MANDAN, N.D. — Tom Berry Jr. continued his Dakota Classic Modified Tour powered by Industrial Electric dominance Wednesday night, charging to his third consecutive victory in the opening of a two-night stand at Dacotah Speedway after the scheduled stop at Southwest Speedway was relocated because of rain and saturated grounds.
Nine-time reigning Williston Basin Speedway champion Travis Hagen paced the opening laps of the 30-lap Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature and quickly opened a comfortable advantage before a caution on lap six erased his lead.
Berry, who started seventh, wasted little time capitalizing on the restart. The two-time Dakota Tour champion powered the Mike Wedelstadt-owned No. 11X to the lead on lap seven and immediately began pulling away from the field.
Hagen settled into second while Cole Czarneski and 2012 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s and 2014 tour champion Jeff Taylor battled intensely for third. The 2024 Wisconsin State titlist, Czarneski, finally secured the position on lap 12.
Lapped traffic came into play on lap 20 before another caution slowed the field four laps later when a spinning lapped car narrowly avoided collecting the leader. Hagen wasn’t as fortunate, suffering heavy cosmetic damage after becoming involved in the incident.
Berry delivered another flawless restart and cruised away over the final laps.
The 2020 IMCA Modified national champion and 2022 IMCA Super Nationals winner, originally from Medford, Oregon, and now residing in Marshalltown, Iowa, earned his 13th career Dakota Tour victory and fourth career tour triumph at Dacotah Speedway.
It was also his seventh Razor Chassis North Central Region victory of the season, with each coming at a different track across Iowa, Saskatchewan, and North Dakota.
Czarneski rallied from ninth to finish second, while four-time Nodak Speedway champion Steven Pfeifer charged from 13th to third. Tanner Black, racing out of Kansas after beginning his career in Arizona, advanced from 20th to fourth, while Taylor rounded out the top five.
Czarneski led all 25 laps and withstood late pressure from Shelby Williams to earn his first career Dakota Tour victory in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars.
The 2024 141 Speedway Stock Car champion from Denmark, Wisconsin, grabbed the lead at the drop of the green and quickly built a comfortable advantage before a caution on lap 13 erased it.
As Czarneski maintained command, a spirited battle for second developed between 2011 Williston Basin Speedway IMCA Modified track champion Troy Heupel and defending North Dakota Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod state champion Gabriel Deschamp.
Williams, the 2025 IMCA TV Winter Nationals champion and Monday’s Estevan winner from Texas, worked his way into second on lap 17 and steadily reeled in Czarneski during the closing circuits. Despite Williams’ relentless pressure, Czarneski never missed his marks and crossed the finish line first for his maiden Dakota Tour triumph.
Williams finished second after starting seventh, while 2024 Sheyenne Speedway track champion Jonny Carter completed the podium. Sunday Nodak Speedway winner Brock Beeter crossed the stripe fourth, with Heupel rounding out the top five.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV.
