mcleancountyspeedway Archives

Raynard Repeats in $2,000-to-Win Robbie Conway Memorial Hobby Stock Feature at Bottineau

By Ben Deatherage BOTTINEAU, N.D. (June 6, 2026) — Defending series champion Diezel Raynard held off a late-race charge from Caden Appelt to capture the $2,000-to-win Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature and earn his second victory of the week on the fourth night of the 2026 T&A Tong and Indicator Tougher Than Dirt Tour presented by Schatz Storage. The Lampman, Saskatchewan driver took command on the opening lap and established himself as the driver to beat. Although several cautions slowed the pace throughout the 20-lap contest, Raynard flawlessly executed each restart to maintain control. Behind him, five-time reigning North Dakota State champion and former two-time track champion Kyler Satran found himself in a spirited battle with 2024 McLean County Speedway champion Caden Appelt for second. Appelt eventually secured the position and set his sights on the leader. The ninth-starting Appelt closed rapidly in the final laps and mounted a serious challenge coming to the checkered flag, but Raynard held on by a narrow margin. The victory was his second of the week, fourth career Tougher Than [Read More]

Goodwin Scores Emotional SportMod Victory at McLean County

By Brandon Beeter UNDERWOOD, N.D. (May 21, 2026) — The 2026 season opener at McLean County Speedway delivered an emotional night of racing on Thursday, highlighted by Tim Goodwin’s inspiring comeback victory in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods. Goodwin, from Williston, battled through adversity throughout the feature. While challenging for the lead late in the race, he slipped into the marbles but managed to recover and regain momentum before charging back to the front with five laps remaining. From there, he checked out on the field to score his first victory since a devastating Highway 83 accident outside of Underwood on May 29 of last year that nearly claimed his life. Goodwin started third in the feature. Lance Lochtowe, who led much of the race, finished second ahead of Stan Tomlinson. Cole Hanshew finished fourth, while 15-year-old Sladen Pfeifer completed the top five. Gabriel Deschamp dominated the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature in impressive fashion aboard a brand-new B&B Racing Chassis. The 21-year-old Westhope driver controlled the race from the outset after also winning his [Read More]

Feature

Tougher Than Dirt Tour Roars Back June 3-7 Across North Dakota and Saskatchewan

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (May 21, 2026) — The Tougher Than Dirt Tour is set to roar back to life this June with five straight nights of Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing competition across North Dakota and Saskatchewan, featuring strong point funds, unique awards, and some of the top Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod and Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock drivers in the region. The 2026 tour schedule opens Wednesday, June 3 at McLean County Speedway in Underwood, North Dakota before heading west to Williston Basin Speedway on Thursday, June 4. The tour then crosses into Canada on Friday, June 5 for a stop at Estevan Motor Speedway in Estevan, Saskatchewan. Thunder Mountain Speedway in Bottineau hosts the Robbie Conway Memorial on Saturday, June 6 before the tour wraps up Sunday, June 7 at Nodak Speedway in Minot. Tour director Brandon Beeter expects another strong field of competitors from across the Upper Midwest and Canada. “We’ve had some outsiders already sign up like Payce Herrera and Nathan DeRagon,” Beeter said. “But we’ve got a really strong [Read More]

Williams Returns to Winning Ways in $2,500 Stock Car Showdown at McClean County

By Ben Deatherage UNDERWOOD, N.D. (Aug. 2, 2025) — Championship Night of the Coal County Classic at McLean County Speedway doubled as the Tony Kniffen Memorial, showcasing top-tier talent in front of a packed house. In the 25-lap, $2,500-to-win main event for the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, Shelby Williams of Bonham, Texas took control early and never wavered. The 2025 IMCA.TV Winter Nationals champion held strong through three early cautions within the first 10 circuits. A lap 10 restart brought Friday night winner Jake Nelson and past Coal County Classic and Tony Kniffen Memorial champion Dalton Flory into the mix. On lap 22, Williams and Flory went side-by-side, with Flory briefly grabbing the lead on lap 23. But Flory drifted high in turn two, allowing Williams to capitalize and reclaim the top spot. Sporting his Salute To Veterans Tour wrap Williams led the final circuits to earn his first EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region win of the season, his sixth overall victory in 2025, and first win since May. Flory fended off Nelson to finish second. [Read More]

Saxon Charges Late for Hobby Stock Tougher Than Dirt Tour Opener Win

By Ben Deatherage UNDERWOOD, N.D. (June 3, 2025) — Cash Saxon brought the crowd to their feet at McLean County Speedway, pulling off a thrilling late-race pass in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature during the opening leg of the 2025 Tougher Than Dirt Tour. The 20-lap feature opened with Kaiden Tuchscherer getting the early advantage. Despite a handful of cautions in the first half, Tuchscherer — the 2022 Estevan Motor Speedway champion — controlled the pace. Suddenly, Diezel Raynard found speed on the bottom line and made a run at the lead. Raynard took over on lap 11, but Tuchscherer fought back and regained the top spot just two laps later. Raynard wasn’t done, though, and wrestled the lead away again on lap 15. But with just two laps to go, Saxon — from Lampman, Saskatchewan — made a brilliant move around both frontrunners to take over and never looked back. Starting third, Saxon earned his first win of the season in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region and his first career Tougher Than Dirt [Read More]

Feature

Tougher Than Dirt Tour Returns for 10th Annual Run Through North Dakota and Saskatchewan

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (May 27, 2025) — The 2025 edition of the Tougher Than Dirt Tour is set to launch into its 10th season with six straight nights of high-powered IMCA racing, spotlighting the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods and the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks. The tour kicks off Monday, June 3 and runs through Sunday, June 8, offering some of the most competitive racing for these divisions in the Northern Plains. The action begins at McLean County Speedway in Underwood, North Dakota on June 3, followed by a stop at Southwest Speedway in Dickinson on June 4. Williston Basin Speedway hosts round three on June 5, with the lone Canadian date coming at Estevan Motor Speedway in Saskatchewan on June 6. Thunder Mountain Speedway in Bottineau welcomes racers on June 7, before the finale on Sunday, June 8 at the historic Nodak Speedway in Minot. “I’m really looking forward to this week because it’s a great series of races for the local racers around these parts while also attracting some drivers from out [Read More]

Hagen hoists hardware on night two of Coal County Classic

By Ben Deatherage UNDERWOOD, N.D. (Aug. 3, 2024) – Travis Hagen made like lightning twice, on night two of the Coal County Classic The McGregor motorist bolted to the front twice in the late stages of Saturday’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event, first to take the lead and again to get it back. Hagen would then lead to the finish of the $1,500 to win feature at McLean County Speedway. Lap one of the feature saw Jason Grimes beat night one winner Steven Pfeifer for the early lead. Pfeifer became the new trailblazer when they hit the line. Shortly afterward, Hagen arrived on the scene to try to take second away. The position was exchanged no less than five times in six laps as Grimes and Hagen battled. Hagen, after securing second place, unleashed a burst of speed on a restart, making a daring crossover move on the front stretch to get ahead of Pfeifer. The race was far from over, however, with the yellow flag bringing a temporary halt to the action and [Read More]

Pfeifer, Deschamp, Medler, Heaton are night one Coal County Classic winners

By Ben Deatherage UNDERWOOD, N.D. (Aug. 2, 2024) – McLean County Speedway hosted its final race weekend of 2024 with Steven Pfeifer, Gabriel Deschamp, Darren Medler and Taylor Heaton earning IMCA feature wins. Dalton Flory was the early leader in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified ranks. Travis Hagen caught Flory and challenged on the bottom but couldn’t make it work so he transitioned to the top shelf. While that occurred, Pfeifer came into the fray to make it a three-car battle for the lead. Flory did his best to keep them all in check, but Pfeifer successfully obtained first place on lap six with Hagen motoring his way into second. Drew Christianson went into third and tried to challenge Hagen for the runner-up around lap 10. The yellow came out one last time with 13 laps complete, setting up a dozen laps left to cover. As the lap count got worked on, Hagen did his best to track down Pfeifer, but the leader did an excellent job staying ahead. Pfeifer kept Hagen in check for [Read More]