claycountyfairspeedway Archives

Brauner Edges Shryock in $5,000 Stock Car Thriller at Spencer’s Clay County Classic

By Ben Deatherage SPENCER, Iowa (May 5, 2025) — If you glanced only at the box score, you would see Austin Brauner started first and finished first—but the final night of the Clay County Classic was anything but straightforward. The two-time Nebraska State champion went toe-to-toe with Wisconsin’s Cole Czarneski in an edge-of-your-seat battle that set the tone for a thrilling 30-lap finale at Clay County Fair Speedway. Czarneski briefly led on lap 3 and their door-to-door duel allowed IMCA TV Winter Nationals champion Shelby Williams to enter the fray. The reigning Wisconsin State and 141 Speedway titlist finally gained an edge on lap 13 while the field stayed green, and Shryock climbed into third in the Mike Hauan owned-Lake View Motorsports No. 3. Shryock, the reigning Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Stock Car winner, took second from Brauner on lap 23 and quickly chased down Czarneski. He completed the pass with five laps to go, appearing poised for another big payday. Austin Brauner (10A) battles side-by-side with Cole Czarneski (21CZ) during a [Read More]

Grabouski Rallies From 11th to Win First Night of Clay County Classic

By Ben Deatherage SPENCER, Iowa (May 4, 2025) — The 2025 Clay County Classic roared to life Sunday evening at Clay County Fair Speedway with an action-packed program featuring five divisions of IMCA racing. The night’s headliner was a dramatic Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature, where five-time National champion Jordan Grabouski stormed from 11th starting to first in a late-race thriller. A three-wide scrap for the lead broke out between Kelly Shryock, Chaz Baca Jr., and Ricky Stephan in the early laps, with Shryock gaining the initial advantage. After an early caution, Baca—the two-time defending National champion—blasted to the front on lap 4. Baca, a standout in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region, tagged the wall on lap 10 but held the lead. Meanwhile, Grabouski and Shryock waged war for second, allowing the Arizonan some breathing room until Grabouski eventually broke free. The Beatrice, Nebraska, pilot made his move on lap 18 with a stunning inside pass to take the lead. Baca searched for a way back by but couldn’t stop Grabouski’s charge. The win marked [Read More]

Baca Outduels Shryock for Iowa Spring Nationals Modified Win

By Ben Deatherage SPENCER, Iowa (Mar. 28, 2025) — Two-time and reigning IMCA Modified National Champion Chaz Baca Jr. of Mesa, Arizona, opened his Razor Chassis North Central Region campaign with a win in the 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Clay County Fair Speedway during the Iowa Spring Nationals. Baca led early after passing reigning Kossuth County Speedway champ Cody Knecht, but a misstep on lap eight allowed two-time Harris Clash winner Kelly Shryock to take over. Cody Thompson then grabbed second before Baca battled back, reclaiming the top spot with a slider in turn three on lap 15. After trading the lead once more, Baca secured the position for good on lap 16 and held off Shryock in traffic for his seventh win of the season. Shryock was second while Thompson finished third. Deschamp Digs Deep for Stock Car Victory Westhope, North Dakota’s Gabe Deschamp, a 20-year-old standout, scored his first EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region win of the year in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars. Deschamp led early before the defending Speedway [Read More]

Chased, challenged, never caught, Thornton collects Clay County Clash checkers

SPENCER, Iowa (Aug. 7, 2024) – He was chased and he was challenged but Dylan Thornton was never caught. Thornton led every lap of Wednesday’s Clay County Fairgrounds Speedway Clash main event for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, keeping Tim Ward behind him the first 20 laps and holding Tom Berry Jr. at bay the last 10 times around the track. The IMCA Speed Week win was also Thornton’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying third and was good for $2,500. He parried a last-turn slider from Berry, winner of Tuesday’s Harris Clash, to secure that big check. “I saw his (Berry’s) nose so I knew he was close enough to slide me,” he said. “What you have to do coming down the backstretch is not make a mistake and not stuff it into the fence or something stupid, you have to be able to turn back down.” “We actually went home after last night, woke up this morning, decided we were too dumb to quit and decided to drive four hours back up this way,” said Thornton, who’d [Read More]

IMCA Speedweek has Aug. 7 date at Clay County

SPENCER, Iowa (July 29, 2024) – Night two of IMCA Speedweek takes five IMCA divisions to Spencer next Wednesday for the Clay County Clash. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds race for $2,500 to win their Aug. 7 main event at Clay County Fair Speedway. That feature is a qualifier for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational and is complemented by a $750 to win, B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifier for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Rounding out the evening’s race program are $500 to win features for IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, an a $300 to win feature for the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and Iowa State points will be awarded. Entry fee for the Modifieds is $50. Pit gates at Spencer open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. Hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow. Pit passes are $35. Spectator admission is $15 for adults and free for kids 12 and under. IMCA.TV broadcasts [Read More]

Braaksma starts Salute to Veterans trophy collection

SPENCER, Iowa (July 24, 2024) – Ethan Braaksma started his Salute to Veterans powered by Performance Bodies trophy collection, while Kelly Shryock and Matt Looft added to theirs Wednesday at Clay County Fair Speedway. Braaksma led every lap of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified finale at Spencer, while Shryock wired the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car field and Looft raced from 10th starting in topping the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main. Michael Wade was also a flag to flag winner in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature and Oliver Monson prevailed in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact headliner. One hundred and twenty-seven cars in the five divisions were entered for the first of three Salute to Veterans shows this week. Braaksma drew the pole for the $2,000 to win Modified main, seeing leads of three and a half seconds and then a second and a half erased by cautions in the late stages of the race. Tim Ward ultimately prevailed in the battle for second. Jake McBirnie, Cody Thompson and the 19th starting Shryock completed the top five. [Read More]

Five dates for five IMCA divisions on Midwest Madness Tour

WORTHINGTON, Minn. (June 7, 2024) – Five events on five straight nights are on the Midwest Madness Tour schedule for five IMCA divisions. Opening night features Sunday, June 23 at Worthington Speedway see the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds race for $1,500 to win and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $1,200 to win. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature pays $1,000 with $800 to win in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and $400 to win for the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. The tour continues Monday June 24 at Clay County Fair Speedway; Tuesday June 25 at Park Jefferson Speedway; Wednesday, June 26 at Buena Vista Raceway; and Thursday, June 27 at Stuart Speedway. Those events pay Modifieds a minimum of $1,000 to win and $150 to start, Stock Cars $1,000 to win and $125 to start, Northern SportMods $500 to win, Hobby Stocks $400 to win and Sport Compacts $200 to win. Modified winners become eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational while Stock Car winners become B & B Racing Chassis All-Star qualifying [Read More]

Thornton, Looft are awesome, unbelievable in IMCA wins at Quarter Million Dollar Challenge

SPENCER, Iowa (May 22, 2024) – “Awesome” and “unbelievable” were among the adjectives two of IMCA’s most accomplished drivers used in victory lane Wednesday night, following $16,667 feature wins at Clay County Fair Speedway’s Quarter Million Dollar Challenge. Ricky Thornton Jr. made his return to IMCA pay off, dueling with Dallon Murty while leading from the drop of the green to the checkered in a 30-lap IMCA Sunoco Stock Car contest slowed only by two early cautions. And Matthew Looft caught Jake Sachau after midway and led to the end of a fast-paced and caution-free Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod 30-lapper Two hundred and fifty cars saw action Wednesday at Spencer, including 104 Stock Cars and 101 Northern SportMods. Cory Probst was the $1,000 IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock winner and Tom Berry Jr.’s $1,500 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory came in the final race of the inaugural special. Thornton, a four-time champion at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s with nearly 200 sanctioned wins on his resume in three divisions and now [Read More]

Clay County Frost Buster win is IMCA Stock Car first for Fett

SPENCER, Iowa (April 15, 2024) – Just how exciting was the finish of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature Monday at Clay County Fair Speedway? Winner Colby Fett had watched the replay on IMCA.TV three times and was still searching for all the right words to describe it the next morning. “I had tested one of Kelly Shryock’s cars a couple years ago but this was my first official real go race, go for it night in a Stock Car,” said Fett. “We put some older stuff on (all four tires dated from last year) and went out to put on some laps. We wanted to finish in the top 10 and bring the car home in one piece.” Wheeling the B & B Skyrocket piloted last season by Troy Swearingen, Fett ran third in his heat and started the main event outside row four. “I had to get by some really good guys to get to the front. To pass Jeffrey Larson was a big deal. I have a lot of respect for all [Read More]

Clay County Salute To Veterans checkers are IMCA Modified career 100th for Shute

NORWALK, Iowa (July 26, 2023) – Todd Shute came up big-time again, at another big-time IMCA event. Shute won for the 100th time in his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified career Wednesday at Clay County Fair Speedway, in the Hunting With Heroes Salute To Veterans main event at Spencer. “It didn’t sink in for a bit,” said Shute, so focused on the drive from 11th starting to the lead and then the $2,000 checkers that he need a post-race reminder from brother Troy he’d just earned win number 100. “There was a time when we were in the 80’s for wins and thought it would be nice to get to 100. It seemed unattainable for a while, but we got there and now it’s something we can hang our hat on.” Shute grew up going to the races at Des Moines and Knoxville, made up his mind he was going to race himself and turned his first laps in a used dwarf car he bought from Jim Cooper. Now from Norwalk and a 20-year veteran of the IMCA [Read More]