Texas Showdown II @ I-37 Speedway 1/6-10/26
By JM Hallas
Pleasanton, TX.,(Jan. 8Th, 2026)
Back in action for night two of the Texas Showdown on the south Texas speed plant. Wednesday night winners, Cody Laney(IMCA Modifieds) ran down and caught Jared Maupin in the final laps using traffic to get past. Cameron Starry(IMCA Stock Cars) took the lead early then eased away at the finish for the uncontested win. Both took the first step in the sweep bonus available. Could either continue the streak in Thursday's main events?
Added to the action for tonight were Factory Stocks with some of the out-of-town hot shoes showing up looking to take away the locals home field advantage.
Yesterdays track was in excellent condition with a low and middle groove forming during feature time. Tonight's track looks to be starting off the same as last nights with hopefully the same outcome later in the program. After kicking the infield tires out about ¾ lane, the top came in play from the onset. By nights end there were about three distinct rubbered up lines.
Mallicoat Motors Away to Modified Money
When the 20-lap IMCA Modified main roared to life Jared Maupin and William Gould stayed side by into turn 1. Gould drifted up a little in turn 2 and got off the corner better to lead ahead of Maupin, Cody Laney, and Izac Mallicoat going three wide for second. Mallicoat was to catch and pass Gould for the lead before Spencer Hartwick spun in turn 4 for a yellow.
Mallicoat, Gould and Laney got away while Maupin ran side by side with Dean Abbey. Mallicoat quickly began to check out leaving Laney and Gould tied at the rub rails for numerous laps. This gave Mallicoat the opportunity to increase his margin coming to halfway trailed by Gould, Laney, Abbey and Maupin who would pull off moving Steven Whiteaker jr to fifth.
By lap 15 Mallicoat had pulled away by about, halfway back to Iowa, or a full straightaway. Gould and Laney continued their scrap for second while Whiteaker got by Abbey for fourth. Whiteaker was able to track down Laney and Gould in the final laps. Up front Mallicoat(Boone, Ia.) was catching the back off the field holding about a half track advantage easily taking the checkers in his Aspen Aire, TK Concrete, Excel, FMC Masonry, Speedwerx, Omaha Steakhouse, DSR, Farleys, Maxim, Wehrs, Schmidt Machine, CPD, United Fleet, Brand X Chassis.
“Yesterday we couldn't get it(track) figured out in the rough.” commented Mallicoat. “These things are way harder to drive without that floater. It just doesn't plant the nose on the ground. Jordan(Grabouski) and those guys went and tested these cars and they're pretty badass. We tuned on a few things and the track kind of came to us. We've still got some stuff to figure out in the rough.”
“Being the first loser always sucks,” joked runner up Gould.
“It was racy tonight.” mentioned Laney. “We pretty much used every inch of the track. I had one opportunity to get by him(Gould). I tried to slide him but didn't get by. We made a lot of gains from the heat. It was way better.”
IMCA Modifieds by Sundowner Performance Diesel
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 11-Izac Mallicoat[4]; 2. 60-William Gould[1]; 3. 5K-Cody Laney[3]; 4. 89-Steven Whiteaker Jr[13]; 5. 26-Dean Abbey[6]; 6. B24-Owen Barnhill[7]; 7. 94-Chris Morris[5]; 8. 717-GW Egbert IV[11]; 9. 07X-Troy Morris III[17]; 10. 5B-Brenda Kirby Morris[15]; 11. 9JR-Spencer Hartwick[10]; 12. 5RM-Robby Minten[9]; 13. 2T-Talon Minten[14]; 14. 5R-Ryan Doyon[20]; 15. 1B-Jason Barnhill[16]; 16. (DNF) 9M-Lawrence Mikulencak[18]; 17. (DNF) 96-Jared Maupin[2]; 18. (DNF) 118-Cameron Wilson[21]; 19. (DNF) 88-Chris Smith[8]; 20. (DNF) 77-Robert Liese Jr[22]; 21. (DNF) 5-Jeff Taylor[12]; 22. (DNF) 7A-Steve Askew[19]
IMCA Modified B-main(top 10 to A-main)
B Feature 1 (10 Laps): 1. 89-Steven Whiteaker Jr[3]; 2. 2T-Talon Minten[5]; 3. 5B-Brenda Kirby Morris[2]; 4. 1B-Jason Barnhill[4]; 5. 07X-Troy Morris III[13]; 6. 9M-Lawrence Mikulencak[1]; 7. 7A-Steve Askew[11]; 8. 5R-Ryan Doyon[15]; 9. 118-Cameron Wilson[7]; 10. 77-Robert Liese Jr[6]; 11. 82-Rick Green[9]; 12. 9S-Bobby Smith[10]; 13. 41-Rick Talley[12]; 14. 2-Chad Rockefeller[14]; 15. 15-John Owens[8]
IMCA Modified heats(top 12 in passing points to A-main)
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 96-Jared Maupin[2]; 2. B24-Owen Barnhill[1]; 3. 26-Dean Abbey[6]; 4. 9JR-Spencer Hartwick[7]; 5. 89-Steven Whiteaker Jr[5]; 6. 1B-Jason Barnhill[8]; 7. 118-Cameron Wilson[9]; 8. 9S-Bobby Smith[4]; 9. (DQ) 5R-Ryan Doyon[3]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 60-William Gould[4]; 2. 88-Chris Smith[1]; 3. 5K-Cody Laney[9]; 4. 5B-Brenda Kirby Morris[3]; 5. 5-Jeff Taylor[8]; 6. 2T-Talon Minten[6]; 7. 82-Rick Green[5]; 8. 7A-Steve Askew[7]; 9. 41-Rick Talley[2]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 11-Izac Mallicoat[1]; 2. 94-Chris Morris[3]; 3. 717-GW Egbert IV[2]; 4. 5RM-Robby Minten[9]; 5. 9M-Lawrence Mikulencak[8]; 6. 77-Robert Liese Jr[6]; 7. 15-John Owens[4]; 8. (DNF) 07X-Troy Morris III[7]; 9. (DNF) 2-Chad Rockefeller[5]
Williams Whips 'em
The start of the 20-lap IMCA Stock Car feature had Jeramey Bradley and Shelby Williams door to door with Bradley leading lap 1. Williams, Dan Mackenthun, Mason Martin and Beau Collins filled out the top five. Williams continued on the high side beside Bradley until getting the top spot on lap 3. In the pack, Cody Leonard, Boone Evans and Shawn Graham were three wide for seventh and nearly four abreast off turn 4.
Martin was able to get second from Bradley on lap 8 when Tommy Fain got turned the wrong way in turn 4. On the restart, Bradley made a dive bomb move on the bottom to get by Martin and alongside Williams. All for naught when Cameron Starry and Gregory Muirhead got together sending Muirhead around. Bradley tried to repeat the move, but came up short of Martin.
At the mid point it was Williams, Martin, Bradley, Mackenthun and Collins in the top five. Bradley would get loose losing several spots before getting turned by Doug Holzmeister on lap 12. On the restart Mackenthun got by Martin and showed Williams the nose briefly while Graham and Cody Leonard ran side by side for fifth. Those two door to door, corner for corner fights lasted for five laps.
Williams, enjoying the scraps behind him, was able to ease away before Martin finally secured the spot with two to go. By then, Williams(Bonham) had about a half straightaway margin easily grabbing the win in his Stealth Oilfield Services, BHE, King, Ikon, Central Cedar Devilbiss Chassis.
“Coming here for practice the car was pretty good,” replied Williams. “Yesterday we had trouble with the gear and carb and put in what we had for tonight. You're always worried on the restarts. Everyone here is pretty good. Once you get the green and get momentum going, I know I'm going to be good. I know under caution I over think things a little bit. On that one restart I didn't get going good and Jeramey(Bradley) got by me and I thought I better not do that again. After that I just hit my marks and got her going.”
“Hopefully Dan(Mackenthun) and I put on a good show for second and third,” said Martin. “I just did what we needed to do tonight. The track was ten times better than what it was last night.”
IMCA Stock Cars by Comanche Concrete
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 82-Shelby Williams[2]; 2. 31-Mason Martin[6]; 3. 92-Dan Mackenthun[4]; 4. 12-Cody Leonard[12]; 5. XXX-Shawn Graham[8]; 6. 22-Gregory Muirhead[7]; 7. 717-GW Egbert IV[10]; 8. 42-Beau Collins[3]; 9. 8JS-Cameron Starry[9]; 10. 15-Jacob Slough[14]; 11. 34H-Doug Holzmeister[11]; 12. 25-Jeramey Bradley[1]; 13. F4-Tommy Fain[16]; 14. (DNF) 4JR-Boone Evans[5]; 15. (DNF) 70-George Egbert[17]; 16. (DNF) 15T-Johnny Torres[15]; 17. (DNF) 26Y-Robert Yearian[13]
I-Stock heats(top 12 in passing points)
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 25-Jeramey Bradley[3]; 2. 92-Dan Mackenthun[2]; 3. 22-Gregory Muirhead[1]; 4. 31-Mason Martin[8]; 5. 8JS-Cameron Starry[4]; 6. 12-Cody Leonard[6]; 7. 15-Jacob Slough[7]; 8. 15T-Johnny Torres[9]; 9. F4-Tommy Fain[5]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 82-Shelby Williams[1]; 2. 4JR-Boone Evans[2]; 3. 42-Beau Collins[6]; 4. XXX-Shawn Graham[3]; 5. 717-GW Egbert IV[4]; 6. 34H-Doug Holzmeister[8]; 7. 26Y-Robert Yearian[5]; 8. (DNS) 70-George Egbert
Torres Tops in Factory Stock
At the start of the Factory Stock feature Daniel Preston and Allen Torres were still door to door when contact mid-pack shed some parts on track for a complete restart. Again Torres and Preston stayed together in turn 1 as Dylan Kowalik looked for an opening. Preston slipped high in turn 4 giving the lead to Kowalik trailed by Torres, Nathan Rachui, Brandon Spreen and Preston.
A spin by Carson Jenkins on lap 3 slowed the pace. Torres looked up top on Kowalik when green waved again getting the lead on lap 4 while Tryton Temple got by Spreen for fourth leaving him side by side with Rachui for fifth. James Ruyle went around in turn 3 for a lap 7 caution. Torres got away on green as Temple and Kowalik ran door to door for second, with Preston getting sixth from Rachui and Anthony Gordon for fifth.
At the crossed flags it was Torres, Kowalik, Temple, Spreen and Gordon in the top five. Temple got second from Kowalik while Gordon and Preston slugged it out for fifth. Temple ran down Torres for the lead with four to go bringing Kowalik and Spreen into the mix as the top four ran nose to tail. Torres in his Allens 24/7 Towing, Hercules Foundation Repair, Sundowner Performance Diesel, All I Designs, 91 Specialties, Drive In Truck Salvage, Destroyer Chassis held them at bay starting off the new year good after several engine failures throughout 2025.
“I didn't think the top would come in that quick,” said Torres. “I watched the B-main for the Modifieds and saw it was working so I thought I'd give it a try. That first start I about spun out. I slowed down a little bit because it felt kind of loose and once I got tapped in the right rear I went higher. I felt pretty cool.”
“I was just hanging in there catching him every lap,” added runner up Temple who has been away from racing for a while. “Some laps I'd just try to hit my marks and hope for the best. I was watching my temperature gauge and thought oh-oh. Then I saw the white(flag) and we were good. We've been fighting it since we got this car, but it felt good tonight. I think we've got it dialed in now.”
Factory Stocks by All in Designs
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 94-Allen Torres[2]; 2. 99T-Tryton Temple[6]; 3. 29K-Dylan Kowalik[3]; 4. 6-Brandon Spreen[4]; 5. 5R-Anthony Gordon[8]; 6. BD2-Daniel Preston[1]; 7. 43-Duane Biddle[12]; 8. 98-James Ruyle[9]; 9. 25R-Nathan Rachui[5]; 10. 18M-Joseph Montemayor[13]; 11. 5-Blaine Markgraf[10]; 12. 64-Danny Dear[14]; 13. 412-Wade Allen Jr[15]; 14. (DNF) 44K-Ray Doyon III[11]; 15. (DNF) 1776-Carson Jenkins[16]; 16. (DNF) 41-Dillon Gaither[7]; 17. (DNS) 11X-Brian Harbison; 18. (DNS) 2-Trey Schwartz
Factory Stock heats(top 12 in passing points)
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 94-Allen Torres[2]; 2. 6-Brandon Spreen[5]; 3. 29K-Dylan Kowalik[9]; 4. 41-Dillon Gaither[8]; 5. 98-James Ruyle[7]; 6. 43-Duane Biddle[6]; 7. 18M-Joseph Montemayor[4]; 8. 412-Wade Allen Jr[1]; 9. (DNF) 11X-Brian Harbison[3]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. BD2-Daniel Preston[3]; 2. 99T-Tryton Temple[1]; 3. 25R-Nathan Rachui[7]; 4. 5R-Anthony Gordon[4]; 5. 5-Blaine Markgraf[2]; 6. 44K-Ray Doyon III[8]; 7. 64-Danny Dear[6]; 8. 1776-Carson Jenkins[5]; 9. (DNS) 2-Trey Schwartz