kossuthcountyspeedway Archives

Salute to Veterans show at Kossuth County draws 137 cars

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (July 27, 2023) – It was the eighth annual Hunting With Heroes Salute to Veterans night at Kossuth County Speedway on Thursday as the event just continues to break more records every year. An event-high 137 cars signed in the pit shack to compete for an increased purse but more importantly a hand-carved trophy and an opportunity to give a veteran a prize worth at least $300 with a top three finish. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature saw a veteran driver win what he said in the winner’s circle was the biggest victory in his racing career. Todd Stinehart took the top spot early and built a lead but the yellow flag came out lap number three and again three laps later. But after that, the feature went non-stop as emotional Stinehart was elated in victory lane with the biggest win of his 28-year career and a nice $3,500 first place check helped a little bit, too. The big win also made Stinehart eligible to qualify for the Fast [Read More]

New location for 10-year-old’s lemonade stand helps boost funds raised for Salute to Veterans

ALGONA, Iowa – IMCA fans and drivers will stand and applaud hundreds of the men and women who have served their country in the armed forces, during Hunting With Heroes Salute to Veterans race programs next week in Spencer, Algona and Boone. Another one of the people who will deserve a big salute is Toryn Kleen. The 10-year-old and fifth grader-to-be at Algona Middle School raised $3,206 to contribute to the annual veterans’ endeavor, selling lemonade along with cookies and cupcakes at a stand set up near Mike Hauan’s Lake Mills Motorsports Polaris dealership in Algona. “I feel like veterans are under appreciated,” said Toryn, whose grandfathers and a great-grandfather all served in uniform. “This is something I can do for them.” Toryn had donated the more than $2,300 she made selling lemonade and sweet treats from a stand at her home and was recognized with a special Top Gun Fund Raiser award last year. She made the move to the new location this year to up her visibility and along with veterans and folks [Read More]

Nielsen wins Weishaar Memorial race

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (July 20, 2023) – Brandon Nielsen was the big winner of the $1,000 Jess Weishaar IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock Memorial race held Thursday at Kossuth County Speedway. Aaron Rudolph and Josh Sidles brought the 22-car field to flag stand to take the green flag in the final race of the night as they raced for the $1,000 first place check in honor resident and race fan Jess Weishaar, slain in a 2019 bank robbery. Rudolph edged ahead after the first trip around the Algona oval as Josh Sidles and Rudolph went door-to-door the first five laps for the lead in the feature. The caution flag appeared on six and Mike Smith grabbed the lead off the restart, but that only lasted three laps as Nielsen became the new leader at the halfway point of the 20-lap feature race. The yellow flag reappeared on 11 and came out again one lap later as Tyler Beckler and Brianna Osterson got tangled up in turn two. Once the green flag came back out, [Read More]

Shryock, Mills win big at Bradie Becker Memorial

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (July 13, 2023) – In its second year running, the Bradie Becker Memorial race on Thursday, July 13 brought a bigger purse for IMCA drivers to compete for at Kossuth County Speedway. Both the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars raced for a $2,000 first place check as an extra $1,000 was added during the evening, as the other three divisions each split an extra $250. Elijah Zevenbergen and Bruce Wickman led the 22-car Stock Car field to the flag-stand to take the green flag as Zevenbergen jumped out front right away before a quick yellow flag. The race resumed as Derek Green became the new leader on the third lap and a red flag appeared one lap later as New Mexico visitor Zane DeVilbiss was upside and four other cars were also involved. Green was the leader at the halfway point of the 20-lap feature followed by Kelly Shryock, Zevenbergen, Kevin Opheim and Wickman as Shryock slowly closed the big lead Green had built. The two [Read More]

Monson crosses Bumble Bee Nationals off IMCA bucket list

ALGONA, Iowa (July 6, 2023) – Go ahead and cross the Bumble Bee Nationals off Oliver Monson’s races to win bucket list. Monson raced all the way from 11th starting to win Kossuth County Speedway’s 4-cylinder special Thursday night, topping a who’s who type field of Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact drivers. The win was good for $1,000. The feeling of accomplishment that came with those checkers was worth more. “We just put the car up top and let it go,” said Monson, who had the lead seven circuits into the 25-lapper and handled half a dozen restarts and some lapped traffic before crossing the stripe ahead of 10th starting Mick Rykhus and 14th starting Nate Coopman. “And obviously everything ended pretty well.” Michigan visitor Trever Cronick and Kaytee DeVries rounded out the top five. Drivers from four states filled the 22-car main event grid. “This win was huge,” said Monson. “I’ve been trying for it for a long time. There are a couple more big races to win (most notably the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by [Read More]

Looft wins IMCA Northern SportMod special at Algona

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (June 29, 2023) – All summer long, Swea City’s Matt Looft has simply dominated the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod division at Kossuth County Speedway. On Thursday night, things remained the same as Looft led 18 circuits of the 25-lap, $1,000 to win Wyffels Hybrid SportMod Special to highlight the evening of exciting dirt track racing. Justin Klynsma and Dustin West led the SportMod field to flag-stand for the green flag in the feature as Klynsma took the early lead with the yellow flag appearing early. The caution flag reappeared one lap later and also on lap number six for spins as Klynsma continued to lead the race with the ninth starting Looft lurking and looking for his opportunity. Lap number eight presented that chance and Looft moved to the front and pulled away from the field for his sixth feature win of the season at the track but his biggest payday so far. Colby Fett was the runner-up with Klynsma taking third, Alec Fett was fourth and Ben Reierson [Read More]

Jennings wins again at Kossuth County

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (June 22, 2023) – McCain Jennings was not to be denied his third visit to victory lane this season at Kossuth County Speedway, when IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars took to the oval at Algona on Thursday night. Wayne Landheer was the early leader as a great battle played out over the first half of the race with Donovan Smith and Jennings contending. Landheer kept his no. 2 rig out front until five laps remained, when Jennings became the new leader. He then went on to capture his third win of the season at Algona as the race went green, white, checkered. Smith crossed the finish line in second place as Landheer was third. Cody Knecht led the first three laps before Jeremy Mills took over the lead and went onto his second local Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win of the season. Knecht finished second and Todd Stinehart was third. The closest feature of the evening came in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts as Lady Eagle frontrunner Brooke Osler was the [Read More]

Horejsi cashes in at Kossuth County

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (June 15, 2023) – Almost to the day, it had been 21 years since Jim Horejsi pulled his no. 21 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car into victory lane at Kossuth County Speedway. But the Marshall, Minn. driver was the winner of the $2,000 to win special at the oval to highlight an exciting evening of dirt track racing on Thursday, June 15. “I raced here opening night of 2002 in my Stock Car and had the lead late, thinking I was going to win,” said Horejsi, already B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible. “But I got a flat tire with two laps to go so I came back the next week because I thought the track owed me one.” “This feels really good, especially with my last win here in a stock car coming 21 years ago. It is a race track I always enjoyed running on and tonight was no different.” Horejsi slowly closed the gap on Elijah Zevenbergen and became the new leader of the race [Read More]

Burns, Opheim make long-awaited returns to victory lane

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (June 8, 2023) – It has been awhile since James Burns and Kevin Opheim have pulled their cars into victory lane as both drivers enjoyed that pleasure on Thursday to highlight an exciting night of dirt track racing at Kossuth County Speedway. Burns earned his first IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature win in the past three years and his second overall, while Opheim picked up win no. 60 in Algona in his career, but his IMCA Sunoco Stock Car first since June 7, 2018. The Hobby Stock feature saw Micah Lavrenz as the first car to go past the flag stand after the first lap as Doug Wickman took over the top spot two laps later. Wickman continued to hold the lead as an entertaining battle for second place was happening behind him between Mike Smith and Burns. Wickman spun out on lap eight as Burns became the new leader as the yellow flag came out the next lap for a four-lap race to the finish. Smith grabbed the lead [Read More]

First checkers fly for Alex Smith at Kossuth County

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (June 1, 2023) – Alex Smith earned career win number one in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods to highlight an exciting night of dirt track racing at the Kossuth County Speedway on Thursday, June 1. In his sixth season in the class, Smith started on the pole and led the entire race with a good battle for second place behind him between Charlie Stevens, Justin Raymond, Alec Fett, Matt Looft and Jake Simpson. Raymond prevailed in that battle as Fett was third with Looft taking fourth and Simpson rounded out the top finishers in the feature. Smith made it a clean sweep on the night as he also won his heat race. For the fourth straight week, Olivier Monson simply dominated the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts as he grabbed the lead immediately and cruised to his fourth feature win of the season at the track. Brooke Osler and Lucas Parsons had a good battle for second place to try to keep things interesting for Monson but had nothing for [Read More]