News

Pombo Dominates California RaceSaver Sprint Series Return to Santa Maria

By Stephanie Odom SANTA MARIA, Calif. (Apr. 4, 2026) — The California RaceSaver Sprint Series action returned to Santa Maria Speedway for the first of several visits this season for the RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Car tour, with George Tristao Jr. and Davey Pombo leading the field to green for the 20-lap feature. Pombo took control at the drop of the green and never looked back, leading all 20 laps to secure his first win of 2026. Tristao finished second, followed by Jeremy Alves, Evan Dixon, and Kevin Barnes Sr. Tristao set quick time in qualifying, while heat race wins went to Tristao and Lance Jackson.

Hobby Stock

Bellm Captures First Stock Car Win of ’26 at El Paso County Opener

By Suzan McCoy CALHAN, CO (Apr. 4, 2026) — The 2026 season roared to life at El Paso County Raceway with a full night of racing action across four Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly divisions, delivering competitive battles and standout performances across the board. Starting off the night, Layne Bellm of Broomfield dominated the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature, leading all laps from the pole to earn the win—her first in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region. Brian Lessig Jr. crossed the line in second, followed by Brian Lessig Sr. in third. Phil Reid and Hunter Harvey rounded out the top five. The night’s largest field belonged to the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods, where North Dakota’s Stan Tomlinson stole the show. Starting third, Tomlinson worked his way to the front to claim the win. Travis Palmer made an impressive run from seventh to finish second, with Scott Clay rounding out the podium. Hard chargers David Alvarez and James Jarnot completed the top five after starting deep in the field. In Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock action, Brayson [Read More]

News

Loux Dominates Carolina Sprint Tour Return to Lancaster

By Evan McCrory LANCASTER, S.C. (Apr. 4, 2026) — The Carolina Sprint Tour presented by GSR Chassis made its long-awaited return to Lancaster Motor Speedway on Saturday night, bringing a good crop of RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars to “The Big Half Mile” for the series’ first appearance at the track since 2015. Following the redraw, 2025 Kevin Huntley Memorial champion Dillan Baldwin and defending series champion George Loux led the field to green for the 25-lap feature. Loux wasted no time asserting control, jumping to the early lead at the drop of the green flag. The race’s first incident came on lap four when Pennsylvania’s Trevor Gach made contact with the wall in turn four, sending his machine into a dramatic cartwheel before landing back on all four tires. Gach was uninjured, but his night came to an early end. On the restart, Loux maintained command while a fierce battle for second unfolded between Baldwin and Biscuit Williams. The action slowed again on lap eight when Greg Smyre spun and made contact with the inside wall. [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Dodge City Raceway Park Ready For 2026 IMCA Weekly Schedule With Added Incentives

By Ben Deatherage DODGE CITY, Kan. (Apr. 2, 2026) — Dodge City Raceway Park is set for an exciting 2026 campaign, featuring nine nights of Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing action from April 18 through September 26. Four divisions will headline the weekly program, including Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds presented by Turbine Bar & Grill, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars presented by O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods presented by Murphy Tractor, and Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks presented by Midas Brakes and Alignment. Track management is also introducing new incentives for competitors throughout the season. “If you haven’t raced with us at Dodge City, we want to welcome you down,” said Kyler Fetters. “If you’re a registered driver with DCRP, all driver pit passes are $20 all year long.” Fetters enters his fourth season as general manager of Dodge City Raceway Park and continues to build on the track’s strong foundation in IMCA competition. In addition, a new program rewards feature drivers. If a main event goes green to checkered without a caution, all drivers [Read More]

News

Danell Rallies Back for Thunderbowl Triumph with California 305 Sprint Series

By Brad Kennedy TULARE, Calif. (Mar. 28, 2026) — Conner Danell turned adversity into victory Saturday night at Thunderbowl Raceway, charging to his first California 305 Sprint Series win after rebounding from a violent crash just 24 hours earlier. The Visalia driver and his team thrashed overnight to repair his car following a nasty tumble during Friday heat race action. Starting third in Saturday’s 25-lap feature, Danell wasted no time getting to work, ripping the middle groove in the early laps to take control. Davey Pombo set the early pace, but a slip in turns one and two opened the door for Danell, who capitalized to take over the top spot. The two front-runners kept each other honest throughout the race. At one point, Danell stretched his advantage to a straightaway lead, but as the race reached the midway point, that margin began to shrink as Pombo mounted a furious charge. Pombo erased a 2.5-second deficit in just a handful of laps and made multiple bids for the lead, including a strong move to the inside [Read More]

News

Merritt Dominates Marysville SportMod Feature for First Win of 2026

By Troy Hennig MARYSVILLE, Calif. (Mar. 21, 2026) — Yuba City chauffeur Mike Merritt was dominant during the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod 20-lap main event at Marysville Raceway. Merritt passed Thomas Reynolds for the lead on lap two and never looked back, opening a sizeable advantage. Merritt beat second-place Dan Brown Jr. by nearly four seconds at the checkered flag to score his first win of the year. Jason Clayton Jr. ran in the third spot for most of the race but unfortunately pulled off the track with less than two laps to go. This moved Oregon’s Travis Pruitt into third after starting ninth. Cole Fear finished fourth, while Reynolds secured the fifth spot at the finish. Brown Jr. won the first heat race, and Jeff Bentancourt picked up the win in heat race two. The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate NorCal Speed. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $24.99 per month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries, streaming exclusively on IMCA [Read More]

News

Al Buschelman: A Life Remembered

By Ben Deatherage GREEN RIVER, Wyo. (Mar. 10, 2026) — Dirt-track racing in southwestern Wyoming didn’t simply appear overnight. Tracks were carved from open ground, racecars were built in home garages, and entire racing programs grew from the efforts of volunteers who believed in the sport. Few individuals embodied that spirit more than Allen “Al” Buschelman — racer, builder, community servant, and longtime IMCA official whose influence helped shape generations of racing across the region. Buschelman passed away Sunday, March 8, at age 88 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. For decades he was a familiar figure at Wyoming racetracks, whether behind the wheel of a racecar, operating heavy equipment, or helping guide the sport as an IMCA regional director. Those who knew him remember a man who loved fast cars, valued hard work, and cared deeply about the people around him. From Nebraska Roots to a Life in Wyoming Al Buschelman was born in Crofton, Nebraska. He attended high school in Crofton and grew up in a rural environment that emphasized hard work and [Read More]

News

Leoffler Wins Wild Carolina Sprint Tour Season Opener                                

By Evan McCrory GASTONIA, N.C. (Mar. 6, 2026) — It was a beautiful early March evening in North Carolina and a perfect time to kick off the 2026 season for the Carolina Sprint Tour presented by GSR Chassis at Carolina Speedway. A strong field of 20 RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars signed in for the event, featuring former series champions, past winners, regular contenders still searching for their first victory, and three rookies eager to make their mark on the series. When the green flag waved in the feature, Jeff Oliver immediately jumped to the lead heading into turn one and began setting the pace for the field. Just one lap into the race, Matthew Wall pulled into the pits with fueling issues. The race’s biggest moment came on lap eight. While navigating around the slower car of Patrick Bateman, Oliver was also trying to hold off the hard-charging Connor Leoffler. Contact occurred when Oliver rode over Bateman’s left rear tire, sending the leader into a frightening end-over-end flip down the front straightaway. Oliver’s car came to [Read More]

News

Brown Credited with SportMod Season Opener Victory at Marysville

By Troy Hennig MARYSVILLE, Calif. (Feb. 28, 2026) — The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods took to the track for their 20-lap main event during the season opener at Marysville Raceway. Shannon Barton was on point tonight and led the early part of the race. Phil Marino then emerged as the new challenger and took the lead. Chasing Marino late in the race was Dan Brown Jr., who tried his best to run him down. At the checkered flag, Marino was the first to cross the start-finish line. However, during a post-race inspection, Marino was docked for failing tech. This gave the win to Brown, his first of the year. It was an impressive win considering Brown started sixth. Barton was moved into the second spot. Marino was scored in the third spot. Mike Merritt was fourth and Jeff Bentancourt was fifth. The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate NorCal Speed. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $24.99 per month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the [Read More]

News

Michaels Mercer Raceway Park Continues RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Sanctioning for 75th Anniversary Season

By Ben Deatherage MERCER, Pa. (Feb. 10, 2026) — RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars will once again thunder around Michaels Mercer Raceway Park in 2026, as the western Pennsylvania facility sanctions the division for a track championship campaign for the second consecutive year. The 3/8-mile clay oval, located roughly an hour from the shores of Lake Erie and just minutes from the Ohio–Pennsylvania border, has quickly established itself as the Saturday night battleground for Sprint Car competition in the region. Under the leadership of promoter Mike Mathieson, now entering his third season at the helm, the speedway continues to build momentum with strong fields and competitive racing. “When these gates open, it’s all about hard racing, clean competition, and giving the fans every bit of action they came for,” Mathieson said. The upcoming season also marks a major milestone for the historic speedway. Michaels Mercer Raceway Park enters its 75th anniversary campaign under new ownership, as Earl and Michelle Michaels finalized the purchase of the facility in late 2025 from Earl’s brother, Edward. Following the acquisition, Earl [Read More]