maquoketaspeedway Archives

Merkes Edges Watters in Summer Showdown Thriller at Maquoketa

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (July 25, 2026) — Reegan Merkes picked the perfect time to earn his first career Maquoketa Speedway victory, slipping past Blaise Watters coming to the checkers to win by just .067 seconds in a thrilling second round of the Summer Showdown for the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks. Twenty-nine Hobby Stocks answered the call, and the feature delivered another classic with only one caution slowing the 15-lap contest. Several drivers spent time at the point before seventh-starting Watters, making his first appearance at Maquoketa Speedway, worked into the lead. Merkes remained glued to Watters’ rear bumper as the pair took the white flag virtually dead even. The two raced side-by-side around the final circuit before Merkes found just enough room entering turn four to edge Watters at the finish line by a scant .067 seconds. Richard Nelson completed the podium, Carson Butt finished fourth and Kile Vohringer rounded out the top five. The victory added Merkes’ name to the list of 2026 B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region winners. Diercks Cruises to Modified [Read More]

Smith Scores Dramatic Late Model Victory at Maquoketa

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (July 18, 2026) —The Sunoco IMCA Late Models capped another outstanding night of racing Saturday at Maquoketa Speedway with a thrilling finish. The perfectly prepared racing surface at the Jackson County Fairgrounds quarter-mile allowed competitors to race two and three-wide throughout the evening, producing an exciting 25-lap feature that wasn’t decided until the final few feet. Steve Johnson paced the field early before Dalton Simonsen took over the top spot. Tenth-starting Blaise Lewis worked the extreme low groove to take the lead with 10 laps remaining and appeared headed to victory. A late caution, however, erased Lewis’ advantage and set up a dramatic four-lap sprint to the finish. Lewis hugged the bottom while Dustin Smith powered around the top and Ron Klein repeatedly threw sliders at the leaders. Smith completed the winning pass less than 50 feet before the checkered flag, edging Lewis by only a couple of feet for his third victory of the season, with his wins coming at three different tracks. Lewis finished second, Klein crossed the stripe [Read More]

Butt Edges Wroten in Photo Finish at Maquoketa

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (June 27, 2026) — Carson Butt won one of the closest finishes of the season Saturday night at Maquoketa Speedway, edging Leah Wroten by just .024 seconds in a thrilling Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature. A stout field of 30 Hobby Stocks signed in, and officials elected to start the entire field in the main event. Racing remained remarkably clean with only a pair of minor cautions as competitors raced three- and four-wide throughout the feature. Wroten battled to the front and led several circuits before the 15-year-old Butt mounted a late charge from the 10th starting position. The pair took the white flag virtually side by side, with Butt diving to the extreme inside exiting turn four to nip Wroten at the finish line. The Preston driver became the newest winner in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region. Kile Vohringer finished third while Tucker Richardson advanced from ninth to fourth. Kyle Jared completed the top five after charging from 16th, and Jaice Tuttle rallied from 20th to seventh. Diercks Drives [Read More]

Eckrich Earns Second SportMod Victory of Rookie Season at Maquoketa

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (June 6, 2026) — Twenty-two Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods took the green flag Saturday night at Maquoketa Speedway, and the drivers used every inch of the well-prepared racing surface while putting on a thrilling display of three- and four-wide racing. Fifteen-year-old Bryson Eckrich of Oxford worked both the top and bottom grooves as he charged forward from the eighth starting position. Eckrich eventually overtook Josh Starr for the lead and drove away to score his second victory of the season and first at Maquoketa Speedway. Jarett Franzen turned in a strong run from 11th to finish second while Starr completed the podium in third. Ed Mills crossed the stripe fourth and Nathan Silaggi rounded out the top five. Garnhart Dominates Late Model Main Event Bryce Garnhart proved to be the class of the field in the Sunoco IMCA Late Model feature. The Lanark, Illinois, driver started third and quickly worked his way to the front before leading all 25 laps en route to his first victory of the season. Dalton [Read More]

Ellithorpe Tops Tough Stock Car Field at Maquoketa

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (May 30, 2026) — Maquoketa Speedway hosted racing Saturday night as drivers contended with a slick and challenging racing surface that offered multiple racing grooves throughout the evening. The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars produced one of the night’s best races as Maquoketa native Jacob Ellithorpe scored his first hometown victory of the season. Ellithorpe started on the front row and found himself locked in a race-long duel with fifth-starting Gage Neal. The lead changed hands several times as the two accomplished drivers put on a show for the fans before Ellithorpe edged Neal by a narrow margin at the checkers. The victory was Ellithorpe’s third EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region win of 2026, his first at Maquoketa Speedway this season, and came one night after winning at Davenport Speedway. Neal finished second ahead of Casey Shelliam. Kodey Miles advanced from 10th to fourth while Joe Bonney rounded out the top five. The feature was red-flagged early following a hard rollover involving Mitch Current. Fortunately, Current was not injured. Jewell Breaks Through [Read More]

Birkhofer Scores Birthday Victory at Maquoketa

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (May 16, 2026) — The Sunoco IMCA Late Models saw a strong field of 19 drivers take the green for their main event Saturday night at Maquoketa Speedway. Muscatine’s Cruz Birkhofer celebrated his 24th birthday in style by scoring a hard-fought feature victory. Starting second, Birkhofer raced the topside of the smooth racing surface to perfection while holding off a hard-charging Ron Klein at the checkers. Klein, from Dubuque, advanced from seventh to finish second, while Davenport’s Matt Ryan charged from 10th to third. Mitch Morris and Dustin Smith rounded out the top five. The victory was Birkhofer’s second win of the season after also scoring a triumph the previous night at Davenport Speedway. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods put on an exhibition of slide jobs Saturday night as fans witnessed one of dirt racing’s most exciting moves lap after lap. Multiple drivers traded the lead throughout the feature before Maquoketa’s Jarrett Franzen made the winning move entering turn two on the white flag lap. Franzen then held off a [Read More]

Diercks Holds Off Larson for Maquoketa Modified Victory

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (May 2, 2026) — The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds at Maquoketa Speedway Saturday night saw Davenport’s Spencer Diercks take off from his front row starting spot and sail on to pick up his first win at Maquoketa Speedway this season and his second of 2026 in the Razor Chassis North Central Region. Diercks held his line and fended off a hard-charging Jeff “Bone” Larson for the victory. Larson, who started tenth, slipped slightly on the white flag lap, allowing Diercks to cross the line more than a car length ahead. Shane Paris finished third, followed by Charlie Mohr and Matt Werner. The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars turned into a family affair as the Miles family claimed three of the top four spots. Kodey Miles of Bernard scored his first Maquoketa Speedway victory and his first win of the season in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region by topping a very strong field. Pressley Harrington of Oshkosh, Wisconsin charged from tenth to finish second, while Jordan Miles and Jerry Miles completed the [Read More]

Neal Returns from Retirement to Win Maquoketa Stock Car Thriller

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Apr. 25, 2026) — The 2026 racing season got underway Saturday night in grand style at the quick quarter-mile dirt track located on the Jackson County Fairgrounds at Maquoketa Speedway, and the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars delivered a classic feature as drivers raced three- and four-wide throughout the entire main event. Terry Neal came out of retirement to race one of Colton and Danielle Dirks’ Stock Cars, and the elder Neal showed he still has the ability to wheel a race car in fine fashion. Neal fought off constant challenges from Oshkosh, Wisconsin’s Pressley Harrington to score the win by less than a car length, his first of the year in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region. David Brandies ran up front the entire race before settling for third ahead of Neal’s son, Gage Neal. Casey Shelliam was fifth after starting 12th. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature saw past Maquoketa and national champion Bone Larson wheel the P.J. Kostenbader-owned No. B1 to the win on opening night. Larson was fortunate [Read More]

Dockter and Chipp Deliver Last-Lap Thrillers in Maquoketa Modifieds

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Sept. 20, 2025) — The racing was second to none as two nights of action at Maquoketa Speedway provided thrilling finishes and plenty of wheel-to-wheel battles during the All-Star Classic weekend. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds contested 20-lap feature events both nights, and both mains went caution-free, flag-to-flag. Friday night’s main event came down to the white flag as Norwich, N.D., driver Zach Dockter pulled off a dramatic last-lap pass on race leader Troy Cordes, slipping by as the two exited turn four to the checkers. Saturday’s finale was equally exciting as Brennen Chipp used a crossover move in the last set of turns to fend off a slider from Drew Janssen and secure the victory. Stock Cars Split Dramatic Maquoketa Weekend The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars also ran 20-lap features each night, with loaded fields showcasing some of the Midwest’s best. On Friday, Maquoketa Speedway regular Andrew Burk of Milan, Ill., earned the win by less than a car length over John Oliver Jr. Oliver came back even stronger on [Read More]

Maquoketa Speedway Set To Host “All Star Classic” Sept. 19-20

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Sept. 16, 2025) — The quick ¼-mile dirt track located on the Jackson County Fairgrounds in Maquoketa is set to host the first of two major fall races. The Maquoketa Speedway will present the “All Star Classic,” promoted by Darkside Promotions, this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 19–20. Friday, Sept. 19, and Saturday, Sept. 20, will both feature complete programs with the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks, and the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Hot laps are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday and 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The final race of the season at Maquoketa Speedway will be held Oct. 16–18, when Darkside Promotions hosts the annual Iowa Dirt Nationals. Camping is available on the Jackson County Fairgrounds, and reservations can be made by contacting Darkside Promotions. For those unable to attend in person, all the action will be broadcast on IMCA TV affiliate Done Right TV.