beatricespeedway Archives

Elmer Saathoff Classic Headlines Octoberfest at Beatrice Speedway Oct. 9–11

By Ben Deatherage BEATRICE, Neb. (Sept. 21, 2025) — The seasons are changing, and so is the 2025 campaign at Beatrice Speedway, where the annual Octoberfest will run Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 9–11, capped by the prestigious Elmer Saathoff Classic on Saturday night. The weekend begins Thursday, Oct. 9, with an open practice session for all divisions from 6:00–9:00 p.m. Any class of cars is welcome, pit passes are $20, and admission to the grandstands is free. Friday, Oct. 10, will feature a complete program for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Modifieds headline with $1,000 to win and $130 to start, while Stock Cars, SportMods, and Hobby Stocks will also race for $1,000 to win. Sport Compacts join the card with a $600-to-win program. Pit gates open at 3:00 p.m., grandstands at 6:00, the drivers meeting and draw close at 6:30, opening ceremonies are at 6:55, and racing begins at 7:00. Saturday, Oct. 11, kicks off early with breakfast [Read More]

Thornton and Carter Split Stock Car Segments at Joey Hergott Memorial at Beatrice

By Ben Deatherage BEATRICE, Neb. (Jul. 14, 2025) –– Ricky Thornton Jr. stormed from third to first in the closing laps of the 22-lap opening segment for the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars at the Joey Hergott Memorial at Beatrice Speedway, collecting a $3,000 payday and adding yet another impressive chapter to his IMCA résumé. The four-time Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s winner—twice in Friesen Performance Modifieds and twice in Sunoco IMCA Late Models—put the Jordan Graoubski Racing no. 20RT entry to the top shelf to track down early leader Cayden Carter and make the winning move on lap 20. The first stage began with hometown ace and four-time track champion Kyle Vanover grabbing the lead before a caution on lap one. Carter took over on lap nine in the Mike Peterson Motorsports no. 1X, but as the laps clicked by, Thornton closed fast. A yellow with six laps to go bunched the field, and Thornton used it to his advantage, surging past Carter in turn three with two to go. Brayton Carter went from 10th [Read More]

Beatrice Speedway’s Joey Hergott Memorial Offers Up to $10,000 to Win for Stock Cars

By Ben Deatherage BEATRICE, Neb. (Jun. 25, 2025) — The second annual Joey Hergott Memorial at Beatrice Speedway is set for Monday, July 14, and will once again feature one of the most lucrative single-night payouts for Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars. With a unique two-stage feature format, the main event offers $3,000 to win each 22-lap stage, with a potential for $10,000 in total winnings, including bonus money. The format will include heat races and B-Mains to set the stage for a 24-car feature. Stage one will consist of 22 laps and pay $3,000 to the winner. After a three-minute break to allow teams to make adjustments, stage two begins. The top 20 drivers will return to the track for another 22-lap run, with another $3,000 to win plus up to $4,000 in bonus money available. The final stage winner could take home as much as $10,000. Other Speedway Motors IMCA weekly divisions are also racing for big paydays. Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts will compete for a $4,000 top prize and $125 to start. Sunoco IMCA [Read More]

Grabouski Doubles Up at Spring Nationals with Modified and Stock Car Wins

By Ben Deatherage BEATRICE, Neb. (Mar. 22, 2025) — For the third time since 2021, Jordan Grabouski left Beatrice Speedway’s Spring Nationals with two trophies in hand. The hometown standout scored victories in both the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars at the 32nd edition of the prestigious event. The 30-lap Modified feature began with California’s Troy Morris III setting a fast pace. The 2024 Arizona IMCA Tour champion controlled the early stages while Iowa’s Izac Mallicoat and Grabouski battled for second. The five-time National Modified titlist and nine-time reigning points leader at Beatrice eventually secured second began reeling in Morris by the halfway mark. Hitting traffic just past the midpoint, Morris started to struggle with a lapped car which allowed for Grabouski to put pressure on him by lap 18. The two would both be bottled behind traffic a few circuits later before the challenger got an advantage on lap 23 only for Morris to come back on the inside of him to regain the lead two laps later. A caution with [Read More]

Wray checks forecast, then checks out at Beatrice Octoberfest

BEATRICE, Neb. (Oct. 11-12, 2024) – Cory Wray checked the forecast, then he checked out. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified hotshoe from Trenton, Mo., made his first visit to Beatrice Speedway in five years for the season-ending Octoberfest special, leading all 25 laps of Saturday’s $2,000 to win feature. “We looked at the weather, saw it was going to be nice and decided to race one more weekend,” said Wray, newly eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “It was a good way to end the season.” He’d started third and took the lead coming to the line at the end of lap one. A lap four caution bunched the field back together but Wray pulled away and was running in traffic late in the contest. Johnny Saathoff was second, Braxton Yeager third. Justin Zeitner motored from 15th starting to fourth for hard charger honors. Jordan Grabouski, most recently a three-time Octoberfest main event winner in 2020, topped Friday’s $1,000 to win feature for the Modifieds and both $750 to win features for the [Read More]

Six IMCA divisions in action at Beatrice Octoberfest

BEATRICE, Neb. (Oct. 7, 2024) – Six IMCA divisions are in action both nights of Beatrice Speedway’s season-ending Octoberfest special Oct. 11 and 12. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win on Friday and $2,000 to win on Saturday. A minimum of $200 will be paid to start and winners of both features become Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible. Both IMCA Sunoco Stock Car features pay $750 to win with those drivers earning B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod features pay $750 to win, Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock features $500 to win, and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact features $200 to win. Entry fees each day are $50 for the Modifieds, $25 for the Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and Northern SportMods, and $20 for the Mod Lites. An open practice runs from 7-9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10. Pit passes are $15. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., the draw closes at 6:30 p.m. and racing starts at [Read More]

Gage County Fair checkers at Beatrice are IMCA Modified career 300th for Grabouski

BEATRICE, Neb. (July 26, 2024) – The setting proved perfect for Jordan Grabouski’s latest Friesen Performance IMCA Modified accomplishment. Grabouski raced to his career 300th feature win in the division Friday night, during the Gage County Fair show at hometown track Beatrice Speedway. “A lot of family and friends were there. We grew up showing cattle at the fair before I was even racing so winning my 300th at the Gage County Fair was really sweet. The grandstands were full and that was cool, too,” he said. That his latest milestone win would come at Beatrice should be no surprise: Grabouski got his 100th there in May of 2014 and 200that the same locale in August of 2018. “This is another win that means a lot – Beatrice Speedway feels like home to me, which it is. It’s my hometown race track,” he explained. “I grew up here and it was just neat.” A five-time Modified national champion during his career and the only IMCA driver to win national crowns in two divisions the same season – Modifieds [Read More]

Joey Hergott Memorial starts IMCA weekly point season at Beatrice

BEATRICE, Neb. (April 12, 2024) – Beatrice Speedway remembers a long-time race fan and racing supporter on opening night Friday, April 26. The inaugural Joey Hergott Memorial sees Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods in the spotlight, running for $2,024 to win and a minimum of $200 to start. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds run for $1,224 to win, $100 to start and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for $1,024 to win, $124 to start and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star qualifying eligibility. Rounding out the race card are IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks in a $524 to win feature, Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts in a $175 to win main event and Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites. Purses will be increased as additional donations are received. A new Hoosier racing tire will be awarded to both hard charger and a mystery position finisher in Modified, Stock Car and Northern SportMod features, a new Primewell tire to the hard charger and mystery position finisher in the Hobby Stock main. Zeitner & [Read More]

Grabouski, Ward near IMCA Modified milestones, Ware sweeps Spring Nationals Stock Car features

BEATRICE, Neb. (March 22-23, 2024) – Jordan Grabouski and Tim Ward each took another step toward Friesen Performance IMCA Modified milestones with Spring Nationals feature wins. Jeff Ware, meanwhile, got the Beatrice Speedway monkey off his back with Friday and Saturday night victories at the 31st annual special. Grabouski’s 290th IMCA Modified win on opening night at his hometown track doubled as his Spring Nationals career 14th in the class dating to 2011. Ward’s Saturday checkers were his career 95th, his last win at Beatrice having come in IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing action in 2013. Both features paid $2,500 and both winners were already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible. Grabouski had taken advantage of the extra week after Spring Nationals was postponed to build a new car. He used lapped traffic and then a restart to his advantage in taking the lead with 10 laps to go on Friday and winning ahead of Ward and Troy Cordes. “That car was a bare frame on Monday. Friday was the first time that car saw dirt,” said Grabouski, [Read More]

Beatrice Speedway postpones Spring Nationals to March 22, 23

BEATRICE, Neb. (March 13, 2024) – A recent snowfall measured at 3-1/2 inches cost Beatrice Speedway invaluable track prep time, and the result is postponement of the season-opening Spring Nationals. The 31st annual special at Beatrice has been rescheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 22 and 23 and track officials believe the extra week will provide the time they need to have the racing surface ready for competitors in five IMCA divisions. The practice session open to Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts runs from 7-9:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21. Modifieds race for $2,500 to win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility each night while Stock Cars run for $1,000 to win on Friday, $2,000 to win Saturday and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility both nights. Northern SportMods run for $1,000 to win, Hobby Stocks for $500 to win and Sport Compacts for $200 to win each night. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and [Read More]