wehr’s Machine & Racing Products is set for Tuesday, June 24. This marks the first time the event has been held at Boone since 1994 and its first appearance in Iowa since 2017. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods will once again headline the single-day showcase, with the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars making their much-anticipated debut on the Clash card. The prestigious event holds the distinction of being IMCA’s longest-running single-day special, first contested in 1992. “We’ve really put together a number of changes,” said event founder Bob Harris. “Deer Creek Speedway was an awesome facility, but we took a look at moving the event back to Central Iowa. Boone was the right fit. We were there in 1994 and, as everyone knows, it puts on some pretty darn good racing and runs a fast show.” One of the [Read More]

Midwest Madness Tour Returns for 7th Annual Run Through the Heartland

By Ben Deatherage WORTHINGTON, Minn. (May 22, 2025) — The summer racing calendar heats up once again as the 7th Annual Midwest Madness Tour storms back into action, bringing five consecutive nights of thrilling IMCA competition to tracks across Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota from June 29 through July 3. The tour kicks off on Sunday, June 29 at Worthington Speedway, followed by a stop at Clay County Fair Speedway on Monday, June 30. On Tuesday, July 1, the action heads west to Park Jefferson Speedway in South Dakota. Buena Vista Raceway hosts night four on Wednesday, July 2, and the tour concludes at Stuart Speedway on Thursday, July 3. Free pre-registration is now open through MyRacePass. Links can be found on the Midwest Madness Tour Facebook page. “I’m really looking forward to a really busy week of racing at some amazing facilities,” said tour organizer Tim Skaren. “We’re looking to build this up bigger and better each year.” Each event features a full IMCA-sanctioned program for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, [Read More]

Foulger Outduels Sieweke Late for Clash Victory at Petaluma; Combs Clinches Series Title

By Ben Deatherage PETALUMA, Calif. (May 25, 2025) — The final night of the 2025 Central California Clash brought the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds to the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds for a dramatic 30-lap finale at Petaluma Speedway. Local racer Chris Sieweke appeared to have the race in hand, building a lead of more than seven seconds once the green-flag run settled in. But a string of cautions repeatedly erased his advantage, and with nine laps to go, Oakley’s Troy Foulger was suddenly in striking distance. Driving the Bill Bowers-owned No. 49, Foulger worked every inch of the racetrack in pursuit of the leader. As the white flag waved, the two were side-by-side. Entering the final corners, Sieweke was slowed by a lapped car, allowing Foulger to pounce. Sieweke spun while trying to hold on, and Foulger raced to the line to earn the win. It was his third career Petaluma tour win in four tour starts, his seventh career series triumph, and his first of the 2025 campaign in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. Philip Shelby, [Read More]

Laney 2-for-2 in 2025 Modified Anniversary Races

By Coty Mallicoat BOONE, Iowa (May 24, 2025) — The 46th Anniversary $2,000-to-win Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at ‘Iowa’s Action Track’ Boone Speedway doubled as a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifier, and Cody Laney wasted no time putting on a clinic. The Torrance, Calif., driver powered past Jeremy Mills at the drop of the green and once again attacked the cushion with precision to keep his No. 5 machine in command. The Friday winner at Marshalltown, Laney made it back-to-back wins in the Razor Chassis North Central Region and added his name to the eligibility list to try and qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational at the 2025 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Mills followed in second while Jake McBirnie rallied from 10th to grab third. Smith Scores Career Win No. 199 in Stock Car Thriller Veteran racer Kevin Opheim set the tone early in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature, ripping the lip to establish a commanding lead. But it didn’t stay that way for long. Lake City’s [Read More]