News Archives

Morris Strikes First on Opening Night of Winter Nationals at Southern Raceway

By Ben Deatherage MILTON, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2026) — Troy Morris III captured the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature on opening night under new ownership at Hunt The Front’s Southern Raceway, scoring the $1,000 victory in the 20-lap main event. The race served as the first of two nights of Winter Nationals competition and doubled as a Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifying event, placing Morris on the eligibility list for the 2026 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Morris, the former Arizona IMCA Tour and IMCA Wild West Speedweek champion now based in Waterloo, Iowa, via California, set the tone early, battling two-time reigning Super Nationals winner Tim Ward for the lead on the initial start. Morris led lap one while Ward — piloting the no. 151 Performer Chassis house car owned by Doug and Amy Eckrich — gave chase. A lap-two restart sparked a three-wide battle for second involving two-time Florida State titlist Jason Barnhill, Ward, and two-time national champion Chaz Baca Jr., allowing 2024 Alabama State crown winner Ryan Fowler, aboard the [Read More]

Bakersfield Speedway Season Opener Shifts to One-Day Winter Clash Saturday

By Steven Blakesley BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Feb. 19, 2026) — Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway will launch its 2026 campaign with the Winter Clash, now scheduled as a one-day event on Saturday, Feb. 21, following wet weather throughout the week. Originally planned as a two-day program, all Friday racing activities have been consolidated into Saturday, creating a full night of racing for one ticket price. Competition will feature Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods, and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, with all divisions competing for championship points. Grandstand gates open at 2 p.m., with hot laps and qualifying set for 2:45 p.m. Opening ceremonies are scheduled for approximately 5 p.m., followed by heat races and main events for all classes. Race fans can save on general admission by purchasing tickets in advance at BakersfieldSpeedway.com. Adult tickets are $22 online, including fees, or $25 at the gate. Kids ages 6–12 are $10 in advance or $12 at the gate, while children five and under are admitted free. Parking is free. Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway is [Read More]

Florida Bullring Recharged Under New Ownership Ahead of IMCA TV Clash On The Coast

By Ben Deatherage BAKER, Fla. (Feb. 18, 2026) — A new chapter is underway for Northwest Florida Speedway, as Ron Wolverton has officially taken ownership of the Baker, Florida ¼-mile facility, launching an ambitious revival effort aimed at preserving grassroots racing while positioning the venue for long-term growth. For Wolverton — a lifelong drag racer turned dirt track promoter — the journey into ownership has been nothing short of extraordinary. “The whole thing has been a miracle after miracle,” Wolverton said. “We pulled off a construction feat that even the big guys couldn’t pull off. We didn’t start until January 9 before we got to moving dirt, and I couldn’t have done it without all the volunteers and community members that came out to help.” Among the most notable upgrades has been the restoration of the racing surface itself. Wolverton and his team worked to bring the track back to its roots by reconditioning the oval with original dirt pulled directly from the property versus having it hauled in from elsewhere. Now entering his first season [Read More]

Hunt The Front Revives Southern Raceway and Launches New Era

By Ben Deatherage MILTON, Fla. (Feb. 18, 2026) — Southern Raceway is entering a new era as the Hunt The Front group has officially acquired the 3/8-mile clay oval in Milton, Florida, launching a revitalization effort that will see the venue operate as Hunt The Front’s Southern Raceway. The ownership group — brothers Jonathan, Joshua, and Joseph Joiner and their wives Shadow, Elizabeth, and Kayla — makes the project a true family-driven endeavor. A centerpiece of the track’s competitive foundation will remain the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified division, continuing a sanctioning relationship that dates back more than three decades. Southern Raceway first joined the Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing program in 1993, when Robert Miley became the inaugural track champion. Events at the facility will again award track, Florida State, Close Racing Supply Eastern Region, and National points. For Joshua Joiner and the entire Hunt The Front team, the acquisition was as much about preservation as it was progression. “Our big fear was the track was going to go away,” Joiner said. “There were discussions and [Read More]

Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing National Point Standings through February 14, 2026

Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds – 1. Kollin Hibdon, Pahrump, Nev., 314; 2. Dylan Thornton, Belle Plaine, Iowa, 300; 3. Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn., 280; 4. Ethan Braaksma, Newton, Iowa, 270; 5. Troy III Morris, Waterloo, Iowa, 264; 6. Chaz Baca, Stanhope, Iowa, 260; 7. Jonathan Mawhinney, Las Vegas, Nev., 247; 8. Bryson Yeager, Green River, Wyoming, 234; 9. Jeff Larson, Freeport, Ill., 216; 10. Luke Silber, Laveen, Ariz., 201; 11. Logan Drake, San Luis Obispo, Calif., 179; 12. Tate Johnson, Homestead, Montana, 170; 13. Bart Taylor, Sheridan, Wyoming, and Jeremy Richey, Gold Hill, Oregon, both 169; 15. Tyson Blood, Tumwater, Washington, 163; 16. Steven Whiteaker, Robstown, Texas, and Jesse Patterson, Marana, Ariz., both 153; 18. Cody Laney, Fort Dodge, Iowa, 152; 19. Jeff Taylor, Duncan, Okla., 151; 20. Kevin Williamson, Harrisburg, Oregon, 147. Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars – 1. Cameron Starry, Robstown, Texas, 478; 2. Shelby Williams, Bonham, Texas, 418; 3. Curt Lund, Redwood Falls, Minn., 341; 4. Mike Albertsen, Audubon, Iowa, 285; 5. Dillon Richards, Wymore, Neb., 280; 6. Chaz Baca, Stanhope, Iowa, 262; [Read More]

Kathy Root Honored with Jody Deery Award at RPM Workshops

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Feb. 17, 2026) — Long before she became one of the most influential executives in grassroots motorsports, Kathy Root was answering phones, selling advertising, and laying out pages for a fledgling racing publication. Nearly five decades later, her lifelong commitment to affordable dirt track racing was recognized on one of the sport’s biggest industry stages. Root, of Vinton, Iowa, was announced as the fourth annual recipient of the Jody Deery Award during the RPM Promoters Workshop held February 10 in Daytona, Florida. The honor, named in memory of the late promoter Jody Deery, has quickly become one of the most prestigious recognitions presented within the short-track industry. Her journey in motorsports leadership traces back to the formation of CarPac (Consolidated American Race Promoters of Automobile Competition) Inc., founded by Keith Knaack in 1967. Built on Knaack’s passion for auto racing, the organization launched Hawkeye Racing News in January of that same year, planting the seeds for what would eventually become a national sanctioning powerhouse. In 1976, Knaack and two partners purchased the [Read More]

Hibdon Repeats, Makes Meyer Showdown History at Mohave Valley Raceway

By Ben Deatherage MOHAVE VALLEY, Ariz. (Feb. 14, 2026) — Kollin Hibdon etched his name deeper into Mohave Valley Raceway history, capturing the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature in the 6th Annual Bill and Shirley Meyer Showdown. The 25-lap, $1,500-to-win main event saw the 2025 Marshalltown Speedway track champion become the first repeat winner in event history while scoring his first DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region victory of the 2026 season. Originally from Pahrump, Nevada, and now calling Waterloo, Iowa home, Hibdon delivered a commanding performance from the outset. Hibdon rocketed to the lead on the initial start and never relinquished command, even through a string of cautions that repeatedly reset the field. Austin Kuehl and Adam Hommerding battled for second through multiple restarts while Jake Pike — the 2019 DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region Rookie of the Year — joined the fray in the early going. Dalton Houghton, a two-time Mohave Valley track champion, entered the picture after the halfway mark, working the bottom to climb into second on lap 15. Kuehl and Houghton exchanged [Read More]

Shelby Williams: Legacy in the No. 82 and The Road to 100 Wins

By Ben Deatherage BONHAM, Texas (Feb. 16, 2026) — In North Texas, where red dirt roads wind toward open water and family names carry weight long before trophies ever do, racing isn’t just a sport. In Bonham, one of the oldest cities in Texas, Shelby Williams grew up surrounded by roaring engines and racing stories that came with the Williams name, a lineage rooted as deeply in local racetracks as it is in family history. On January 24, 2026, beneath the desert lights of the IMCA TV Winter Nationals, Williams reached a milestone reserved for only a handful of drivers. He captured his 100th career Sunoco IMCA Stock Car victory, earning entry into the division’s prestigious Century Club and cementing his place among Texas dirt racing’s modern standouts. The moment itself unfolded in a fashion that mirrored his driving style — patient, observant, and calculated rather than flashy. “I wasn’t too excited about the main event going in,” Williams admitted. “Last year, you pretty much had to start on the front row, so I didn’t expect [Read More]

Sunshine State Swing Crowns Permann Florida Winter Nationals Champion

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Feb. 16, 2026) — The 2026 Florida Winter Nationals for the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites featured an eight-race tour across three Sunshine State facilities, as drivers competed at Hendry County Motorsports Park, Marion County Speedway, and Ocala Speedway. A total of 42 competitors took part in at least one event, representing nine U.S. states and the Canadian province of Quebec, showcasing the division’s growing national reach during the annual winter showcase. Dylan Permann of Port St. Lucie, Florida, emerged as the overall points champion following a consistent weeklong performance. Permann made seven feature starts, highlighted by five top-five finishes and six top-10s. His best finish came in the Bullring Bonanza at Marion County Speedway on February 10, where he drove to a fifth-place result that helped anchor his title run. Dylan Permann stands alongside his No. 777 Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite during the Florida Winter Nationals, where the Port St. Lucie, Florida driver assembled a championship-winning points campaign across the eight-race series. (Courtesy Photo) Carson Hubbard of [Read More]

Babbitt Bags Valentine’s Day Victory to Close Florida Winter Nationals

By Ben Deatherage OCALA, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2026) — Corey Babbitt capped the 2026 Florida Winter Nationals in dominant fashion, scoring the Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite feature win on the eighth and final night of competition at Ocala Speedway. The 25-lap Valentine’s Day shootout on the 3/8-mile oval saw the New Caney, Texas, driver collect his second victory of the week and the $1,000 winner’s payday after another commanding performance against a stout field. Delaware’s Ryan McKinney paced the opening circuit after expertly navigating the high side to lead lap one and establish early breathing room. Behind him, Jaedon McDowell — last year’s Sugar Bowl winner and 2024 Tennessee Mod Lite Racing Association champion — battled fiercely with Corey Babbitt for second. Babbitt secured the spot on lap five and quickly went on the offensive, slipping low past McKinney exiting turn two on lap seven to seize command. Once out front, Babbitt began to distance himself, encountering lapped traffic by lap eight but maintaining a strong advantage. A caution on lap 11 reset the field, [Read More]