cjspeedway Archives

Richardson tops CJ Speedway Stock feature

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (July 10) – A great field of drivers packed the infield at CJ Speedway on a beautiful Friday night for racing on July 10. The racing action was excellent all night on a perfectly prepared race track thanks to Larry Richardson. Twenty-one drivers took the green in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature and the Stock Cars lived up to their nickname of The Class Too Tough To Tame as fans were treated to three- and four-wide racing throughout the feature. Howard Gordon Jr. led early before Shane Richardson was able to break out of a pack of contenders to take the lead. Richardson held off the constant challenges by David Brandies in the late going to score the win by a slim margin. Brandies took second ahead of Jason Cook. Cody Staley led the caution-free Mach-1 Sport Compact feature flag to flag. Staley held off one of Eastern Iowa’s strongest 4-cylinder drivers in Jake Benischek for the win. Alex Hayes came under the checkers in third. Racing will continue on [Read More]

Eckrich, VanDenBerg, Bell, Benischek score CJ wins

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (July 3) – After a two week hiatus due to weather cancellations, racing returned to the CJ Speedway with an outstanding night of racing which saw 80 cars pack the infield. The grand finale of the night that saw everything that a race track could offer was the IMCA Modified main event. Twenty drivers took the green flag and veteran Steve Johnson ran out front until Jeff Larson was able to wrestle the lead away. Front row starter Denny Eckrich ran in the lead pack the entire race, found the perfectly prepared track to his liking and made a late-race charge to take the lead from Larson as the laps wound down. Another driver on a late race charge was Derrick Stewart. When the checkers flew it was Eckrich taking the win with a slight margin over Stewart and Larson. Jason See drew the pole for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature and appeared to be en route to the win. It was not to be, however, as Adam [Read More]

Strothman wins IMCA Stock Car classic at CJ

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa – Corey Strothman prevailed in a classic when The Class Too Tough To Tame took to the track Friday at CJ Speedway. The 20-lap IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature took the green with Brandon Jay leading before fourth starting Strothman took over the point position. Strothman and Jason See went on to race side-by-side for the majority of the race, and with slide jobs and diamond corner moves taking place neither driver was able to take control of the race. Strothman finally took the win half a car length ahead of See with a fast-closing Adam Bell crossing under the checkers in third. “We touched once on the back chute but Jason and I race together a lot and I feel comfortable racing like that with him,” Strothman said from victory lane. The Mach-1 Sport Compacts saw pole sitter Codey Staley lead the caution-free 12-lap feature flag to flag. Staley cruised to the impressive win ahead of Brad Havel and William Michel.

CJ checkers fly for Cook, Struck

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (June 5) – The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars provided the fans with door to door racing the entire 20 laps of their main event Friday at CJ Speedway. Early in the race, a four-car pack raced for the lead before Jason Cook was able to break out of the pack and secure the top spot. Cook held off several challenges by Adam Bell to score the hard-fought win. Kirk Kinsley ran up front the entire 20 laps before settling for third. Steve Struck shot into the lead from his outside front row start in the Mach-1 Sport Compact feature and went on to record the win. Struck led the caution-free race flag-to-flag in taking the win over Darin Smith. Due to the Iowa Governor easing Covid-19 restrictions on Speedway’s the CJ Speedway hosted fans for the first time in 2020 on Friday and racing action was outstanding on a perfectly prepared smooth race track. Racing will continue on June 12 with hot laps slated to [Read More]

CJ season opens with See, Smith scoring IMCA wins

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (May 29) – The 2020 racing season got underway Friday night at CJ Speedway with IMCA wins going to Jason See and Jacob Smith. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event took the green with veteran Kirk Kinsley setting the pace. Kinsley would lead until the midway point when See was able to move his number 79S to the outside of Kinsley and into the lead. See took the checkers ahead of Kinsley and John Hemstead. Smith drove a perfect race in scoring the win in the Mach-1 Sport Compact feature. The race ran caution-free with Smith leading flag to flag. Brad Havel took second ahead of Jeffrey DeLonjay. With Covid-19 regulations still in place racing was allowed but without fans in the grandstand. Fortunately the regulations will be eased on June 1 allowing racing to be held with fans in attendance beginning this Friday, June 5.

CJ Speedway hosts racing action this Friday

By Jerry Mackey COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa – CJ Speedway hosts a full program of racing this Friday night, with IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Mach-1 Sport Compacts on the May 29 card All cars entering the pit area will be allowed to be accompanied by 10 patrons. Warm-ups are scheduled to take to the track at 7 p.m. CJ will comply with Covid-19 guidelines set forth by the Iowa governor. This means the grandstand will not be open. On Friday, June 5, CJ Speedway will host a full night of racing with the grandstand being open for the dedicated CJ Speedway fans. For more information please log on to the official website at CJSpeedway.com.

Deery Series headlines midweek show at CJ Speedway

COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa – The Deery Brothers Summer Series makes another much-anticipated return to CJ Speedway to headline the Wednesday, July 17 midweek special. Touring IMCA Late Models will race for $2,000 to win and a minimum of $300 to start at Columbus Junction, where pit gates and the grandstand open at 4:30 p.m. Racing follows 7 p.m. hot laps. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, $7 for students ages 11-17 and free for kids 10 and under. Pit passes are $30. Chad Holladay of Muscatine was the winner last July, when the Deery Series made its first visit to Columbus Junction since 1996. Three-time and defending series champion Justin Kay and Jeremiah Hurst of Dubuque, the defending IMCA Late Model national champion, are currently tied for the tour point lead. The fourth event of the 2019 tour is the 494th in Deery Series history and will be broadcast by IMCA.TV. More information about the Columbus Junction show is available by calling 319 430-4737 and at the www.cjspeedway.com website. Also on the card next Wednesday are [Read More]

Full house greets Deery Series at CJ Speedway as Holladay motors to IMCA Late Model tour win

COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (July 18) – A very full house was on hand to welcome the Deery Brothers Summer Series back to CJ Speedway Wednesday night. Chad Holladay led all 40 laps of the main event for touring IMCA Late Models, outrunning Denny Eckrich and Darrel DeFrance for his career second Deery win and $2,000. Ryan Dolan and Nick Marolf rounded out the top five in the first series event held at Columbus Junction since 1996. “There were a couple cautions that worked in my favor and took out lapped traffic at halfway and again with five to go,” said Holladay. “You always want clean air ahead of you and we had a very good car tonight.” Holladay’s night began inauspiciously, as he drew the last starting spot in his heat. He won that race, however, and started outside DeFrance on the front row in the main event. Holladay used lower lines all the way around the oval and didn’t have any problems in traffic. “(Promoter) Larry Richardson is like a driver. Every week he [Read More]

Deery Brothers Summer Series returns to CJ Speedway for July 18 show

COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa – An absence of more than 22 race seasons comes to an end next Wednesday, with the return of the Deery Brothers Summer Series to CJ Speedway. Touring IMCA Late Models last traveled to Columbus Junction for an April 12, 1996 show won by Rick Wendling of Hazleton. They’ll vie for $2,000 to win and a minimum of $300 to start when they’re back in town on July 18. “This has been one of the events that we’ve really been looking forward to since the schedule for the 32nd annual series was announced,” noted Tour Director Kevin Yoder. “A lot of our series drivers have never raced at CJ before, or have never raced there in a Late Model, and I know they’re looking forward to next week.” Pit gates and the grandstand open at 5:30 p.m. on race day. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. with racing to follow. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for students ages 11-17 and free for kids 10 and under. Pit [Read More]