Newswire

Killingsworth Captures IMCA Modified National and Shaw Race Cars Western Region Rookie of the Year Honors

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (Oct. 27, 2025) — Ethan Killingsworth’s first full season in a Friesen Performance IMCA Modified couldn’t have started much stronger. The Yreka racer, wheeling his Ace’s Affordable Auto Glass/J Cota Forestry/Twysted Motorsports no. 7M Twysted by Evo entry, capped an impressive rookie campaign by earning both the IMCA National Rookie of the Year and Shaw Race Cars Western Region Rookie of the Year titles. Killingsworth became just the third Californian to win the IMCA Modified National Rookie of the Year award, joining 1993 winner Scott Pounds and Jacob Mallet Jr., who received the honor last year. He’s also the 16th driver from California to claim the Shaw Race Cars Western Region Rookie of the Year title since 1993, and the fourth straight to do so. Along the way, he collected the Southern Oregon Speedway track championship and finished second in the Western Region standings, building on his success from 2024 when he captured the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod track championship “We weren’t expecting to come swinging out of the gate [Read More]

McGaha Legacy Grows as Jaxon Earns GRT Race Cars South Central Rookie of the Year

By Ben Deatherage ABILENE, Texas (Oct. 28, 2025) — At just 15 years old, Jaxon McGaha turned his rookie campaign in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds into a season of growth, grit, and steady progress. The second-generation racer from Abilene captured GRT Race Cars South Central Region Rookie of the Year honors, finishing third in both the South Central Region and Texas State standings — just one spot behind his father, longtime standout Josh McGaha. “We had a lot of ups and downs this year,” McGaha said. “The beginning wasn’t too hot because I was learning — and I’m still learning — but toward the end it got a lot better.” Behind the wheel of the All Pro Clutch and Driveline/Stephenville Starter & Electric/Dirt Defender no. 8 IRP, McGaha rolled out for 27 starts, collecting three top-five finishes, 14 top-tens, and multiple podium runs over the course of his rookie campaign. The early months were difficult, marked by a string of DNFs at Grayson County, Heart O’ Texas, and Kennedale, including his first career rollover. But [Read More]

Oregon’s Williamson Crowned Shaw Race Cars Western Region Champion

By Ben Deatherage COBURG, Ore. (Oct. 27, 2025) — Kevin Williamson’s 2025 season was nothing short of career-defining. Competing in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, the Coburg chauffeur pieced together the best year of his racing life — winning the Shaw Race Cars Western Region championship by a slim seven points, along with his first Cottage Grove Speedway and Douglas County Dirtrack titles, and capturing the Oregon State championship for the first time. It marked a breakthrough campaign that elevated him from local contender to regional powerhouse, making him the only other driver from Oregon to capture the Western Region crown since Bricen James accomplished the feat in 2019. Williamson, the younger brother of standout Jesse Williamson, also added a top-ten finish on the national stage, placing sixth in the final Friesen Performance IMCA Modified national standings — his best points result to date. “I never thought at the start of the year that we would be running for the Western Region,” Williamson admitted. “But halfway through the season we were 25 races in and had [Read More]

“The Showdown” Set for Nov. 7–9 at Central Arizona Raceway; $3,000 Sunday Payday for IMCA Modifieds

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Oct. 28, 2025) — Central Arizona Raceway will have the return of “The Showdown,” a three-day IMCA special presented by Toste Construction, running Friday through Sunday, Nov. 7–9, with an open practice on Thursday, Nov. 6. The weekend features Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, and Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, capped by a $3,000-to-win Modified main event on Sunday. Action fires at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday. Pit gates open at noon Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday. Grandstands open at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at noon on Sunday. Purses are stout all three days. Friday and Saturday pay $1,000 to win and $100 to start for Modifieds; $500 to win and $50 to start for Stock Cars; $500 to win and $50 to start for Northern SportMods; and $400 to win and $50 to start for Hobby Stocks. The top two finishers from Friday and Saturday’s main events in each division will be locked into [Read More]

Ferrell is Class of Fields in Junior National and IMCA Hobby Stock Southern Region Ranks

By Bill Martin BAYFIELD, Colo. (Oct. 28, 2025) — Hunter Ferrell walked across the stage and accepted his Bayfield High School diploma this spring, then raced to the top of the class in both IMCA Junior National Championship and B & B Racing Chassis Southern Region standings. The first driver from Colorado to accomplish either feat, Ferrell won 20 features in his career fourth Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock season. Fifth in national point standings, the much-traveled 18-year-old took 13 checkers and the track title at Utah’s Desert Thunder Raceway. He was also a three-time winner at both Cortez Fairgrounds Speedway in his home state and at Arizona’s Deuce of Clubs Thunder Raceway, while winning once at Aztec Speedway in New Mexico. “It was about halfway through the season when I took over first in the regional standings, and realized I was first in Junior Nationals and started getting more wins under my belt that I realized this season could be special,” said Ferrell, now a freshman at Fort Lewis College in Durango, studying business. “At the [Read More]

Hard Work Pays Off for Harker with IMCA Jet Racing Central Region Title

By Bill Martin NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (Oct. 22, 2025) — It’s hard to believe now, but there was a time not so long ago when Shawn Harker wondered if he’d ever win a Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature. The Nebraska City ‘shoe would total six checkers at Eagle Raceway, on his way to earning state and ultimately his first Jet Racing Central Region crown in 2025. “We ended the season with five wins in a row. We won the first time at Eagle in June, and we won the last five points races of the year there,” said Harker. “It was a good feeling. Our mentality was race for the wins and the points will take care of themselves.” “Last season we never paid attention to regional points because we were just racing to race. We got toward the end, and somebody called to ask me why I wasn’t racing more because we were up there in points and could maybe win it, but it was too late,” he continued. “So, we set out this year with [Read More]

Mills Stays Sharp for Championship Race in IMCA’s Razor Chassis North Central Region

By Bill Martin CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (Oct. 27, 2025) — Taking the same approach that’s worked for nearly three decades took Jeremy Mills back to the top of the podium in IMCA’s Razor Chassis North Central Region. Mills motored to 16 feature wins in his 50 home region starts along with Friesen Performance IMCA Modified track titles at Boone Speedway and Hancock County Speedway. Also the 2009 regional king, he was second in national point standings, duplicating that finish from 16 years ago as well. “Our approach to each race night has always been the same. We have a pretty good system as to how we work on things. Your maintenance program has got to be top notch when you’re racing weekly,” said Mills, who honed that attitude in campaigns that earned IMCA Hobby Stock national rookie of the year and then national championship honors in 1996 and 1998, respectively. Now 48 and a 29-year veteran of the sport, the speedster from Clear Lake raced to his career 150th win in the division on July 12 at [Read More]

Mylee JoAnn Soars to 2025 IMCA Lady Eagle Championship

By Ben Deatherage FARMINGTON, N.M. (Oct. 27, 2025) — Mylee JoAnn Rhames, known across the pits as “Mylee JoAnn,” became the 2025 Lady Eagle champion, marking the first time a driver from New Mexico has claimed the honor and just the second from the American Southwest, following Shelby Alves, who lived in Arizona at the time, in 2022. The pilot of the Gasco/O’Reilly Auto Parts/KFR Graphics no. 7MJ entry joins Leah Wroten and Tiffany Bittner as the only Hobby Stock drivers to earn the title, Wroten being the last to do so in 2018. “It’s super cool to win this for New Mexico,” she said. “A lot of the other winners have come from Iowa or the Midwest.” Mylee’s season began at the IMCA TV Winter Nationals in Arizona, where she built early momentum with a string of strong finishes before settling into a dominant summer rhythm at Desert Thunder Raceway in Price, Utah — her home track away from home in 2025, located 301 miles from her hometown of Farmington. “Our season was different. We [Read More]

Goos Repeats as IMCA Sprint Car National Champion

By Ben Deatherage HARTFORD, S.D. — For the second straight year, Hartford’s Lee Goos Jr. rose above adversity and a deep field of contenders to capture the RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Car national championship, marking back-to-back titles. “It’s kind of ironic — I didn’t really have intention of going for another national championship until last year’s banquet,” Goos said. “A couple of our good friends couldn’t make it because one of their family members had passed away, and I told them, ‘I’ll just win it next year so you can go.’ They thought I was joking, but I was serious.” That promise became reality. What began as another season of steady racing turned into a campaign defined by perseverance. Goos started the year strong, ran into midseason frustration with several DNFs, and then steadied the ship with a late push that sealed the championship. “We had good cars all year, but I took myself out of a few races. I had seven DNFs and was still able to get the championship. It put a lot of pressure [Read More]

Zeitner Claims First IMCA Late Model National Championship

By Ben Deatherage BELLEVUE, Neb. (Oct. 21, 2025) — A season that began with frustration turned into one of redemption and resolve for Zach Zeitner, who capped his 2025 campaign by earning his first-ever IMCA Sunoco Late Model National Championship. Zeitner becomes the fourth driver from Nebraska since 1949 to earn IMCA’s Late Model national crown, joining 1996 winner Kyle Berck, 2000 champion Jason Friesen, and Cory Dumpert, who won the last six titles from 2019 through 2024. Driving the Zeitner & Sons Refrigerated Transport/Blaha Service/Select Auto no. 76 Infinity Chassis, the Bellevue racer powered to 16 feature victories in 38 starts, collecting track titles at Park Jefferson, Crawford County, and Shelby County Speedways. The Shelby County crown marked his third in four years, adding to championships won there in 2022 and 2024. Entering the season with 10 career IMCA feature wins, Zeitner more than doubled his lifetime total in 2025 — his most successful season yet under Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly sanctioning. “It’s a pretty big accomplishment,” Zeitner said. “This sport is very humbling. We started [Read More]