ClearShift Fast Lane Shootout Delivers Wild Action At CNS

Alexandra Purcell
22 hours ago
13 min read

Despite a brief rain delay that put a damper on pre-race sessions, race fans stuck it out and were rewarded with a packed night of competition at Colorado National Speedway on August 15^th, 2026. Late Models, Grand American Modifieds, Legends, Super Stocks, and Bandoleros delivered plenty of close battles, dramatic finishes, and more than a little chaos once the track went green. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who waited out the weather with us, and for those who let the clouds scare them away, you missed one heck of a show at the Fastest Short Track in the West! If that’s you – or if you just want to get caught up – check out what went down.

ClearShift Late Models

Fast Dash – 10 Laps

The No. 40 of Brandon Newey launched into the lead while the pack bunched up behind him. Newey was unconcerned with the chaos and quickly took off, while the No. 99 of Tessa Marine held off the No. 51 of Eric Meisner for second. The field began to stretch out until Meisner mounted an offensive against Marine, looking to the inside but backing out when he couldn't find enough grip to complete the pass. Up front, Newey continued to stretch his advantage, opening a gap of eight car-lengths by the time the white flag waved. Newey cruised beneath the flagstand all alone to take the Fast Dash victory, while Meisner made a late move on Marine to nab second at the stripe.

Feature – 30 Laps

As seemed to be the theme of the night, chaos erupted before a single lap could be completed as multiple cars tangled on the backstretch. Officials displayed the red flag while track crews attended to the scene, and all drivers were able to exit their race cars under their own power. Once racing resumed, the No. 17X of Mariah Boudrieau powered to the front and led the opening lap. However, the No. 98C of Brent Cave quickly took command and began putting distance between himself and the field. His early advantage was erased five laps in when a single car spun in the racing line, bringing out the caution. Cave got back to the point on the restart with Meisner close behind, followed by Newey. Cave initially opened a half-second advantage, but Meisner steadily chipped away at the gap with each passing lap. At the halfway point, Meisner finally completed the pass and took command of the race.

It didn't take long for Meisner to lay down some distance, opening nearly a full second over Cave. Newey held third, followed by Boudrieau and the No. 32F of Aaron Franco, who had shouldered his way into the top five. Meisner continued to carve through lapped traffic while stretching his advantage to three seconds, and the gap only grew from there. He crossed the stripe nearly four and a half seconds ahead of Cave to claim the Feature victory, with Newey rounding out the podium.

Quick Time: scratched due to rain

Fast Dash: No. 40, Brandon Newey

Feature: No. 51, Eric Meisner

Inland Parts & Service Grand American Modifieds

Fast Dash – 10 Laps

The No. 21 of Ryan Jones dove low and took control of the race with the No. 66 of John Seely settling into second. The No. 97 of Kyle Stidham searched for a way forward, but a quick move from the No. 3 of Jeremiah Hill shut him out of the top five. Jones continued to lead at the halfway point while the No. 69 of Forest Smith challenged the No. 2 of Steven Rodenbaugh for fourth. Forest Smith completed the pass and set his sights on the No. 24 of Nathan Gasser, who was battling Seely for the runner-up spot. With the white flag in the air, Jones guided his race car through the final circuit without issue and took the Fast Dash victory, leading Seely and Gasser across the stripe.

Dash – 10 Laps

Just as the pack took the green flag, several cars tangled in Turn 1, bringing out the yellow. All drivers were okay as track crews quickly responded, and a red flag followed for cleanup.

Once the race got going, the No. 6 of Scotty Scott took control despite his involvement in the earlier incident. The No. 68 of Wyatt Dent applied heavy pressure while the No. 89 of Jacob Smith held off the No. 55 of Damian Lockhart and a pack of cars racing two-wide behind him. Another caution soon reset the field, and Scott and Dent renewed their battle up front once the green dropped, with Jacob Smith close behind. The No. 51 of Cade Fox went high in search of a way around Jacob Smith, but backed out and tucked in behind him. Scott, meanwhile, began opening an advantage on Dent. Fox made another attempt on Jacob Smith for third, with the pair making contact during the battle, but Jacob Smith held onto the position through the stripe. Out front, Scott completed a flag-to-flag performance to claim the Dash victory.

Feature – 30 Laps

Hill opened a sizable lead by Lap 2, while Stidham took control of second and shuffled the No. 9 of CJ Wilson to third. Forest Smith then charged forward, overtaking them both. Stidham found himself trapped in the upper lane, eventually falling behind Gasser running fourth and barely hanging onto the final position inside the top five. Forest Smith continued his march and eventually swept into the lead ahead of Hill and Wilson. With clear track in front of him, Forest Smith wasted little time building his lead, stretching his advantage over Hill beyond two seconds.

The field settled into single-file formation behind the leader until Gasser began making his move. With eight laps remaining, he picked off Hill for second, but Forest Smith was already nearly four seconds up the road. Further back, Stidham surrendered fifth to Jones as the laps wound down. Nobody had an answer for Forest Smith, who crossed the stripe 3.944 seconds ahead of Gasser to collect his third victory of the season in dominating fashion.

Quick Time: scratched due to rain

Fast Dash: No. 21, Ryan Jones

Dash: No. 6, Scotty Scott

Feature: No. 69, Forest Smith

AC Transmission Legends

Fast Dash – 10 Laps

Several race cars tangled shortly after the green flag, bringing out an early caution and taking one of the leaders out of contention. When racing resumed, the No. 5R of Reagan Fruge took control while trying to keep the No. 32 of Cody Milan and the No. 14S of Austin Steinke at bay. Fruge drifted high, opening the lower lane and allowing Steinke to rocket into the lead. Milan slotted into second with the No. 15 of Danny Medina in third. Fruge immediately went to work trying to regain his lost ground, knocking on the door of the top three. He stayed with Medina for several laps but couldn't make the pass stick and eventually faded. Up front, Steinke set a blistering pace and kept Milan at bay as the laps wound down. He maintained a full car-length advantage through the white flag and completed the final circuit without issue to claim the Fast Dash victory.

Dash – 10 Laps

The No. 97 of Bill Blevins shot out front with the No. 19 of Dominic Moss hot on his heels, but before the pack could clear Turn 1, several cars spun and were unable to clear the racing surface, bringing out the caution. Blevins returned to the point once the green flag dropped, followed by Moss. The pack went three-wide through Turn 3 but managed to hold it together as Blevins tried to put some distance between himself and Moss. Moss wouldn't let him escape, looking low on the backstretch and pulling alongside before powering into the lead.

The No. 2 of Dutch Vanderwal followed Moss forward as Blevins battled a tight-handling race car and faded to fourth. Moss and Vanderwal quickly caught the tail end of the field, and once they cleared slower traffic, Vanderwal brought the fight directly to the leader. Vanderwal took control by the following lap as the No. 22S of Shawn Smith followed him through, shuffling Moss back to third. From there, Vanderwal opened a several-car-length advantage over Smith. Smith mounted one final charge, but Vanderwal held him off at the stripe to take the Dash victory.

Feature – 25 Laps Scheduled; 11 Run

A bizarre incident eliminated two race cars before the green flag even waved, necessitating a brief cleanup before the Feature could begin. The No. 38 of Garrett Wilson and the No. 12 of Bryanna Bruce led the field once racing got underway, but several cars tangled in Turn 3 before the opening lap could be completed, bringing out another caution. Bruce took control when the race resumed, but Medina charged from the outside and quickly swept into the lead. Steinke began his own steady mission forward, working underneath Milan before slingshotting into second. Milan followed in third, while the No. 03 of Darrell Stewart worked his way into fifth. Another caution soon slowed the field when a race car encountered trouble in Turn 3.

Medina and Steinke led the ensuing restart, with Medina quickly reclaiming the point as Steinke applied pressure from the high side. Another incident on the backstretch brought the yellow back out and required a lengthy cleanup. Once racing resumed, Medina and Steinke picked up their battle while Bruce joined the conversation from third. Wilson moved into fourth, while the No. 60 of Liam Hammond held fifth ahead of a long line of cars working the bottom groove.

Medina checked up, giving Steinke the opening he needed to sweep into the lead, but another single-car incident in Turn 4 brought out the caution. With the race approaching its time limit, officials shortened it to a green-white-checkered finish. Steinke and Medina renewed their battle on the restart while Bruce emerged as another threat, pulling alongside Medina for second. Steinke successfully defended the top spot and took the checkered flag, while Medina gained the advantage over Bruce on the run to the stripe to secure second. Bruce completed the podium in a Feature shortened to 11 laps.

Quick Time: No. 15, Danny Medina, 18.620

Fast Dash: No. 14S, Austin Steinke

Dash: No. 2, Dutch Vanderwal

Feature: No. 14S, Austin Steinke

PB&T Bank Super Stocks

Fast Dash – 10 Laps

The No. 11W of Scott Long took command of the race, outrunning a tight grouping consisting of the No. 9 of Brent Cave, the No. 23 of Jordan Abeyta, and the No. 75 of Emilio Abeyta. Jordan Abeyta and Emilio Abeyta scrapped over third while Cave filled Long's rearview mirror, staying within striking distance of the leader. Emilio Abeyta eventually gained the upper hand, demoting Jordan Abeyta to fourth. Jordan Abeyta fired back with a move to the high side, but couldn't make it work and tucked back into the lower groove.

Emilio Abeyta continued his march forward and briefly powered into the lead, but Long answered with a charge along the lower line. Long reclaimed the top spot on the run to the stripe and held it through the checkered flag to win the Fast Dash.

Dash – 10 Laps

The No. 13 of Anthony Albrandt showed the way across the stripe but immediately faced pressure from the No. 10W of Gauge Witthar through the opening circuit. Witthar eventually backed off, allowing Albrandt some breathing room out front, although he remained planted in the leader's tire tracks. As the laps ticked away, Witthar began falling into the clutches of the No. M60 of Morrie Christner, who searched the inside lane for a way into second. Behind them, the No. 74 of Ethan Murr dove hard into Turn 3 in an attempt to overtake the No. 47 of Richard Murr, but couldn't make the move stick. Witthar closed back in on Albrandt during the final circuit, but ran out of time to mount a successful challenge. The No. 61 of John Humphrey snagged fifth at the stripe, while Albrandt led the field home to claim the Dash victory.

Feature – 25 Laps

The No. 33 of Dillyn Kellogg burst free from the pack to lead the opening lap, but the No. 82 of Ian Clark made him work for it. The pair evenly paced one another through the opening circuits until Clark finally cleared Kellogg for the lead. Kellogg faded behind the No. 35 of Greg Dreiling, while Clark suddenly got loose and plummeted through the running order, surrendering the lead to Jordan Abeyta. Emilio Abeyta followed him toward the front, allowing the Abeytas to take control of the top spots. Cave soon joined the conversation, overtaking for third and taking advantage when Emilio Abeyta checked up and opened the bottom lane. As the leaders worked through lapped traffic, Cave reeled in Jordan Abeyta and began applying heavy pressure for the top spot.

Cave and Jordan Abeyta broke away from the pack as two cars tangled and spun in Turn 2, but both cleared the racing surface and allowed the race to remain green. With nine laps remaining, Cave looked underneath Jordan Abeyta, pulling alongside before completing the pass with seven to go. Jordan Abeyta wasn't finished. He fought back and reclaimed the lead with five laps remaining, setting up another showdown between the pair. Behind them, Emilio Abeyta held fifth ahead of Kellogg and Dreiling, while Long knocked on the door of the top five from sixth. Cave made another daring move from second, diving back to the inside and wrestling the lead away from Jordan Abeyta once more. This time, Cave made it stick. He set sail through the closing laps and crossed the stripe alone to claim the Super Stock Feature victory.

Quick Time: No. 35, Greg Dreiling, 19.849

Fast Dash: No. 11W, Scott Long

Dash: No. 13, Anthony Albrandt

Feature: No. 9, Brent Cave

Puzzle Effect Bandoleros

At CNS, the Bandoleros division showcases the youngest racers on the track - some just eight years old! The pint-sized drivers cut their teeth at 30 to 50 mph on a shortened course that loops through Turns 1 and 2 of the “big” track before diving into the infield and circling back around. Like the drivers themselves, the races may be small, but they pack a punch, and they’re a vital part of the CNS family.

Outlaw Dash – 10 Laps Scheduled; 7 Laps Run

The No. 07 of Madison Stanley and the No. 95J of Jaxon Muhler showed the way to the green flag, with Stanley quickly assuming control. However, several cars encountered trouble in separate incidents on the opening lap, prompting a red flag while track personnel attended to the drivers. Stanley took off again when the green flag returned, setting a blistering pace for the rest of the field. Another car spun from inside the top five at the halfway point, bringing out another caution and setting up a green-white-checkered finish. he green flag snapped over Stanley once again, but before the field could build any momentum, another incident brought the race to a halt. Officials declared the Dash complete under caution after seven laps, handing Stanley the victory.

Outlaw Feature – 12 Laps

The Outlaw field got off to a fast start, going three-wide as the leaders charged toward the completion of the opening lap. Trouble unfolded behind them, however, as several cars spun while the leaders escaped the chaos. Stanley took command and quickly checked out while the running order shuffled behind her, eventually filtering the No. 23M of Izaak Mead into second and Muhler into third. Neither could mount a serious challenge to Stanley, who stayed in contro. She rounded the track uncontested and crossed the stripe first, sweeping both Outlaw events on the night.

Bandit Dash – 10 Laps

The No. 35 of Maverick Arechiga shot out front, bringing the No. 28P of Hayden Powers and the No. 15S of Declan Shaw along behind him. The field quickly strung out and held formation through the opening circuits, even as a single car spun but managed to clear the racing surface. Arechiga began steadily catching competitors at the rear of the field, navigating his way through lapped traffic without missing a beat. Even contact with a slower car couldn't knock him off course, as Arechiga kept his race car pointed in the right direction and cruised through the final turns to claim the Bandit Dash victory.

Bandit Feature – 12 Laps

The No. 3 of Logan Torrez led the field to green, but several cars spun and impeded the racing surface before the opening lap could be completed, bringing out an immediate caution. When the field finally completed its first green-flag lap, Torrez took control ahead of Shaw and Powers, both of whom steadily tracked down the leader. Shaw and Powers mounted their charges and swept past Torrez, filtering Shaw into the lead as the frontrunners caught the tail end of the field. However, Shaw found trouble and spun, opening the door for Powers to inherit the top spot. From there, Powers delivered a flawless run through the remaining laps and took the Bandit Feature victory.

Outlaw Dash: No. 07, Madison Stanley

Outlaw Feature: No. 07, Madison Stanley

Bandit Dash: No. 35, Maverick Arechiga

Bandit Feature: No. 28P, Hayden Powers

United Power Demo X

Lite Winner: No. 27, Josh Stogsdill

Heavy Winner: No. 7, Mike Gordon

A huge thank you goes out to our drivers, teams, officials, track crews, and especially the fans who stuck with us through the weather and helped make another summer night at CNS one to remember.

Looking ahead, the Race for the Million brings Sprint Cars to CNS for a special night of high-speed competition, supported by the fan-favorite Pro Trucks and Circle Drags. And, of course, fireworks! You won't want to miss this one, so grab your tickets HERE, bring your friends and family, and we'll see you back at the races!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Late Models - 30 Laps