The state of Colorado may be known nationally for its competitive college & professional sports; however, the racing scene here continues to grow year after year. This is especially true at Colorado's premier NASCAR Home Track: Colorado National Speedway. 2023 marked the 58th consecutive season of racing at CNS, and with that, some huge events that garnered the national spotlight on both streaming and social media. Fantastic car counts and packed grandstands have come to define the experience in Colorado. Our events would never be what they are without the unconditional support from the CNS faithful fans who continue to pack the grandstands each week to watch some of the best & most exciting racing in the Rocky Mountains.
Sprint Cars:
In what has now become an annual tradition, the ground pounding Winged Sprint Cars made their appearance over July 4th weekend with a pair of shows featuring over 20 cars from across the United States. Bobby Santos III from Indiana swept the weekends’ action; capturing both feature wins underneath a shower of some of the best fireworks you can find. Local driver Bryan Gossel represented Colorado by finishing in 3rd place on the Sunday feature, with Florida's Davey Hamilton Jr. finishing 3rd on Saturday and 2nd on Sunday . Our friends at SpeedMaxTV were on hand to capture both nights of action. The Sprint Cars will be back in 2024 on July 5th & July 6th.
Outlaw Figure 8's:
For only the second time, Colorado National Speedway played host to the Outlaw Figure 8's moving from September 24th last year to July 29th. Nearly 20 cars embarked to the 3/8 mile speedway from across the United States; including drivers from as far away as Michigan and Maine. Washington's Chris Curtis was quick time and picked up the fast dash win; however, come feature time an amped up crowd saw Indianapolis Indiana's Austin Tunny dodge through multiple close calls in the X to capture the 50 lap feature event. Six Colorado drivers participated this year, and CNS regulars Chris Cox, Adam Gastineau, and Jereme Wall all finished in the top 10. Our friends at Lowbudget TV were back once again to capture all the nights action. Click Here to Watch.
SRL Southwest Tour:
For the first time in 16 years (last running here in 2007), the Spears SRL Southwest Tour returned to Colorado National Speedway for an epic battle of Super Late Model racing. The best drivers from the west coast came to battle against our local contingent of Super Late Model drivers for not only bragging rights, but also a cool $10,000 payday thanks to Salted Metals. As the race went green, local competitors Jace Hansen & Ed Vecchiarelli Jr. showed their muscle early on with Hansen leading to the halfway break. After the break, Hansen set sail again and drove to the victory with the rest of the field in his rearview. The crowd was on its feet with three laps to go, and the roar of their cheer could be heard over the sound of the motors as Hansen crossed the finish line. It was an extra special win for Hansen, as he had lost his brother earlier in the week. The crowd joined Jace in celebration as his emotions overflowed in heartfelt victory lane celebration. The SRL tour will be back at CNS on August 17th, 2024; this time as an SRL National event which will feature drivers from across the United States and some of the best pavement Super Late Model drivers in the country.
Once again, our friends at Lowbudget TV and Spears Racing TV were on hand to capture the entire night of racing action.
Father's Day Super Sunday Monster Truck Show:
2023 marked the 12th anniversary of the fan favorite Father's Day Super Sunday Monster Truck Show which featured Monster Trucks, Demo X, Stunt Motorcycles & more. This incredible event continues to grow every year and preparations are already underway for the 2024 Father's Day Super Sunday Monster Truck Show. More details to come.
Legend Invasion:
The best of the best when it comes to Legend Car racing in the Rocky Mountain & Southwest regions descended on Colorado National Speedway for the Legend Invasion over Labor Day weekend, where drivers would compete in a 50 lap feature each night and a $3,000 winner’s prize. This year’s event was dominated by the locals as Kyle Clegg picked up the Saturday feature and Darrell J Stewart captured the Sunday victory. One of the biggest storylines to come from the weekend was points leader Chris Eggleston taking a nasty tumble down the backstretch late in the feature on Saturday. Eggleston was able to secure another car for Sunday's finale, and although that car wasn’t as quick as his regular ride, it was fast enough to carry him to another season championship in the Legends Division.
Big Rigs:
For the first time since 2019 the North American Big Rigs made an appearance at Colorado National Speedway and they did not disappoint, battling side by side thrilling fans for 40 laps. Calgary, Alberta Canada's Ron Singer swept the night capturing the Quick time, Fast Dash & Feature victories.
Butch Snow Memorial:
For the first time Colorado National Speedway hosted the Butch Snow Memorial race for Super Late Model teams and with the help of some amazing sponsorship partners the winner would take home $15,000; making it one of the biggest paying races in Colorado National Speedway history. Johnstown's Preston Peltier swept the night of racing capturing the Quick time, 25 Lap Fast Dash & 100 Lap feature race over Jace Hansen & Chris Eggleston. Our friends at SpeedMaxTV were on hand to capture this historic event.
Challenge Cup:
September 30th marked the 48th running of Challenge Cup, the biggest & most well-known Super Late Model race at CNS. The race ran 100 laps caution free with Greeley's Brett Yackey capturing the victory and his second Challenge Cup win in 5 years. Michael Scott put on a show that brought the fans to their feet as he used the extreme outside line in the corners to march his way up to a third place finish, but didn’t have enough laps to catch Yackey.
Halloween Trick or Treat:
One of the best highlights of the season is always our season ending Halloween Trick or Treat celebration night where costumed fans head to the infield to meet their favorite drivers and leave with buckets and pillowcases full of candy. This year’s event was by far the biggest we've ever had at CNS, and it’s a testament to all of you, our amazing race fans.
Battle of the Fenders:
The 7th edition of the Battle of the Fenders 300 lap enduro race was postponed due to a snowstorm over Thanksgiving weekend, however it was rescheduled for Saturday December 16th and was well worth the wait as Jereme Wall completed all 300 laps to pickup his first BOTF victory driving his championship winning figure 8 car.
As always, it is the weekly racing events that are the bread and butter of the CNS schedule and 2023 featured some amazing action with close points battles & fierce racing.
Bella Flooring America Super Late Models:
Colorado National Speedway's premier division, the Super Late Models welcomed a brand new divisional sponsor with our friends at Bella Flooring America. A familiar name took home the championship in 2023 as No. 32 Brett Yackey captured his second championship in three years. Son of Bruce "The Moose" Yackey, Brett was very consistent all season long and picked up his only victory of the season by dominating Challenge Cup on September 30th. The Super Late Model field was extremely competitive in 2023 as 8 different drivers visited victory lane including: No. 08 Jace Hansen (2), No. 48 Preston Peltier (2), No. 58 Kyle Ray (2), No. 18 Eddie Vecchiarelli (1), No. 82 Michael Scott (1), No. 11 Darren Robertson (1), No. 22 Chris Eggleston (1). Rookie of the Year Honors went to No. 46 Eric Blackard.
Top 5 in Points:
32 Brett Yackey - 310
82 Michael Scott - 293
12 Bruce Yackey - 257
3C Cassidy Hinds - 253
89 Zach Morris - 242
Matco Tools Pro Trucks:
The 2023 Matco Tools Pro Truck season was one of the most intense points battles as heading into the final night of competition the top five in points were within 14 points of each other. Right from the start of the 2023 season, No. 43 Kody Vanderwal proved he was the one to beat, capturing three victories in a row. Despite Vanderwal's early dominance, No. 33 Tyler Davis, No. 7 Adam Deines, No. 22 Brian Yackey & No. 16 Travis Roe consistently finished inside the top 5 each night which kept the points battle extremely close. During the championship race Roe & Deines dropped out of contention with issues leaving Vanderwal, Davis & Yackey to fight for the championship. Vanderwal dominated the final feature and took home his second Pro Truck championship. Davis & Roe both picked up their first career wins in the Pro Truck division, while long time veterans Adam Deines & No. 34 Rudy Vanderwal also captured one win each during the season. Rookie of the year honors went to the No. 88S Brad Skufca.
Top 5 in Points:
43 Kody Vanderwal - 277
33 Tyler Davis - 272
22 Brian Yackey - 262
7 Adam Deines - 239
16 Travis Roe - 227
GTI Services Late Models:
The GTI Services Late Models once again proved they are a very tough class to compete in. For the second consecutive year, a first-time champion was crowned in the division as long time Legend & Super Late Model competitor No. 21 Michael Gallegos captured his first Late Model Championship with one victory coming on July 8th. Early on in the season it looked like defending champion No. 8 Dan Alamaa was going to be the one to beat; winning the first two races of the season. However, issues during the summer caused Alamaa to fall back to fifth in the points standings. During the final night of competition, Gallegos had to fend off a hard charging No. 98 Lee Kemmit who made a late season run to get within 25 points of Gallegos. Gallegos finished second in both of the final features which was enough to secure the championship. The Rookie of the Year battle came down to two drivers No. 18 Casey Wiggans & No. 99 Tessa Marine, with Wiggans edging out Marine for the Rookie honors. Several familiar faces visited victory lane in 2023 including: No. 98 Lee Kemmit (2), 31 Rick Smith (1), No. 30X Chad Cowan (1), while rookie No. 116 Adam Kimler grabbed his first ever late model victory. Another notable driver to visit victory lane was No. A51 Kyle Clegg who captured his first career Late Model win in his first start.
Top 5 in Points:
21G Mike Gallegos - 329
98 Lee Kemmit - 309
51 Eric Meisner - 286
31 Rick Smith - 284
8 Dan Alamaa - 273
Sunoco Race Fuels Grand American Modifieds:
2023 saw incredible growth for the Sunoco Race Fuels Grand American Modifieds, and with that, some hardnosed racing and tough competition among a growing field of competitors that continue to get stronger every year. Super Stock champion Chris Cox moved up to the Grand American Modifieds for 2023 and immediately found success; finishing no worse than sixth in the first three races. Cox then went on an incredible tear winning the next three races; including sweeping the double features on July 29th (while also competing in his Outlaw Figure 8 car on the same night!) On the final night of racing on September 16th, three drivers remained in the hunt for the championship as 2022 champion No. 51 Kyle Clegg was looking to win back-to-back championships while No. 89 Jacob Smith in just his second season was vying for his first championship. Clegg captured three victories during the season and despite winning the final race, it wasn't enough to grab the championship from Cox who managed to finish 6th. Other winners in 2023 included: No. 48P Preston Peltier (2), No. 18 Ed Vecchiarelli (1), No. 13S Jordan Smith (1). Rookie of the Year honors went to No. 8 Benjamin Stanley.
Top 5 in Points
49 Chris Cox - 313
51 Kyle Clegg - 308
89 Jacob Smith - 292
13S Jordan Smith - 249
69 Forest Smith - 247
Take 5 Oil Change Figure 8's:
The fan favorite Figure 8’s welcomed a brand new divisional sponsor in 2023 with our friends at Take 5 Oil Change. The figure 8's put together a great season with a lot of close calls in the X as cars dodged each other & thrilled the fans week in and week out. Spectators were treated to something new and unique to close out the season during the Halloween Trick or Treat race, as the figure 8 track was reversed and both Pure Stock and Super Stock drivers were invited to compete in the unique race. This created some exceptionally close calls in X and fans and racers alike all agreed that it was one of the best Figure 8 races in CNS history. Six-time champion, No. 15 Jereme Wall picked up the first win of the season, and much like in previous years, dominated the year winning 7 out of 10 races and securing his 7th Figure 8 championship. Despite Wall's dominance, some new faces challenged Wall each week including No. 71 Isaac Martinez & No. 3 Michael Wolfe Jr. Wolfe grabbed his first career figure 8 win during championship night feature 1. Other drivers who also captured victories in 2023 included No. 18 Dennis Stepanich III (1), & No. 52 Jared Wall (1). Rookie of the Year honors went to No. 57Q Kyle Quintrall.
Top 5 in Points
15 Jereme Wall - 322
71 Isaac Martinez - 267
3 Michael Wolfe Jr - 251
64 Michael Kephart - 232
67 Kaleigh Swenson - 224
Pueblo Bank & Trust Super Stocks:
With 2022 Pueblo Bank & Trust Super Stock champion No. 49 Chris Cox focusing on his Grand American Modified for 2023, the door was wide open for new drivers to emerge and compete for the championship. The season started off with a photo finish between No. 23 Jordan Abeyta & No. 9 Brent Cave which foreshadowed what was to come for the rest of the season. Despite missing two early season races, Chris Cox could not resist having some fun in the Super Stocks & from July 22nd through the end of the year went on an incredible run winning the final 6 races in a row. Meanwhile, Cave & Abeyta continued their championship battle, and on the final night, Cave held a 15 point margin over Abeyta. Cave finished in the top five in the final two features which was enough to secure his first ever Super Stock championship. Rookie of the Year honors went to No. 82 Ian Clark.
Top 5 in Points
9 Brent Cave - 341
23 Jordan Abeyta - 322
97 Kyle Stidham - 317
49 Chris Cox - 308
11W Scott Long - 297
Rock N' Roll Brewery Pure Stocks:
The Rock N’ Roll Brewery Pure Stocks proved once again why they are a great starting place for up & coming racers. The season kicked off with a wild and crazy race which saw rookie No. 53 Josh Hopkins pick up the victory. The following race No. 8A Austin Richards grabbed the victory and showed he was on a mission to win the championship; however, No. 22 AJ Hill was incredibly consistent with Top 5 finishes and kept himself within striking distance of Richards. On the final night of action, Hill had some issues in both features which allowed Richards to grab the Pure Stock championship. Richards will now be required to move up to another division in 2024. Other drivers who parked it in victory lane include No. 18Y Justin Young, No. 66 Mike Maldonado Jr. & No. 3 Ronald Burnett who grabbed their first ever feature wins, along with No. 8 Isaac Almaswari (2). Rookie of the Year honors went to No. 3 Ronald Burnett who finished third in points.
Top 5 in Points
8A Austin Richards - 290
22 AJ Hill - 257
3 Ronald Burnett (R) - 242
32 Rick Phillips (R) - 235
8 Isaac Almaswari - 234
AC Transmission Center Legend Cars:
Legend Fast:
The AC Transmission Legend Cars continue to bring large car counts each and every season, and with that, more competitive racing. 2022 champion No. 22 Chris Eggleston kicked off the season with two straight wins; vying for his sixth overall championship and third in a row. Through the summer, Eggleston won four out of five races. No. 78C Colton Crocker made his presence known finishing inside the top 5 seven races in a row and even captured his first ever Legend Car win on July 15th. Heading into Legend Invasion, Eggleston had built a significant points lead, but that all unraveled when Eggleston caught the backstretch wall battling for the lead during the opening night; causing him to take a nasty tumble which collected several other competitors. Eggleston was able to borrow a car to race on the Sunday finale; however, this allowed Crocker to close the gap and have a shot at winning the championship. During the final night of competition, Crocker grabbed the first feature win with Eggleston close behind. In the second feature, Eggleston finished third with Crocker finishing fourth, which was enough for Eggleston to win his sixth legend championship. Other drivers to visit victory lane included: No. 66 Kyle Clegg (3) & No. 78X Darrell J Stewart (1). Rookie of the Year honors went to No. 74 Trayc Walker-Scott who was very impressive all season long.
Legend:
With a large car count each night, the legend car field was split to allow up & coming Legend drivers an opportunity to hone their skills and give them a chance to race with and work their way up to compete with the fast legends. The season started off with rookie No. 57 Jarret Scarberry winning the first three races in a row. Scarberry then moved up to the fast feature which then led to six different winners when the field was split including No. 73 Mike Markison, No. 33 Dillyn Kellogg, No. 32 Cody Milan, No. 1 Ryan Land, No. 14X Jake Nutall & No. 27 Brian Harlow. No. 48 Preston Nakayama was very consistent in the split fields and it was enough to capture the Legend championship.
Top 5 in Points:
22 Chris Eggleston - 403
78C Colton Crocker - 367
21 Ryan Jones - 361
66 Kyle Clegg - 333
03 Darrell L. Stewart - 300
Bandoleros:
The Bandolero Bandits & Outlaws feature some of our youngest competitors at CNS and race around the infield Roval.
Bandolero Bandits:
With 2022 Bandit champion Wyatt Dent moving up to the Outlaws for 2023, this meant a crop of new young drivers would have a chance to compete for the championship. No. 12 Aspyn Lange had a dominate season win 9 of 12 bandit features. Other young drivers who went to victory lane include No. 5 Reagan Fruge (2) & No. 23 Peyton Opperman who grabbed his first career win.
Top 5 in Points
12 Aspyn Lange - 240
23 Peyton Opperman - 190
5 Reagan Fruge - 186
95J Jaxson Muhler - 126
07 Madison Stanley - 102
Bandolero Outlaw:
Moving up from the bandits to the faster Outlaws for 2023, No. 68 Wyatt Dent came out right away and proved he was the one to beat for the championship. As the season progressed Dent went on to win 10 of 12 outlaw features. Two other drivers were able to capture wins in 2023 including No. 88 Cohen Henze from Wisconsin & No. 38 Javon Barnard who captured his first ever bandolero feature win. Dent also make a few select appearances in the Legend Car which goes to show how the Bandoleros help young drivers develop their skills to move up into different divisions at CNS.
Top 5 in Points
68 Wyatt Dent - 504
38 Javon Barnard - 463
21 Madilyn Lange - 440
61 Lilly Tuttle - 393
08 Tanner McKim - 348
The bandolero division started in 2019 and has since produced an incredible amount of talent that has allowed drivers to move up to different divisions, proving the bandoleros are a great place to start for younger drivers learning to race.
Graduates of the Bandoleros include:
Legend Cars: Sammy Haugen, Dillyn Kellogg, Cade Fox, Javon Barnard
Pure Stock: Isaac Almaswari, Aubrei Hilton
Figure 8: Kaleigh Swenson, Travis Sanders
Pro Trucks: Chasen Groff, Mahkrysta Hilton
Super Late Models: Zach Morris
Witthar Racing Trains:
No season at CNS would be complete without the fan favorite Wild & Crazy Trains making several appearances at the speedway. This season, a few new trains were put together which led to more close calls & hair raising action in the X. Throughout the season, several trains swapped the points lead and at one point there was a three way tie for the lead between No. 80HD SNAFU, No. 151 Crazy Train & No. 3 Anger Management. SNAFU was able to hang on during the final night of racing and grab their first Train championship.
Top 5 in Points
80HD SNAFU - 298
3 Anger Management - 288
151 Crazy Train - 278
01 Dukes of Hazard - 264
86 Last Call - 256
Demo X Lite & Heavy presented by United Power
Part racing, part demolition derby the Demo X thrilled fans all season long as drivers took to the infield across the jumps & hills banging into one another leading to bent sheet metal, tons of sparks & even a few flips. Two new champions emerged in the Demo X season with No. 48 Joe Prante grabbed the Demo X Lite Championship, while No. 82 Ty Cowell grabbed his first Demo X Heavy Championship. If you’ve never seen the Demo X, make plans to join us in 2024 to witness this insane form of racing.
A big thanks to all the CNS staff who make each and every week's event possible and thank you to the fans & drivers for supporting CNS & short track racing, without you we would not be able to put on one of the best shows in Motorsports. Preparations are already under way for 2024, as we recently announced the first draft of the 2024 Racing Schedule.
We look forward to seeing everyone at Colorado National Speedway in 2024!