watsonvillespeedway Archives

Burke Dominates Watsonville’s First Modified Race of 2026

By Gary Thomas WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Apr. 3, 2026) — Past Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified track champion Cody Burke of Salinas led all 25 laps in the first race of the season for the division at Watsonville Speedway on Friday. Burke hit his marks down low each time and held off a relentless Andrew Pierce to earn his first win of the year in the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region. Pierce, Troy Foulger, Logan Drake, and Nick DeCarlo followed him across the line. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods put on a fantastic main event for the fans. With track conditions in superb shape, the 20-lapper saw multiple leaders and a finish that wasn’t decided until the very end. Kingsburg’s Todd Carlock led the early stages in his no. 7 mount before having a moment midway through the contest. The always-fast Jason Ryan Jr. then took over and led the second half of the race, as he, Bo Crebs, and Austin VanHoff battled intensely. Lapped traffic created a frantic finish that saw VanHoff take full advantage, picking [Read More]

King Holds Strong at Watsonville for First SportMod Triumph

By Gary Thomas WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Mar. 27, 2026) — The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods brought a fantastic 24-car field to Watsonville Speedway on Friday. Pismo Beach driver Landon King rocketed out to the early lead in the 20-lap finale. Bakersfield’s Nicholas Johnson was on the move right from the get-go and assumed the runner-up spot on lap eight. Johnson applied pressure to King and seemed to have the speed to win, but got into a spin seven circuits shy of the finish to draw a caution. King, who cut his teeth in Outlaw Karts, went on to tally his first Watsonville Speedway IMCA Northern SportMod triumph. Following King across the stripe were Ethan Johnson, Jason Bannister, Danny Wagner, and Buddy Kniss. The Watsonville Speedway debut of the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars saw the main event go right down to the wire. A solid field of 16 IMCA Stock Cars came out and provided some excellent action in their finale. Atwater racer Mike Villanueva ended up leading all 20 laps, but he certainly had to work [Read More]

Rob Gallaher: From Racer to Promoter and Building Watsonville Speedway’s Future

By Ben Deatherage WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Mar. 19, 2026) — A new era is underway at Watsonville Speedway, and Rob Gallaher is leading the charge. The longtime racer and successful businessman has taken over as promoter of the ¼-mile clay oval at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, a facility long known to fans as Ocean Speedway. With a blend of fresh ideas, deep racing roots, and strong community backing, Gallaher is determined to build on the track’s legacy while pushing it forward. “I’m enjoying this,” Gallaher said. “There’s a lot to do in a short amount of time, but the support from the sponsors and the community has really fired me up and created a lot of energy for me to do the best job I can.” A Storied Facility With a Strong Foundation Watsonville Speedway has been a cornerstone of California dirt track racing since opening in 1960. The track crowned its first Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified champion in 2004, when Kenny Nott put his name into the record books. Nott went on to become one [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing National Point Standings through April 9, 2026

Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds – 1. William Gould, Calera, Okla., 510; 2. Jared Maupin, Helotes, Texas, 402; 3. Luke Silber, Laveen, Ariz., 399; 4. Jonathan Mawhinney, Las Vegas, Nev., 357; 5. Jason Barnhill, Milton, Florida, 324; 6. Kollin Hibdon, Pahrump, Nev., 314; 7. Chris Smith, Brewton, Alabama, 306; 8. Dylan Thornton, Belle Plaine, Iowa, 300; 9. Jake Pike, Pahrump, Nev., 298; 10. Steven Whiteaker, Robstown, Texas, 287; 11. Justin Erickson, Glendale, Ariz., 282; 12. Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn., 280; 13. Dean Abbey, Boyd, Texas, 271; 14. Ethan Braaksma, Newton, Iowa, and Gage McCaughan, Scottsdale, Ariz., both 270; 16. Trevor Egbert, Belton, Texas, 267; 17. Troy III Morris, Waterloo, Iowa, 264; 18. Mark Carrell, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 263; 19. G. W. IV Egbert, Belton, Texas, 262; 20. Chaz Baca, Jewell, Iowa, 260. Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars – 1. Cameron Starry, Robstown, Texas, 635; 2. Shelby Williams, Bonham, Texas, 561; 3. Blake Clark, Joshua, Texas, 529; 4. Curt Lund, Redwood Falls, Minn., 470; 5. Dillon Richards, Wymore, Neb., 403; 6. Mike Albertsen, Audubon, Iowa, 400; 7. [Read More]

Feature

STIMS Rebrands and Expands Points Fund for 2026 Campaign

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (Apr. 10, 2026) — The Southern Touring IMCA Modified Series enters a new era in 2026, rebranded as STIMS and presented by On Demand Shirts, with a 16-race schedule, a boosted points fund, and every feature paying at least $1,000 to win. The series, formerly known as the South Texas IMCA Modified Series, continues to spotlight Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and has already completed its first two races of the season at Texana Raceway Park in March, where strong car counts and a pair of different winners helped set the tone for the year ahead. Each race serves as a qualifier for the Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational to be held during September’s Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. All races from March through September also award National, GRT Race Cars South Central Region, and Texas State points. James Cole now steps into the spotlight as series director after working behind the scenes last season, helping shape the direction of the tour as it continues to grow. “I love [Read More]

Feature

Chris Carroll: Second Lap of Racing for a Purpose Bigger Than Himself

By Ben Deatherage SPRING BRANCH, Texas (Apr. 9, 2026) — On Christmas Day 2020 in Cozumel, with the ocean still and the world quiet, Chris Carroll made a decision that didn’t make sense to anyone but him. He was done racing. Everything tied to it—cars, equipment, years of work—was going up for sale. Just like that. For three decades, racing had been the rhythm of his life. The noise, the grind, the long nights in the shop, the chase from one track to the next—it was all he knew. And now, in a single moment, he was ready to walk away from it. His wife, Melanie, didn’t understand it either — especially when she woke up to find everything had already been sold online. “Now we are going to have to buy it all back again,” she told him. But something in him said it was time. So he stepped away. And for a while, the silence held. No race nights. No engines firing. No next event on the calendar. Just the kind of quiet that [Read More]