cjspeedway Archives

Kemper, Madden, Wyett score big CJ wins

by Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (May 17, 2024) – Mother Nature provided a perfect evening for dirt track racing at CJ Speedway Friday evening. The night started off with the conclusion of the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock main event that was suspended one week earlier by rains that fell with five laps scored. The main event picked up on lap six with Luke Phillips leading the pack to the green on the restart. Phillips went on to lead the final seven laps for the win while a whole lot of racing went on for the runner-up spot. At the checkers it was a family affair as Shane Richardson took second ahead of John Richardson with Jason Shutterle crossing under the checkers in fourth. Following the conclusion of that feature, racing continued as CJ Speedway hosted a full program of racing on Extreme Rentals Night at the races. Austin Kemper scored the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature win in his new B & B Racing Chassis car. It had been six years since Kemper had [Read More]

Brown, VanderBeek, Anderson score wins before rain halts CJ

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (May 10, 2024) – Night number two of the 2024 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season at CJ Speedway was held Friday with Superior Steering Wheel & Graphics providing sponsorship and bonus money for all feature winners. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds saw defending track champion Jarrett Brown shoot into the lead from his outside front row start and go on to lead flag to flag in scoring the Fast Shafts All Star Invitational eligible qualifier and the $1,000 first place prize money. Brown had the field bunched up to his rear bumper following a minor spin and on the restart it appeared that Kurt Kile may be able to mount a challenge for the lead but Brown was able to move back out to a comfortable lead. Kile finished second to Brown ahead of Kyle Madden. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars saw a first-time visitor to the CJ Speedway on Friday night. Zach VanderBeek has been racing for many years but had never been to the CJ Speedway. [Read More]

$750 top prize, All-Star eligibility are at stake for IMCA Stock Cars Friday at CJ Speedway

COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (May 9, 2024) – Both a $750 top check and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility are on the line for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars Friday night at CJ Speedway. Race night sponsor Superior Steering Wheels and Graphics has added to purses for each sanctioned class running May 10 at the Louisa County Fairgrounds venue. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature now pays $900 to win – that amount will be bumped up and the race would be a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational event if additional sponsors kick in another $100 – and both IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod features pay $700 to win. Runner-up in the Hobby Stock feature earns $425. Pit gates at Columbus Junction open at 5:30 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 6 p.m. Hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow. Spectator admission is $10. Pit passes are $30.

Spaw celebrates birthday with CJ Speedway win

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (May 3, 2024) – The 2024 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season got underway on Friday night at the CJ Speedway on a nice night for racing. The headliner of the night was the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event with a stellar field of drivers set for the 16-lap feature. Kirk Kinsley led in the early going before sixth starting Johnny Spaw was able to put his no. 00 out front. With Spaw out front, Corey Strothman and Dustin Griffiths joined in a three-car breakaway battling for the lead. Spaw took the win and Strothman crossed under the checkers in second but failed post-race inspection giving second to Griffiths. John Oliver Jr. came on strong in the late going to take third. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature saw Washington driver Brandon Banks score the win. Banks shot into the lead from the outside front row start but was quickly challenged by CJ Speedway hot shoes Kurt Kile and Jarrett Brown. The three put on quite a race [Read More]

CJ Speedway season opener falls to weather

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (April 26, 2024) – The 2024 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season opener scheduled for Friday at CJ Speedway fell victim to the wet grounds and the prediction of severe storms to hit the Louisa County Fairgrounds. The season opener has now been reset for Friday, May 3 and the opening nights race program will be sponsored by our friends from Bosch Pest Control. Four classes of sanctioned race cars will be in competition as Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks highlight the race program that gets underway at 7 p.m. with warmups, racing will follow. Oveson Refuge & Recycling Night at the Races has been rescheduled for Friday, July 5.

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]