Newswire

Rasmussen Rules as RaceSaver Sprints Return to Merced

By Ben Deatherage MERCED, Calif. (Mar. 29, 2025) — The California RaceSaver Sprint Series launched its inaugural season in thrilling fashion at Merced Speedway, with Clovis driver Kyle Rasmussen leading wire-to-wire to win the first-ever feature in series history. The 25-lap main event on the Central Valley’s ¼-mile clay oval marked the first RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Car race at Merced since 2021. Rasmussen and veteran Davey Pombo battled for the lead in the early laps, with Rasmussen— a two-time California State champion and former Western RaceSaver Sprint Series title winner— securing the top spot on lap two by expertly working the high side of the track. A handful of cautions slowed the pace throughout the race, but Rasmussen was flawless on every restart, rebuilding his lead each time. Late in the going, lapped traffic allowed Pombo to close the gap. Pombo made a last-ditch move coming to the white flag, but Rasmussen held him off at the line to claim the historic victory. Pombo settled for a strong second-place finish, while Kevin Barnes Sr. completed the [Read More]

Sproul Fastest in Friday Night Modified Action At RPM

By Sheldon Wickwar HAYS, Kan. (Mar. 28, 2025) — The 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature marked the headlining event of the opening night of the 13th Annual Sunflower Classic at RPM Speedway. Dakota Sproul and Cole Czarneski led the field to green, with Sproul jumping out to an early lead and never looking back. Not even lapped traffic slowed the locked-in racer, who claimed his first victory of the season in the Jet Racing Central Region in dominant fashion. Cole Czarneski finished second, followed by Tanner Black in third, Clay Sellard in fourth, and Brett Berry in fifth. Pfeifer Holds Off Wisconsin Star in Stock Car Battle! Austin Carter and Tyler Tipton started on the front row of the 20-lap Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature, but it didn’t take long for Kyle Pfeifer and double duty runner Czarneski to charge to the front. The duo battled closely and cleanly for much of the event. In the end, Pfeifer came out on top, earning his first win of the season in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern [Read More]

Wilkey Rises Above the Rest at Wimp Reed Spring Nationals

By Ben Deatherage BATESVILLE, Ark. (Mar. 29, 2025) — Ashton Wilkey delivered a masterful performance in the final night of the Wimp Reed Spring Nationals, earning a $1,600 payday in the 31-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at Batesville Motor Speedway. Wilkey, the 2023 Arkansas State champion and two-time track titleholder, took the lead at the start and held off repeated challenges from National Late Model Hall of Famer Wendell Wallace. After several early cautions, Wallace stayed close on each restart but couldn’t find a way around the Batesville native. Cameron Cook briefly moved into second before Wallace regained the spot on another restart. As the laps clicked off, Wilkey pulled away while Wallace and Cook traded shots for the runner-up position through heavy lapped traffic. With three laps to go, Wallace’s motor expired, setting up a late restart. Wilkey nailed the restart and drove away to earn his first Jet Racing Central Region win of the year. Cook, who started eighth, held off 2014 Arkansas State champion Brint Hartwick for second. Witt Dominates for [Read More]

Shute Denies Carter in Last-Lap Modified Showdown at Bloomfield

By Ben Deatherage BLOOMFIELD, Iowa (Mar. 29, 2025) — Todd Shute captured the $1,250 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified finale on the final night of the Southern Iowa Frostout at Bloomfield Speedway with a wire-to-wire effort, holding off a furious late-race charge from Cayden Carter. The 2007 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s winner set the early pace on the 3/8-mile Davis County Fairgrounds oval before a lap 11 caution erased his advantage. Carter, the 2018 Harris Clash winner piloting the Joe Ferguson-owned No. 10C, shadowed Shute throughout the restart and pulled alongside on the final lap, but the champion the last two seasons at Stuart Speedway, from Norwalk, held on at the line to claim his first Razor Chassis North Central Region win of 2025. Illinois’ Austen Becerra, aboard the Jon and Joyce Fuller No. 22, nipped Jon Fuller, from Missouri, in a tight battle for third. Agee Outduels De Jong in Stock Car Thriller Derrick Agee charged from seventh and battled door-to-door with Maguire De Jong in a thrilling Sunoco IMCA Stock Car [Read More]

Pike Rules IMCA Modifieds at Bakersfield

By Steven Blakesley BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Mar. 29, 2025) – Pahrump, Nevada’s Jake Pike battled past Bakersfield’s Gavyn Manning over the final three laps to win the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. 22 IMCA Modifieds took the green flag for the 30-lap feature. Pike started eighth and advanced into the lead past Austin Keifer of Corona on lap 13. Keifer tracked him back down before a caution flew on lap 17. Pike held court on the subsequent restart. 11th-starting Gavyn Manning and 13th-starting B-Main transfer Ricky Childress, Jr. battled for second position. Childress retired from the race on lap 20, however. A caution on lap 27 set up a three-lap shootout between Pike and Manning. Manning drove inside Pike and the pair raced side-by-side through turns three and four. Manning pushed up the track with his front wheels in the air, allowing Pike to drive around the outside to maintain the lead. Pike grabbed the $750 checkered flag, his first this season in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region, [Read More]

Tafoya Dominates Opening Night of Thaw Brawl at Aztec Speedway

By Ben Deatherage AZTEC, N.M. (Mar. 28, 2025) — The opening night of the Inaugural Thaw Brawl kicked off Aztec Speedway’s 73rd racing season, and Regan Tafoya wasted no time asserting his dominance in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event. Tafoya, a six-time Aztec Speedway champion and three-time New Mexico State titleholder, took control at the drop of the green and never looked back. The Shaw Race Cars Western Region standout left the field behind, with only four cars remaining on the lead lap by race’s end, to earn his first win of the year. A strong hometown battle for second developed between Julian Garcia Sr. and Travis Sutherlin before Brian Carey, also from Aztec, joined the mix to make it a three-car fight. Garcia held on for the runner-up finish, while Carey claimed third. Cain Commands for First Stock Car Win of 2025 Rio Rancho’s Josh Cain was in top form during the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature, charging from fifth to the front to earn his first EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region victory [Read More]

Bowling Claims Second Win of 2025 Season at Lavonia

LAVONIA, Ga. (Mar. 22, 2025) — It was a picture-perfect evening at Lavonia Speedway as the Carolina Sprint Tour presented by GSR Chassis took to the track for an exciting night of racing in front of an almost sold-out crowd. The night featured a talented field of 18 drivers from six states and three different countries, all vying for victory in the second race of the 2025 season. The action-packed evening saw Jaden Bowling from Holden Beach, North Carolina, claim his second win of the season, sweeping both of the first two events. Bowling’s consistent dominance continued, as he hasn’t finished outside the top two since September of 2024. On the first lap, Bowling No. 01 machine, owned by Bell Kemenah Racing, powered around Richard Wisdo on the high side to take the lead. A caution on lap 7, triggered by a spin in turn four by Matthew Wall, reset the field. The race saw another yellow flag shortly thereafter when defending series champion Cale Cozad made contact with the turn one wall, ending his [Read More]

Moore Steals Wimp Reed Spring Nationals Opener in Final Laps Thriller

By Ben Deatherage BATESVILLE, Ark. (Mar. 28, 2025) — The opening night of the Wimp Reed Spring Nationals at Batesville Motor Speedway delivered a dramatic finish in the 31-lap, $1,500-to-win Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature. The race, held in memory of longtime tech man and former driver Wimp Reed, came down to a near last-lap move by Jonesboro 17-year-old Grayson Moore. It is his first win in the Jet Racing Central Region this year. John Waugh led the opening lap before Brandon Smith charged into the lead. A fierce battle for second between Ashton Wilkey and Waugh allowed Moore to make a slick double pass and jump to second. Smith pulled away up front until a lap 11 caution slowed the field. The yellow proved costly for 2023 Arkansas State Champion Wilkey, who suffered right-front damage while attempting to avoid a spinning car. Smith was strong on the restart, but another caution kept the pack tight. 2012 IMCA Super Nationals winner Jeff Taylor moved into third and battled Moore for second. Once Moore got clear, he [Read More]

Carter Sweeps Modified and Stock Car Features at Southern Iowa Frostout Opener

By Ben Deatherage BLOOMFIELD, Iowa (Mar. 28, 2025) — Oskaloosa’s Cayden Carter had a flawless opening night at Bloomfield Speedway, sweeping both the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified and Sunoco IMCA Stock Car features during the first night of the Southern Iowa Frostout. Each win was worth $1,250 on the 3/8-mile oval at the Davis County Fairgrounds. In the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main, eight-time reigning Hancock County Speedway track champion Jeremy Mills took command at the green flag before Tripp Gaylord powered into the lead on lap two. Gaylord, the defending Marshalltown Speedway champion and Colorado native now living in Iowa, held strong out front while fending off challenges. Austen Becerra eventually moved past Mills for second. Becerra, fresh off his IMCA.TV Clash On The Coast title a few weeks ago, piloted the Jon and Joyce Fuller-owned No. 22 machine. Meanwhile, Carter began working the high side and took third from Mills just before a lap 12 caution. Driving the Joe Ferguson-owned No. 10C Modified, Carter capitalized on the restart as Gaylord dropped low to defend [Read More]

Baca Outduels Shryock for Iowa Spring Nationals Modified Win

By Ben Deatherage SPENCER, Iowa (Mar. 28, 2025) — Two-time and reigning IMCA Modified National Champion Chaz Baca Jr. of Mesa, Arizona, opened his Razor Chassis North Central Region campaign with a win in the 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Clay County Fair Speedway during the Iowa Spring Nationals. Baca led early after passing reigning Kossuth County Speedway champ Cody Knecht, but a misstep on lap eight allowed two-time Harris Clash winner Kelly Shryock to take over. Cody Thompson then grabbed second before Baca battled back, reclaiming the top spot with a slider in turn three on lap 15. After trading the lead once more, Baca secured the position for good on lap 16 and held off Shryock in traffic for his seventh win of the season. Shryock was second while Thompson finished third. Deschamp Digs Deep for Stock Car Victory Westhope, North Dakota’s Gabe Deschamp, a 20-year-old standout, scored his first EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region win of the year in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars. Deschamp led early before the defending Speedway [Read More]