dakotaclassictour Archives

Berry Goes Back-to-Back with Dominant Dakota Tour Win at Estevan

By Ben Deatherage ESTEVAN, Sask. (July 6, 2026) — Tom Berry Jr. picked up right where he left off the night before, charging to the front early and surviving a late restart to win the second round of the 2026 Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric Monday night at Estevan Motor Speedway. Brady Bjella paced the opening lap of the 30-lap Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature and quickly established a comfortable advantage while Tanner Black and Berry battled for second. Berry secured the runner-up position on lap five and immediately set his sights on the leader. The two-time Dakota Tour champion tracked down Bjella in short order and beat him to the stripe to lead lap seven. Once out front, Berry steadily pulled away while Black, originally from Arizona and now living in Kansas, climbed into second on lap 13. Berry encountered heavy lapped traffic beginning on lap 15 but sliced through it with ease, opening a commanding lead over the field before a caution with three laps remaining erased his advantage. The 2020 [Read More]

Berry Capitalizes Late for Dakota Tour Victory at Nodak

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (July 5, 2026) — Tom Berry Jr. capitalized on late-race misfortune for Ethan Braaksma and survived a frantic restart battle to win the opening round of the 2026 Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric Sunday night at Nodak Speedway. Braaksma, the two-time defending tour champion from Iowa, quickly established himself as the driver to beat in the 30-lap Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature. Driving for car owners Danny Meier and Trent Guest, he led from the outset while Wyoming’s Bart Taylor steadily reeled him in during the opening half of the race. Taylor made several bids for the lead, but Braaksma turned each one away before gradually extending his advantage. Everything changed with seven laps remaining, as Braaksma suffered a flat tire while comfortably out front, bringing out the caution. Taylor inherited the lead, but the restart produced a thrilling three-wide battle as Taylor, 2022 Wisconsin state champion Jayden Schmidt and two-time tour champion Berry all fought for the top spot. The two-time series champion and 2020 National title [Read More]

Dakota Tour Set to Launch July 5 with Six Nights of Racing

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (June 26, 2026) — One of IMCA’s premier summer tours returns to the Northern Plains when the 2026 Dakota Tour roars to life with six consecutive nights of racing from July 5-10. The popular swing features Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars competing at six tracks across North Dakota and Saskatchewan, testing competitors on a variety of bullrings and high-banked ovals in pursuit of tour championships. The tour opens Sunday, July 5, at Nodak Speedway in Minot before crossing the border to Estevan Motor Speedway in Estevan, Saskatchewan, on Monday, July 6. Racing returns to North Dakota on Tuesday, July 7, at Williston Basin Speedway before continuing to Southwest Speedway in Dickinson on Wednesday, July 8, Dacotah Speedway in Mandan on Thursday, July 9, and concluding Friday, July 10, at Jamestown Speedway. A strong contingent of former champions, state titlists, and touring standouts has already committed to compete. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified field is led by two-time defending Dakota Tour champion Ethan Braaksma, who also won the [Read More]

2026 Dakota Classic Mod Tour Dates Announced and Pre-registration Now Open

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa. (May 20, 2026) — Pre-registration is now officially open for the 2026 Dakota Classic Mod Tour, as one of the premier stretches of Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing competition prepares to return to the Upper Midwest and Canada this July. The six-race tour will once again feature some of the best Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified and Sunoco IMCA Stock Car competitors from across the country competing in North Dakota and Saskatchewan from July 5-10. The 2026 schedule opens Sunday, July 5 at Nodak Speedway before heading north to Estevan Motor Speedway on Monday, July 6. Williston Basin Speedway hosts round three on Tuesday, July 7, followed by Southwest Speedway on Wednesday, July 8. Dacotah Speedway welcomes the tour on Thursday, July 9, before the finale at Jamestown Speedway on Friday, July 10. Every night of the tour will serve as a Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational and B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational qualifier for the 2026 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. North Dakota State, regional, and [Read More]

Braaksma Repeats as Dakota Classic Modified Tour Champion; Munoz Breaks Through in Stock Cars

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (July 11, 2025) — The 2025 Wolla Trucking Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric wrapped up with 82 Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds competing across six nights of thrilling action. In the end, Ethan Braaksma of Newton, Iowa rose to the top once again, securing his second consecutive tour title. Driving the Danny Meier and Trent Guest-owned no. 111, Braaksma built a consistent and commanding week: runner-up at Jamestown, third in Estevan, back-to-back wins at Williston and Dickinson, and a seventh-place finish at Mandan despite a blown engine in the finale. His ability to finish strong each night proved pivotal in defending his crown. California’s Cody Laney was a hard-charging runner-up in the standings. The Torrance native battled through adversity all week, coming out of B Mains in four of five features and posting finishes of ninth, fifth, seventh, sixth, and third, respectively. Justin O’Brien of West Union, Iowa took third in the Modified points chase. O’Brien put together a steady week, including a second-place finish at Jamestown, a third [Read More]

Strickler Wins Dakota Tour Finale at Mandan; Braaksma Repeats as Tour Champion

By Ben Deatherage MANDAN, N.D. (Jul. 10, 2025) — Two-time Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s champion Kyle Strickler of Mooresville, North Carolina, scored a dramatic win in the final Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature of the 2025 Wolla Trucking Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric. Driving the Cade Dillard-owned no. 8, Strickler secured his first win of the season in the Razor Chassis North Central Region and second career tour victory in the Dacotah Speedway finale. Defending tour champion Ethan Braaksma of Newton, Iowa, overcame a last-lap engine failure to coast across the line in seventh and lock up his second consecutive Dakota Classic Modified Tour title. Wisconsin’s Brandon Schmitt led early in the Jack Jones-owned no. 20, fending off pressure from 10-time Dacotah Speedway track champion Shawn Strand. Schmitt regained the lead after briefly losing it and began pulling away, but a caution with a dozen laps left stacked the field. Braaksma, who restarted eighth, methodically rolled the bottom groove in the Danny Meier and Trent Guest-owned no. 111 and [Read More]

Braaksma Wins Thriller at Dickinson, Becomes First Repeat Modified Tour Winner

By Ben Deatherage DICKINSON, N.D. (Jul. 9, 2025) — Ethan Braaksma emerged victorious from an epic 30-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event during night five of the Wolla Trucking Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric at Southwest Speedway. Braaksma became the first repeat winner of the 2025 tour and collected his seventh win of the season, including six in the Razor Chassis North Central Region. A sensational back-and-forth duel unfolded in the early going between Braaksma and Tom Berry Jr., two heavyweight drivers in the Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing scene. Berry, a two-time Dakota Tour champion, 2020 National Modified champion, and 2022 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s winner, set a strong early tone. But Braaksma, the 2025 IMCA.TV Winter Nationals champion, kept pace in the Danny Meier and Trent Guest-owned no. 111 entry. The two pilots traded the lead more than a dozen times, with seven official lead changes scored at the stripe before Braaksma took control for good on lap 13. He held steady through two restarts and [Read More]

Braaksma Bests the Field in Thrilling Williston Modified Main

By Ben Deatherage WILLISTON, N.D. (Jul. 8, 2025) — Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds headlined another exciting night at Williston Basin Speedway during the fourth round of the Wolla Trucking Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric. With packed grandstands and 30 laps on the docket, fans were treated to a thrilling late-race finish as defending tour champion Ethan Braaksma charged to victory to become the third different winner in as many race on the 2025 tour. Braaksma, the 2025 IMCA.TV Winter Nationals champion, started fifth in the Danny Meier and Trent Guest-owned no. 111 and patiently worked the bottom of the track throughout the second half of the race. With just three laps to go, he made the decisive move in turn three to slip past longtime leader Jason Wolla. Wolla made one final attempt to reclaim the lead but couldn’t close the gap, as Braaksma pulled away to score his second career Dakota Tour win, his first at Williston, and sixth victory of the 2025 season, including five in the Razor Chassis North Central [Read More]

Scholpp Scores Emotional Tour Win at Home Track in Estevan

By Ben Deatherage ESTEVAN, Sask. (Jul. 7, 2025) — Kody Scholpp gave the hometown fans a night to remember, fending off repeated challenges to win Monday’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Estevan Motor Speedway, night three of the Wolla Trucking Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric. With a packed grandstand cheering him on, Scholpp turned in a flawless performance that electrified the Estevan faithful. Drew Christianson, the 2014 Nodak Speedway track champion, led the opening lap, but Scholpp—who started seventh—quickly made his way to the front and claimed the top spot on lap four. The five-time defending Estevan track champion wasn’t going to be denied on home soil, even as a trio of mid-race cautions brought the field back to his rear bumper. Iowans Justin O’Brien and defending tour champion Ethan Braaksma in the Trent Guest and Danny Meier-owned No. 111 both took shots at Scholpp in the second half of the race, but none could unseat him. Scholpp held strong up top to secure his second career Dakota Tour victory—and his first [Read More]

Hibdon Storms to Jamestown Victory in Dakota Classic Modified Tour Opener

By Ben Deatherage JAMESTOWN, N.D. (Jul. 5, 2025) — Kollin Hibdon used the high side of Jamestown Speedway to perfection to score the opening night victory of the 2025 Wolla Trucking Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric. The Pahrump, Nevada, native led the final 23 circuits of the 30-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature to earn his second career tour win at Jamestown, fourth career Dakota Tour triumph, sixth win of the season overall, and fifth in the Razor Chassis North Central Region. Justin O’Brien grabbed the early lead before a lap four caution reset the field. Hibdon quickly went to work on the top groove, charging to the point on lap seven. Another caution on lap 12 gave defending tour champion Ethan Braaksma a shot at Hibdon, and he put the Danny Meier and Trent Guest-owned No. 111 into second on the restart. But Hibdon was consistently strong up top and never faltered, even while navigating lapped traffic. Braaksma would finish second with early leader O’Brien ending the night third. Richey Awarded Stock [Read More]