CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — More than 300 drivers representing five Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing divisions converged on Central Arizona Raceway for the 2026 DeVilbiss Racing Chassis IMCA TV Winter Nationals for eight nights of racing.
Competitors from more than 20 states and multiple Canadian provinces made the journey to Casa Grande, highlighting the national and international reach of the Winter Nationals as first-time champions emerged across every division.
Modifieds
One hundred and twelve racers participated in Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified action. Dylan Thornton, of Belle Plaine, Iowa, secured the Winter Nationals Modified championship after winning the opening three rounds and adding a fourth victory in round six.
The Santa Maria, California, native claimed the title by a 20-point margin, recording four feature wins, six top-five finishes, and seven top-10s, while bringing his career Winter Nationals Modified win total to six.
Brandon Beckendorf finished second in the standings. The Danube, Minnesota, racer and 2018 Razor Chassis North Central Region champion earned his first Winter Nationals feature victory on the final night after posting three straight runner-up finishes and five podiums during the eight-race series.
Third in points was Kollin Hibdon, the 2025 Marshalltown Speedway track champion. Racing out of Waterloo, Iowa, by way of Pahrump, Nevada, Hibdon logged six top-five finishes, highlighted by a runner-up result on night four.
Ethan Braaksma, who won one feature, and Troy Morris III completed the top five.
Stock Cars
Sixty-nine drivers competed in Sunoco IMCA Stock Car action over two weeks.
Cameron Starry of Corpus Christi, Texas, won the Winter Nationals Stock Car championship after tying for the points lead and winning the tiebreaker on victories. Starry set a new Winter Nationals Stock Car record with five feature wins, adding six top-five finishes and seven top-10s, and moved into a tie with Shelby Williams and Andrew Altenburg atop the all-time Winter Nationals Stock Car win list.
Curt Lund finished second in the standings. Driving the B&B Racing Chassis No. 87 house car, the Redwood Falls, Minnesota, veteran posted one feature win, six top-five finishes and eight top-10s.
Nebraska’s Dillon Richards placed third in points, backing up his 2025 Winter Nationals Hobby Stock title with five top-five finishes and seven top-10s in Stock Car competition.
Last year’s Winter Nationals Stock Car champion, Shelby Williams, was fourth in the standings. The Bonham, Texas, racer recorded two feature wins, three top-five finishes, and five top-10s, including his 100th career IMCA Stock Car victory on January 24.
Completing the top five was “Wahoo” Mike Albertsen. The Audubon, Iowa driver, who won the track title at Shelby County Speedway last year, delivered six top-10 finishes and remained a steady presence inside the top 10 throughout the eight-night program.
Northern SportMod
Eighty-two drivers competed in Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod action. Trevor Noonan of Dorchester, Nebraska, captured the Winter Nationals championship, driving the Trevor Laher-owned No. 66 to two feature wins, four top-five finishes, and seven top-10s, securing the title by a 20-point margin.
Second was Cole Suckow. The Cresco, Iowa, driver and 2024 Independence Motor Speedway track champion earned one feature win, three top-five finishes, and six top-10s, breaking through with his first Winter Nationals main event victory on the final night.
Tyler Johnson, Payce Herrera and Danny Wagner completed the top five.
Hobby Stocks
Thirty-eight drivers competed in Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock action. Joel Magee of Sioux City, Iowa, who also resides in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, earned the overall Winter Nationals championship by seven points.
The reigning South Dakota State champion recorded one feature win, six podium finishes, and eight top-five finishes.
Morgan Olmstead finished second in the standings. The Overton, Nebraska, racer and 2024 Tougher Than Dirt Tour champion captured his first career Winter Nationals feature victory, along with five top-five finishes.
Austin Jahnz placed third in points. The Lewisville, Minnesota, racer captured three feature wins and five top-five finishes, including back-to-back victories on the final two nights.
Charles McDaniel III and Zachary Bierman completed the top five.
Mod Lites
The Stealth Racing IMCA Mod Lites were contested during the opening week only, drawing 30 drivers. Dillon Raffurty of Kansas City, Missouri, captured the Winter Nationals championship after recording three feature wins, four podiums, and four top-five finishes, winning the title by eight points.
The five-time reigning national champion became the all-time Mod Lite Winter Nationals feature win leader with five career victories.
Josh May finished second in the final standings. The Des Moines, Iowa, racer and 2025 Winter Nationals champion recorded four top-five finishes and four top-10s, missing the podium just once.
2023 Electric City Speedway track title winner, Michael Raffurty, placed third in points. The Kansas City, Missouri, driver posted four top-five finishes, highlighted by three fourth-place results.
A.J. Whisler and Riley Clem completed the top five.
The events were all broadcast live on IMCA TV.
