KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Score his latest win at Valley Speedway as yet another first for Dillon Raffurty.
The Saturday night checkers were the 100th for the Kansas City speedster, the first driver to reach the triple digit win mark for Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites.
“It’s pretty cool, especially for as many firsts there’s been since the class has been sanctioned that I’ve been lucky to have my name be next to,” said Raffurty, the three-time defending national champion and winner of 2021 and 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors fueled by Casey’s titles. “Just like every other driver, I always go out and try to win every time I can. There wasn’t any added pressure Saturday night, I just took it as if it was another race.”
Also cool: IMCA win No. 100 came in the same car Raffurty got his start in the IMCA class with.
“I’ve been having a few motor issues. This car had been sitting here collecting dust so until I get that figured out, I’ll happily run this thing,” he said of the ‘oddball’ 2008 H & E Chassis he’d gotten his first seven and three latest wins in. “My dad (David) won one with this car, too, the last year he raced. He would have gotten a kick out of bringing out the old beast.”
Family has always been a big part of Raffurty’s racing endeavors. Brother and fellow driver Michael, recognized with crew chief of the year at last year’s national awards banquet, uncle Jeff and cousin Justin are among his regular competition.
“I like racing with them but there’s downsides to it, too. Some nights the guy you have issues with on the track is the same guy you go home and have family get-togethers with,” he said. “We have the same last name but we all want to win. We race like we’re not family.”
Winner of a single-season best 30 features in 2022, Raffurty counts three straight Valley Speedway crowns among five career track championships. He’s also won three consecutive Missouri State titles.
Never reluctant to travel, Raffurty has complemented his weekly racing success with victories on big stages in Florida, Texas and of course Boone.
“It’s fun going to different tracks. Something I think is one of my strong suits is how quickly I adapt to a different track. I feel like when I go to a new place, you can give me a lap or two and I get up to steam,” he said. “There’s always something new and unexpected. Sometimes it can get boring going around the same circle over and over. You’ve got to change it up.”
“If I had to pick a track, shape and size, I’d say Marshalltown,” he added when asked to pick a favorite. “It also offers a wide variety of racing. You can run top some nights, bottom some nights, in between some nights, you never know what you can get.”
The goal of 100 career wins achieved, Raffurty’s next objective will be adding to that number at every opportunity.
“One hundred wins is pretty cool. Now my goal is to go for the next number,” he said. “That’s always the next goal, right ? We’ll go 101, 102, hopefully however many I can.”