rivercityspeedway Archives

Ferrando Wins Historic First IMCA Wild West Speedweek Stop at River City

By Ben Deatherage ST. HELENS, Ore. (June 14, 2026) — Grey Ferrando added another chapter to his IMCA Wild West Speedweek résumé by winning the first-ever series event held at River City Speedway in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds. Defending DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region and Oregon State champion Kevin Williamson paced the opening laps aboard the Superior Fuel Cells-owned No. 42. Two-time defending Wild West Speedweek SportMod champion Matt Sanders quickly emerged as a challenger and briefly completed a pass for the lead before a caution negated the move. A three-car battle between Williamson, Sanders and Ferrando erupted after the restart. Ferrando, the 2024 Cocopah Speedway and 2017 Cottage Grove Speedway track champion, edged ahead by just .014 seconds at the line on lap eight to seize the lead before a pair of cautions kept the field tightly bunched. Sanders secured second on lap 10 and remained within striking distance as lapped traffic entered the equation on lap 16. A caution on lap 20 removed heavy traffic from the picture and set up another showdown [Read More]

IMCA Wild West Speedweek Set to Storm Oregon Border to Border June 13–20

By Jeremy Means VINTON, Iowa (June 9, 2026) — From the Columbia River on the Oregon–Washington border to the doorstep of California, the 2026 IMCA Wild West Speedweek will push drivers through eight consecutive nights of racing June 13–20. The tour opens at Sunset Speedway Park in Banks and heads south, testing teams across bullrings and bigger layouts before champions are crowned in the finale in Southern Oregon. Three Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing divisions—Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, and Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods—will be in action each night. Sunset Speedway Park opens the tour on Saturday, June 13, returning to its role as the “Banks Bullring.” Located just outside the Portland metro area, the quarter-mile oval sets the tone for the week with tight racing after weather impacted last year’s finale. Round two shifts to a new venue, River City Speedway in St. Helens, on Sunday, June 14. Situated near the Columbia River along the Oregon–Washington border, the tight and technical quarter-mile will host its first IMCA-sanctioned event, adding a fresh [Read More]

Feature

Jake Walters: Carrying the Family Name to Victory Lane

By Ben Deatherage BANKS, Ore. (July 1, 2026) — The first one always seems to take the longest. Jake Walters had come close before. Second-place finishes. Nights when he found himself racing door-to-door with his father, Greg. Opportunities that slipped away by only a few car lengths. Each one brought another lesson, but none brought the one thing every racer spends countless hours chasing. That first trip to Victory Lane. “It seemed like we were always right there,” Walters said. “I’d had a couple second-place finishes and raced my dad for a win a few times, but I just couldn’t seem to get the monkey off my back.” As the laps wound down on June 27 at Sunset Speedway Park, everything that had seemed just out of reach finally came together. When the checkered flag waved, Walters had earned his first career Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature victory. “It’s super special to get the first one out of the way, and to do it at Sunset, it means a lot,” he said. For most drivers, a [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Williams Charges From 10th for McLean County Stock Car Win

By Brandon Beeter UNDERWOOD, N.D. (July 2, 2026) — Shelby Williams charged from the 10th starting position to score an impressive Sunoco IMCA Stock Car victory Thursday night at McLean County Speedway, racing from the back of the field after three different drivers occupied the lead. Dustin Frank led the opening circuit before Bob Fuegmann took command on lap two. Williams steadily worked his way through traffic, taking over the lead on lap eight after making his move on the low side. Once out front, the Bonham, Texas, driver moved to the cushion and pulled away to earn his seventh victory of the season and first in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region in 2026. Fuegmann finished second, while Will Matejovic advanced from eighth to third. Taylor Mogard completed the race in fourth, and Frank rounded out the top five. Herrera Charges From Eighth for SportMod Triumph The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods produced another strong feature as 17-year-old Payce Herrera charged from the eighth starting spot to earn his ninth victory of the season and [Read More]

Feature

NY-Penn IMCA Series Returns with Pair of Pennsylvania Memorial Specials in July

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (July 2, 2026) — The NY-Penn IMCA Series resumes its 2026 campaign later this month with a pair of Pennsylvania events carrying major implications for both the championship chase and Fast Shafts All-Star eligibility. The series returns to The Hill Speedway in Monroeton on Friday, July 17, for the 6th Annual Billy Maynard Memorial, where drivers will compete for $1,069 to win. The tour then heads to Penn Can Speedway in Susquehanna on Friday, July 31, for the 4th Annual K.C. Cole Memorial, which will pay $1,024 to the winner. Both Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified features are Fast Shafts All-Star qualifiers, with each winner earning eligibility to try and qualify for the invitational held during the 2026 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. The season opened May 30 at Woodhull Raceway, where Tyler Belcher captured the Sean Lias Memorial. Jake Maynard added his first series victory of the season on June 12 at The Hill Speedway. Jacob McConnell carries a slim three-point lead over Keith Lamphere into the July [Read More]