maquoketaspeedway Archives

Maquoketa Season Championships Washed Out; Modified Title to Be Decided Aug. 22

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Aug. 19, 2026) — Maquoketa Speedway’s scheduled season championship races fell victim to wet weather Saturday, Aug. 15, bringing the 2026 track point season to a close for four IMCA divisions. With the event unable to be rescheduled, track champions have been crowned in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods, Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks and Sunoco IMCA Late Models. Jordan Miles earned the Stock Car championship, while Jarrett Franzen topped the SportMod standings. Jared Miles secured the Hobby Stock title, and Ron Klein was crowned the Late Model champion. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified championship remains to be decided. Modifieds will compete for track points Saturday, Aug. 22, with the division’s 2026 Maquoketa Speedway track champion to be crowned following the night’s racing. Track operators Kevin Yarolem, Jake Montoya and Matt Montoya thanked the drivers, crews, officials and fans for their support throughout the 2026 season at the quarter-mile dirt track located on the Jackson County Fairgrounds.

August Specials Bring Big Purses and All-Star Qualifiers to Maquoketa Speedway

By Ben Deatherage MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Aug. 3, 2026) — Two major August specials are on tap at Maquoketa Speedway, with Dynamic Tube Season Championship Night on Aug. 15 and a two-night special on Aug. 21-22 offering increased purses and All-Star qualifying opportunities. The action begins Saturday, Aug. 15, with Dynamic Tube Season Championship Night. Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, and Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods will each race for $1,000 to win, while Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks and Legends compete for $500 to win. Sunoco IMCA Late Models round out the program with Sunoco Bonus Bucks on the line. Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing National, Iowa State, and track points will be awarded. Modifieds will also compete for Razor Chassis North Central Region points, Stock Cars for EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region points, and Hobby Stocks for B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region points. The following weekend, Maquoketa Speedway hosts a two-night special on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21-22. Friday’s program features $1,000-to-win Modifieds and Stock Cars, with SportMods joining the racing card. Saturday’s [Read More]

Brandies Claims $2,000 Stock Car Prize at Jackson County Fair

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (July 30, 2026) — David Brandies drove from 11th starting position to capture the richest victory of the night Thursday, winning the $2,000-to-win Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature during the Jackson County Fair program at Maquoketa Speedway. The Wilton driver earned his sixth EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region victory of the season, with three of those wins coming at Maquoketa Speedway. Kyle Merkes finished second, Kodey Miles advanced 13 positions to finish third, Gage Neal climbed from 14th to fourth, and Cole Suckow completed the top five. Miles earned hard charger honors. The feature also served as a B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational qualifier, making Brandies eligible to attempt to qualify for the invitational during the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September. Vlies Tops Loaded SportMod Field A stacked 28-car Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod field featured multiple national and track champions, but Casco, Wisconsin’s Coy Vlies made the long tow worthwhile by racing from third to victory. The triumph was Vlies’ 15th of the [Read More]

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]