BatesvilleMotorSpeedway Archives

Gavin Lowe: Growing Into the Next Chapter

By Ben Deatherage VILONIA, Ark. (May 7, 2026) — In a town where there isn’t much to do and not many places to go, people tend to find something to hold onto. For Gavin Lowe, that something came early. Before he could drive. Before he could reach the pedals without help. Before most kids knew what they wanted to be. It was already there. In the shop and at the track. And in the people around him. Built Into It “I started racing at 5 when I was in kindergarten in a go-kart that my dad got me for Christmas,” Lowe said. Racing wasn’t something he discovered. It was something he grew up around. “I got into racing through family,” Cody said. “My godfather and dad did it their whole life. I helped them all the time and didn’t think I would do it myself.” That connection goes back decades. Cody and Pressley both got into racing around 1987, when Cody’s father let Pressley drive one of his older cars. It didn’t take long for it [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]

Taylor Takes Batesville Stock Car Victory at Wimp Reed Memorial Arkansas Spring Nationals

By Ben Deatherage LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (Mar. 28, 2026) — Peyton Taylor capitalized on early misfortune and never looked back in winning the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature at the Wimp Reed Memorial Arkansas Spring Nationals. The 25-lap, $1,500-to-win main event served as a qualifier for the B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational to be held during the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, placing Taylor on the eligibility list to attempt to qualify. Taylor assumed command just a few laps into the race after early leader Curtis Cook, who had grabbed the point on the opening circuit from the bottom, suffered mechanical issues and was forced to retire. Once out front, Taylor — wheeling the Cadillac Chassis house car no. 11T for car owner Jack Sullivan — quickly built a sizeable advantage. Behind him, a spirited battle for second developed between 2024 Natural State Nationals winner Hayden Linn and T.J. Herndon, the winner of the final night of the 2024 Arkansas Spring Nationals. Herndon initially secured the runner-up spot before a caution [Read More]

Arkansas Spring Nationals Returns as Batesville Motor Speedway Invests in Upgrades

By Ben Deatherage LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (Mar. 12, 2026) — Batesville Motor Speedway will host the Arkansas IMCA Spring Nationals “Wimp” Reed Memorial on March 26-28, featuring Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars. The three-day program opens Thursday, March 26 with a practice session only. Pit passes will be $30, while grandstand admission will be free for spectators that evening. The racing portion of the weekend starts Friday, March 27 and continues through Saturday, March 28 with full shows each night. Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars will each race for $1,500 to win nightly. Modified feature winners will earn Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifying eligibility, while Stock Car feature winners will do the same for the B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational. Entry fee for both divisions is $50 per night, and non-qualifiers will receive $50 in tow money. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. each day. For the Friday and Saturday race programs, draw opens at the pit gate, hot laps are scheduled for 7 p.m., [Read More]

DeVilbiss Powers to Second Race For Hope 71 Victory at Batesville

By Ben Deathearge LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (Oct. 11, 2025) — Zane DeVilbiss stole the spotlight Saturday night at Batesville Motor Speedway, powering to victory in the 9th Annual Race For Hope 71 presented by IMCA.TV. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified standout from Farmington, N.M., earned $4,000 for the 40-lap triumph — his first win of the season and second career Race For Hope 71 victory, adding to his 2021 triumph. With the win, DeVilbiss became just the second driver ever to capture the event more than once, joining three-time winner Ricky Thornton Jr. The victory also locked him into eligibility for the 2026 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational at Boone Speedway. Defending race winner and 2020 National champion Tom Berry Jr. grabbed the early advantage after a tight first-lap duel with 2023 event winner Wendell Wallace. Berry, piloting the Andrews Autosport No. 11 owned by Spencer Andrews, stretched his lead until heavy lapped traffic closed the gap. Two-time and reigning Super Nationals champion Tim Ward, driving the Doug and Amy Eckrich No. 151, climbed to second on [Read More]

Race For Hope 71 Offers Big Money, Big Action Oct. 9–11 at Batesville Motor Speedway

By Ben Deatherage LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (Sept. 21, 2025) — The 9th annual Race For Hope 71 presented by IMCA TV returns to Batesville Motor Speedway for three straight nights, Thursday–Saturday, Oct. 9–11, with a complete Friesen Performance IMCA Modified show and full payout each night. A new-for-2025 format puts real money on the line every time the green drops: $3,000 to win on Thursday, $3,000 to win on Friday, and $4,000 to win on Saturday. Sweep all three features and collect a $2,000 bonus; win two of the three and add a $1,000 bonus. It’s $12,000 possible to win across the weekend for one driver under the three-night format. Grandstands open at 5:30 p.m. nightly. Adults are $15 on Thursday and Friday and $20 on Saturday; youth 12–15 are $10; kids 11 and under are free. Pits open at 4:00 p.m. each day with pit passes $40 nightly and ages 6–11 $20. Driver entry is $50 per night. Teams can enter online at batesvillemotorspeedway.com or call 870-613-1337 for details. The Race For Hope 71 delivers three full [Read More]

Abbey Charges Late to Mid-America Stock Car Championship Win at Batesville

By Ben Deatherage LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (Sept. 27, 2025) — The $7,500-to-win Mid-America Stock Car Championship produced a thriller Saturday night at Batesville Motor Speedway, with Jeffrey Abbey of Rhome, Texas, charging late to capture his first-ever win in the marquee event. Abbey also pocketed a $500 bonus for displaying a Schoenfeld Headers logo on his car, bringing his total payday to $8,000. Peyton Taylor paced the opening circuits in the Brandon & Jodi Simon-owned no. 20PT, building a three-second advantage before a lap-16 caution erased his lead. Taylor pulled away again on the restart, but Iowa’s Dallon Murty, a two-time Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s winner, closed in from second. After another restart on lap 30, Murty worked the high side to take over the top spot on lap 33. Taylor refused to back down, and the pair traded the lead until Taylor nosed back ahead on lap 38 and began to build an edge. Meanwhile, Curtis Cook, piloting the Jayson and Tonya Hefley no. 82, pressured Murty for second, allowing Taylor [Read More]

Batesville Motor Speedway to Host 30th Annual Schoenfeld Headers Mid-America IMCA Stock Car Championship Sept. 25–27

By Ben Deatherage LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (Sept. 18, 2025) — The 30th Annual Schoenfeld Headers Mid-America IMCA Stock Car Championship returns to Batesville Motor Speedway on Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 25–27, 2025, with three nights of Sunoco IMCA Stock Car racing action and a $20,000-to-win, $1,000-to-start main event. The 3-day event kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 25, with practice at 7:00 p.m. and is followed by racing at 7:30. Drivers will compete each night with double heats and draw for positions on Thursday and Friday nights. Drivers will accumulate points and will run a nightly feature as well. On Friday, Sept. 26, we will follow the same format with drivers drawing for positions with double heats and a nightly feature to accumulate points. Hot Laps at 7:00 p.m. with racing to follow at 7:30. Saturday will again see hot laps at 7:00 p.m. and racing at 7:30. The Top 16 in points will advance to the 50-lap Schoenfeld Headers Mid-America IMCA Stock Car Championship main event paying $20,000 to win on Saturday night, September 27. The [Read More]

Wilkey Rises Above the Rest at Wimp Reed Spring Nationals

By Ben Deatherage BATESVILLE, Ark. (Mar. 29, 2025) — Ashton Wilkey delivered a masterful performance in the final night of the Wimp Reed Spring Nationals, earning a $1,600 payday in the 31-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at Batesville Motor Speedway. Wilkey, the 2023 Arkansas State champion and two-time track titleholder, took the lead at the start and held off repeated challenges from National Late Model Hall of Famer Wendell Wallace. After several early cautions, Wallace stayed close on each restart but couldn’t find a way around the Batesville native. Cameron Cook briefly moved into second before Wallace regained the spot on another restart. As the laps clicked off, Wilkey pulled away while Wallace and Cook traded shots for the runner-up position through heavy lapped traffic. With three laps to go, Wallace’s motor expired, setting up a late restart. Wilkey nailed the restart and drove away to earn his first Jet Racing Central Region win of the year. Cook, who started eighth, held off 2014 Arkansas State champion Brint Hartwick for second. Witt Dominates for [Read More]

Moore Steals Wimp Reed Spring Nationals Opener in Final Laps Thriller

By Ben Deatherage BATESVILLE, Ark. (Mar. 28, 2025) — The opening night of the Wimp Reed Spring Nationals at Batesville Motor Speedway delivered a dramatic finish in the 31-lap, $1,500-to-win Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature. The race, held in memory of longtime tech man and former driver Wimp Reed, came down to a near last-lap move by Jonesboro 17-year-old Grayson Moore. It is his first win in the Jet Racing Central Region this year. John Waugh led the opening lap before Brandon Smith charged into the lead. A fierce battle for second between Ashton Wilkey and Waugh allowed Moore to make a slick double pass and jump to second. Smith pulled away up front until a lap 11 caution slowed the field. The yellow proved costly for 2023 Arkansas State Champion Wilkey, who suffered right-front damage while attempting to avoid a spinning car. Smith was strong on the restart, but another caution kept the pack tight. 2012 IMCA Super Nationals winner Jeff Taylor moved into third and battled Moore for second. Once Moore got clear, he [Read More]