nodakspeedway Archives

Berry Capitalizes Late for Dakota Tour Victory at Nodak

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (July 5, 2026) — Tom Berry Jr. capitalized on late-race misfortune for Ethan Braaksma and survived a frantic restart battle to win the opening round of the 2026 Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric Sunday night at Nodak Speedway. Braaksma, the two-time defending tour champion from Iowa, quickly established himself as the driver to beat in the 30-lap Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature. Driving for car owners Danny Meier and Trent Guest, he led from the outset while Wyoming’s Bart Taylor steadily reeled him in during the opening half of the race. Taylor made several bids for the lead, but Braaksma turned each one away before gradually extending his advantage. Everything changed with seven laps remaining, as Braaksma suffered a flat tire while comfortably out front, bringing out the caution. Taylor inherited the lead, but the restart produced a thrilling three-wide battle as Taylor, 2022 Wisconsin state champion Jayden Schmidt and two-time tour champion Berry all fought for the top spot. The two-time series champion and 2020 National title [Read More]

Herrera Finally Breaks Through at Nodak Speedway

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (July 4, 2026) — Payce Herrera finally broke through at the Playground of Power, making a decisive pass with six laps remaining to score his first career Nodak Speedway victory in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods. The 2026 Tougher Than Dirt Tour champion from Price, Utah, started fourth and collected his 11th win of the season after a race filled with lead changes and intense battles. Keenan Glasser, the 2024 North Dakota state champion, jumped to the early lead before a caution on lap three erased his advantage. On the restart, Glasser held off a thrilling three-wide challenge from Stan Tomlinson and Herrera, then survived another restart one lap later as Herrera and newly crowned Nodak Speedway champion Chad Strachen both looked for a way around. Another caution on lap nine changed everything. Tomlinson, the 2018 McLean County Speedway champion, powered around Glasser exiting turn two to lead lap 10, but Glasser answered two circuits later to regain command. Herrera remained glued to the leaders and finally found his opening [Read More]

Dakota Tour Set to Launch July 5 with Six Nights of Racing

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (June 26, 2026) — One of IMCA’s premier summer tours returns to the Northern Plains when the 2026 Dakota Tour roars to life with six consecutive nights of racing from July 5-10. The popular swing features Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars competing at six tracks across North Dakota and Saskatchewan, testing competitors on a variety of bullrings and high-banked ovals in pursuit of tour championships. The tour opens Sunday, July 5, at Nodak Speedway in Minot before crossing the border to Estevan Motor Speedway in Estevan, Saskatchewan, on Monday, July 6. Racing returns to North Dakota on Tuesday, July 7, at Williston Basin Speedway before continuing to Southwest Speedway in Dickinson on Wednesday, July 8, Dacotah Speedway in Mandan on Thursday, July 9, and concluding Friday, July 10, at Jamestown Speedway. A strong contingent of former champions, state titlists, and touring standouts has already committed to compete. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified field is led by two-time defending Dakota Tour champion Ethan Braaksma, who also won the [Read More]

Travis Hagen: Racing Through the Storm to 100 Wins

By Ben Deatherage MCGREGOR, N.D. (June 23, 2026) — The pressure had been building for weeks. Every race night seemed to bring the same question. When would win No. 100 finally come? Travis Hagen tried not to think about it, but as the milestone drew closer it became harder to ignore. Every near miss felt a little bigger. Every opportunity carried a little more weight. By the time he unloaded his No. 14T Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified at Nodak Speedway on June 14, 2026, the number was impossible to escape. A few hours later, fittingly on the 14th day of the month and behind the wheel of the No. 14T, Hagen celebrated his 100th career Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature victory. The weekend had already tested the team. Transmission trouble at McLean County Speedway two nights earlier left Hagen scrambling, forcing him to borrow a transmission just to stay on track. But when Sunday arrived in Minot, everything finally seemed to fall into place. “I won the heat, and in the feature we got the lead,” [Read More]

Mike Hagen Wins Fyllesvold Memorial, Travis Hagen Reaches 100-Win Mark at Nodak Speedway

By Brandon Beeter MINOT, N.D. (June 14, 2026) — Mike Hagen collected the biggest payday of the night in the Randy Fyllesvold Memorial for Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, while Travis Hagen reached a major career milestone with his 100th IMCA-sanctioned Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature victory during an action-packed evening at Nodak Speedway. The Randy Fyllesvold Memorial for Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars featured a unique redraw format that placed Gabriel Deschamp 14th in the starting lineup and made him eligible for bonus money based on positions gained. Mike Hagen, of Williston, drew the pole and immediately took command of the race. Although Marcus Tomlinson pressured him for much of the event and briefly challenged for the lead, Hagen remained in control and drove away for the $1,414 victory. The win was his first of the season in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region and made him eligible to attempt to qualify for the B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational at Super Nationals. Tomlinson’s strong run ended prematurely with mechanical issues before the finish. Deschamp charged [Read More]

Glasser Ties Tougher Than Dirt Tour Record; Herrera Claims Crown at Nodak

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (June 7, 2026) — Keenan Glasser capped off a remarkable week by winning the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature on the final night of the 2026 T&A Tong and Indicator Tougher Than Dirt Tour presented by Schatz Storage at Nodak Speedway. Reigning track champion Chad Stratchen emerged from a three-wide battle on the opening lap with the lead and quickly settled into a duel with Glasser. The pair separated themselves from the field before a caution on lap seven erased their advantage. Lapped traffic came into play on lap 13, and Glasser stayed glued to Stratchen’s rear bumper while searching for an opening. The 2024 North Dakota State champion finally found one on lap 19, completing the pass for the lead just before a caution slowed the pace. The 18-year-old from Estevan, Saskatchewan was flawless on the restart and pulled away to earn his fourth victory of the week and eighth overall triumph of the season. Four of those wins have come at Nodak Speedway. The victory also tied Gabriel [Read More]

Glasser Sweeps Nodak Weekend with Last-Lap SportMod Victory

By Brandon Beeter MINOT, N.D. (May 25, 2026) — The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods capped off the Memorial Day Weekend doubleheader at Nodak Speedway with a dramatic finish as Estevan, Saskatchewan’s Keenan Glasser stormed from 10th starting position to steal the lead on the final lap. Payce Herrera controlled the early stages while Glasser methodically worked the high side through the field. With five laps remaining, Glasser began reeling in the leader before making the winning move coming to the checkers. The victory completed a weekend sweep for Glasser and marked his fourth win of the season, with three coming at Nodak Speedway. Herrera finished second after starting ninth while Chad Strachen charged from 12th to third. Stan Tomlinson advanced from 11th to fourth and Darren Schatz rounded out the top five. Appelt Wins Fourth Straight Nodak Hobby Stock Feature The Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks once again produced one of the most entertaining races of the night. Kyler Satran led the opening laps before Minot’s Caden Appelt used a slingshot move off the cushion exiting [Read More]

Appelt Stays Perfect with Third Straight Nodak Hobby Stock Victory

By Brandon Beeter MINOT, N.D. (May 24, 2026) — The Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks produced one of the most exciting races of the evening Sunday at Nodak Speedway as Minot’s Caden Appelt charged from 12th starting position to collect his third straight feature victory to open the season. Ethan Beckedal paced the early laps before Saskatchewan’s Diezel Raynard worked his way into the lead. After going off the track in the opening corner earlier in the feature, Appelt stormed back through the field using the high side to perfection. Appelt grabbed the lead with eight laps remaining and never looked back to secure his third consecutive win at Nodak Speedway and in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region. Zach Hughbanks finished second, while Raynard charged from ninth to third. Alan Bertsch advanced from 17th to fourth, and Tyson Grinstead completed the top five after starting 10th. Hagen Capitalizes Late for Modified Victory The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature saw several lead changes before McGregor’s Travis Hagen emerged victorious. Caden Germundson led the opening three laps before [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]

Appelt Outduels Field to Capture Inaugural $4,000-to-Win Bonnie Beeter Memorial at Nodak

By Ben Deatherage MINOT, N.D. (Aug. 24, 2025) — Caden Appelt of Minot pocketed $4,000 in the 40-lap Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature at Nodak Speedway, winning the inaugural Bonnie Beeter Memorial. The victory was his 11th of the season in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region, with eight of those coming at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds 3/8-mile oval. Appelt got the jump from his third-place starting position to lead the opening lap, but 2022 Estevan Motor Speedway champion Kaden Tuchscherer quickly applied pressure on the high side. Tuchscherer took the point on lap 12 following several laps of side-by-side battling with Appelt, whose preferred low line eventually gave way. The two checked out from the field and resumed their duel again by lap 22. A lap-23 caution reset the field, and Appelt regained the lead on lap 28 with a slider in turn two. Two-time Nebraska State champion Travis Landauer closed in with a run on the bottom, while 2022 McLean County Speedway champion Trever Haas battled him for second. That fight allowed Appelt [Read More]