Feature Archives

Salute to Veterans Tour Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Three Iowa Stops in July

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (June 29, 2026) — One of IMCA racing’s most meaningful traditions reaches a major milestone in 2026 as the Hunting with Heroes Salute to Veterans Tour powered by Performance Bodies & Parts celebrates its 10th anniversary with three stops across Iowa in July. The tour, organized by the 501(c)(3) charity, Hunting with Heroes, aims to connect veterans with their local dirt track communities and will visit Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer on Wednesday, July 22; Kossuth County Speedway in Algona on Thursday, July 23; and Boone Speedway on Saturday, July 25. Each night will feature Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods, and Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks competing in front of veterans, active-duty military personnel, and race fans from across the Midwest. This tour has become a crown jewel of IMCA Racing and promises to deliver the most patriotic and exciting three nights of dirt track racing this year. More than $100,000 in giveaways for Veterans and Widows of Veterans will be distributed during [Read More]

June Qualifiers Add 27 New Drivers to Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational Eligibility List

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (June 29, 2026) — June competition added 27 new drivers to the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified eligibility list for the Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational, while many already eligible drivers continued to add to their win totals. A packed month of touring series, marquee specials, and weekly racing across the country kept qualifying opportunities plentiful throughout all five IMCA Modified regions. Drivers become eligible by winning IMCA-sanctioned events paying $1,000 or more to win, earning a place on the eligibility list to attempt to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational, held during the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September at Boone Speedway. Already eligible drivers continued to add to their win totals throughout late May and June. Brandon Beckendorf captured the IMCA Summer Nationals finale at Independence Motor Speedway on June 3. Cole Czarneski won at 141 Speedway during the Clash at the Creek on June 13, Brandon Schmitt returned to victory lane at 141 Speedway on June 6, Tom Berry Jr. won June 12 [Read More]

June Qualifiers Add 15 New Drivers to B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational Eligibility List

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (June 29, 2026) — June competition added 15 new drivers to the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car eligibility list for the B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational, while already eligible drivers continued to build on their win totals. Summer racing reached full stride during the month, with marquee specials, touring events, and weekly programs producing qualifying races throughout the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region. Drivers become eligible by winning Speedway Motors IMCA-sanctioned events paying $1,000 or more to win, earning the opportunity to qualify for the B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational, held during the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September at Boone Speedway. Drivers winning qualifying events paying $5,000 or more receive automatic starting positions in the invitational. Already eligible drivers continued to add to their qualifying totals throughout June and late May. Jeffrey Abbey earned another qualifier at Salina Speedway on June 6, Kelly Shryock swept Hancock County Speedway qualifiers on June 12 and 26, and Cole Czarneski added another qualifying victory at 141 [Read More]

Dakota Tour Set to Launch July 5 with Six Nights of Racing

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (June 26, 2026) — One of IMCA’s premier summer tours returns to the Northern Plains when the 2026 Dakota Tour roars to life with six consecutive nights of racing from July 5-10. The popular swing features Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars competing at six tracks across North Dakota and Saskatchewan, testing competitors on a variety of bullrings and high-banked ovals in pursuit of tour championships. The tour opens Sunday, July 5, at Nodak Speedway in Minot before crossing the border to Estevan Motor Speedway in Estevan, Saskatchewan, on Monday, July 6. Racing returns to North Dakota on Tuesday, July 7, at Williston Basin Speedway before continuing to Southwest Speedway in Dickinson on Wednesday, July 8, Dacotah Speedway in Mandan on Thursday, July 9, and concluding Friday, July 10, at Jamestown Speedway. A strong contingent of former champions, state titlists, and touring standouts has already committed to compete. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified field is led by two-time defending Dakota Tour champion Ethan Braaksma, who also won the [Read More]

Sites Doubles Up With Woodhull IMCA Modified Victory

By Joe Cook WOODHULL, N.Y. (June 27, 2026) — Eddie Sites completed a perfect weekend Saturday night, racing to victory in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature at Woodhull Raceway after capitalizing on mechanical trouble for the early leader. Jacob McConnell led the opening laps after slipping past Sites, but several early cautions kept the field tightly packed. When the race settled into a green-flag rhythm, McConnell suffered a front-end issue that forced him to relinquish the lead. Sites inherited the top spot and quickly opened a comfortable advantage, cruising to victory in his first appearance of the season at the high-banked New York oval. The Towanda, Pennsylvania, driver earned his second Close Racing Supply IMCA Eastern Region victory of 2026 after scoring his first the previous night at The Hill Speedway in his native state. Earlier season winners Tyler Belcher and Jake Maynard completed the podium in second and third, respectively. Charlie Fulton finished fourth, while former Woodhull Raceway champion Jakub Ingham rounded out the top five.

Tyler Bannister Captures Richie McGowan Memorial at Bakersfield

By Steven Blakesley BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (June 27, 2026) — Tyler Bannister added another major victory to his impressive rookie Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified season Saturday night, leading all 25 laps to capture the 15th annual Richie McGowan Memorial at Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. The prestigious event served as a qualifier for the Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational. Bannister was already eligible to attempt to qualify for the invitational during the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Bannister started on the front row and never relinquished the lead, pulling away to a 3.696-second victory in the 25-lap feature. The Bakersfield driver earned his eighth DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region victory of the season and third triumph of 2026 at Bakersfield Speedway. Austin Kiefer finished second, while defending McGowan Memorial winner Brad Pounds charged from 10th to complete the podium. Former track champion Gavyn Manning rallied from ninth to fourth, with Dalton Houghton rounding out the top five. Bannister and Eric Hamilton claimed heat race victories. Jason Bannister Collects Fourth SportMod Victory Jason [Read More]

Moore Prevails in Wild Grays Harbor Modified Showdown

By Shaun Hulbert ELMA, Wash. (June 27, 2026) — Kyler Moore survived an action-packed Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature Saturday night at Grays Harbor Raceway, winning a thrilling late-race duel with Tyson Blood to earn his first victory at the Elma oval in several seasons. Moore took the lead from Kevin Vålen on lap four, but Blood kept the pressure on throughout the 25-lap main event. The closing eight circuits featured an intense battle as the pair traded slide jobs and the lead multiple times before Moore regained control and drove away with the victory, along with a $200 bonus courtesy of Mel Decker. The Silverdale driver earned his second DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region victory of the season, with his two wins coming at different tracks. Blood stormed from the 11th starting position to finish second, while Craig Moore recovered from an early lap-two incident and advanced from 10th on the grid to claim third. Brenton Schnitzer rebounded from an early work-area visit to finish fourth, with Zane Miner completing the top five. Heat race [Read More]

Sanders Edges Ferrando by One Point for Wild West Speedweek Championship

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (June 24, 2026) — Eight races in eight days at six tracks across Oregon produced three hard-fought championship battles during the 2026 IMCA Wild West Speedweek. Matt Sanders captured his first career Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified Wild West Speedweek championship, edging Grey Ferrando by a single point to become the first driver to win Speedweek titles in two different divisions. The Brookings racer previously claimed the IMCA Northern SportMod crowns in 2024 and 2025. Sanders pieced together one of the most consistent weeks of any competitor, collecting three feature victories, seven podium finishes and a perfect eight top-five finishes. Sanders scored wins on the first of two nights at Cottage Grove Speedway, the second of two nights at Coos Bay Speedway, and in the Southern Oregon Speedway finale, while never finishing worse than fifth during the tour. Ferrando remained in championship contention until the final checkered flag. The Scio driver matched Sanders with three feature victories at River City Speedway, the second of two nights at Cottage Grove Speedway, and the [Read More]

Wayman Claims Inaugural Stan Cisar Speedweek Championship

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (June 25, 2026) — Forty-three competitors converged on Nebraska for the inaugural Stan Cisar Speedweek for RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars, where Lincoln’s Cole Wayman etched his name into the record books as the series’ first champion. The tour opened at Boone County Raceway in Albion on June 17 before concluding at US 30 Speedway in Columbus on June 18 after rain forced the cancellation of the scheduled stops at Beatrice Speedway and Eagle Raceway. Wayman opened the series with his first RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Car victory of the season at Boone County Raceway after starting fourth. Jason Danley charged from eighth to finish second, while Trevor Grossenbacher advanced from 12th to third. Adam Gullion completed the top four, and Shayle Bade delivered one of the night’s most impressive performances, racing from 20th to fifth. The tour concluded at US 30 Speedway, where Kennedale, Texas, driver Kyle Jones scored his first win of the season after starting alongside the pole sitter. Gaige Weldon finished second, followed by reigning Speedway Motors IMCA RaceSaver [Read More]

Travis Hagen: Racing Through the Storm to 100 Wins

By Ben Deatherage MCGREGOR, N.D. (June 23, 2026) — The pressure had been building for weeks. Every race night seemed to bring the same question. When would win No. 100 finally come? Travis Hagen tried not to think about it, but as the milestone drew closer it became harder to ignore. Every near miss felt a little bigger. Every opportunity carried a little more weight. By the time he unloaded his No. 14T Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified at Nodak Speedway on June 14, 2026, the number was impossible to escape. A few hours later, fittingly on the 14th day of the month and behind the wheel of the No. 14T, Hagen celebrated his 100th career Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature victory. The weekend had already tested the team. Transmission trouble at McLean County Speedway two nights earlier left Hagen scrambling, forcing him to borrow a transmission just to stay on track. But when Sunday arrived in Minot, everything finally seemed to fall into place. “I won the heat, and in the feature we got the lead,” [Read More]