southernraceway Archives

Morris Gets Winter Nationals Finale Victory at Southern Raceway

By Ben Deatherage MILTON, Fla. (Feb. 21, 2026) — Troy Morris III was declared the winner of the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature on the final night of the Winter Nationals at Hunt The Front’s Southern Raceway following the post-race disqualification of Wesley Wise for a rev box infraction. The 20-lap, $1,000-to-win main event before a packed house. The decision completed a weekend sweep for Morris, who also won the previous night’s main event and is already on the eligibility list for the 2026 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational. The sweep also earned Morris a $1,000 bonus for the achievement. Tyler Allen led the opening lap before Cory Wray, a two-time Missouri State champion, powered around the outside to take command on lap two. A caution soon after reset the field, and on the restart Wray got sideways, handing the lead to Wise — last year’s track champion at Arkansas’ Two Dollar Pistol Motor Speedway. Chase Rosebrugh, the 2023 Close Racing Supply Eastern Region Rookie of the Year, moved into second while Dylan Thornton, a three-division [Read More]

Morris Strikes First on Opening Night of Winter Nationals at Southern Raceway

By Ben Deatherage MILTON, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2026) — Troy Morris III captured the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature on opening night under new ownership at Hunt The Front’s Southern Raceway, scoring the $1,000 victory in the 20-lap main event. The race served as the first of two nights of Winter Nationals competition and doubled as a Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifying event, placing Morris on the eligibility list for the 2026 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Morris, the former Arizona IMCA Tour and IMCA Wild West Speedweek champion now based in Waterloo, Iowa, via California, set the tone early, battling two-time reigning Super Nationals winner Tim Ward for the lead on the initial start. Morris led lap one while Ward — piloting the no. 151 Performer Chassis house car owned by Doug and Amy Eckrich — gave chase. A lap-two restart sparked a three-wide battle for second involving two-time Florida State titlist Jason Barnhill, Ward, and two-time national champion Chaz Baca Jr., allowing 2024 Alabama State crown winner Ryan Fowler, aboard the [Read More]

Hunt The Front Revives Southern Raceway and Launches New Era

By Ben Deatherage MILTON, Fla. (Feb. 18, 2026) — Southern Raceway is entering a new era as the Hunt The Front group has officially acquired the 3/8-mile clay oval in Milton, Florida, launching a revitalization effort that will see the venue operate as Hunt The Front’s Southern Raceway. The ownership group — brothers Jonathan, Joshua, and Joseph Joiner and their wives Shadow, Elizabeth, and Kayla — makes the project a true family-driven endeavor. A centerpiece of the track’s competitive foundation will remain the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified division, continuing a sanctioning relationship that dates back more than three decades. Southern Raceway first joined the Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing program in 1993, when Robert Miley became the inaugural track champion. Events at the facility will again award track, Florida State, Close Racing Supply Eastern Region, and National points. For Joshua Joiner and the entire Hunt The Front team, the acquisition was as much about preservation as it was progression. “Our big fear was the track was going to go away,” Joiner said. “There were discussions and [Read More]

Allen Sweeps Southern Raceway Weekend with IMCA Modified Doubleheader

By Ben Deatherage MILTON, Fla. (Mar. 22, 2025) — Tyler Allen was unbeatable at Southern Raceway over the weekend, sweeping both Friesen Performance IMCA Modified features at the 3/8-mile West Florida oval. The Navarre native opened and doubled his DeVilbiss Racing Eastern Region win tally with two dominant performances. In Saturday’s 20-lap main event, David Seffens set the early pace out front. Allen wasted little time, charging from sixth to second in just two laps before getting behind the leader’s back bumper. Seffens slipped up and got sideways in front of the field, forcing Allen to make a split-second move to avoid contact. In the chaos, third-running Jonathan Joiner was collected, and Allen emerged with the lead. Despite a couple of restarts — including one following a red flag incident on the front stretch — Allen showed no signs of slowing. Joiner rebounded from the earlier incident to reclaim second and pressured Allen late, but the leader held firm and secured the win. Joiner settled for second, while Seffens recovered to finish third and complete the [Read More]

Spalding Holds Off Late Surge to Capture Battle of the Beach Finale at Southern Raceway

By Ben Deatherage MILTON, Fla.(Feb. 22, 2025) — Chris Spalding delivered a commanding performance to win the third and final round of the Battle of the Beach at Southern Raceway. The Montgomery City, Missouri driver led all 20 laps of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event, fending off fierce competition from top drivers across the DeVilbiss Racing Eastern Region and beyond. Spalding jumped out front from the drop of the green flag, but Pennsylvania pilot Randall Paxton stayed close in pursuit. However, a series of early cautions derailed any momentum Paxton could build to try and perform the overtake. Each restart saw Spalding execute flawlessly, while the battle for third heated up between Shawn Harker and Iowa’s Drew Janssen. At the halfway point, hometown driver Joseph Joiner electrified the crowd with a daring double overtake, propelling himself into third. Unfortunately, a misstep the following lap allowed Harker to snatch the position back. As Spalding maintained control, both Harker and Joiner overtook Paxton, reshuffling the podium contenders. A late caution set the stage for a tense [Read More]

Joiner And Seffens Shine In Southern Raceway’s Battle Of The Beach Doubleheader

By Ben Deatherage MILTON, Fla. (Feb. 21, 2025) — Southern Raceway delivered an action-packed Valentine’s Day weekend with a thrilling Friesen Performance IMCA Modified doubleheader. Drivers from across the Devilbiss Racing Eastern Region gathered for the first two rounds of the highly anticipated Battle of the Beach series at the 3/8-mile oval facility. The Saturday, February 15th feature was a hometown showcase for Jonathan Joiner, who overcame early chaos to secure a commanding victory. After Jimmy Dunaway initially grabbed the lead, Joiner surged ahead at the line just before a massive three-car wreck reshuffled the top five with only one lap complete. Another incident shortly after pushed several top contenders to the back, but once the race settled into long green-flag run, Joiner dominated. Building a significant lead, the Milton motorist seemed untouchable until a late caution reset the field for a green-white-checkered finish. Despite pressure from Owen Barnhill, a three-time Florida State and Southern Raceway champion, Joiner stayed composed and led the final laps to notch his first win of 2025. Owen Barnhill, who rallied [Read More]

Mallicoat ends Florida roller coaster ride with IMCA Modified Clash on the Coast checkers

MILTON, Fla. (March 2, 2024) – His Florida roller coaster ride saw Izac Mallicoat end the IMCA Clash on the Coast on top. The 17-year-old speedster from Boone, Iowa, stayed close to leader Trevor Fitz the first 19 times around the track in the Saturday finale for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at Southern Raceway, and took over up front after Fitz fell off power on a restart. Mallicoat then outran Benji LaCrosse, Ethan Braaksma, speedweek champion Jeff Larson and Tanner Barnhart to the $1,000 checkers. “We have struggled with consistency but the whole week, we knew we had a fast car. We just didn’t know it would be this good,” said Mallicoat, who became eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational aboard a new Brand X ride. “This was a big confidence booster before we start racing around home.” Mallicoat ran fourth in his opening night ‘B’ and exited early from the night two feature at Northwest Florida Speedway, then was kayoed by a flat tire early in his ‘B’ Thursday at Milton. [Read More]

Ohio’s O’Patik tops Clash on the Coast IMCA Modified feature at Milton

MILTON, Fla. (Feb. 29, 2024) – Mitchell O’Patik and Dallon Murty both talked about luck during their post-race interviews Thursday night at Southern Raceway. Truth is that both made their own luck on night three of the IMCA Clash on the Coast. O’Patik led the distance of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Milton, outrunning hometown speedster Joseph Joiner for the $1,000 win and earning Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. “I had a good feeling on the night. I drew 11, went out for my heat race and saw there were some heavy hitters in the back,” he said. “I was like ‘Man, it’s pretty stacked, I’d better go,’ and I did that.” A Colorado native and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod winner early in his racing career there, O’Patik attended college in Ohio and now works for Meyer Shank Racing in Pataskala. His Thursday start was just his third in a 2020 Rage Chassis. The win came just a car length ahead of Joiner, with Shane Stephens, Joel Rust and Jadin Fuller [Read More]

Weekend forecast forces change in Clash on the Coast schedule

BAKER, Fla. (Feb. 27, 2024) – An ever fickle Mother Nature has forced changes to the weekend part of the schedule for the IMCA Clash on the Coast. Tonight’s (Tuesday) speedweek event for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars at Northwest Florida Speedway is on as originally scheduled with Wednesday’s planned day off at the beach becoming a practice day at Southern Raceway. With developing potential for inclement weather, the scheduled Friday and Saturday races at Milton have been moved to Thursday and Friday, Feb. 29 and March 1. What was to have been the final night of racing on Saturday has been designated as a rain date should the Friday show fall to weather. All start times and gate admission rates remain the same. Each Clash on the Coast race program will be broadcast on IMCA.TV starting at 6:30 p.m. CST.

Sun, sand, speed are Clash on the Coast attractions for IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars

BAKER, Fla. (Feb. 23, 2024) – Sun, sand and speed bring 150-plus IMCA drivers to Florida for the four-race Clash on the Coast presented by IMCA.TV. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds will be joined by IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, making their first-ever appearance in the Sunshine State Feb. 26 and 27 at Northwest Florida Speedway in Baker and March 1 and 2 at Southern Raceway in Milton. Speedweek features for both divisions pay $1,000 to win and a minimum of $100 to start. Feature winners become eligible to qualify for the Modified Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational or the Stock Car B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. “We now have more than 150 drivers from 23 states and two provinces pre-entered,” said speedweek director Peyton Taylor, “including Ken Schrader for the first two nights in a Modified and Kenny Wallace all four nights in both the Modified and Stock Car.” “Both the opportunity to race in Florida at this time of year and to compete under the IMCA sanction are what bring a lot of drivers to [Read More]