News Archives

Whitfield Scores Emotional First SportMod Win at CAR

By Rowdy Briggs CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Apr. 17, 2026) — Racing with a heavy heart, Braydon Whitfield captured his first career Speedway Motors IMCA-sanctioned Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature at Central Arizona Raceway on Friday night. Whitfield was racing in honor of his grandfather, Roy Tipton—known to him as “Papa Roy”—who passed away on Sunday, April 12. Rex Hasley and Jerry Elliott led the SportMod field to the green flag for their 20-lap feature. Hasley led lap one, but Whitfield scooted by on lap two. Whitfield set sail on the field and built a lead of over a second before a caution with two laps to go bunched the field. A very emotional Whitfield held off Ty Weidner, Bubba Stafford Jr., James Meile, and Hasley to secure the win. Speedy Madrid and Dennis Losing were on the pole for the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature. Madrid led lap one but wasn’t able to hold off Mitchell Ferguson. Ferguson took command on lap two and cruised to the win by more than six seconds for his [Read More]

Stone Scores Big in Stock Cars at Watsonville

By Gary Thomas WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Apr. 17, 2026) — A total of 26 Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars packed the pit area for the inaugural American Giuliani Construction and Restoration Classic on Friday night at Watsonville Speedway, and when all was settled it was veteran driver Paul Stone who claimed the $2,500 grand prize. Stone began the evening by qualifying second overall and shot to the lead by way of the pole position in the feature. The Winton driver ended up leading every lap, but it was far from easy. A relentless Tyler Bannister ran the high scary side of the quarter-mile oval and gave it everything he had in an attempt to wrestle away the lead. Stone was smooth as glass on the bottom, however, and never gave Bannister an opportunity to pounce. A late caution set up a green-white-checkered finish that went into overtime. During the restart, Stone hit his marks to claim the Ed Entz checkered flag for victory over Bannister, 12th-starting Lance Hurst, Fred Ryland, and Terry DeCarlo Jr. It was Stone’s third [Read More]

Feature

Jacob Snyder: Open Trailer, Bright Colors, and a Young Driver on the Rise

By Ben Deatherage DUNKERTON, Iowa (Apr. 17, 2026) — At the Boone Speedway season opener on April 11, Jacob Snyder found himself exactly where every driver wants to be—up front, with laps winding down and everything on the line. He was in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature, battling one of the toughest fields in the country. The adrenaline didn’t fade. If anything, it kept building—through the caution with three to go, through the restart, and into the final laps, with a seasoned veteran right behind him. At just 20 years old, Snyder was in the middle of one of the biggest moments of his young career. And at a place like Boone—known as Iowa’s Action Track and home of the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s—moments like that carry a little more weight. For Snyder, it was a moment years in the making. His hometown of Dunkerton sits just outside Waterloo in northeast Iowa, where small towns are connected by county roads and farmland, and life follows a steady rhythm—a tight-knit community built [Read More]

Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing National Point Standings through April 16, 2026

Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds – 1. William Gould, Calera, Okla., 585; 2. Jared Maupin, Helotes, Texas, 481; 3. Luke Silber, Laveen, Ariz., 399; 4. Jason Barnhill, Milton, Florida, 392; 5. Chris Smith, Brewton, Alabama, 381; 6. Jonathan Mawhinney, Las Vegas, Nev., 357; 7. Steven Whiteaker, Robstown, Texas, 343; 8. G. W. IV Egbert, Belton, Texas, 336; 9. Trevor Egbert, Belton, Texas, 333; 10. Kollin Hibdon, Pahrump, Nev., 314; 11. Dylan Thornton, Belle Plaine, Iowa, 300; 12. Jake Pike, Pahrump, Nev., 298; 13. Greg Hopkins, Repton, Alabama, 287; 14. Justin Erickson, Glendale, Ariz., 282; 15. Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn., 280; 16. Dean Abbey, Boyd, Texas, 271; 17. Ethan Braaksma, Newton, Iowa, and Gage McCaughan, Scottsdale, Ariz., both 270; 19. Troy III Morris, Waterloo, Iowa, 264; 20. Mark Carrell, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 263. Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars – 1. Cameron Starry, Robstown, Texas, 714; 2. Blake Clark, Joshua, Texas, 592; 3. Shelby Williams, Bonham, Texas, 561; 4. Curt Lund, Redwood Falls, Minn., 470; 5. Dillon Richards, Wymore, Neb., 403; 6. Mike Albertsen, Audubon, Iowa, 400; 7. [Read More]

Hopkins and Smith Shine in Blackwater Doubleheader

By Cortni Potapowicz BAKER, Fla. (Apr. 11, 2026) — Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds returned to action at Blackwater Speedway for a two-night spectacular of racing. On Saturday night, Greg Hopkins started from the pole in the 20-lap feature and led all but lap four en route to the victory. Hopkins, of Repton, Alabama, earned his first win of the season in the Close Racing Supply Eastern Region. Chris Smith finished second, followed by Todd Neiheiser in third. J.C. Wilson placed fourth, with Erik White completing the top five. The night before, Brewton, Alabama’s Chris Smith charged from fifth to the lead in just four laps to score his second victory of the season in the Eastern Region, with both wins coming at Blackwater. J.C. Wilson was the hard charger, advancing from ninth to finish second. Defending track champion Zach Howard was third, while Jason Barnhill and Greg Hopkins rounded out the top five.

Ratzlaff Husband and Wife Duo Take Podium Spots in Phillips County Season Opener

By Suzan McCoy HOLYOKE, Colo. (Apr. 11, 2026) — Matthew Ratzlaff of Monte Vista led every lap to victory in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature in front of the biggest crowd Phillips County Raceway has seen in over seven years during the season opener. It was his first win of 2026 in the Jet Racing Central Region. Ayden Steffens finished second, while Christina Ratzlaff made it a family double podium with a third-place finish. The couple traveled six hours to compete at PCR for the opening round of the Colorado Alliance Tour. Tom Quint placed fourth, followed by Bubba Alvarado. Bill Brack led from the pole and held off pressure from D.J. Banks and Layne Bellm to win the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature. It marked the Mead motorist’s first triumph of the year in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region. Banks and Bellm finished second and third, respectively, while Frank Ogden and Kolton Vogel rounded out the top five. Douglas Beaman of Fort Morgan dominated the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature from the [Read More]

Raffurty Victorious Under the Starrs in Batesville MLA Opener

By Bryce Vowan BATESVILLE, Ark. (Apr. 11, 2026) — Five-time and defending Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite national champion Dillon Raffurty charged from the fifth starting position to capture the Mod Lites of Arkansas season opener at Batesville Motor Speedway on Saturday night. The Kansas City, Missouri, native arrived late after a seven-hour haul, but Raffurty wasted no time getting up to speed at Mooney Starr’s facility. After limited hot laps, he went on to win his heat race, setting himself up with a fifth-place starting spot for the feature. After battling runner-up Blake Wilson for the top spot, Raffurty took the lead on lap five and never looked back, picking up his fifth feature win of 2026 as he chases a sixth national crown. The victory added to earlier wins during the IMCA TV Winter Nationals in Arizona in January, along with a triumph at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park in his home state of Missouri last month. Blake Wilson rebounded from an earlier incident in the season to finish second, while his father, [Read More]

Bryce Vowan: Delta Dirt Driver Growing Arkansas Mod Lites

By Ben Deatherage WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. (Apr. 13, 2026) — Just across the Mississippi River from Memphis, where freight trucks rumble through one of the busiest corridors in America and the Delta air hangs heavy over rich, dark soil, sits West Memphis, Arkansas—a place shaped by movement, grit, and history. It’s a region where river crossings, rail lines, and highways all converge. Where Saturday nights still belong to dirt tracks carved into gumbo clay. For Bryce Vowan, this isn’t just where the driver of the no. 52 Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lite lives. It’s who he is. A Region Built on Movement and Music West Memphis sits on the western bank of the Mississippi River, directly across from Memphis, Tennessee—a pairing shaped by geography, commerce, and culture. Long before it became a modern transportation hub, the region was defined by the river itself. In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto crossed the Mississippi near present-day Crittenden County, encountering one of the most densely populated regions he had seen on his expedition. Centuries later, early settlements like [Read More]

Maupin Masters Cotton Bowl to Become First STIMS Repeat Winner of ’26

By Nick Robbins PAIGE, Texas (Apr. 11, 2026) — The Southern Touring IMCA Modified Series presented by On Demand Shirts rolled into Cotton Bowl Speedway, marking the first visit for the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds in 2026. Nineteen drivers signed in for the $1,000-to-win, 20-lap feature, and perseverance quickly became the theme of the night as pop-up showers gave the track an unexpected dose of last-minute moisture. The CBS crew remained undaunted, and drivers were quickly back on track to help pack the surface once the showers ended. Friday’s runner-up, Jared Maupin of San Antonio, struck first by taking the win in DIY Equipment Sales and Rental Heat One. Johnny Torres, also of San Antonio, claimed Sundowner Performance Diesel Heat Two, while G.W. Egbert from Salado grabbed another victory in 3-D Landscaping and Irrigation Heat Three. Maupin led the field to green in the 20-lap feature with Torres, Egbert, and Whiteaker Jr. in tow. The early laps saw the field begin to spread out as the top four attempted to break away. Racing throughout the field [Read More]

Bittner Opens Clinton County Season with Victory

MILL HALL, Pa. (Apr. 12, 2026) — Timmy Bittner of nearby Beech Creek thrilled the hometown crowd by claiming the season opener for the RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars at Clinton County Speedway. Polesitter John Braim of Turbotville took the lead at the drop of the green flag, with Jacob Gamola of Seneca moving into second. Sixth-place starter Timmy Bittner quickly worked his way into second by the completion of lap two. By lap 10, Braim was leading Bittner, Gamola, Josh Fox of State College, and Ryan Lynn of Hollidaysburg. As Braim encountered lapped traffic, he was able to stretch his advantage over Bittner by a few car lengths. In the laps that followed, Bittner reeled him back in, searching for an opportunity to make a move. On lap 19, that chance came when Braim bobbled in turn two, allowing Bittner to charge underneath and take the lead as the leaders worked through traffic. With a few laps remaining, a caution flag waved, giving Bittner a clear track but also setting up a restart for Braim to [Read More]