Getting Up To Speed With Ben Deatherage

Last year, he emerged victorious in the National Championship for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, and this season, Chaz Baca Jr. is on course to repeat that feat and become a two-time champion. Learn about the intense challenges he faces in winning the national crown, the significance of the #75, and other compelling topics! Don't miss an episode of the Beyond The Flags podcast! You c...

2024 has been a year of triumph for Matt Sanders. He claimed victory at the Freedom Cup Mini Series at Cottage Grove Speedway, secured the IMCA Wild West Speedweek title for the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, and in July, he triumphed at the $15,000 to win Western SportMods Nationals at Yreka Speedway in California. In this interview, we explore the inception of the Sanders family ra...

Jim Pettit II, a living legend in West Coast racing, hails from Prunedale, California. His success on both pavement and dirt is nothing short of massive. This year, he's ready to take on the competition at the prestigious Pettit Shootout at Ocean Speedway, ran in tribute of his late parents. Get ready to hear some fascinating racing stories from former car owners and competitors and discover...

Skagit Speedway made a triumphant return to the Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly program in 2022, a season that also saw the debut of the Skagit Aggregates Survive The 55 event. This unique event, with its grand prize of $10,000. Rick Smith, a familiar face at the Alger, Washington facility, has a history of success in the Late Model, Sprint Car, and Friesen Performance IMCA Modified ranks. In fact, he...

Ray Kniffen Jr. enters Championship Night at Southern Oregon Speedway, trailing Junior Boardman by just one point.  As the pilot of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified #64 preps for the final round, we got a chance to chat with him about his iconic family's racing history, his connection to the legendary Art Pollard, the Posse Grounds, and the nostalgia of the 'good old days' when...

Matthew Hagio has traversed much of the Western United States in 2024.  In the last month, the team has scored impressive Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod wins at Ocean and Merced Speedways.  Hear about his rise to success, the story behind the #14H, his thoughts on the reopening of Santa Maria Speedway, and more! Photo Courtesy of Ron Pelton Jr. Don't miss an episode of the Beyond...

Regarding Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks racing in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region, Nathan DeRagon has been the man to beat.  He has already accumulated an incredible total of nineteen feature wins, leading the region and the state of Arizona in the points championships.  In this interview, the Peoria, Arizona pilot talks about growing up in San Diego, how he started racing in Mini Dwarfs, wh...

Embarking on his third trip to the Midwest in 2024, Troy Morris III is filled with anticipation for the Speedway Motorsports IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey's.  Aboard the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified #07X, Morris reflects on his inspiring journey from Micro Sprints, his nationwide travels, the growth of his 'brand', and much more! Photo Courtesy of Tyler Hagan Photography...

Troy Foulger, the reigning California State Stock Car champion from Oakley, California, shares not only his racing journey in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars and Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, but also his personal life. He talks about his beginnings in Karts, his family, his successful partnership with car owner Bill Bowers, his favorite vacation spots, Super Nationals, and more! Photo Courtesy o...

In 2023, he won a qualifier for the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey's. He ended third in the big dance and scored $10,000 at Skagit Speedway for the Survive The 55.  We are talking about Grey Ferrando of Stayton, Oregon, who won $3000 this year at the Whisler Construction Mod Frenzy at Sunset Speedway and $5000 in June at Yreka Speedway for the Rich and Nicky Biehn Memori...

This Saturday, August 10th, at Sunset Speedway Park, the "Banks Bullring" will host the Whisler Construction Mod Frenzy. Among the competitors looking to take home the money is inaugural winner Eston Whisler. Calling the Northern Oregon Coast home, the Otis, Oregon pilot has become the Shaw Race Cars Western Region shoe in his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified #82. In this interview, hea...

Despite his brief stint in a Friesen Performance IMCA Modified, Austin Rognlin has already made a name for himself in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. His journey, which began in late 2021, has been nothing short of eventful. He secured a major win at his home track, Grays Harbor Raceway, ventured to the IMCA TV Winter Nationals, and engaged in intense battles at Skagit Speedway's Survive T...

Joby Shields is on the Beyond The Flags Podcast today.  The Gold Hill racer is a former Marine and currently races the #555 Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod.  Hear his beautiful story about the Reps 4 Vets organization, his early days in racing, all the many social media projects he's involved in, helping out at Southern Oregon Speedway, why the Shields family runs the #555, and mor...

Roger Bell has been a staple driver in the Willamette Valley for several seasons.  Recently joining the ranks of the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts, the Marcola, Oregon motorist discusses his family's roots in racing going back to the 1970s, die cast collecting, car shows, and more! Photo Courtesy of Jason Davenport Photography Don't miss an episode of the Beyond The Flags podcast! You can c...

Ty Clemens has been the King of Big Sky Country in three out of the last four seasons, winning the state championship in 2020, 2021, and 2023. The Belgrade, Montana racer also won the Shaw Race Cars Western Region title in 2022. In this interview, Clemens discusses his meteoric rise in the current campaign, winning $5K at Gallatin Speedway, being the only multi-feature winner in 2024 at Electric C...

This Saturday night, July 27th, Santa Maria Speedway will have the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series back for the first time in several years.  Located on the gorgeous California Coast, the temperatures will be nice and cool, and the on-track action will be red hot.  This is an event you don't want to miss out on. In This Interview:  0:31-Jim Allen, NARC General Manager  10:00-Kaleb Montgomery 13:01...

Hot off a $7500 payday at the Northwest Modified Nationals at Grays Harbor Raceway, Collen Winebarger got a chance to talk to us about his illustrious career, starting in Micro Sprints and eventually to the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds.  The Corbett, Oregon chauffeur also discusses his hometown, the places he's traveled to, how he got the nickname Superman, and his special relationship...

Bakersfield, California has taken to the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods like a duck to water.  Racing in his first full season he already has achieve a victory at Merced Speedway in his native Golden State and was sixth at the Western SportMod Nationals in Yreka.  In this interview we talk about his amazing 2024 season, his plans to go to the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fuele...

The NARC 410 Sprint Car Series is set for one their lone trip to Ocean Speedway this year for the Howard Kaeding Classic.  The race honors living legend Howard Kaeding, the patriarch of the Kaeding racing family, and is quite the happening with activities going on the entire weekend! In This Interview:  Jim Allen, NARC General Manager Bud Kaeding To listen on YouTube, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon...

The Western SportMod Nationals boasts a $15,000 pay day to the winner and $1,000 to start. The event kicks off on July 11th and concludes on the 13th at Yreka Speedway.  Track promoter, Travis Peery, joins the program to talk about how the event started, what it hopes to achieve, how Yreka Speedway was brought back to life, his own driving career, and more! Don't miss an episode of the Beyond...

Up next for the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series is Petaluma Speedway for the first ever David Lindt Memorial.  In this interview we talk about the close points race, the rookies that continue to shine, and the cool weather for the next three races.  Hear about all that and more! In This Interview:  Jim Allen, NARC General Manager Ron Lingron Chase Johnson To listen on YouTube, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Am...

Our next guest on Beyond The Flags Podcast is Kevin Vålen. The Rochester, Washington racer in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds has a fantastic story with racing, from his first laps being turned in Minnesota to taking a break to serve in the military and eventually returning to racing at Grays Harbor Raceway. Also, hear why he selected #42, why he loves living in Rochester, some of the great...

The NARC 410 Sprint Car Series returns to the site of their first race of 2024, Silver Dollar Speedway.  The historic 1/4-mile clay oval hosts the David Tarter Memorial and will be the final race for the month of June which has been a busy time period for the prestigious series. Here all about it in this latest episode of Inside NARC! In This Interview:  Jim Allen, NARC General Manager Troy Hennig...

June 15th, 2024, will go down as a big night in the driving career of Tyler Browne.  It was the first time the Oakley, California driver won a main event, and he did it stunningly, leaving one other car on the lead lap in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at Petaluma Speedway.  In this interview, we talk about Tyler growing up at Antioch Speedway, his start in the Friesen Performance IMCA Nor...

2023 was the debut season for Andrew Pearce in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds.  The Oakley, California youngster stepped up to the first division and took it by earning the Shaw Race Cars Western Region Rookie of the Year, winning the California State championship, and being crowned the Merced Speedway track champion.  In this interview, we talk about Pearce's beginnings during the he...