gallatinspeedway Archives

MODtana Madness Returns to Gallatin Speedway June 26-27

By Ben Deatherage BELGRADE, Mont. (June 11, 2026) — One of the premier Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified events in the Devilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region returns to Gallatin Speedway on June 26-27 as the fourth annual MODtana Madness brings two nights of racing and a $5,000 winner’s payday to the Montana facility. Drivers will battle through a unique two-day format highlighted by Saturday’s 55-lap championship feature, a distance chosen in honor of promoter Dave Weisz’s former car number. The winner will collect $5,000, with $3,000 awarded for second and $2,000 for third. Every top-10 finisher will earn at least $1,000, while all starters in the main event are guaranteed a minimum of $400. Friday’s opening night program will feature a double-heat format to determine the starting lineup for Saturday’s finale, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated Modified races of the season in the state. In addition to the lucrative purse, the MODtana Madness winner will earn eligibility for the 2026 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational to be held during the Speedway Motors IMCA [Read More]

Kristi Dorn: From the Bighorn to Boone’s Super Nationals

By Ben Deatherage HARDIN, Mont. (Aug. 22, 2025) — The wide plains of Montana stretch endlessly toward the horizon, where the Bighorn River winds past fields of wheat and the ghosts of history linger at the Little Bighorn Battlefield. It’s a land where distances are measured in hours, where weather can change in a heartbeat, and where determination is the price of survival. It’s here, in the small town of Hardin along I-90, that Kristi Dorn is finally chasing a dream she’s carried since childhood. At 8 years old in Louisiana, watching her father rumble around a local short track, she knew she wanted to race. For decades that dream waited — through family, loss, work, and raising children. This summer, at 46, she strapped into a Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact, the no. 34DD, for the very first time. Her story is one of persistence and survival. From Louisiana roots to Montana resilience, from heartbreak to triumph, Kristi Dorn is proof that it’s never too late to climb into the driver’s seat. Love and Loss Steel [Read More]

Meirhofer Masters MODtana Madness in $5,000 Modified Thriller at Gallatin

By Ben Deatherage BELGRADE, Mont. (Jun. 28, 2025) — Jeremy Meirhofer came out on top of a wild 55-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature to win the 2025 edition of MODtana Madness at Gallatin Speedway and earn the $5,000 payday. Two-time Montana State champion Cory Craver paced the field early, grabbing the lead on lap one and holding firm through several interruptions. Craver navigated lapped traffic by lap eight and held back a strong charge from two-time and reigning track champion Jordan Tocci following a caution on lap 14. A scheduled fuel stop at lap 23 briefly reset the field. On the restart, Craver kept Tocci behind him again before another pair of cautions on laps 28 and 34 bunched up the pack. Craver took advantage of the battle between Tocci and four-time Montana State champion and five-time Gallatin Speedway titlist Jeremy Meirhofer to extend his lead. Tocci eventually cleared Meirhofer and caught Craver, making a pass for the lead on lap 46. Craver immediately countered with a crossover in turns three and four, but a [Read More]

Third Annual MODtana Nationals Return to Gallatin Speedway with $5,000 on the Line

By Ben Deatherage BELGRADE, Mont. (May 28, 2025) — The third annual MODtana Nationals roar back into Gallatin Speedway on Friday and Saturday, June 27-28, featuring two nights of Friesen Performance IMCA Modified action and one of Montana’s richest payouts of the season. Friday night kicks off the weekend with a double-heat format to set lineups for Saturday’s feature finale, which will run for 55 laps in honor of promoter Dave Weisz’s former car number. The Saturday main event awards a $5,000 top prize, while second place earns $3,000, third gets $2,000, and all top 10 finishers pocket at least $1,000. Drivers who make the show receive a minimum of $400. “This is a great event that pays really well throughout the field and not just at the top,” said promoter Dave Weisz. “We are trying to build it each year and hope to make it better and better. It’s a weekend where fans can see a lot of exciting racing, and drivers know they’ll be rewarded no matter where they finish.” Colorado’s Ricky Alvarado captured [Read More]

IMCA MODtana Madness win is top payday of career for Clemens

BELGRADE, Mont. (June 29, 2024) – A career-best payday awaited Ty Clemens at the conclusion of Gallatin Speedway’s 55-lap MODtana Madness main event. Clemens collected $5,000 plus qualifying eligibility for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational along with the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified checkers Saturday at his hometown track. “We worked really hard for this last year and again this year. When you win, it makes everything worth it,” said Clemens, the 2023 race runner-up. “It feels super good to win against a stout field, especially when the money is good and the grandstands are full.” Braxton Yeager, 16th starting Jeremy Meirhofer, Trayke Metz and 14th starting Michael Hale completed the top five. Clemens had run first and third in his heat races, then fourth in the pole dash on Friday. He ran in the top three up to the mandatory fuel stop 17 laps into Saturday’s main event, then took over at the front as the track took rubber. “I focused on staying smooth and saving my right rear tire,” said Clemens, who wanted to have plenty [Read More]

Alvarado’s racing vacation starts with IMCA Modtana Madness win

BELGRADE, Mont. (July 1, 2023) – Ricky Alvarado started his 2023 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified racing vacation with the $5,000 checkers at Gallatin Speedway’s inaugural Modtana Madness special. The veteran from Colorado won both his heat races and the pole dash Friday night at Belgrade, then led all 55 laps of Saturday’s main event. “It has been a while since I ran that many laps and it has been maybe 10 years since I won $5,000 so it was pretty exciting to pull that off,” Alvarado said. “I had never raced at Gallatin before and the facility is beautiful. The weather was about as perfect as you could ask for and it was neat to race in front of such a big crowd.” Already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible, Alvarado won ahead of home state drivers Ty Clemens, Davon Jadwin and Jordan Tocci. Wyoming’s Braxton Yeager completed the top five as Modtana Madness presented by NAPA Auto Parts drew 51 IMCA entries. “We had a break on lap 25 for fuel. At the start the track was tacky [Read More]

IMCA Modifieds race for $5,000 at Gallatin’s Modtana Madness special

BELGRADE, Mont. (June 15, 2023) – Big money is at stake for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds in Big Sky Country. Gallatin Speedway’s first annual Modtana Madness presented by NAPA Auto Parts is slated Friday, June 30-Saturday, July 1 and boasts a $5,000 top prize. While the winner gets the biggest check and becomes eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, the runner-up takes home $3,000 and third place pays $2,000. Drivers finishing in the top 10 bank at least $1,000 and making the main event pays $400. Entry fee is $100, pit passes are $35 and IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Shaw Race Cars Western Region, Montana State and track points will be awarded. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. both days with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. Spectator admission is $20 for adults and free for kids ages 12 and under. More information is available from promoter Dave Weisz at 406 388-9666 and on Facebook. NAPA Auto Parts stores teaming up [Read More]