Matco Tools Night Steals The Show At CNS

Alexandra Purcell
3 hours ago
8 min read

September 27, 2025 - Dacono, CO

Opening ceremony at Colorado National Speedway looked a little different on September 27^th, 2025 – the Matco Tools trucks from our titular sponsor graced the track, turning some laps to warm up the groove before a night of electric Feature racing. Our Pro Trucks and Late Models wrapped up their championships, each with two Feature races. That’s not all, though! Fans at CNS were treated to a fantastic and unique show from Drift Colorado, who weren’t just showing off their skill behind the wheel – they were competing for a national drift license. We also had a series of truck-only circle drags, and while the two Matco Tool trucks was a fan favorite matchup, it was the gold Ram 1500 TRX that was the winner of the night after fending off a Ford F-150. Our Pro Trucks couldn’t let a truck-only circle drag finish without one of them taking on the winner, and though it put up a valiant effort, that Ram just didn’t have anything for the No. 86 of Tim Coate.

Keep reading to get caught up on all the action – and trust us, there was quite a bit!

Matco Tools Pro Trucks

Feature 1 – 20 Laps

With a championship on the line – and the potential for the battle to go right down to the wire – the Pro Trucks headed out for the first of their twin Feature races, headed by the No. 1F of Happy Ferree and the No. 43 of Kody Vanderwal. Ferree got the jump on the start as the No. 22 of Brian Yackey brought his truck to the battle for P2, slicing past Vanderwal after just one lap in the heat of it. Behind them, the championship hopeful Curtis Heldenbrand rallied his No. 9 truck to fourth place, waiting for one of the leaders to slip up so he could take their position. As the top five filtered into a single file line, Yackey drew a bead on Ferree but couldn’t dig in enough to make it stick, settling for battling him side-by-side for a few laps in near-perfect tandem. However, their battle culminated in contact between them, sending Yackey off the track with damage. On the restart with just seven laps left, Ferree lined up alongside Vanderwal once again – and again, just like the start, Ferree walked away from the field, letting Heldenbrand and Vanderwal decide second amongst themselves. Vanderwal clawed his way past and began leaning on Ferree, going wheel-to-wheel in the closing laps. As they did battle for the race win, Heldenbrand lurked in P3 – then pounced when he had an opening, snubbing Vanderwal for the runner-up spot at the end. Ferree, meanwhile, completed the final circuit to win.

Feature 2 – 40 Laps

Heldenbrand was sitting pretty with a 23-point lead for the final PT race of the season. He took the green flag from the fourth row, following the No. 29 of Dalton Webb and the No. 85 of Jeff Walbaum across the stripe when the green dropped. Though Walbaum surged to an early lead, Webb fired back by diving to the inside, tamping down Walbaum’s attempts to stay out front and stepping into the lead himself. As Walbaum faded, the No. 86 of Tim Coate assumed P3, followed by a decent battle between the No. 16 of Travis Roe and the No. 34 of Rudy Vanderwal for fourth place. Roe took the spot away from Vanderwal while Coate tried to overtake Walbaum, but to no avail. Ferree, meanwhile, was also on the move after starting in Row 4 with Heldenbrand next to him, picking off drivers one by one as he locked onto the front of the field. After a brief discussion with Rudy Vanderwal, though, Ferree fell in behind him, running P7 as Webb continued to easily gap the field.

Heldenbrand picked off Roe for fourth before knocking on Coate’s door for third. Webb maintained his lead as he dove through traffic, over a half a straightaway between him and Walbaum. Coate suddenly found himself hung out to dry as he dropped like a rock to fifth place, surrendering third to Heldenbrand and fourth to Yackey. Webb’s race truck came to life in lapped traffic, deftly dodging slower trucks. Heldenbrand wasn’t so lucky, unable to hold off Yackey for third. Ferree eked his way into the top five after demoting Roe. Webb brought his truck across the line first, earning his first Feature win in dominating fashion. Heldenbrand wrapped up an incredible season with his fourth-place finish and enough points racked up to claim the 2025 PT Championship, while the No. 88 of Ashlyn Himler earned the honors as Rookie of the Year.

Quick Time: No. 1F, Happy Ferree, 17.102

Feature 1: No. 1F, Happy Ferree

Feature 2: No. 29, Dalton Webb

2025 PT Champion: No. 9, Curtis Heldenbrand

2025 PT ROTY: No. 88, Ashlyn Himler

Late Models

Feature 1 – 20 Laps

Parading behind Caleb Johnson’s No. 1 and Eric Meisner’s No. 51, the Late Model field stared down the conclusion to its season with a pair of Features ahead of them. Meisner led Lap 1 as Johnson slotted into second place. The No. 15 of Michael Hannah tried to demote the No. 99 driven by Tessa Marine, while the No. 40 of Brandon Newey and the No. 31 of Derek Smith duked it out for fifth. Hannah looked to Marine’s inside but dropped back, unable to complete the pass. Meisner shot through traffic, catching the tail end of the field at the halfway point – and it worked to his disadvantage. Johnson slotted right into Meisner’s tire tracks and closed the gap, reeling Meisner into striking distance. While Hannah chipped into Marine’s hold on P3, Johnson mounted one more charge, roughing his way past Meisner as the flagman waited with the white in hand. On the last lap, Johnson’s work paid off and he took the top spot, pulling away in the final corners to snatch the victory.

Feature 2 – 40 Laps

The No. 8 of Dan Alamaa, Newey, and Johnson were locked in a dead heat for the 2025 LM Championship with just 40 laps between them and CNS history. Newey rolled off third, right behind Alamaa in second, while Johnson had a bigger challenge ahead of him, starting in eighth. Alamaa dropped the hammer and took the lead away from the No. 46 of Zach Witherwax as Witherwax took up second place. Meisner almost made third place a three-wide battle, but Newey took the spot away, dead-set on advancing his position enough to claim the championship. Meisner demoted Witherwax, overtaking him for second, but before he could make a run at Alamaa, the field was slowed for a multicar incident.

After a brief red flag for cleanup, the race resumed. Meisner took control as Alamaa fell out of the top spot. Newey and Smith battled for third place. Meisner checked out as the pack maintained two-wide formation behind. When another multicar incident unfolded, Newey was swept into the melee, but regrouped when the green flag dropped. Meisner held off Smith up front and again took the lead. Alamaa got his claws into Smith and took away his position, although Smith answered with a heated charge and took second place back. Johnson quietly picked off Smith, too, pressuring Alamaa for second place. He seemed to be the only one able to cut into Meisner’s lead, charging hard into the corners. Meisner easily picked his way between lapped traffic, using them to keep Johnson at bay, although not for long. On Lap 31, Johnson had reeled in Meisner, close enough that they almost touched bumpers – and though Johnson tried to mount one final charge with two to go, he was thwarted by a slower car and had to back out. Meisner maintained his lead, picking up the hardware as the race winner, although Johnson didn’t walk away empty handed – he was crowned 2025 LM Rookie of the Year. Newey, meanwhile, brought home just enough points to solidify his performance as 2025 LM Champion.

Quick Time: No. 1, Caleb Johnson, 17.446

Feature 1: No. 1, Caleb Johnson

Feature 2: No. 51, Eric Meisner

2025 LM Champion: No. 40, Brandon Newey

2025 LM ROTY: No. 1, Caleb Johnson

Lowry Insurance Trains

Feature – 8 Laps

The No. 22 Hot Mess Express held the lead, but only briefly – the No. 91 Friday Night Special took control, diving through The X to make it happen. Two Trains got together, sending them both spinning – including the championship leader, the No. 86 Last Call. The race stayed green and Friday Night Special kept up its chaotic – but quick – pace. Last Call slapped the wall but kept digging, seemingly unfazed by the contact. In fact, Last Call kept right on the leader, pressuring Friday Night Special as they skidded and slid through the turns. At the last possible second, Last Call’s drivers threw the train past Friday Night Special, sealing the deal on the final lap, winning not only the race but the 2025 Trains Championship.

Feature: No. 86, Last Call

2025 Trains Champion: No. 86, Last Call - Jared Wall & Nic Wall

There’s nothing quite like watching drivers battle it out for the championship here on the storied asphalt of CNS. We truly can’t do it without our fans, drivers, crews, partners, employees, and supporters. There’s only ONE MORE WEEKEND to get your racing fix, and it’s going to be the most fun we’ve had all year as we gather for our annual Halloween party, costume contest, and Trick Or Treat with the drivers and their race cars in the infield! Remember, the action starts early, so pick up your tickets HERE to skip the line!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Pro Trucks Feature 1 - 20 Laps