cjspeedway Archives

CJ Speedway season opener set for April 26

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (April 18, 2024) – The 2024 racing season at CJ Speedway, located on the Louisa County Fairgrounds in Columbus Junction is about to see the first official green flag of the season. Friday, April 26 will be the first night of the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season at the popular 4/10-mile dirt track. Racing that evening is sponsored by Oveson Refuse & Recycling and will see classes of IMCA sanctioned race cars in competition. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds headline the program and will be joined by IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. All drivers will be racing for valuable, track, state, regional and national points. The Louisa County Fair Board has hired Dan Keltner to be the track manager for the 2024 season. He brings a lengthy background in racing not only as a driver but also as a track official to the post. “I would like to thank the Louisa County Fair Board for this opportunity and I would [Read More]

Keltner returns to CJ Speedway as new promoter

COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (Jan. 30, 2024) – The track where Dan Keltner started his IMCA racing career is the same track he’ll start his promotional career. Keltner takes charge at CJ Speedway in Columbus Junction, where Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods will run on Friday nights. “Columbus Junction is my home track,” said Keltner, from nearby Grandview. “It’s where I went to my first race and it’s where I started racing. It went through an incredible transformation under (former promoter) Larry Richardson. He’ll be a tough act to follow but I want to continue what Larry accomplished here.” Opening night at the 4/10-mile dirt oval is April 26. Season championship night is Aug. 23. “IMCA has been around for so long and I like the consistency. I’ve raced in other classes that didn’t have the sanction and wished they did,” Keltner said. “There are not a lot of changes on our schedule from last year because we want to take care of [Read More]

CJ Speedway to host 2023 awards banquet

By Jerry Mackey CJ Speedway set to host 2023 awards banquet By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (Nov. 14, 2023) – The annual CJ Speedway awards banquet will be held Saturday, Nov. 18 on the Louisa County Fairgrounds in the Youth Center Building located in the center of the fairgrounds in Columbus Junction. Drivers earning top ten in points who are eligible for awards will be honored and recognized for their outstanding achievements. The evening will kick off with a social hour getting underway at 5 p.m. followed by the meal being served at 6 p.m. The awards presentation will get underway at 7 p.m. Following the awards portion of the evening, banquet attendees will be treated to a show presented by hypnotist/comedian Cheryl Shagen. Tickets for the CJ Speedway Banquet can be obtained by contacting the CJ Speedway through the Facebook page.

CJ Speedway drivers earn IMCA national honors

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (Nov. 3, 2023) – CJ Speedway provided great racing throughout the 2023 season and the primary reason that the racing was so good was because of the caliber of the competition each and every Friday night. Columbus Junction regular Tucker Richardson won national and Northern Region Rookie of the Year in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby division. Richardson recently turned 17 and is a junior at Winfield Mount Union High School. He raced a Hobby Stock after running two seasons in the mini hauler division (small trucks). Richardson comes from a racing family as he competes weekly with his uncle Shane Richardson and great uncles John and Chuck, who have both raced many laps at CJ Speedway. The Hobby Stock that Richardson raced was a proven car as the Dominator Chassis was raced to a national championship by Kaden Reynolds in 2021 and later raced by Ryan Havel to multiple wins before the Richardsons purchased the car and the young Richardson drove the car to a third place in points [Read More]

CJ Speedway hosts two outstanding nights of special races

By Jerry Mackey and Anthony Ainslee COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (Sept. 22-23, 2023) – CJ Speedway hosted two special nights of racing on the Louisa County Fairgrounds with racers coming from great distances to delight the race fans. Friday night the 22nd of September was the Battle on the Levee. Originally scheduled to be held during the Louisa County Fair, the race was postponed due to the excessive heat during the summer and was run as the opener of the weekend which also hosted the “Governors Cup,“ special on Saturday. The Battle on the Levee featured a talented field of 86 drivers. Twenty-six Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds took the green and a stellar field battled it out for 20 laps for their main event. When the checkers flew it was Spencer Diercks scoring a hard-fought win ahead of Jarrett Brown. Drew Janssen took third ahead of Todd Shute. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature win went to Damon Murty, who led flag to flag and earned the win ahead of Jason See and John Oliver Jr. The Friesen Performance IMCA [Read More]

CJ Speedway set to host two big nights of racing

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (Sept. 19, 2023) – CJ Speedway, located on the Louisa County Fairgrounds in Columbus Junction, is set to host a racing doubleheader this weekend, Sept. 22 and 23. Friday night, the Battle on the Levee that was originally scheduled to be held during the Louisa County Fair will be held with all drivers gunning for a greatly expanded purse thanks to a very long list of great sponsors. This race was postponed due to the excessive heat that hit Southeast Iowa late in July. Friday night’s racing program will highlight the five divisions of race cars that compete weekly at CJ Speedway. All five classes race under the IMCA banner. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks will all be racing for the winner’s prize money of $1,000 while the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts will be gunning for the $500 top prize. Hot laps will get underway at 7 p.m. with racing to follow. And on Saturday night, CJ Speedway will [Read More]

CJ Speedway crowns season champions

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (Aug. 11, 2023) – Friday night, CJ Speedway held its final Friday night race of the 2023 season as Midwest Frame & Axle of Iowa City hosted the season championship races. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds had a season high of 24 drivers. Kyle Madden led the majority of the race from his outside front row start but a late caution brought the field to his rear bumper for the restart. Madden was unable to hold off Jarrett Brown who came from a 12th position start to take the lead. The 88 team of Brown has had a terrific season at CJ and the win on Friday night earned him the 2023 season championship title. Madden ran second ahead of Brandon Banks and Kurt Kile. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars had another strong field of contenders. Norman Bean led the first couple laps before Matt Picray took over the top spot. Picray, in search of his first win of the year at CJ, drove a flawless race in scoring an [Read More]

Call him doctor! Brown puts on a Clinic at CJ Speedway

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (Aug. 4, 2023) – The CJ Speedway roared back to life with an action-packed night of racing on a perfectly prepared racing surface thanks to the efforts of promoter Larry Richardson. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds have provided great racing all season and the man to beat in the Modified has been Jarrett Brown and the Performer Chassis owned by Bill Failyer comes to the track dialed in every Friday night. Brown took the green for the main event in the ninth starting position and was battling for second before one lap was completed. Brown shot by Kolton Osborn on lap three and went on to record a convincing win in the feature. Brandon Banks advanced from the eighth starting spot to take second but finished well behind Brown. Dakota Simmons had a fine run in taking third. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars saw a strong field of 19 drivers take the green for their main event that would see several different drivers take their turn at the front. [Read More]

Close finishes highlight CJ Speedway racing action

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (July 21, 2023) – Friday night, fans at CJ Speedway were treated to a fantastic evening of IMCA racing on the perfectly prepared 4/10-mile dirt track with three of the five main event winners being determined on the final lap. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event saw Anthony Guss lead the first couple circuits before Blaine Webster took over the point position. Ninth starting Jarrett Brown worked to the front and took over the top spot and with the year the Ainsworth driver has been having, it appeared as the race for the lead was over and the battle for second would be on. Brandon Banks, in his second night in his new car, chased down Brown and set up a late-race charge that would net him his first win of the year at CJ. Banks took the win by passing Brown on the white flag lap and came under the checkers with a car length win. Brown settled for second ahead of a fast-closing Dakota Simmons. IMCA [Read More]

Brown, Paris score big wins at CJ Speedway

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (July 14, 2023) – Racing resumed at CJ Speedway, following two consecutive nights of rainouts of regular IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing programs. Rain threatened to spoil Friday night as well but went on as scheduled and Patriot Fireworks provided a very nice display of pyrotechnics before rain moved in. The headliner of the night was the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event. Brandon Banks debuted his new car and the new car is going to be a very fast machine. Banks shot to the front from his fourth row start and built a comfortable lead only to have ninth starting Jarrett Brown chase down Banks and make what proved to be the winning pass with four laps remaining. Brown has been the man to beat all year and Friday night was no exception. Banks ran second ahead of Kurt Kile. A win in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods would be very big for Shane Paris, currently fifth in national standings for the division, and that was exactly [Read More]