The only difference between the Prelude and the IMCA Summer Nationals is that the Pro Late Models presented by Nutrien and Rooster Auto Sales Crown Vics also competed. A total of one hundred and fifty-eight cars signed in the pits to tame the 3/8 mile semi-banked dirt oval located on the Buchanan County Fairgrounds. The final checkered flag waived at 11:32 pm. It meant by the time I got back to the car, I arrived back home at around 1:15 am.
The first feature of the night was the Rooster Auto Sales Crown Vics' 14-lap feature event. Michael LaMar jumped out to the race lead and pulled away for a brief moment, but once lap traffic began to close in, so did Jacob Everts. Unfortunately, the only caution ended up being a red flag on lap eight when LaMar made contact with the lap car of Elisabeth Vanous. LaMar barrel-rolled over the top side of turn one but climbed from the car. Everts held off Rob Culbertson and Derrick Dean on the restart and went on to lead the remaining 6 laps and capture the victory. Culbertson, Dean, Nick Glynn and Cody Bergmeier round out the top five.
Jordan Hicks and Will Wolf led the field to the green flag in the Pat's Auto Salvage IMCA Northern Sport Mods 20-lap feature. Hicks grabbed the top spot with Wolf remaining in tow, but shortly after lap two was scored, the cautions started waving. The first one was for Blake Driscol in turn four, and then on the restart, Aiden Gelner was in turn four. A lap later, a rare sight to see is Brayton Carter looping it around the exiting turn two. Hicks continued to lead the way fending off Willy Kirk and Wolf on the restart but once again the caution waived on lap seven when TJ Hampton spins in turn two. Hicks seemed to be determined to take the victory, but caution came out again on lap ten when Hampton spun again, this time in turn four. Kirk took the race lead away from Hicks on this restart and shortly after the caution came out when Curt Smeins was spun by Brandon Jacoby on the front stretch. Kirk had a great restart and appeared to be heading on to the comfortable win, only to see the caution come out on lap 19 for Harrison Horn's spin in turn four. Kirk held on to take the feature win ahead of eleventh-place starter Devyn Peterson, Carter, Hicks, and fifteenth-place starter Jackson Carey.
Before a lap was completed in the Christie Door Company IMCA Stock Cars 20-lap feature event, the caution came out for Dru Kueker spinning the Rowdee Van Genderen. Rhome, Texas driver Jeffrey Abbey took the top spot early, followed by Chris Luloff on lap two and then Kaden Reynolds. Nobody made a major challenge on Abbey, allowing him to take the feature win. Reynolds, formerly from Iowa, now in Norfolk, Nebraska, came home second. Tony Olson took third, Cayden Carter was fourth, and Luloff fell back to fifth.
Cue Rentals by Tarpy IMCA Sport Compacts' 15-lap feature event saw Drew Stanek lead the first two laps before Dan Schmidt worked his way by. Schmidt checked out and appeared to be heading on to the win. Meanwhile, Michael Gardner, Friday Night winner in Marshalltown, worked his way up from twelfth place. The only race caution came out when Stephen Randall spun in turn one. Schmidt now would have a challenge as Gardner worked his way to second using the bottom side. Gardner grabbed the race lead on the white flag lap and went on to take the feature win. Schmidt finished second, Gilbert Aldape was third, Stanek was in fourth and Aaron Swearingen was in fifth.
In the Waterloo Auto Parts IMCA Modifieds 20-lap feature event, Tim Ward outwrestled Wisconsin's Konner Wilinski. Ward checked out until the caution came out on lap five when Ethan Krall spun off the top exiting turn four. Ward got a great restart and pulled away again until cautions on lap 13 for Josh Fisher in turn four and lap 18 for Krall hitting the wall of the backstretch. Ward was determined to not be denied as he claimed the victory ahead of Wilinski, eighth place starer Kollin Hibdon, seventh place starter Troy Cordes and Cayden Carter.
CJ Horn took the top spot early in the Nutrien Ag Solutions Pro Late Model 20-lap feature event, while J.D. Auringer and Brennen Chipp battled. The caution came out shortly after lap one was scored when Tyler Sommerlot lost a left rear wheel in turn three. Two laps later, the caution came out again when Curt Martin spun in turn four, forcing Ben Lerch, Marcus Orr, and Kelly Pestka to spin as well. Horn continued to lead until Kollin Hibdon, driving the Rick Dralle #77, worked his way from thirteenth place. Hibdon took second away on lap 13 and took the lead away from Horn on lap 16. Hibdon went on to capture the feature win. Horn, Auringer, Luke Pestka, and Chipp rounded out the top five.
The final feature of the night was the Performance Bodies IMCA Hobby Stocks 16-lap feature. Zach McNeese led the first lap before Jeremiah Wilson took it away. The caution came out shortly after when Michael Steadman and Leah Wroten spun in turn two. Wilson got a great restart and pulled away and was only slowed when the caution came out on lap 14 when McNeese was spun in turn four by Brett Vanous. Wilson held on to take the feature win; McNeese was granted second and hung on. Jaice Tuttle finished third, Brad Graham was fourth, and Joren Fisher finished fifth.
Next up at the Independence Motor Speedway is the IMCA Summer Nationals. It starts on Sunday with an open practice beginning at 7pm, followed by optional qualifying at 7pm for all classes. Monday has been changed to a complete show because of Sunday Morning rain, Modifieds and Stock Cars $5,000 to win; Sport Mods $3,000 to win; Hobby Stocks $2,000 to win; Sport Compacts $1,000 to win. Tuesday was Modifieds and Stock Cars $3,000 to win; Sport Mods $2,000 to win; Hobby Stocks $1,500 to win; and Sport Compacts $750 to win. Wednesday, Modifieds and Stock Cars $5,000 to win; Sport Mods $3,000 to win; Hobby Stocks $2,000 to win; and Sport Compacts $1,000 to win. No Laps on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, Racing at 6pm all three days. Grandstands are $15, and pit passes are $40 each day.
Saturday May 30th, 2026
For more information about the Independence Motor Speedway check out Independence Motor Speedway on MyRacePass or check out Race Indee - Independence Motor Speedway Facebook Page or call Mike Van Genderen at (641) 521-0330 or Dana Benning at (319) 404-7177.
I brought the camera along and captured pictures during hot laps and heat races, and they are all posted on the Trackside Report by Foxman Facebook Page in a photo album titled Indee IMCA Summer Nationals Prelude 5-30-26.
Independence Motor Speedway
Independence, Iowa
IMCA Summer Nationals Prelude
presented by Peoples Company - Travis Smock
presented by Peoples Company - Travis Smock
Saturday May 30th, 2026
PRO LATE MODELS
presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions
A Feature (20 Laps) : 1. 77 Kollin Hibdon (Waterloo); 2. 01 CJ Horn (Cedar Rapids); 3. 00J J.D. Auringer (Waterloo); 4. 99 Luke Pestka (Robins); 5. 21 Brennen Chipp (Waterloo); 6. 72 Ben Seemann (Waterloo); 7. 8R Sean Johnson (Independence); 8. 46 Marcus Orr (Independence); 9. 12C Carter Johnson (North Liberty); 10. 98 Travis Smock (Independence); 11. 19 Kelly Pestka (Dewitt); 12. 5W Scott Welsh (Cedar Rapids); 13. 4 Ben Lerch (Cedar Rapids); 14. 45 Curt Martin (Independence); 15. 33S Tyler Sommerlot (Dunkerton); DNS 2V Vic Lovejoy (Ankeny); DNS 2J Jayden Johnson (Stanwood); DNS 10 Frank Mason (Cedar Rapids).
Heat 1 (8 Laps) : 1. Luke Pestka; 2. Auringer; 3. Martin; 4. Chipp; 5. Welsh; 6. Lerch; 7. Sommerlot; 8. Orr; DNS Jayden Johnson.
Heat 2 (8 Laps) : 1. Smock; 2. Sean Johnson; 3. Seemann; 4. Horn; 5. Kelly Pestka; 6. Hibdon; 7. Carter Johnson; 8. Mason; 9. Lovejoy.
IMCA MODIFIEDS
presented by Waterloo Auto Parts
A Feature (20 Laps) : 1. 151 Tim Ward (Mesa, Ariz.); 2. 6 Konnor Wilinski (Seymour, Wis.); 3. 48K Kollin Hibdon (Waterloo); 4. 71C Troy Cordes (Dunkerton); 5. 10C Cayden Carter (Oskaloosa); 6. 777 Rayce Mullen (Pearl City, Ill.); 7. 77T Tripp Gaylord (Lakewood, Colo.); 8. 07X Troy Morris III (Bakersfield, Calif.); 9. 13 Jerry Flippo (Bakersfield, Calif.); 10. 20L Zach Less (Manchester); 11. 101 Luke Silber (Laveen, Ariz.); 12. 72 Kolton Osborn (Janesville); 13. 26J Joel Rust (Grundy Center); 14. 141 Matt Bonine (Onawa); 15. 24R Adam Johnson (Independence); 16. 27M Mark Schulte (Delhi); 17. 20C Cody Schroeder (Manitowoc, Wis.); 18. 56 Dustin Kroening (Hebron, Ill.); 19. 57B Dennis Betzer (Central City); 20. 12R Bret Ramsey (Waterloo); 21. 11B Mike Burbridge (Delhi); 22. 59 Josh Fisher (La Porte City); 23. 35 Kyle Bentley (Fairbank); 24. 17 Ethan Krall (Evansdale); 25. 0 Dirk Hamilton (Urbana).
B Feature (10 Laps) : 1. Morris III; 2. Krall; 3. Ramsey; 4. Bentley; 5. Burbridge; 6. 413 Tate Johnson (Homestead, Mont.); 7. 01 Ed Thomas (Waterloo); 8. 7M Tim McBride (Denver); 9. 5 Jason Morehouse (Evansdale); 10. 93 Lance Murphy (Bangor).
Heat 1 (8 Laps) : 1. Ward; 2. Fisher; 3. Mullen; 4. Less; 5. Adam Johnson; 6. Bentley; 7. Tate Johnson; 8. McBride.
Heat 2 (8 Laps) : 1. Wilinski; 2. Flippo; 3. Schulte; 4. Bonine; 5. Kroening; 6. Krall; 7. Burbridge; 8. Thomas.
Heat 3 (8 Laps) : 1. Hibdon; 2. Gaylord; 3. Cordes; 4. Hamilton; 5. Betzer; 6. Murphy; DNS Morris III.
Heat 4 (8 Laps) : 1. Rust; 2. Schroeder; 3. Carter; 4. Osborn; 5. Silber; 6. Ramsey; 7. Morehouse.
IMCA STOCK CARS
presented by Christie Door Company
A Feature (20 Laps) : 1. 37 Jeffrey Abbey (Rhome, Texas); 2. 1 Kaden Reynolds (Norfolk, Neb.); 3. T23 Tony Olson (Cedar Rapids); 4. 1X Cayden Carter (Oskaloosa); 5. 18 Chris Luloff (Aurora); 6. 18S Tom Schmitt (Independence); 7. 7D Dakoda Sellers (Vinton); 8. 99D Damon Murty (Chelsea); 9. 56 Dustin Kroening (Hebron, Ill.); 10. 2G Bradly Graham (Victor); 11. 3 Jarod Weepie (Dunkerton); 12. 9 Joel Rust (Grundy Center); 13. 94 Steve Meyer (Grundy Center); 14. 115 Hannah Chesmore (Rowley); 15. 57VG Rowdee Van Genderen (Newton); 16. 37D Brad Derry (Bedford); 17. 22 Tanner Allen (Springville); 18. 4R Riley Hanson (Vinton); 19. 7 Will Wolf (Lynnville); 20. 3S Shawn Stinger (Palo); 21. 18K Dylan Clinton (West Union); 22. JR3 Jason Hocken (Independence); 23. 7B Jim Ball Jr. (Independence); 24. 18X Dru Kueker (Stanley); 25. 9E Adam Johnson (Independence); 26. 64 Vern Jackson (Waterloo).
B Feature (10 Laps) : 1. Clinton; 2. Meyer; 3. Chesmore; 4. Hanson; 5. 75 Cole Suckow (Cresco); 6. F4 Tommy Fain (Abilene, Texas); 7. 78 Evan Foust (Knoxville, MD); 8. 3H Ty Hill (Winterset); 9. 47 Parker Slagle (Eagle Grove); 10. 20B Matt Burmeister (Denver); 11. 99K Kyle Murty (Tama); 12. 3S Shawn Stinger (Palo); 13. 85R Bryce Carey (Nashua); 14. Allen; DNS 8E Mitchell Evens (Dubuque).
Heat 1 (8 Laps) : 1. Abbey; 2. Schmitt; 3. Sellers; 4. Derry; 5. Damon Murty; 6. Meyer; 7. Fain; 8. Hanson; 9. Slagle.
Heat 2 (8 Laps) : 1. Kueker; 2. Luloff; 3. Graham; 4. Weepie; 5. Wolf; 6. Kyle Murty; 7. Stinger; 8. Suckow; 9. Foust.
Heat 3 (8 Laps) : 1. Olson; 2. Carter; 3. Reynolds; 4. Jackson; 5. Rust; 6. Clinton; 7. Chesmore; 8. Hill; DNS Evens.
Heat 4 (8 Laps) : 1. Van Genderen; 2. Kroening; 3. Hocken; 4. Ball Jr; 5. Johnson; 6. Carey; 7. Allen; 8. Burmeister.
IMCA NORTHERN SPORT MODS
presented by Pat's Auto Salvage
A Feature (20 Laps) : 1. 86W Willy Kirk (Salix); 2. 5D Devyn Peterson (Milford, Neb.); 3. 01 Brayton Carter (Oskaloosa); 4. 2X Jordan Hicks (Delmar); 5. 392 Jackson Carey (Nashua); 6. 7W Will Wolf (Lynnville); 7. 33 Aiden Gelner (Nashua); 8. 88N Nate Albrant (Clear Lake); 9. 85 Dustin West (Radcliffe); 10. 2D Dalton Delay (Cedar Rapids); 11. 31D Blake Driscol (Dysart); 12. 58 Harrison Horn (Cedar Rapids); 13. 28B Curt Smeins (Dike); 14. 8K Austin Kemp (Vinton); 15. 85R Tyler Carey (Nashua); 16. 13J Brandon Jacoby (Waterloo); 17. 4C Dylan Cherry (Galva, Kan.); 18. 75 Cole Suckow (Cresco); 19. 1Z Zach Davis (Lonsdale, Minn.); 20. 07 TJ Hampton (Independence); 21. 1S Justin Klynsma (Hospers); DNS T23 Tony Olson (Cedar Rapids); DNS 17 Beckett Flannagan (Cedar Rapids).
Heat 1 (8 Laps) : 1. Hicks; 2. Carter; 3. Kirk; 4. Smeins; 5. West; 6. Albrant; 7. Gelner; 8. Delay.
Heat 2 (8 Laps) : 1. Peterson; 2. Suckow; 3. Cherry; 4. Carey; 5. Horn; 6. Hampton; 7. Flannagan; DNS Driscol.
Heat 3 (8 Laps) : 1. Olson; 2. Wolf; 3. Klynsma; 4. Kemp; 5. Carey; 6. Davis; 7. Jacoby.
IMCA HOBBY STOCKS
presented by Performance Bodies
A Feature (16 Laps) : 1. 64 Jeremiah Wilson (Waterloo); 2. 23Z Zach McNeese (Independence); 3. 34J Jaice Tuttle (Vinton); 4. 22G Brad Graham (Brooklyn); 5. 52 Joren Fisher (Garrison); 6. 33W Scott Wetter (Platteville, Wis.); 7. 33J Carson James (Winthrop); 8. 45 Justin Wacha (Vinton); 9. 14C Leah Wroten (Independence); 10. 3 Dalton Weepie (Dunkerton); 11. 357 Brett Vanous (Quasqueton); 12. 73 Quinton Miller (Independence); 13. 0 Michael Steadman (Cedar Rapids); 14. B25 Brandon Beyer (Independence); 15. 33 Cameron Graham (Winthrop); 16. 13K McKenna Koch (Independence); 17. 17B Garrett Ball (Independence); 18. 23C Colin Bland (Independence); 19. 55 Ben Shannon (Independence).
Heat 1 (7 Laps) : 1. Wetter; 2. Brad Graham; 3. Wacha; 4. Tuttle; 5. Vanous; 6. Wroten; 7. Koch; 8. Bland; 9. Shannon; 10. Beyer.
Heat 2 (7 Laps) : 1. Miller; 2. Wilson; 3. Fisher; 4. Weepie; 5. McNeese; 6. James; 7. Steadman; 8. Cameron Graham; 9. Ball.
IMCA SPORT COMPACTS
presented by Cue Rentals powered by Tarpy
A Feature (15 Laps) : 1. 46 Michael Gardner (Des Moines); 2. 14DAB Dan Schmidt (Cedar Rapids); 3. 7G Gilbert Aldape (Sioux City); 4. 16 Drew Stanek (Buckingham); 5. 58 Aaron Swearingen (Monticello); 6. 22C Ryan Cheney (Deep River); 7. 10P Chris Pittman (Dunkerton); 8. 84J Korey Lana (Cedar Rapids); 9. 82K Carl King (Shawano, Wis.); 10. 47 Stephen Randall (Vinton); 11. 81 Christopher Mannion (Waterloo); 12. 15M Zeke Wheeler (Vinton); 13. 35M Tyler Mannion (Jesup); 14. 43E Ethan Hogan (Marion); 15. 5X Devin Coghlan (Center Point); 16. 04 Jace Knight (Waterloo); 17. 221 Leighton Potter (Lake Elmo, Minn.); DNS 21 Mike Peyton (Waverly); DNS 26AR Abbi Regenold (Waterloo); DNS 15 Kaden Shannon (Independence); DNS 007 Adam Gates (Marion); DNS C4E Chase Forey (Waverly).
Heat 1 (6 Laps) : 1. Coghlan; 2. Stanek; 3. Cheney; 4. Shannon; 5. Wheeler; 6. Hogan; 7. King; 8. Knight.
Heat 2 (6 Laps) : 1. Randall; 2. Gardner; 3. Pittman; 4. Aldape; 5. Regenold; 6. Gates; 7. Potter.
Heat 3 (6 Laps) : 1. Swearingen; 2. Christopher Mannion; 3. Schmidt; 4. Lana; 5. Tyler Mannion; 6. Peyton; 7. Forey.
CROWN VICS
presented by Rooster Auto Sales
A Feature (14 Laps) : 1. 1X Jacob Everts (Parkersburg); 2. 32 Rob Culbertson (Dubuque); 3. 8D8 Derrick Dean (Dubuque); 4. 38 Nick Glynn (Dubuque); 5. 7C Cody Bergmeier (Vinton); 6. 7K Kord Sellers (Vinton); 7. 83B Cody Brown (Gilbertville); 8. 64 Zachary Anstey (Waterloo); 9. 4L Michael LaMar (Buffalo); 10. 357E Elisabeth Vanous (Quasqueton); DNS 7S Nolan Tuttle (Vinton).
Heat 1 (6 Laps) : 1. Tuttle; 2. Bergmeier; 3. Culbertson; 4. Brown; 5. Anstey; 6. Vanous.
Heat 2 (6 Laps) : 1. Everts; 2. LaMar; 3. Dean; 4. Glynn; 5. Sellers.
