Feature Archives

Runge Wins $2,000 Robbie Conway Memorial SportMod Feature at Thunder Mountain

By Ben Deatherage BOTTINEAU, N.D. (Jun. 7, 2025) — Leevi Runge outlasted multiple restarts and late-race pressure to claim the $2,000-to-win Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature at Thunder Mountain Speedway’s Robbie Conway Memorial and the fifth night of the Tougher Than Dirt Tour. The 25-lap main event, one of the highest-paying SportMod races in North Dakota, saw Runge take the lead from the outset. The Lampman, Saskatchewan racer — a three-time Estevan Motor Speedway SportMod track champion — maintained his edge through multiple cautions and a green-white-checkered finish. He held strong through it all to secure his second win of the week and first career Conway Memorial victory. Utah’s reigning Junior National Champion Payce Herrera rallied late to finish second, while Chad Strachan — the 2006 Sunoco IMCA Stock Car champ at both Geographical Center and McLean County Speedways — recorded his fourth third-place finish of the week. Raynard Runs Away With $1,000 Hobby Stock Check Diezel Raynard continued his winning ways with the Tougher Than Dirt Tour in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, charging [Read More]

Deschamp Ties All-Time Tour Win Record With Estevan Triumph

By Ben Deatherage ESTEVAN, SK (Jun. 6, 2025) — Gabe Deschamp handled a string of restarts and major pressure to come out on top in Friday’s 25-lap Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature at Estevan Motor Speedway, part of the Tougher Than Dirt Tour. The Westhope, North Dakota, driver adjusted his line following a lap seven caution and mastered the 3/8-mile oval the rest of the way. As the battle for second unfolded behind him, Deschamp pulled away for his third straight win at Estevan with the tour, second at the track in 2025, third victory of this year’s tour, and ninth career tour win – tying him with Erik Laudenschlager for most all-time. Deschamp started second. Three-time Estevan SportMod champion Leevi Runge was the runner-up, while the 2006 McLean County and Geographical Center Speedway Stock Car champion completed the podium. Raynard Awarded First Career Tour Win in Hobby Stocks Diezel Raynard was officially declared the winner of Friday’s 20-lap Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock Tougher Than Dirt Tour main event at Estevan Motor Speedway. Raynard led [Read More]

Curtis and Tiffany Towns: Together in Victory on a Fairytale Night

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (Jun. 6, 2025) — May 17 was more than just a night of racing at Cottage Grove Speedway. For Curtis and Tiffany Towns, it was magic — a shared dream realized. Racing in front of their hometown crowd, both husband and wife picked up wins in their respective IMCA divisions: Curtis in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, and Tiffany in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. It marked Tiffany’s first career feature win, and for the Towns family, it was unforgettable. As she climbed out of her car and pumped her fists into the air, the crowd roared. Within seconds, Curtis sprinted into victory lane, wrapped her in a hug, and raised her arm in triumph. “I said once that my biggest dream was to win on the same night as Curtis,” she said. “To have it actually happen still doesn’t feel real.” A Journey From Skybox to Speedway Curtis began his racing career in 2006, following in the tire tracks of his uncle Don Muth — a local legend at [Read More]

Deschamp Doubles Up with Tougher Than Dirt Tour at Williston

By Ben Deatherage WILLISTON, N.D. (Jun. 5, 2025) — Gabe Deschamp mastered restarts and lapped traffic at Williston Basin Speedway to win Thursday’s 25-lap Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature during the Tougher Than Dirt Tour at the Upper Missouri Valley Fairgrounds. Tanner Conlin paced the field early, only for the previous night’s winner, Leevi Runge, to take command the next lap. Two-time defending tour champion Deschamp got past Runge on lap three, but a caution reverted the lead back to Runge. Runge, the three-time Estevan Motor Speedway track champion, had to deal with multiple restarts. On the final green flag run, which began on lap seven, Deschamp applied heavy pressure and eventually grabbed the lead on lap nine. Despite encountering lapped traffic on lap 13, Deschamp, from Westhope, mastered the conditions to secure his second win of the week, his second straight at Williston, and his eighth career tour victory. It was his sixth overall win of the season in the SportMod ranks. Runge held on for second, edging out the 2006 McLean County and [Read More]

Runge Rules in SportMod Main at Southwest Speedway

By Ben Deatherage DICKINSON, N.D. (Jun. 4, 2025) — Leevi Runge turned in a dominant performance to win the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature during the Tougher Than Dirt Tour stop at Southwest Speedway. Ryder Raynard took the initial lead in the 25-lap main event, but reigning Junior National champion Payce Herrera, of Utah, made an early move to the front on lap two. Herrera’s bid for victory came to an end a few laps later when his car came to a stop, handing the lead to Runge. Runge, a three-time Estevan Motor Speedway SportMod champion from Lampman, Saskatchewan, took off from there and only had to withstand a lap 22 caution for debris to seal the win. The triumph marked his first of the season and first career victory with the series. Cole Hanshew recovered from an early-race incident to finish second, with Taylor Stenvold rounding out the podium in third. Heaton Hustles to First Career Tour Win in Hobby Stocks Taylor Heaton made a statement in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock 20-lap feature, [Read More]

Shryock Sweeps Stock Car Summer Nationals at Spencer

By Ben Deatherage SPENCER, Iowa (Jun. 4, 2025) — Kelly Shryock completed his dominance of the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car features during the IMCA Summer Nationals at Clay County Fair Speedway, winning Wednesday’s $5,000-to-win 30-lapper in dominant fashion. Texan Jeffrey Abbey, the 2016 Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod National champion, jumped to the early lead. But Shryock, the defending Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s winner, was on the move from eighth. Piloting the Lake Mills Motorsports No. 3 owned by Mike Hauan, Shryock powered into the lead on lap five, overtaking Abbey at the stripe. The Fertile, Iowa, native pulled away from the field and never looked back, even while navigating lapped traffic in the closing circuits. The victory was Shryock’s second of the week at Spencer and his sixth of the season in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region. Abbey held on to second while Braden Richards rallied from 14th starting to finish third. Braaksma Dominates for Summer Nationals Modified Title Ethan Braaksma returned to form in the Friesen Performance IMCA [Read More]

Saxon Charges Late for Hobby Stock Tougher Than Dirt Tour Opener Win

By Ben Deatherage UNDERWOOD, N.D. (June 3, 2025) — Cash Saxon brought the crowd to their feet at McLean County Speedway, pulling off a thrilling late-race pass in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature during the opening leg of the 2025 Tougher Than Dirt Tour. The 20-lap feature opened with Kaiden Tuchscherer getting the early advantage. Despite a handful of cautions in the first half, Tuchscherer — the 2022 Estevan Motor Speedway champion — controlled the pace. Suddenly, Diezel Raynard found speed on the bottom line and made a run at the lead. Raynard took over on lap 11, but Tuchscherer fought back and regained the top spot just two laps later. Raynard wasn’t done, though, and wrestled the lead away again on lap 15. But with just two laps to go, Saxon — from Lampman, Saskatchewan — made a brilliant move around both frontrunners to take over and never looked back. Starting third, Saxon earned his first win of the season in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region and his first career Tougher Than Dirt [Read More]

Tye Wilke Powers to Danny Schatz Memorial Sprint Car Victory at Red River Valley

By Ben Deatherage WEST FARGO, N.D. (May 31, 2025) — The 3rd Annual Danny Schatz Memorial drew an event-record 26 RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Car entries at Red River Valley Speedway, where Tye Wilke became the third different winner in as many editions of the prestigious event. Jeremy Kerzman jumped to the early lead in the 20-lap, $1,515-to-win feature and quickly distanced himself from the field. By lap four, lapped traffic began to factor in, and Laela Eisenschenk — granddaughter of the race’s namesake — started reeling him in. But the driver on the move was Wilke, the two-time defending North Dakota State champion from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, who started fifth and made the bottom groove work to perfection. He grabbed second on lap 13 and slipped past Kerzman one lap later for the lead. From there, Wilke sliced through heavy traffic and never looked back, pulling away in the non-stop main event to score his fifth win of the season and third triumph of 2025 at Red River Valley Speedway. Kerzman held on for second, while [Read More]

Richards Powers to Hobby Stock Glory in $1,500 Summer Nationals Finale at Clay County

By Ben Deatherage SPENCER, Iowa (Jun. 2, 2025) — The Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks were in their final night of Summer Nationals competition at Clay County Fair Speedway on Monday night, and the $1,500-to-win 18-lap main event delivered an absolute thriller. Blake Luinenburg, the reigning track champion at both Murray County and Worthington Speedways, launched from the outside pole and immediately took command using the high groove. A caution on lap five bunched up the field, allowing Tyler Smith and 2022 National Hobby Stock champion Dillon Richards to close in on the restart. Luinenburg built another strong lead, but Richards — who started 14th — began methodically searching the track for speed. He found it, and by lap 12, he was at the leader’s door. Richards worked the bottom while Luinenburg held firm up top. The two exchanged the lead before a caution flew just after Luinenburg reclaimed the spot. On the restart with five to go, Richards pulled even and took the lead for good on lap 15. Luinenburg mounted one last-lap charge, but the [Read More]

Luinenburg Powers from Eighth for Hobby Stock Win in Summer Nationals Opener at Spencer

By Ben Deatherage SPENCER, Iowa (Jun. 1, 2025) — Blake Luinenburg made the most of a green-white-checkered restart to capture the first night of the 2025 IMCA Summer Nationals at Clay County Fair Speedway in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks. The 20-lap, $1,000-to-win main event saw Jay DeVries take command early before bobbling on the backstretch on lap four. That allowed Nick Schilling to sneak by for the lead just before a yellow flag slowed the field. On the ensuing restart, Schilling and Luinenburg waged a fierce battle down the backstretch before Schilling suffered a flat tire. Jimmy Johnson took evasive action and briefly inherited the lead, but amid the scramble, DeVries found himself back out front. Luinenburg, the reigning track champion at both Murray County and Worthington Speedways, was on a mission. The Reading, Minnesota driver chased down the two-time Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact track champ, DeVries, and took over on lap eight. A caution with seven laps to go tightened things up, but Luinenburg nailed the restart and never looked back. A late caution [Read More]