wildwestspeedweek Archives

Sanders Breaks Through for First Modified Speedweek Win at Cottage Grove

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (June 15, 2026) — Matt Sanders earned the biggest Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified victory of his career, winning the third round of the 2026 IMCA Wild West Speedweek on Monday night at Cottage Grove Speedway. Reigning National Rookie of the Year and Southern Oregon Speedway track champion Ethan Killingsworth, from California, grabbed the lead at the start and established himself as the driver to beat. He encountered lapped traffic on lap seven but maintained command as Sanders gradually closed the gap. By lap 14, Sanders was within striking distance and began challenging for the lead. A trio of cautions around the halfway mark repeatedly interrupted the battle, with Sanders unable to complete a pass before each yellow flag flew. The Brookings driver finally broke through on lap 25, edging ahead by .067 seconds at the stripe. Killingsworth attempted to counterattack but made contact with the frontstretch wall, allowing 2017 Cottage Grove Speedway champion and River City Speedway winner Grey Ferrando to move into second. A final caution on lap 29 [Read More]

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]

Winebarger Scores First Win of Season in IMCA Wild West Speedweek Opener at Banks

By Ben Deatherage BANKS, Ore. (June 13, 2026) — Two-time IMCA Wild West Speedweek champion Collen Winebarger used a late restart to capture the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature and open the 2026 tour at Sunset Speedway Park with his 14th career series victory. Jeff Lovell led the opening lap and quickly established a comfortable advantage. The leader encountered lapped traffic on lap eight but continued to maintain a strong pace as the race remained under green. A caution on lap 15 brought the field back together and allowed Winebarger, aboard the John Gaynor-owned No. 99X, to begin mounting a serious challenge. Another caution on lap 19 proved pivotal, as the Corbett driver maneuvered into the lead down the backstretch on lap 20. A final caution on lap 23 set up one more restart, but Winebarger was flawless when racing resumed and drove away for his first DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region victory of the season. The win was his 14th career Wild West Speedweek triumph, second series victory at Sunset Speedway Park after previously winning [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]

James, Sanders, and Wild Crowned IMCA Wild West Speedweek Champions

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (June 24, 2025) — Despite the final two nights falling to rain, the 2025 edition of the IMCA Wild West Speedweek completed five races in six nights across four different Oregon tracks. Three divisions crowned champions following intense competition in the Pacific Northwest. Bricen James delivered a masterclass across the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified division to secure his second career Speedweek title, backing up his 2022 crown. The Albany, Oregon native tied the all-time record for most wins in a single Speedweek with four, matching Kellen Chadwick (2016), Collen Winebarger (2019), and himself. But this time, James set a new record with four straight Speedweek feature wins. Driving the Schram Motorsports-owned no. 13, James won the opener at Southern Oregon Speedway, both nights at Coos Bay Speedway, and added another triumph at Douglas County Dirtrack before finishing second at Cottage Grove Speedway on Wednesday, June 19. Kevin Williamson of Coburg, Oregon rebounded from adversity all week to finish second in the standings aboard the Superior Fuel Cells-fielded No. 42. He came [Read More]

Whisler Wires IMCA Wild West Speedweek Modified Field at Cottage Grove

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (Jun. 19, 2025) — Eston Whisler wasted no time establishing control of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at Cottage Grove Speedway on Thursday night during IMCA Wild West Speedweek. The 20-year-old racer from Otis, took the lead at the drop of the green and never looked back. A caution on lap two bunched the field early, but Whisler mastered the lone restart and quickly rebuilt his advantage. As the race stayed green, he encountered lapped traffic by lap 13 and spent the remainder of the 35-lap contest slicing through slower cars. Behind him, a spirited battle for second unfolded between Kevin Williamson, piloting the Superior Fuel Cell-owned No. 42, and Bricen James in the Schram Motorsports No. 13. James finally cleared Williamson on lap 26, but the 2019 Shaw Race Cars Western Region champion and 2022 Speedweek king was too far back to mount a charge. Whisler went unchallenged to score his first career Speedweek victory, and his third Shaw Race Cars Western Region triumph of 2025 — [Read More]

James Makes History with Fourth Straight IMCA Speedweek Win at the Douglas County

By Ben Deatherage ROSEBURG, Ore. (Jun. 17, 2025) — Bricen James etched his name into the IMCA Wild West Speedweek record books Tuesday night at the Douglas County Dirtrack, capturing a thrilling Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature for his fourth straight Speedweek victory — the most consecutive wins in series history for the Modifieds. James’ triumph was his 15th career Speedweek win and sixth of the 2025 season in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region, keeping him undefeated in Speedweek action at the Roseburg oval. 2023 Skagit Speedway champion Geoff Morris, from British Columbia, led the opening circuit before Chad Groves rocketed around the outside to take command on lap three. Groves built a comfortable lead through lapped traffic until the race’s first caution on lap 16 bunched the field. A red flag for a multi-car crash on lap 20 halted the momentum again, but Groves remained steady on the ensuing restart. James, wheeling the Schram Motorsports no. 13 machine, methodically closed the gap over the final dozen laps. On lap 34, Groves made a move [Read More]

James Makes It Three in a Row with IMCA Wild West Speedweek Win at Coos Bay

By Ben Deatherage COOS BAY, Ore. (Jun. 16, 2025) — Bricen James continued his dominance in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds with his third straight IMCA Wild West Speedweek win and third career Speedweek victory at Coos Bay Speedway. The Albany, native started ninth and took the lead with five laps to go to collect his 14th career Speedweek series win and fifth triumph of the season in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. Seventeen-year-old Ian Whisler set the early tone by taking control at the drop of the green. He built a solid advantage and encountered lapped traffic on lap 21 but managed to hold steady. As the laps wound down, 2022 Speedweek and 2019 Shaw Race Car Western Region champion James began reeling him in. James made his move on lap 30 and never looked back, pulling away to win the caution-free 35-lap contest. Whisler settled for second, while Washington’s Zane Miner completed the podium in third. Wild Goes Back-to-Back in Coos Bay Stock Cars B.J. Wild captured his second straight Sunoco IMCA Stock [Read More]

James Doubles Up in Speedweek With Coos Bay Modified Win

By Ben Deatherage COOS BAY, Ore. (June 15, 2025) — 2022 IMCA Wild West Speedweek champion and 2019 Shaw Race Cars Western Region titleholder Bricen James made it two-for-two in 2025 Speedweek competition with a dominant win in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at Coos Bay Speedway. Piloting the Schram Motorsports no. 13, the Albany, Ore. native jumped to the lead at the drop of the green and never looked back. A pair of cautions on lap five were the only interruptions in the 35-lap feature. James was strong on the restart and began stretching his lead until reaching lapped traffic by lap 17. Despite the heavy traffic, James made all the right moves to keep his lead safe and sailed to victory. The win was his second career Speedweek triumph at Coos Bay, his 13th career Speedweek win overall—tying him with Collen Winebarger for second on the all-time list—and his fourth Shaw Race Cars Western Region win of 2025. California’s Ethan Killingsworth earned runner-up honors while 2023 Skagit Speedway track champion Geoff Morris rounded out [Read More]

James Claims First Southern Oregon Score in IMCA Wild West Speedweek Opener

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (Jun. 14, 2025) — Ryan Peery set the early pace from the pole in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Southern Oregon Speedway, driving the Morgan Creswell-owned No. 5K as part of the opening leg of the 2025 IMCA Wild West Speedweek. Eston Whisler took command on lap six but suffered mechanical issues that ended his night, giving the lead back to the 2022 Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod track champion, Peery. That allowed 2022 Speedweek and 2019 Shaw Race Cars Western Region champion Bricen James to begin applying pressure. Driving the Schram Motorsports no. 13, James made several attempts to pass on the bottom but was interrupted by three cautions. On lap 22, he finally completed the pass and took control. James, from Albany, started eighth and never looked back, claiming his first career Speedweek win at Southern Oregon Speedway, 12th overall series win, third Shaw Race Cars Western Region victory of the year, and first at SOS in 2025. Two-time defending champion Collen Winebarger rallied from 10th to [Read More]