
By Ben Deatherage
ELM MOTT, Texas (Mar. 7, 2025) — Kyle Wilkins dominated the Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMods feature at Heart O’ Texas Speedway, securing the victory on the opening night of the Jack Bagby Memorial. The race was highly competitive with lots of jockeying of position throughout the field.
Jeff Bauser Jr. initially took the lead following a battle for the top spot. Wilkins, from the town of Italy quickly began applying pressure but struggled to find a clear path. On lap 3, the automobilista threaded the needle to take the lead, but a red flag for a flipped car negated the pass, restoring Bauser to the top spot.
When racing resumed, Wilkins was relentless. He finally powered past Bauser on lap 9 after a drag race to the line. Despite four more cautions and a gradually deflating left front tire, Wilkins held strong to capture his first win of 2025.
The battle for second was tightly contested in the final laps, with 2022 National Southern SportMod Rookie of the Year Trevor Cogburn edging out Tommy Williams for the spot.
Lorenz Controls Stock Car Feature for Win
Doug Lorenz dominated the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars feature at Heart O’ Texas Speedway, overcoming early challenges to take a commanding win in the EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region bout.
Koby Allen and Lorenz initially battled for the lead, with Allen briefly taking control. However, Lorenz surged ahead on lap 2 and never looked back. Allen’s hopes took a hit when he clipped the front stretch wall, allowing Lorenz to extend his advantage.

After an early caution, Lorenz was flawless on the restart, quickly building a sizable lead. Three-time Southern Region champion Westin Abbey worked his way into second and closed in during the final laps, but Lorenz’s lead was insurmountable. He sealed the victory, with Abbey finishing second and Cody Baker rounding out the podium.