Feature Stories

By Ben Deatherage CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Aug. 26, 2026) — For retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Lee Bonar Jr., a trip to Boone Speedway during the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s is about far more than watching race cars. It is about community. It is about finding veterans who may be struggling with the transition from military to civilian life, sometimes without anybody around them realizing it. And, occasionally, it is about opening a door for someone who hasn’t been ready to ask for help. “The IMCA community is a phenomenal community of patriots,” said Bonar, senior director of military relations for Hope For The Warriors. “They embrace the veteran community as well as the active, reserve, and National Guard community, and that helps them in that transition.” Bonar will make his third trip to Boone for America’s Racin’ Vacation as Hope For The Warriors celebrates its 20th anniversary. Founded by military families aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in 2006, HOPE began after military spouses witnessed firsthand the needs of service [Read More]

By Ben Deatherage ALGER, Wash. (Aug. 26, 2026) — One of the biggest Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified events in the Pacific Northwest returns to Skagit Speedway Sept. 25-26 when Survive the 55 puts $10,000 on the line for the winner of its signature 55-lap main event. The two-day event will bring Modified competitors back to the Washington speedplant for the fifth running of Survive the 55, with Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing National, DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region, and Washington State points on the line. The winner will also earn eligibility to attempt to qualify for the 2027 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational during the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Four different drivers have visited victory lane in the event’s first four runnings. Jon DeBenedetti captured the inaugural Survive the 55 in 2022 before Grey Ferrando added his name to the winner’s list in 2023. Tom Berry Jr. took the victory in 2024, while Bricen James became the fourth different winner in 2025. The 2026 edition will once again culminate with 55 laps [Read More]

By Ben Deatherage WEYBURN, Sask. (Aug. 12, 2026) — The airplane lifts away, its engine growing quieter until eventually there is nothing left but the water, the wilderness and silence. Brendon LaBatte stands on a dock hundreds of miles into northern Saskatchewan. There are no roads leading back to civilization. No help waiting around the corner. For someone who spent 14 seasons battling 300-pound linemen in the Canadian Football League and now wrestles a homebuilt Sunoco IMCA Stock Car around dirt tracks on both sides of the border, even this can get the adrenaline flowing. “It’s such a different feeling when that plane takes off and you’re left standing there on the dock,” LaBatte said. “I’ve been out there all alone and you think, ‘Oh man, I’m really doing this.’ It’s always a rush and an adventure.” Competition and adventure have been constants throughout LaBatte’s life. The Weyburn native went from racing as a teenager to becoming the sixth overall selection in the 2008 CFL Draft. He spent four seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before [Read More]

By Ben Deatherage BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 26, 2026) — For the fifth consecutive year, pre-entries for the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s have reached the 1,000 mark as another massive gathering of IMCA competitors prepares to descend on Boone Speedway. Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified driver Chevy Hadan of Washington, Neb., became the 1,000th driver to register for the 44th annual event, scheduled Sept. 5-12. The milestone continues a remarkable run of four-figure participation at America’s Racin’ Vacation. Super Nationals first reached 1,000 pre-entries in 2022 and has surpassed that mark every year since. Competitors from 31 states, three Canadian provinces, and two Australian states are already represented on the 2026 entry list. Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars lead the way with 300 entries, with Bryan Snell of Coon Rapids becoming the division’s 300th registrant. They are followed by 240 Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, 169 Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods, 155 Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, 76 Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts, and 58 Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lites. The Modified field includes competitors from 26 states [Read More]

By Ben Deatherage BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 20, 2026) — More than $90,000 in contingency awards will be up for grabs when hundreds of IMCA competitors converge on Boone Speedway for the 2026 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Competitors in all seven divisions will chase product, product certificates, gift cards, cash bonuses, and other awards throughout America’s Racin’ Vacation, Sept. 5-12. Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Sunoco IMCA Late Models, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods, Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lites, and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts will all be part of the contingency program. Dozens of companies from throughout the motorsports industry have contributed to this year’s program, including Abilene Race Rads, AERO Race Wheels, AFCO, Allstar Performance, AutoMeter, Bassett, BHE, Brinn Transmission, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, Coleman Racing Products, CPT Racing Manufacturing, Dominator Race Products, Dynamic Drivelines, Edelbrock, Eibach, EngineQuest, Fast Shafts, Finishline Racing Products, Harris Auto Racing, Hoosier Racing Tire, Hyperco, Integra Racing Shocks, Intercomp, Jaz Products, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, Justice Brothers, Kevko Racing, Kirkey [Read More]