independencemotorspeedway Archives

Oliver Wins Thrilling Stock Car Race at Independence

By Christine Rublack INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (Apr. 21, 2026) — A Tuesday night full of exciting racing at Independence Motor Speedway saw John Oliver Jr. take home the victory by the smallest margin of the night in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, edging Kodey Miles by just 0.051 seconds. Kodey Miles took the lead early, with Tanner Allen and Tom Schmitt in pursuit. Oliver began working the low groove as the duo in front of him battled for second. Schmitt moved into second while Oliver continued to work underneath him. With a couple laps to go, Oliver closed in on Miles for the top position and, as the checkers waved, took the win. It was the first win of 2026 for the West Burlington veteran in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region after starting fourth. Miles and Schmitt finished second and third, while Gage Neal and Tanner Allen completed the top five. Kolin Hibdon dominated the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds. Hibdon quickly pulled away as Joel Rust moved into second, and the pair began to distance themselves [Read More]

Feature

Jacob Snyder: Open Trailer, Bright Colors, and a Young Driver on the Rise

By Ben Deatherage DUNKERTON, Iowa (Apr. 17, 2026) — At the Boone Speedway season opener on April 11, Jacob Snyder found himself exactly where every driver wants to be—up front, with laps winding down and everything on the line. He was in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature, battling one of the toughest fields in the country. The adrenaline didn’t fade. If anything, it kept building—through the caution with three to go, through the restart, and into the final laps, with a seasoned veteran right behind him. At just 20 years old, Snyder was in the middle of one of the biggest moments of his young career. And at a place like Boone—known as Iowa’s Action Track and home of the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s—moments like that carry a little more weight. For Snyder, it was a moment years in the making. His hometown of Dunkerton sits just outside Waterloo in northeast Iowa, where small towns are connected by county roads and farmland, and life follows a steady rhythm—a tight-knit community built [Read More]

Frostbuster Week Set to Launch Iowa IMCA Season April 1–4

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Mar. 3, 2026) — The traditional opening swing of the Iowa IMCA season returns as Frostbuster Week brings four Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing divisions to four tracks in four consecutive nights of racing, April 1–4. Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars will each compete for $1,000 to win nightly, while Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods and Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks race for $500 top prizes at every stop. The 2026 Frostbuster schedule opens Wednesday, April 1 at Stuart Speedway, followed by Thursday, April 2 at Independence Motor Speedway. Marshalltown Speedway hosts the third night on Friday, April 3, with the finale set for Saturday, April 4 at Boone Speedway. Series champions will receive the largest shares of a $1,000 point fund and earn eligibility for Race of Champions events at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Modified and Stock Car feature winners throughout the week will qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational and B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational, respectively. Stuart [Read More]

Murty Masters Late Restart to Win Stock Car Showdown at Independence

By Christine Rublack INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (Aug. 2, 2025) — Damon Murty held off a determined field in the closing laps to win the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature as Independence Motor Speedway celebrated its 60th anniversary on Saturday. Riley Hanson moved into second early, while Tom Schmitt and Hannah Chesmore battled for third as the race settled in. A late caution bunched the field, Murty had both Schmitt and Chesmore on his bumper. Murty powered through the restart to secure his second win of the season and first in EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region action. Schmitt kept him honest and crossed the line in second, while Chesmore wrapped up a strong run in third. Carter Cruises in Dominant SportMod Performance Brayton Carter made quick work of the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod main event, jumping out front at the drop of the green and never relinquishing the lead. It marked his 24th win of the 2025 season and first at Independence in the current campaign. Will Wolf moved into second early, with Brett Thomas and Brady [Read More]

Suckow Scores First Stock Car Victory at Independence

By Christine Rublack INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (July 26, 2025) — Cole Suckow raced to his first-ever victory in a Sunoco IMCA Stock Car Saturday night at Independence Motor Speedway, taking charge early and never looking back. Riley Hanson and Brett Vanous waged a fierce battle for second with Tom Schmitt in close pursuit. As Hanson and Vanous ran side-by-side, Suckow extended his advantage and cruised to the checkers. Hanson and Vanous completed the podium. Cordes Captures Modified Glory In the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Mike Burbridge led most of the way but it was Troy Cordes who scored the win in the closing laps. Burbridge looked strong out front as Jerry King and Keith Pittman chased. A tight three-car battle between Jacob Snyder, Mark Schulte, and Cordes shaped up behind them. By midway, Schulte was sizing up King for second while Burbridge began navigating traffic. The final laps brought the field together, and Cordes found momentum on the high side to surge into the lead. He crossed the stripe first for his second Razor Chassis North Central [Read More]

Wroten Masters Low Side for First Hobby Stock Win of 2025 at Independence

By Christine Rublack INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (Jun. 14, 2025) — At Independence Motor Speedway, Lady Eagle racer Leah Wroten powered to victory in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks. Quinton Miller took the early command, followed closely by Carson James. Trenton Neuhaus moved into third while Joren Fisher rolled the low groove into second, with Bradley Graham charging the top side into third. Wroten worked her way into the top five just before a caution regrouped the field. On the restart, Wroten stuck to the low groove and worked past Graham for the lead. With the checkers waving, she crossed the line first for her first win of the 2025 season in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region. Graham settled for second, with Dalton Weepie rounding out the top three. Wroten started the feature in seventh. Hilmer Doubles Up in SportMods at Independence Brady Hilmer topped a stellar field in the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod division. Hilmer took the lead early, with Tyler Ball advancing to second. Tony Olson and Jackson Carey held third and fourth, respectively, at [Read More]

Thrilling Modified Finish Puts Chipp in Victory Lane at Independence

By Christine Rublack INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (June 7, 2025) – Jason Morehouse took the early lead as Brennen Chipp worked the high groove in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds feature at Independence Motor Speedway. Chipp moved into the top position as Josh Fisher worked the low groove by the halfway point and found himself in second. Owen Barnhill had moved into third with Jeff Aikey in pursuit. Chipp now had Fisher contending for the top spot. A late-race caution bunched the field, setting up a dramatic finish. Barnhill and Aikey made it a three-wide battle for the lead. Chipp took the checkers first, with Barnhill, Aikey, and twelfth-place starter Kollin Hibdon rounding out the top four. The win marked Chipp’s first victory of the season in the Razor Chassis North Central Region. Schmitt Fends Off Late Challenge for Stock Car Victory Tom Schmitt took top honors in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars. Dru Kueker and Schmitt had an early battle for the top position as Cole Mather and Cole Suckow ran side-by-side for third. Schmitt took over [Read More]

Notable IMCA Northern SportMod win is Carter’s career 100th

OSKALOOSA, Iowa (May 6, 2024) – The details of Brayton Carter’s racing career are recorded in a growing collection of notebooks, detailing everything from where he started to where he finished. The footnote to the May 6 Monday Night Madness main event at Independence Motor Speedway was that it was the 100th feature win of his Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod career. “It’s huge,” the Oskaloosa driver said after becoming just the ninth driver in division history to reach the triple digit mark. “We’ve always tried to be consistent. We’ve gone out every race and tried to do our best.” Carter has consistently been among the best in the class since his rookie campaign and particularly over the last five seasons, averaging 16 feature wins per. He’s captured five track championships, including three straight at Stuart Speedway from 2020-2022, and is coming off a career-best 23-win campaign last year. Four of those 2023 checkers came at Indee, where Carter has now won all five of his career starts. “I like tracks like Marshalltown, Stuart, Cedar County and [Read More]

Berry continues fast start to season with IMCA Modified Monday Night Madness win

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (May 6, 2024) – Tom Berry Jr. made his first racing visit to Independence Motor Speedway while testing the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified competition in the Midwest nine years ago. He returned to win the Monday Night Madness Summer Challenge Series opener, leading all 30 laps and pocketing $2,000. “We’ve definitely had a good start to the year,” understated Berry, after wheeling the fastest of 44 Modified entries to victory lane. “There was a stout field of cars here tonight and they did a great job with the track. You could run different lines. I could move around when I needed to.” Ethan Braaksma, another driver who’s enjoyed a good start to the season, was second and Tim Ward was third. Joel Rust and Spencer Diercks completed the top five. Berry won his heat from seventh starting to earn the pole for the main event. Braaksma mounted an early challenge and back-to-back cautions flew before the last nine laps ran green. Berry stretched out his advantage over the last five of those circuits [Read More]

Opening night checkers at Indee are record tying third for Cordes

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (April 13, 2024) – Troy Cordes was quick to put a tough 2023 season in the rearview. Cordes won the opening night feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds for the record-tying third time Saturday at Independence Motor Speedway. The checkers were also his career 143rd in the class dating back to 1996. “Last year we struggled pretty hard and only won once, at Columbus Junction,” said the Dunkerton driver. “Hopefully we’ll be back on track this season.” Cordes already had opening night trophies from 2000 and 2020 on his mantle. In addition to matching Vern Jackson’s mark with his third opening night Modified win, he also put an end to the streak of 19 different opening night winners in the division at Indee. “It’s a good way to start the year. Independence is 20 minutes from home and it’s where I grew up,” said Cordes, who leads all Modified drivers at Independence with seven career track titles and 53 feature wins. “We’ve been coming here every Saturday night since I started racing.” Modifieds have run [Read More]