nodakspeedway Archives

Dakota Classic Modified Tour Set for 2025 With Strong Pre-Entry Fields

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Jun. 18, 2025) — With a rich history dating back to 1998, the Dakota Classic Modified Tour remains the longest running and largest IMCA-sanctioned tour in the nation. For 2025, the tour continues its exciting new chapter in its second year under the leadership of Saskatchewan Modified standout Aaron Turnbull and renowned motorsports photographer Byron Fichter, who took ownership of the series in 2024. The tour recently announced a new naming rights partnership as it becomes the Wolla Oilfield & Trucking Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric. This collaboration brings together two passionate entities with a shared commitment to growing the sport in North Dakota and the surrounding area. The 2025 edition will feature Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, traveling across North Dakota’s premier tracks. Originally launched as a three-race series at Dacotah Speedway, Jamestown Speedway, and Nodak Speedway, the tour founded by John Gartner, expanded in 1991. It has been consistently IMCA-sanctioned since 1998. While the Modifieds have been part of the event since [Read More]

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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]

Dakota Classic Mod Tour Set to Bring Six Nights of Intense Racing Action to the Northern Plains

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (May 16, 2025) — The 2025 Dakota Classic Mod Tour is set to bring six straight nights of high-octane competition across North Dakota and Saskatchewan, featuring the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars. The tour kicks off at J-Town on Saturday, July 5 at Jamestown Speedway, where fans will get their first look at this year’s competitors. From there, the tour heads to the Playground of Power at Nodak Speedway in Minot on Sunday, where the stakes intensify on the fast 3/8-mile oval. On Monday, the series crosses the border into the Land of the Living Skies in Saskatchewan, stopping at Estevan Motor Speedway for what is always a fan-favorite event. Following the Canadian leg, the tour returns to North Dakota on Tuesday for a stop at Williston Basin Speedway, where drivers will go Racin’ at the Basin on the tight and demanding bullring. The penultimate night of the tour takes the field to Southwest Speedway in Dickinson on Wednesday, with the grand finale set for Dacotah Speedway [Read More]

Beeter Battles to Second Nodak Stock Car Win

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (May 4, 2025) — The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars thrilled fans Sunday night at Nodak Speedway, the 3/8-mile oval located at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. Former Williston Basin champion Chris Tuchscherer led early until a lap 6 caution reset the field at the “Playground of Power” and opened the door for a challenge. That opportunity came from Minot’s own Brock Beeter, a three-time North Dakota State Hobby Stock champion and 2023 Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod track titlist. Beeter rolled the inside to perfection and edged ahead of Tuchscherer on lap 7. A late caution erased his sizeable lead, but Beeter nailed the restart and held strong to the checkers for his second EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region win of the season. Tuchscherer held off two-time defending track champ Will Scheresky for second after a long battle. Gabe Deschamp slipped by Scheresky at the line to claim third. Wolla Rallies Late for Nodak Modified Victory The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds also brought the crowd to their feet with a thrilling [Read More]

Deschamp Shines in Stock Car Thriller at Nodak Speedway

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (Apr. 27, 2025) — Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars took center stage at Nodak Speedway’s season opener, and the 3/8-mile “Playground of Power” delivered thrilling side-by-side action on a crisp Sunday evening. Chris Tuchscherer, the 2005 Williston Basin Stock Car champion and double-duty driver for the night, grabbed the early lead. However, two-time defending track champion Will Scheresky found a way around him by lap 4 and began pulling away before a caution slowed the field on the fifth circuit. On the restart, Gabe Deschamp — fresh off a win at Marshalltown’s Frostbuster earlier in the month — tracked down Scheresky and completed a bold move on the inside to take command on lap 6. The two would battle fiercely until another yellow interrupted the action. Deschamp nailed the restart and continued his dominance, but Mike Hagen soon emerged as a threat. Hagen, a two-time Nodak Stock Car champion, briefly edged ahead on lap 15 only for Deschamp to counter immediately and retake the lead. The Westhope driver scampered away in the [Read More]

Hagen Outduels Wolla for Nodak Modified Glory

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (Apr. 26, 2025) — A rare Saturday night show kicked off the 2025 season at Nodak Speedway, and the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds delivered an instant classic on the 3/8-mile “Playground of Power” at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. Marcus Tomlinson and Justin Medler battled for the early advantage, with Tomlinson edging ahead after lap one. The six-time defending North Dakota State champion and 2022 Nodak track king looked strong before a restart brought two-time North Dakota State champion and 2017 IMCA national titlist Jason Wolla into the mix. Wolla muscled his way to the front by lap five, with Travis Hagen soon entering the fray. What followed was a family affair as Wolla and Hagen — brothers-in-law off the track — staged a thrilling duel on it. Hagen, a former Nodak champion and eight-time Williston Basin Speedway titleholder, applied steady pressure and began drawing even with eight laps remaining. The pair traded sliders and crossovers before Hagen finally gained the upper hand with a bold move coming to the high-raised [Read More]

Austin Daae: From Ice to Dirt, the Final Shift

By Ben Deatherage ESTEVAN, SK (Apr. 21, 2025) — For most, playing professional hockey would be enough. For Austin Daae, it’s just one half of the story. The Estevan, Saskatchewan native is just as comfortable skating across frozen rinks as he is sliding through the corners of dirt ovals. And in 2024, he added a big milestone to his résumé—Sunoco IMCA Stock Car champion at Estevan Motor Speedway. “It was a good season,” said Daae. “I haven’t gotten to run for points in 7 or 8 years at least. Per usual, I got home late from playing hockey down south. I was still down there when the first night got rained out. I would’ve liked to race more, but I had hockey things going on. I was able to race every night at home and finally get a points championship.” He picked up four wins at Estevan and added another at Nodak Speedway in Minot, North Dakota. The competition in the region is never easy. “Anywhere you go in North Dakota, you know you’ve got your [Read More]

Turnbull triumphant at inaugural Monte Lundy Memorial

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (Aug 18, 2024) – In a race that will be remembered for years to come, Aaron Turnbull emerged victorious in the inaugural Monte Lundy Memorial at Nodak Speedway. His masterful maneuver around the halfway point, allowing him to take the lead, was a sight to behold. Fending off a challenge after the final restart, Turnbull, the maestro from Estevan, Sask., scored an impressive Friesen Performance $3,014 payday at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. His win holds a special significance as it was a racer from Estevan who won the first Lundy Memorial, just as Lundy had won the first IMCA Modified track title at Estevan Motor Speedway in 2000. “This means a lot to me. Monte raced against my dad. It’s awesome to win the first event,” said Turnbull. “All of Monte’s family was there. Hopefully this race becomes a long standing tradition.” The race was off to an intense start as Drew Christianson beat Shawn Strand into the first corner. However, Strand quickly gained momentum, swinging the lead in [Read More]

Grinstead – Brennor Grinstead – is Nodak winner by .007

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (Aug. 11, 2024) – Considering how close their battle for the track championship was, it was no surprise when Brennor Grinstead and Kyler Satran were separated by just seven thousandths of a second apart at the finish of Sunday’s IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature at Nodak Speedway. The Grinstead brothers, Brennor and Tyson, engaged in a fierce battle at the start, Brennor emerging as the leader to pace the first lap. Satran threw his hat in the ring when he took over second on the fourth circuit and the next time around was pressuring Brennor Grinstead for the top spot. Finding an advantage on the inside line, Satran powered his way ahead to become the new trailblazer on lap six. Things slowed down twice with two late-race cautions, including the last one setting up a green, white, checkered finish. When the green flag was presented to the field for the final time, Brennor Grinstead tried to get around Satran via the outside and reclaim first place. Grinstead had a slight [Read More]

LaBatte banks Stock Car paydirt at Nodak

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (Aug. 4, 2024) – The North Dakota State Fairgrounds roared to life and Brendon LaBatte raced his way to B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility on Sunday. When the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car finale came to life, Kyle Scholpp took the lead and tried to run away from the rest of the field. However, fellow Saskatchewanian, LaBatte made a masterful run on the bottom trying to reel in the leader. At the same time, Scholpp was comfortable up high and had a slight advantage up there. Shawn Green and Mike Hagen put on a show for third place, with Hagen eventually securing the spot on the third circuit. While the race for third cooled down, the battle for the lead heated up. LaBatte submitted a challenge to the inside of Scholpp the sixth time past the flag stand. Scholpp did his best to keep LaBatte back, but LaBatte’s persistence paid big dividends when he got around the leader on lap seven. He started to pull away from [Read More]