cjspeedway Archives

See saw win by inches in IMCA Stock Car thriller at CJ Speedway

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (June 23) – Another beautiful Friday night greeted a great crowd as the racing action was very exciting at the CJ Speedway. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars continue to provide great racing each and every Friday night. The main event took the green with Kenny O’Donnell taking the lead and looking to break a recent string of bad luck at his hometown race track. O’Donnell stretched the lead out early in the race and appeared to be on his way to the win only to have Jason See make a late-race charge to the front. See went to the outside of O’Donnell as the two came off of turn four headed to the checkered flag. At the finish line, See took the win by no more than 12 inches over O’Donnell, who led all but the last few feet in the 16-lap feature. Norman Bean ran with the leaders the entire race and settled for a close third ahead of Dustin Griffiths. Jarrett Brown has had a great year at [Read More]

Kile, Strothman headline winners’ list at CJ Speedway

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (June 16, 2023) – The weatherman provided another beautiful night Friday for racing action at the CJ Speedway, located on the Louisa County Fairgrounds in Columbus Junction. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds took the green for their 18-lap feature with Kurt Kile splitting the front row starters, the Brau brothers, Kile took the lead that he would not relinquish. Outside fourth row starter Jarrett Brown worked to the front quickly and tried to catch the quick running Kile but although he was able to close on the leader, Brown was unable to mount a serious challenge for the lead. Kile took the win ahead of Brown and visitor Zach Dockter from Norwich, N.D. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars never fail to provide great racing action and that was the case once again as the 16-lap main event saw plenty of wheel to wheel racing action. Corey Strothman scored the win after leading flag-to-flag from his outside front row start. Strothman held off the constant challenges of Johnny Spaw and Jason See. Those [Read More]

Simmons scores first CJ Speedway IMCA Modified win

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (June 9, 2023) – IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing returned to CJ Speedway on Friday night with near perfect weather conditions and a solid field of race cars were on hand to put on a great night of racing on a perfectly prepared race track in front of a nice crowd. It is always special to see a regular competitor score the first win of their racing career at the track and that was the case Friday night as Dakota Simmons, The Douds Missile, captured the win in the very tough Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature. An early dust-up saw the cars of Troy Philpott and Brian Bushong retire to the pit area before one lap was completed. With the lineup reset, the race was on and the very racy track allowed plenty of action as the front runners came from deep in the field. Danny Brau led early before Tim Simpson took over the top spot for a couple of laps. The ninth starting Simmons took over the top [Read More]

Five IMCA feature winners decided on final laps at CJ

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (June 2, 2023) – All five IMCA feature events came down to the final laps, with winners being determined on the final straight away Friday at CJ Speedway. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event came down to the final corner as race leader Kurt Kile encountered lapped traffic and shot to the extreme high line of the speedway in turn four. This allowed an opening on the bottom side of the track and Jarrett Brown was there to take advantage of the opening. Brown was able to get to the checkers less than a car length ahead of Kile. The 77 of Kile led the majority of the race only to be bested by Brown on the last lap. Kile took second ahead of Dakota Simmons. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event was another action-packed event that saw close racing, some bumps and a driver racing from the back twice. When the checkers flew it was Adam Bell parking in victory lane for the first time this [Read More]

Richardson races to career first win at CJ

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (May 26, 2023) – Friday night saw a beautiful night for racing at the CJ Speedway. The program included great racing and a first-ever win on a night that saw the final checkered flag wave at 9:55 p.m. Tucker Richardson is a junior-to-be at Winfield-Mount Union High School and is in his first year of racing full-sized cars. Richardson, who comes from a racing family, made his sixth start in an IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock on Friday night. Richardson led the main event early and was overtaken by Luke Phillips, but misfortune struck Phillips, as he was forced to the pit area with mechanical issues. Young Richardson went on to lead the final laps in route to an impressive win taking the checkers first ahead of a vastly improving Billy Stanford. David Crimmins made his first ever visit to CJ on Friday night and ran third. The win, which will be the first of many for the 16-year-old Richardson, set off a big celebration in victory lane. Jarrett Brown [Read More]

Becerra breaks Brown win streak at CJ Speedway

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (May 19, 2023) – IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing was held on a blustery mid-May Friday night at the 4/10-mile dirt track, CJ Speedway. A solid field of drivers were on hand to provide another entertaining night of racing in five IMCA divisions. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds saw CJ Speedway regular Jarrett Brown have his recent win streak come to an end at the hands of Carthage, Ill., driver Austin Becerra. Brown took the lead early but could not hold off Becerra, who had started the feature in the 10th position. Becerra took the win ahead of Brown and Dakota Simmons. Matt Lundry led the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature for several laps before ninth starting Logan Anderson took over the top spot. Anderson held the point for a few laps before 12th starting Dylan VanWyk shot into the lead with a slick move off of turn two. VanWyk has been a frequent visitor to the FOCO Victory Lane in 2023. VanWyk scored the win ahead of Anderson and [Read More]

Brown, Ballard among Friday winners at CJ Speedway

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (May 12, 2023) – Fans were treated to a very exciting night of stock car racing Friday night with a very warm May evening at CJ Speedway on the Louisa County Fairgrounds. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature saw a pair of CJ regulars battle it out for the win on a very smooth and fast racing surface. Kurt Kile led for several laps before ninth starting Jarrett Brown closed in and set up a classic battle for the lead. Slide jobs and diamond moves off of the top side of turn one provided several lead changes before Brown was able to take control of the lead position and sail on to the feature win. Kile finished second ahead of eighth starting Ethan Braaksma. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event saw Nathan Ballard score his third feature win in four nights of racing at CJ in 2023. Ballard drove his number 29 from the fourth row to take the lead from Matt Picray on lap eight of the [Read More]

CJ Speedway races beat the rain Friday night

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (May 5, 2023) – With Mother Nature threatening to spoil the fun, CJ Speedway was able to complete the racing program at 9:45 p.m. on Friday night just before rain moved into the area. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds put on a spectacular race with the lead changing hands several times in the early going. Jerry King led before Troy Cordes, looking to become a repeat winner, took over. Jarrett Brown started in the fourth row and steadily made his way to the front, securing the lead following a lap 10 restart. Brown went on to capture the win at his home track ahead of late race challenger Ethan Braaksma. King took third ahead of Dakota Simmons. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars came to the green with Leah Wroten taking command from the pole position. Wroten built a comfortable lead before a caution brought the field to her rear bumper. Nathan Ballard took over the point on the restart and went on to record the win. It was a [Read More]

Fast track provides exciting night of racing at CJ Speedway

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (April 28, 2023) – Friday night saw the second night of racing at the CJ Speedway located on the Louisa County Fairgrounds in Columbus Junction. A beautiful day gave way to a typical cool spring evening and the motors were humming on the super-fast 4/10-mile oval. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds main event took the green with veteran racer Troy Cordes taking the lead from his outside front row starting position. Cordes built a commanding lead as the race went green to checkers. Defending track champion Jarrett Brown moved into second as the race neared the midway point and set out to chase down leader Cordes, who had built a commanding lead. Lapped traffic came into play late in the race and Brown was able to use traffic to reel in Cordes. The two front runners split a slower car as the race off turn four to the checkers saw Cordes score the win by a bumper ahead of Brown. Kurt Kile ran third, ahead of Brandon Banks. Veteran [Read More]

CJ Speedway opens 2023 season with packed house

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (April 14, 2023) – The racing season at CJ Speedway opened Friday and 93 race teams competed in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd on a beautiful night for racing. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds took the green flag for their 20-lap main event with a strong field of 18 drivers taking the initial green flag. Steve Gustaf Sr. took the lead from the pole but his time at the front was short lived as Drew Janssen used the very fast high line of the track to take the lead. Janssen went on to pick up the win but it was anything but easy as Jarrett Brown applied pressure late in the race as lapped traffic came into play. Chris Zogg held off Kurt Kile late as these two talented drivers finished second and third, respectively. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, branded as The Class Too Tough To Tame, proved once again that when they hit the track, hang on because there will be excitement. Nathan Ballard drew the [Read More]