Guardian Roofing Challenge Cup L Writes History At CNS

CNS Staff
7 days ago
13 min read

September 20, 2025 - Dacono, CO

It’s championship time here at Colorado National Speedway, and that means we’re ratcheting up the intensity even more as our 2025 racing season winds down. Everything was on the line for the Grand American Modifieds, Figure 8s, Super Late Models, and Super Stocks on September 20^th, 2025 – some points battles separated by a tiny margin of one or two points! Not only did every division wrap up its championship, but the SLM field took on the Challenge Cup for the 50^th time, honoring a storied tradition here at CNS with a 100-lap feature race.

CNS also served as the starting point and final destination for the riders that participated in the annual Ride 911 night, remembering those lost over two decades ago at the World Trade Center. Well over 100 bikes circled the track for a few honorary laps, flags flying high.

To say Saturday night was exciting would be an understatement – so keep reading to get caught up with the final chapter of four of our local division championships!

Guardian Roofing Super Late Models – Challenge Cup L

Feature – 100 Laps

The Super Late Models weren’t just chasing a title in their 100-lap feature; they were also chasing CNS history. 2025 marked the 50^th milestone running of the annual Challenge Cup, first contested back in 1975. The No. 11 of Darren Robertson and the No. 43 of Kody Vanderwal showed the way to the green, but it was the all-Robertson show as he shot ahead of the pack. Behind him, the No. 82 of Michael Scott had already clawed his way into fifth place, demoting the No. 26 of Dylan Jones before bringing the battle to a three-wide contest for third alongside the No. 24G of Nathan Gasser and the No. 24 of Cody Dempster. Scott swept into third, then drew a bead on Vanderwal and made short work of him, too. Comfortably in second, Scott began cutting into Robertson’s lead.

Just 10 laps in, Scott swept high and galloped past Robertson, slicing into the lead. But Robertson would not be denied and fired back, pulling side-by-side with Scott for a few laps. Behind them, the No. 58 of Kyle Ray was a man on a mission, overtaking Vanderwal before the field strung out into a single-file line. Scott was running out of clean track, though, rapidly closing on slower traffic and allowing Robertson to keep him in his sights. Scott had to stand on the brake to avoid a lapped car, letting Robertson gain even more ground, jeopardizing Scott’s hold on the top spot. Scott tried to settle into his preferred high line, but Robertson was right there, pressuring him for the lead. Behind them, the No. 32 of Brett Yackey shouldered his way into fifth place after a brief conversation with Vanderwal.

Up front, Scott continued to defend his lead against Robertson, though heavy traffic proved a challenge for both frontrunners. In fact, Robertson’s battle with Scott let Ray cut the distance as Scott once again began working the high line to start picking off slower cars. He was far better in traffic than Robertson or Ray – at least, until a lapped race car slowed him up just enough to let Robertson pull alongside him. The two hung with each other for a few laps until Scott was able to pull away, just barely. Yackey, meanwhile, had his eyes on the top three, running fourth, waiting for Scott, Robertson, or Ray to give him the opening he’d need to take their position away.

Robertson once again pulled even with Scott just past the halfway point of the 100-lap feature race. For almost 10 laps, the two paced each other evenly, neither willing to cede a single inch of real estate as they dove through lapped traffic in tandem. Finally, on Lap 67, Robertson put an end to the battle and overtook Scott. Scott faded into Ray’s clutches; now, he had to watch the rearview to maintain second place as Robertson set sail up front.

Though lapped traffic continued to prove an obstacle for the leaders, Robertson hardly broke a sweat as he navigated it. Scott caught a glimmer of hope at taking the lead once more when he pulled up on Robertson’s rear bumper, but he no longer had the bite he needed to do anything with it. Ray’s race car suddenly slowed with an apparent mechanical issue, surrendering his position to pull into the pits as Yackey moved into third. Scott attempted to use his favorite high-line trick, but couldn’t fire off the corners quite as good as Robertson and was unable to take control of the race. Once again, side-by-side lapped traffic threatened the frontrunners, but Robertson easily navigated it, putting more distance between himself and Scott. While Scott tried to track down Robertson, Yackey was hot on his heels, looking to snag second place. Suddenly, Scott found himself in Yackey’s clutches as the two battled two-wide for second place for a few laps. Yackey gained the upper hand and passed Scott for second, essentially wrapping up his championship-winning performance before the checkers even dropped. Up front, Robertson continued to lead uncontested, flashing across the line and earning a hard-fought Challenge Cup trophy and the $5,000 prize presented by Steve’s Transmission & Gears in memory of longtime CNS racer Dave Savage. Robertson’s victory was especially notable – his grandfather, Odie Robertson, won the inaugural running of the event way back in 1975.

Yackey cruised to a second-place finish and claimed the 2025 SLM Championship, while Scott came home third. Meanwhile, the No. 17 of Holly Clark, who quietly ran ninth, earned the honors as Rookie of the Year.

Quick Time: No. 11, Darren Robertson, 16.040

Feature: No. 11, Darren Robertson

2025 SLM Champion: No. 32, Brett Yackey

2025 SLM ROTY: No. 17, Holly Clark

Pueblo Bank & Trust Super Stocks

Feature 1 – 20 Laps

Kyle Stidham’s No. 97 and Chris Cox’s No. 49 paced the field to green for the first of two Super Stock Feature races to decide the division champion. Cox took control of the lead, leaving Stidham to battle the No. 23 of Jordan Abeyta – at least, until the No. 9 of Brent Cave entered the picture and overtook Abeyta. A bit of rain made the track slippery, but the massive field of 30 race cars held it together, playing nice with both each other and the wet track. Cox, unaffected by the rain, set sail, ditching Stidham, who had his hands full of Cave as he tried to defend his second-place position. The No. 4 of Chris Jordan began to close on Abeyta for fourth place as Cox began to work his way through lapped traffic. Stidham lost ground on Cox in the melee as Abeyta worked hard to defend his hold on third place. Cave gained on Stidham as Cox pulled away, but couldn’t make it work at the line. Cox maintained the lead right to the checkers as Cave finally picked off Stidham, finishing second. Abeyta crossed the line third as Stidham fell outside of the top five. Cox’s victory and Abeyta’s impressive top-three showing meant that they were tied in championship points heading into the night’s second Feature – and the final SS points race of the season.

Feature 2 – 25 Laps

Setting the stage for a dead heat for the 2025 championship, Abeyta rolled off sixth while Cox took the green from eighth. The No. 61 of John Humphrey and the No. 60M of Morrie Christner showed the way from the front row, although an accordion affect caused several drivers to tangle on Lap 2. Christner and Humphrey renewed their battle up front when the race restarted; Humphrey managed to clear Christner, pulling Jordan through the gap with him. Another incident once again slowed the race to a crawl under caution, but Humphrey once again sliced into the lead as Cave turned second-place into a three-wide battle with the No. 33 of Dillyn Kellogg and Jordan. Cave cleared the tangle and rode his momentum all the way to the lead, then almost immediately checked out.

Behind him, the race for the championship took a turn as Cox passed Abeyta; Cox entered the top five, while Abeyta tracked him from sixth place. However, another multicar incident caused a caution; on the restart, Cave once again took the lead, but Cox’s night took a turn when he spun from contact with a competitor. The field was reset and Cox took the green from the front row alongside Cave. Cox could not hold onto the position and faded to third, allowing Kellogg the opportunity to pass him while Cave once again took the lead. Cave went on to win with Kellogg in tow. Cox’s P3 finish handed him the championship by a single-point margin over Abeyta. The No. 12S of Shawn Sulley wrapped up the season as Rookie of the Year, finishing sixth in the race.

Quick Time: No. 97, Kyle Stidham, 19.887

Feature 1: No. 49, Chris Cox

Feature 2: No. 9, Brent Cave

2025 SS Champion: No. 49, Chris Cox

2025 SS ROTY: No. 12S, Shawn Sulley

Exhaust Pros Northglenn Figure 8s

Feature 1 – 15 Laps

After a botched start saw several race cars spinning, Jereme Wall’s No. 15 lined up alongside the No. 18 of Dennis Stepanich to take the green. Wall got ahead of Stepanich, but before anyone could find pace, several cars once again spun out. Wall took the lead when the race restarted again. The No. 3 of Michael Wolfe Jr. emerged from the pack as he passed the No. 20 of Isaiah Proctor for fifth, beginning a pointed forward march through the pack. Wolfe picked off Jared Wall’s No. 52 while Jereme Wall pulled away from the pack, making several close calls through The X as he dodged slower traffic through the crossroads. Meanwhile, Wolfe was all over Stepanich for second place as Jereme Wall narrowly threaded the needle and dodged slow race cars headed the other direction. Wolfe completed the pass and ditched Stepanich; The X was full of action pretty much all race, and Jereme Wall once again had to check up to avoid striking another racer headed the other way. Finally, when the checkers dropped, it was Jereme Wall well out front, winning his ninth race of the 2025 season after some seriously close calls, all but wrapping up his championship with one Feature left.

Feature 2 – 20 Laps

The 2025 F8 season all came down to a 20-lap shootout. The No. 67 of Kylan Swenson led to the green flag, and though he was scored first on the opening lap, Wolfe, Jereme Wall, and Stepanich were already on the move, making big moves on their way to the front of the field. Wolfe broke away from the rest, passing the No. 38 of Javon Barnard for second, and then made quick work of overtaking Swenson for the lead. Just five laps in, The X was already a factor for the leaders, but Wolfe easily wove his way through and opened up an even bigger lead over Swenson in P2. Jereme Wall began pressuring Swenson for the position, though Swenson did his best to throw blocks. Jereme Wall finally overtook Swenson for second, and now began the long task of neutralizing Wolfe’s generous lead. Even as race cars almost collided, bounced off each other, or shortcut The X to avoid bigger incidents, Wolfe maintained his position. In fact, the only threat to his lead was slower traffic in The X. Wolfe was forced to make some dicey calls to make it through, but emerged unscathed, going on to win his first race of the 2025 season in the final F8 event. Jereme Wall claimed the championship trophy, and Proctor walked away as the division’s Rookie of the Year.

Quick Time: No. 15, Jereme Wall, 27.488

Feature 1: No. 15, Jereme Wall

Feature 2: No. 3, Michael Wolfe Jr.

2025 F8 Champion: No. 15, Jereme Wall

2025 F8 ROTY: No. 20, Isaiah Proctor

Sunoco Race Fuels Grand American Modifieds

Feature 1 – 18 Laps

While all divisions had one heck of a fight for their championships, none were as dramatic as the competition for the 2025 Grand American Modified crown. The No. 08 of Jace Hansen cleared the No. 66R of Eric Rhead – one of the top contenders for the championship – for fourth place while the No. 69 of Forest Smith maintained his lead. Smith washed up the track, which gave Fox a shot at the lead, and the two raced side-by-side for a few laps until Fox finally sealed the deal and began to pull away. Fox continued to lead as rain speckled the racetrack, and the checkers fell on Fox out front just as the rain really began to come down.

Feature 2 – 30 Laps

Frank Denning’s No. 90 led to the green with Rhead already knocking on the door for the early lead. Rhead searched for a way around, but couldn’t make it stick, racing alongside Denning as he tried gain any advantage he could both in the race for the top spot and the overall championship. Eventually, Denning succumbed to the hard-charging Rhead as Hansen closed on the top two. The closest race in the field suddenly shaped up for fourth as Smith, fresh off his Feature 1 victory, battled the No. 32 of Cody Milan for the position, holding up Fox, who couldn’t get past either one of them. Finally, he found a way around, clearing the pair as Rhead found his windshield full of lapped traffic. The top three broke away from the rest of the pack, but their runs were nullified as a caution waved for a multicar crash. Hansen began closing on Rhead for the lead when the green flag dropped as Fox wore out Denning’s rear bumper. However, Rhead was able to pull away, laying down some distance and crossing the checkers well ahead of the competition.

A Note On The 2025 GAM Championship:

When it comes to the Sunoco Grand American Modifieds, 2025 was a rather remarkable year altogether. The competition was fierce, and fans were treated to some of the finest driving we have seen at CNS in years. A total of 30 different GAMs registered for competition this summer, and both veterans and newcomers made sure that every race was memorable. There must certainly be something special about a division that has drivers traveling clear across the state –and even across state lines – to compete every weekend.

Championship night came down to two competitors: Cade Fox in the always-fast No. 51, and Eric Rhead, who packed up shop and made the drive to Colorado for every GAM race of the season. With the division title on the line, only one single point separated the two drivers.

Feature number one kicked off before Drift Colorado burned it down during intermission, but as the drivers closed in on twenty laps and neared the checkered flag, Mother Nature decided to interfere; sending a few cars around in circles and making for a wet finish with Fox in the lead. The second feature race – a full 30 laps – saw Eric Rhead start in third position and Fox in eighth. Clean driving, skillful passing, and just a little luck found Rhead in the led and Fox in P4 with just one lap remaining. Despite his best efforts, Fox could not move up a spot and Rhead cruised to victory. The result left Fox and Rhead deadlocked in a tie for first.

Colorado National Speedway has always sought to reward excellence. Cade Fox was lighting fast all season in his first-ever run at a Grand American Modified. Eric Rhead was equally competitive and showed tremendous dedication by driving down from Utah every weekend. Both are winners and as of today, both are Champion. CNS therefore announces that for 2025, both Cade Fox and Eric Rhead will be awarded Division Champion titles at the Driver Awards BBQ on Saturday, October 18^th. Congratulations to both on the historic season!

Quick Time: No. 69, Forest Smith, 17.244

Feature 1: No. 51, Cade Fox

Feature 2: No. 66R, Eric Rhead

2025 GAM Champion: No. 51, Cade Fox / No. 66R, Eric Rhead

2025 GAM ROTY: No. 541, Kirk Hunter

We appreciate everyone who stuck it out through the weather delay on Saturday night. Can’t thank our partners, fans, drivers, crews, employees, and teams enough for riding it out with us. We’ve still got plenty of racing left at CNS, and you could witness a part of track history. Next weekend, our Pro Trucks, Late Models, and Trains head out for their championship races, so pick up your tickets HERE!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Super Late Model - 100 Laps