Gilpin Lodge & Casino Night Delivers High-Rolling Action At CNS

Alexandra Purcell
4 hours ago
10 min read

August 8, 2026 - Dacono, CO

Colorado National Speedway once again delivered a packed night of local short-track action on August 8^th, 2026, with fans filling the grandstands for a show featuring the Super Late Models, Pro Trucks, Pure Stocks, and fan-favorite Figure 8s. From hard-fought battles for position and dramatic crashes to thrilling finishes under the lights, every division brought something to the table and treated the CNS faithful to incredible racing from the first green flag to the final checkers. If you missed the night’s show of affordable family fun, check out the action below.

Guardian Roofing Super Late Models

Feature 1 – 30 Laps

The No. 3C of Cassidy Hinds faced an immediate challenge from the No. 32 of Brett Yackey, but she managed to outrun the field as the pack raced two- and three-wide behind her. When the dust settled, the No. 11 of Darren Robertson had taken second with the No. 58 of Kyle Ray in third. Robertson went to work on Hinds, racing alongside her for several laps before finally completing the pass on the frontstretch. Hinds tried to defend second from the outside lane, but that opened the door for Ray to slip past. The No. 43 of Kody Vanderwal followed, steadily marching toward the front as Hinds slipped backward.

With clear track ahead, Robertson began to stretch his advantage, but Ray steadily reeled him back in. With eight laps remaining, Ray was glued to Robertson's bumper, searching for an opening as Vanderwal also began cutting into the gap. Ray made his move on Lap 23, pulling alongside Robertson and matching him lap after lap. Robertson fought to hang onto the lead, but Ray finally found the advantage in the upper groove and completed the pass. Robertson then slipped backward as Vanderwal took over second, but with only three laps remaining, there was little time left to catch the new leader. Ray was untouchable from there, completing the final circuits to claim the Feature victory.

Feature 2 – 40 Laps

Before the first lap could be completed, the No. 6 of Adam Deines wrecked hard in Turn 3, sliding along the wall before coming to rest. Track personnel quickly responded, and Deines was able to exit the race car under his own power. The No. 12 of Bruce Yackey took the lead on the restart, but Hinds quickly answered and surged to the point, shuffling Bruce Yackey back to fourth. The No. 24 of Cody Dempster then worked past Hinds for the lead, bringing Robertson with him as Ray and Vanderwal began their own march toward the front.

Robertson soon challenged Dempster and completed the pass for the lead. Behind them, Brett Yackey pulled alongside Ray in a spirited battle for third as the pair steadily reeled in Dempster. Ray eventually gained the advantage and used that momentum to immediately challenge Dempster for second. Ray made short work of the position and settled into second behind Robertson, steadily chipping away at the leader's advantage. Vanderwal followed him forward, picking off Dempster for third, while Brett Yackey settled comfortably into fifth. Lap after lap, Ray shaved roughly a tenth of a second from Robertson's lead. By the closing lap, only a car length or two separated them, and with two laps remaining, Ray brought the fight directly to Robertson's door.

The two matched each other through the corners as the white flag flew, but Ray finally wrestled away the lead. Robertson mounted one final charge but couldn't reclaim the position at the stripe. Ray took the checkered flag, completing a clean sweep of both Super Late Model Features.

Quick Time: No. 43, Kody Vanderwal, 15.898

Feature 1: No. 58, Kyle Ray

Feature 2: No. 58, Kyle Ray

Matco Tools Pro Trucks

Feature 1 – 20 Laps

A field of 13 trucks took the green flag, headed by the No. 22 of Brian Yackey and the No. 9 of Curtis Heldenbrand. Yackey immediately settled into the inside line and set the pace, but Heldenbrand stayed close in pursuit. Behind them, the No. 11 of Steve Johnson and the No. 16 of Travis Roe battled for third. Johnson initially gained the upper hand, but Roe regrouped after nearly falling into the clutches of the No. 29 of Dalton Webb. Roe eventually found his rhythm and worked past Johnson, with Webb following him through and dropping Johnson to fifth.

By Lap 9, Yackey opened a five-car-length advantage over Heldenbrand. The top five ran nearly equidistant until Roe caught Heldenbrand and quickly worked past him to take second. Heldenbrand settled in behind Roe while holding off Webb with five laps remaining. Up front, Yackey stayed in control as he approached slower traffic. He completed the final lap without issue to claim the Feature victory, finishing 1.675 seconds ahead of Roe.

Feature 2 – 30 Laps

The No. 86 of Tim Coate jumped to the early lead while Heldenbrand used the outside lane to gain ground. However, the No. 34 of Rudy Vanderwal quickly swept to the front, bringing Heldenbrand with him. Heldenbrand was shuffled high and brushed the wall, losing several positions before battling his way back into the top five. By Lap 8, Vanderwal checked out as the top four separated themselves from the rest of the field. Yackey worked to break up the single-file freight train, closing on Roe as the race approached halfway. At the midpoint, Vanderwal continued to lead Webb, Roe, and Yackey.

Roe suddenly dove underneath Webb, making brief contact before completing the pass for second. With 12 laps remaining, he began steadily chipping away at Vanderwal's advantage, helped by slower traffic looming ahead. Roe soon caught Vanderwal and pulled alongside him as the pair entered lapped traffic, while Yackey quietly worked his way into third. Roe used a slower truck as a pick, stalling Vanderwal's momentum and seizing the lead before beginning to pull away. Vanderwal tried to defend second over the closing laps, but Yackey ultimately snatched the runner-up position. Out front, Roe cruised through the final circuits to take the victory, followed by Yackey and Vanderwal on the podium.

Quick Time: No. 34, Rudy Vanderwal, 17.381

Feature 1: No. 22, Brian Yackey

Feature 2: No. 16, Travis Roe

Grease Diva Garage Pure Stocks

Feature 1 – 20 Laps

After a botched start, the field went green with the No. 24 of Kolby Humphrey and the No. 19Y of Justin Young Jr. out front. The pair raced side-by-side through the opening circuit until Young pulled ahead diving into Turn 3 on Lap 2 and began to pull away. The No. 52 of Nic Wall mounted a charge through the upper groove, pinning Kolby Humphrey down low before taking over second. Wall settled in and began tracking Young through the second half of the race, eventually reaching his rear bumper and applying pressure for the lead.

Wall got a little squirrelly on Lap 12 and briefly lost ground, but with five laps left on the board, he closed the gap again. That allowed the No. 04 of Aric Durand to gain on both leaders as the battle tightened up front. Wall looked low for an opening before making his move in Turn 2 on Lap 16, shooting past Young and into the lead. He never looked back. As the white flag waved, several cars tangled in Turn 3, making the race official with Wall out front.

Feature 2 – 20 Laps

The No. 1 of Derek Spalding sliced into the early lead while the No. 08 of Tanner McKim battled through traffic to take second. Just five laps in, McKim took advantage when Derek Spalding washed up the track on the frontstretch, pulling alongside before completing the pass for the lead. Wall, still carrying plenty of speed after winning the first Feature, worked his way forward and overtook Derek Spalding for second. Behind them, the No. 54 of Giovanni Scimeca battled Derek Spalding for third, with the pair locked in one of the tightest fights on the track.

Up front, McKim encountered slower traffic but successfully picked his way through, although Wall steadily chipped away at his advantage. Their gap disappeared completely when a multicar incident unfolded in Turn 4, with one race car riding along the wall before coming to rest on all four wheels near the start/finish line. All drivers were okay as officials displayed the caution to address the incident. McKim returned to the point on the restart with Wall in pursuit. Scimeca suddenly faded from the top five with an apparent tire issue, rapidly losing positions as the laps wound down. McKim wasted little time rebuilding his advantage out front and completed the remaining circuits to score his seventh Feature victory of the season.

Quick Time: No. 08, Tanner McKim, 20.012

Feature 1: No. 52, Nic Wall

Feature 2: 08, Tanner McKim

Exhaust Pros Northglenn Figure 8s

Feature 1 – 15 Laps

The No. 8 of Beau Kellogg and the No. 52 of Jared Wall commanded the front row for the green flag, but it didn't take long for Kellogg to take control with the No. 3 of Michael Wolfe Jr. and Jared Wall battling door-to-door behind him. Wolfe looked low for the lead, but Kellogg held him off as the No. 15 of Jereme Wall charged through the field. Wolfe eventually caught Kellogg, and the two made contact but managed to keep their race cars pointed in the right direction. Kellogg continued to lead until he found himself in the middle of a three-wide battle, split between Wolfe and Jereme Wall. He held onto the top spot for another half lap before Wolfe finally charged ahead with Jereme Wall close behind. However, a single car spun and impeded the racing surface, bringing out the caution.

Kellogg returned to the point for the restart, but Wolfe immediately nosed underneath him. The pair banged doors as Wolfe tried to complete the pass, but Kellogg clung to the lead and made him work for every inch. Wolfe eventually wrestled the position away, leaving Kellogg to contend with the No. 38 of Javon Barnard. With clear track ahead, Wolfe began stretching his advantage over Jereme Wall while navigating lapped traffic. A car deeper in the field spun and nearly collected some of the leaders, but everyone avoided trouble. Wolfe completed the final corners and dodged one last slower car to earn his fourth Feature victory of the 2026 season, leading Jereme Wall and Kellogg across the stripe.

Feature 2 – 20 Laps

The No. 64 of Michael Kephart launched into the early lead, while Kellogg made contact with a competitor and spun before the first lap could be completed, bringing out the caution. Kephart returned to the point when the green flag fell, leading Barnard and Jared Wall. Wolfe initially dropped backward and barely clung to fifth before slingshotting forward and picking off the No. 20 of Isaiah Proctor for fourth. Barnard eventually took control and began pulling away, while a lapped car split the gap between him and Jared Wall through The X, giving the fans something to cheer about. Another car soon spun near the crossroads, bringing out a caution and erasing Barnard's advantage. Barnard fired off ahead on the restart, but Wolfe pulled alongside and swept into the lead just as another race car spun and sent a tire onto the racing surface. Once the track was cleared, Wolfe resumed control under pressure from Barnard, while Jereme Wall worked his way into fourth.

Wolfe again began to pull away as Jereme Wall went after Barnard for second. He completed the pass and immediately set his sights on the leader. With eight laps remaining and slower traffic approaching from the opposite direction, Wolfe continued threading the needle through The X. Traffic tightened through the crossroads over the closing laps, forcing Wolfe and Jereme Wall to make split-second decisions as they navigated the intersecting lanes. With Jereme Wall steadily gaining behind him, Wolfe survived one final trip through The X and flashed across the stripe to complete a two-for-two sweep of the night's Figure 8 Features.

Quick Time: No. 15, Jereme Wall, 27.153

Feature 1: No. 3, Michael Wolfe Jr.

Feature 2: No. 3, Michael Wolfe Jr.

Another action-packed night is in the books at CNS, and we'd like to thank every driver, crew member, official, and, of course, every fan who came out to support local short-track racing!

There's plenty more where that came from. Next weekend brings another loaded schedule to CNS, featuring the Late Models, Grand American Modifieds, Super Stocks, Legends, Bandoleros, and Demo X. With six divisions ready to take over the track, make plans to join us for another Saturday night of affordable family fun at Colorado's premier NASCAR short track! Get your tickets HERE to save your seat at the fastest short track in the West.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Super Late Model Feature 1 - 30 Laps