Feature Archives

Cody Laney Leads the Way at Davenport’s Greg Durbin Memorial

By Mike McGuire DAVENPORT, Iowa (Sept. 27, 2025) — The Greg Durbin Memorial was run Saturday at Davenport Speedway for the second straight night of racing at the historic facility. The featured class was the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, competing for a $3,000 top prize. That prize went home with Cody Laney. Starting from the pole, Laney was pressured early by Tony VonDresky and Zane DeVilbiss, then fended off a late challenge from Tim Ward. Laney led all 38 laps to take the win. DeVilbiss settled for second with Ward in third. Trevor Fitz charged from seventh to fourth in the final two laps, while Matt Werner came all the way from 20th to finish fifth. Hunter Longnecker made it back-to-back wins in the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods. Kevin Goben chased Longnecker all 15 laps and had to settle for second. Levi Heath came from deep in the field to claim third, with Brandt Cole and Dakota Cole rounding out the top five. Bradly Graham also made it two in a row, topping the Sunoco [Read More]

Shute Charges From Deep to Modified Victory at the Downs

By Christine Rublack CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Sept. 27, 2025) — Todd Shute was a man on a mission after starting deep in the field to capture the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified win at Hawkeye Downs Speedway. The victory came during the facility’s 100th anniversary season and marked the first dirt race at the historic venue since the mid-1980s. Troy Cordes took command early while Jerry Dedrick and Trent Wyssbrod battled for second. Shute climbed into fourth behind Ethan Krall and soon began working the top line as lapped traffic slowed Cordes. Cordes and Shute traded the lead in a spirited duel before Jed Freiburger moved into third. One final caution bunched the field, but Shute powered ahead on the restart to take the checkers. Cordes, Freiburger and Wyssbrod followed. Reynolds Rules Stock Cars Wire-to-Wire Kaden Reynolds dominated the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature, leading every lap on his way to victory. Reynolds quickly pulled away while Ben Chapman settled into second and Andrew Burk took third, with Johnny Spaw close behind. Tanner Allen worked into the [Read More]

Lamphere Masters Lapped Traffic to Claim Woodhull NY-Penn Checkers

By Joe Cook WOODHULL, N.Y. (Sept. 27, 2025) — The Close Racing Supply NY-Penn IMCA Modified Series presented by Insinger Performance Racing Fuels made its final stop of the season at Woodhull Raceway on Saturday night. Jeff Reay, the current Friesen Performance IMCA Modified National points leader, made the eight-hour haul from Michigan in search of much-needed points. At the drop of the green, he wasted no time jumping to the front. Early on, the race was slowed by multiple yellow flags as the field struggled to find rhythm. Once it did, fans were treated to a classic Woodhull battle. Randall Paxton tucked in behind Reay, following his tire tracks for several laps while multi-time 2025 Woodhull winner Keith Lamphere closed in. With Reay and Paxton glued to the cushion, Lamphere worked the bottom groove and the trio went three-wide in a thrilling, nose-to-tail exchange. Reay and Lamphere swapped the lead lap after lap before Reay finally carved out a slim advantage on lap 19. But lapped traffic loomed, and on lap 22 Lamphere used a [Read More]

Werner Rules Dirt Stars Modified Main at Davenport

By Mike McGuire DAVENPORT, Iowa (Sept. 26, 2025) — In Friesen Performance IMCA Modified action at Davenport Speedway’s Dirt Stars event, Matt Werner picked up his second Davenport trophy of the season. Werner led nearly every lap of the race, mostly using the high side of the racetrack. Denny Eckrich was able to squeeze into the lead on lap 13, but Werner retook the top spot the following lap. Spencer Diercks climbed his way forward for a second-place finish. Eckrich held on to third, followed by Tim Ward and Charlie Mohr. Longnecker Scores First Davenport SportMod Win Hunter Longnecker captured his first-ever Davenport win in the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods. Austin Kemp led the opening lap after starting on the pole. Levi Heath took over on lap two and held the lead until lap 13. Longnecker, who started 12th, picked off spots one by one before grabbing the lead on lap 13. He held it the rest of the way. Tony Olson passed Heath late in the race for second. Kevin Goben and Austin Kemp [Read More]

Probst Powers from Eighth to Hobby Stock Victory at Arlington

By Susan Allen ARLINGTON, Minn. (Sept. 20, 2025) — The Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks stole the show with the most dramatic feature of the night at Arlington Raceway. Jonathon Schroeder’s car caught fire down the backstretch, ending his run early after the same issue plagued him in his heat. Once the smoke cleared, Mac Tollefson led the opening laps before Cory Probst charged from eighth to the front. Tollefson’s night unraveled with mechanical woes, and the battle for second fell to Brad Becker and Jordan Robinson. Robinson made the late move to secure runner-up honors behind Probst. Loverude Times It Right in Modifieds The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds saw a clean and fast main event. Jeremy Mills led the first 16 laps, but with three to go, Trent Loverude pounced. A decisive late move gave him the win in a caution-free race that left fans on their feet. Enter Charges from Ninth for SportMod Score The Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods featured three different leaders in a 20-lap shootout. Matthew Schoenke set the early pace, Joey [Read More]

Dockter and Chipp Deliver Last-Lap Thrillers in Maquoketa Modifieds

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Sept. 20, 2025) — The racing was second to none as two nights of action at Maquoketa Speedway provided thrilling finishes and plenty of wheel-to-wheel battles during the All-Star Classic weekend. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds contested 20-lap feature events both nights, and both mains went caution-free, flag-to-flag. Friday night’s main event came down to the white flag as Norwich, N.D., driver Zach Dockter pulled off a dramatic last-lap pass on race leader Troy Cordes, slipping by as the two exited turn four to the checkers. Saturday’s finale was equally exciting as Brennen Chipp used a crossover move in the last set of turns to fend off a slider from Drew Janssen and secure the victory. Stock Cars Split Dramatic Maquoketa Weekend The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars also ran 20-lap features each night, with loaded fields showcasing some of the Midwest’s best. On Friday, Maquoketa Speedway regular Andrew Burk of Milan, Ill., earned the win by less than a car length over John Oliver Jr. Oliver came back even stronger on [Read More]

John Shoptaw: The Flight Medic’s Racing Comeback at 65

By Ben Deatherage MENA, Ark. (Sept. 19, 2025) — The Ouachita Mountains rise green and rugged around Mena, a town shaped by timber, trains, and resilience. It’s here that 65-year-old John Shoptaw calls home — a critical care paramedic by profession, and a racer by passion. His journey has carried him from Carthage, Missouri, to firehouses across Arkansas, and back behind the wheel of a Modified long after many thought his driving days were over. On July 30, 2017, at Diamond Park Speedway, Shoptaw’s career nearly ended. “I had a horrendous wreck,” he said. “Broke my lower back, my coccyx, my collarbone, and suffered a concussion so bad you wouldn’t think I’d ever climb back in a car.” With help from a friend, he patched together a car for the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s that fall. But it never came around, and by week’s end, he sold it off. For years, he stayed away entirely. “I didn’t watch, didn’t go, didn’t want anything to do with racing,” he admitted. Golf became his [Read More]

Elmer Saathoff Classic Headlines Octoberfest at Beatrice Speedway Oct. 9–11

By Ben Deatherage BEATRICE, Neb. (Sept. 21, 2025) — The seasons are changing, and so is the 2025 campaign at Beatrice Speedway, where the annual Octoberfest will run Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 9–11, capped by the prestigious Elmer Saathoff Classic on Saturday night. The weekend begins Thursday, Oct. 9, with an open practice session for all divisions from 6:00–9:00 p.m. Any class of cars is welcome, pit passes are $20, and admission to the grandstands is free. Friday, Oct. 10, will feature a complete program for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Modifieds headline with $1,000 to win and $130 to start, while Stock Cars, SportMods, and Hobby Stocks will also race for $1,000 to win. Sport Compacts join the card with a $600-to-win program. Pit gates open at 3:00 p.m., grandstands at 6:00, the drivers meeting and draw close at 6:30, opening ceremonies are at 6:55, and racing begins at 7:00. Saturday, Oct. 11, kicks off early with breakfast [Read More]

Rick Smith: From the Operating Room to the Winner’s Circle

By Ben Deatherage MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (Sept. 19, 2025) — The Skagit Valley stretches north of Seattle, where the Skagit River bends through farmland and tulip fields before emptying into Puget Sound. Along its banks sits Mount Vernon, a city first carved out by loggers in the 1870s and toughened by floods, fires, and the grit of rebuilding. Just beyond town, the mist of the North Cascades rolls down into fields of color each spring, while at night the roar of Skagit Speedway turns the valley into a dirt-slinging cathedral. For Rick Smith, it’s more than a backdrop — it’s home, and the stage where three generations of his family have chased speed. That stage nearly slipped away in December 2024, when Smith suffered a heart attack and underwent open-heart surgery. But eight months later — on Aug. 2, his 35th year in the sport — he was back in victory lane at Skagit Speedway in his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified. Rick Smith celebrates in victory lane at Skagit Speedway on Aug. 2, marking his 35th [Read More]

Bryan Compart: Keeping Racers on Track with Stealth Racing

By Ben Deatherage MADRID, Iowa — Madrid sits just northwest of Des Moines, a town with roots that run deep. First settled by Swedes in the 1840s and later shaped by coal mining and farming, it carries the grit of generations who worked the land and the mines. It’s the kind of place where hard work is expected, and pride comes from what you build with your own hands. For Bryan Compart, that backdrop shaped his own story. Racing didn’t begin in the driver’s seat. It started with late nights in the shop, helping friends, and spotting opportunities others overlooked. What began as lending a hand soon grew into a passion — and eventually, a business that would change his life and leave its own mark on the Mod Lite world. “I ended up getting started in racing by helping people out,” he said. “I was helping Jimmy and Josh May since 2014 when I first met them. I noticed things they needed that you couldn’t just buy at a race shop. You either had to [Read More]