CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. (Mar. 14, 2025) — A Wolverine who took his mittens off at this year’s IMCA TV Clash On The Coast was Mike Vandermark Jr., who never finished outside the Top 5 and earned the overall championship title in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car series. His worst finish was fourth on the final night at Deep South Speedway in Loxley, Alabama, to become the second champion in the class in two seasons.
Racing Against the Odds
Vandermark stands out for more than his performance. Like Florida’s Wyatt Parker and Evan Foust of Maryland, during this year’s Clash, he comes from a state without a track that hosts IMCA Stock Car races weekly. Despite the long journey and limited experience in the division, he finished second in a three-wide photo finish on the first night and claimed victory at Northwest Florida Speedway.
Seizing the Opportunity
“There’s a bunch of snow and cold weather back at home, so it was a perfect opportunity to go down and race and have some fun,” Vandermark said. “We stayed late after the races to handle maintenance at night, so we didn’t have to show up early the next day. That gave us time to enjoy ourselves.”
Before heading south, Vandermark prepped the car and consulted with the folks at Bob Harris Enterprises for guidance.
“We unloaded pretty good, fine-tuned a couple of things every night, and found something that made us a little better. I can’t believe how well the week went, and I’m pretty excited about how we’ll do at other IMCA races this year.”
A Racing Legacy
Vandermark, hailing from Cedar Springs, comes from a multigenerational racing family. He began racing part-time in 2001, taking over driving duties from his father, Mike Sr., in a Street Stock while still in high school. He raced full-time in 2004, moved into Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds in 2008, and later competed in various divisions before landing in Super Dirt Late Models in 2018.
Carrying the #26, Vandermark continues a family tradition: his cousin raced with #23, his uncle with #24, and his father with #25. Now, his son wants to send the sequence in the other direction by adopting his grandfather’s #25.
Inspired by the Super Nationals
In 2022, Vandermark made his first trip to the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s at Boone Speedway. He was inspired by fellow Michigan drivers who spoke highly of the event.
“Super Nationals is what made me get an IMCA Stock Car. The Mod guys back home run IMCA, but not Stock Cars, so I didn’t know much about it. I started watching IMCA TV, and the racing looked phenomenal. It seemed like a great time, so we got a car and went a few years ago. We had a blast, and it got a little addicting, and now we keep going back, trying to make the Big Dance.”
Michigan’s Future with IMCA Stock Cars
Although Michigan lacks a weekly IMCA Stock Car track, drivers like Megan Wiggins, Rob Brillhart, Andrew Fidler, Mike Spencer, and Matt Duggan have tried to qualify for the final night of the Super Nationals in the last few years. Crystal Motor Speedway, which has hosted IMCA Modified events since 1988, held an IMCA Stock Car race last year during the Great Lakes Nationals.
“I do think it’s going to happen in the future,” Vandermark said. “I’m not sure when, but hopefully soon. There’s already a good 7 or 8 IMCA Stock Cars in Michigan.”
Vandermark intends to return to the Super Nationals this year and travel to Boone for the Harris Clash on June 24th.
