Feature Archives

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]

Braaten Banks $6,069 in SportMod Smackdown Win at Southern Oregon

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (May 31, 2025) — Central Point’s Jorddon Braaten showcased his prowess by leading all 69 laps of the rebranded SportMod Smackdown at Southern Oregon Speedway, securing a commanding victory and a $6,069 prize in one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier IMCA SportMod events. Formerly known as the Dwayne Melvin Clash, the 69-lap feature attracted top competitors, with Braaten — a four-time Oregon State and Southern Oregon Speedway track champion — asserting dominance from the outset. The race’s first half was marked by intermittent cautions, but as the event passed lap 31, Braaten encountered lapped traffic. Navigating through it masterfully, he extended his advantage and began to check out from the field. In the second half, 2022 Oregon State and 2021 track champion Matt Sanders tried to mount a high-side charge, but Braaten’s low-line rhythm and ability to work traffic kept him firmly in control. Around lap 50, Braaten sliced through another wave of traffic to create a sizable lead that he never surrendered. The race for second came down to the [Read More]

Looft’s 300th Win Secures SportMod Nationals Crown at Britt

By Chad Meyer BRITT, Iowa (May 30, 2025) — Swea City, Iowa’s Mattew Looft started the 25-lap Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod Nationals presented by Gold-Eagle Cooperative on the inside of the second row. Using the low side of the speedway, Looft was in command early until Cole Suckow snuck around the top to lead lap 15. Looft, determined not to let a chance at victory slip away, pressed on and ultimately moved his groove to the top and led the rest of the event. The win was Looft’s 300th victory in SportMod competition and his second SportMod Nationals crown, winning his first in 2021. For 2025, it is his fourth win at four different tracks. Jake Sachau’s tremendous late-race surge had him closing on Looft and earning second place, finishing ahead of Suckow. Meyer in Total Control of Modified Feature Nick Meyer started the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature on the pole and left little doubt he had enough speed to stay there. On the heels of a recent win at Kossuth County Speedway, Meyer [Read More]

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]