Puzzle Effects Track Masters Night Kicks Off Triple-Header Weekend At CNS

Alexandra Purcell
Aug 4
9 min read

July 31, 2026 - Dacono, CO

Day one of Colorado National Speedway's three-day racing spectacular kicked off on July 31^st, 2026. We know Mother Nature isn’t much of a race fan these days, and we want to give a shout-out to everyone who stuck out the rain with us because once the green flag finally waved, the wait was more than worth it.

The CARS Tour West Legends, Pure Stocks, and Bandoleros wasted no time putting on a show, delivering hard-fought battles, dramatic moments, and exciting finishes throughout the evening. From the youngest drivers climbing the ranks to seasoned veterans battling for victory, every division gave the fans plenty to cheer about as the opening night of the weekend set the tone for what promises to be an unforgettable three-day event.

If you missed the action, here's how it all unfolded.

CTW Legends

Dash A – 15 Laps

The No. 38 of Garrett Wilson and the No. 17K of Marc Karashinski brought the field to green. Karashinski immediately challenged for the lead, but a spin in Turn 2 brought out an early caution. Wilson got away cleanly on the restart as the field quickly settled into line behind him. Karashinski tucked into second while the No. 60 of Liam Hammond began applying pressure. Behind them, the No. 13P of David Price held off the No. 73 of Michael Markison for fourth.

Karashinski reeled in Wilson as the top three pulled away from the field. Hammond worked the inside lane but couldn't find a way past, eventually slipping back before another single-car spin on the backstretch slowed the race. Wilson once again controlled the restart while Karashinski again took over second place. Price charged into third, dropping Hammond to fourth. Markison clung to fifth despite pressure from the No. 27C of Steven Nester while also trying to work past Hammond. Hammond answered with a move to the inside, but Price held him at bay. Wilson went unchallenged over the closing laps, taking the Dash victory ahead of Karashinski and Price.

Fast Dash – 20 Laps

The No. 5E of Eli Black jumped to the early lead with the No. 12H of Colton Hale and the No. 1 of Joey Lobue in pursuit. Hale slotted in behind the leaders while the No. 15H of Rhylee Hutchins settled into fourth. Within a few laps, the lead trio tightened up, and Lobue and Hale worked past Black, dropping him to third. Hale took control up front while a spirited battle developed for fourth between Hutchins, the No. 52 of Neil Dulin, and the No. 18B of Brexton Busch.

Black leaned on Lobue's rear bumper while trying to reclaim second, but Lobue shut the door each time. Busch repeatedly challenged Dulin before finally completing the pass on the final lap to crack the top five. Out front, Hale remained in command from green to checkered, with Black beating Lobue for second at the finish.

Feature – 25 Laps

The No. 27H of Brian Harlow took command of the race, leaving the field to sort itself out behind him. The No. 13L of Aspyn Lange immediately began working her way forward, chasing the $500 bonus on the line. Harlow, however, maintained a comfortable advantage as the field settled into a single-file rhythm. Lange steadily reeled Harlow in, trimming his lead to just a single car-length before making a move to the inside. Harlow held firm, forcing Lange to regroup. Behind them, the No. 97 of Billy Blevins and the No. 23B of Lucas Bolton waited for an opportunity to capitalize.

After shadowing Harlow for several laps, Lange lost ground, allowing both Blevins and Bolton to close in. Bolton then found momentum, sweeping past both competitors to move into second with just five laps remaining. Out front, Harlow was untouchable, claiming the victory, the bragging rights, and the $500 prize.

Fast Feature – 30 Laps

Just as the leaders completed the opening lap, a multi-car incident on the front stretch collected several competitors and brought out the caution. On the restart, Hale took control while the top five jockeyed for position behind him. When the dust settled, Busch emerged in second ahead of Black. Lobue and Austin Steinke battled for fifth until Raegan Fruge joined the fight, taking over the position.

Black quickly caught Busch as the pair set off after Hale. Meanwhile, Lobue and Dulin raced side by side as Lobue tried to reclaim a place inside the top five. At halfway, Hale continued to lead Busch and Black through heavy lapped traffic. Fruge slipped backward through the field by Lap 18, opening the door for Dulin to move into the top five. Black remained glued to Busch's rear bumper, but despite several attempts, he couldn't complete the pass. The battle for second proved to be the race's fiercest contest, while Dulin used lapped traffic to work past Steinke for fourth.

Hale never faltered over the closing laps, completing a clean sweep of the Fast Dash and Fast Feature. Busch held onto second, with Black completing the podium. Dulin finished fourth ahead of Steinke.

Quick Time: N/A (scratched due to weather)

Fast Dash: No. 12H, Colton Hale

Dash A: No. 38, Garrett Wilson

Fast Feature: No. 12H, Colton Hale

Feature: No. 27H, Brian Harlow

Grease Diva Garage Pure Stocks

Feature 1 – 20 Laps

A multi-car incident on the opening circuit brought out an early caution and a complete restart. When the race finally started for real, the No. 1 of Derek Spalding and the No. 89 of Justin Barnard led the Pure Stock field to the green, with Spalding quickly taking control while the No. 19Y of Justin Young Jr. slipped past Barnard before the opening lap was complete. The No. 52 of Nic Wall held second while defending from Barnard, as Young Jr. battled to stay with them both. However, Barnard eventually faded from the top five, opening the door for the No. 54 of Giovanni Scimeca to move in.

Scimeca steadily worked his way forward, but had his hands full with Young Jr. and Barnard while the No. 63 of Kenny Bowlus entered the battle. Wall had a tense moment on the slick racing surface but gathered it back up, continuing his charge through traffic. As the leaders encountered lapped cars, Spalding stretched his advantage while the No. 08 of Tanner McKim worked past Wall to move into second. With five laps remaining, Scimeca pulled alongside Wall in the battle for third, while Wall also had to fend off Young Jr. Despite McKim's late charge, Spalding had built an insurmountable advantage and cruised to the victory. McKim finished second, with Scimeca completing the podium.

Feature 2 – 25 Laps

A massive pileup on the backstretch slowed the race before the field could settle into a rhythm. Following a red flag for cleanup, the No. 54 of Giovanni Scimeca led the restart with McKim and Bowlus close behind. McKim pulled even with Scimeca, the pair racing as mirror images of one another before McKim completed the pass for the lead. Meanwhile, Spalding charged into the top five, taking over fourth as he set his sights on the leaders.

The race soon split into two distinct battles. Up front, McKim and Scimeca pulled away from the field, while all drivers from eighth on back were a tightly packed group racing door-to-door for position. McKim opened his advantage as the laps wound down, while Scimeca did everything he could to stay with him. Even as McKim navigated lapped traffic, his lead never came under serious threat. A multi-car incident in Turn 4, followed by additional incidents elsewhere on the track, prompted officials to end the race under a yellow/checkered finish with two laps remaining. McKim was credited with the victory, capping off a dominant second feature.

Quick Time: N/A (scratched due to weather)

Feature 1: No. 1, Derek Spalding

Feature 2: No. 08, Tanner McKim

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.

Bandit Dash – 10 Laps

The No. 35 of Maverick Arechiga took the opening green flag and quickly established the lead, with the No. 15S of Declan Shaw in pursuit as the field encountered lapped traffic after just one lap. Arechiga remained composed despite traffic filling every corner of the shortened course, maintaining the lead over Shaw and the No. 28P of Hayden Powers.

Shaw and Powers put on a spirited battle for second, but Shaw managed to keep the position. Then, Arechiga spun, clearing the way for Powers to inherit the lead. Powers capitalized on the opportunity and drove to the Dash victory, leading Shaw across the stripe.

Outlaw Dash – 10 Laps

The No. 07 of Madison Stanley rocketed into the lead as soon as the green flag flew, but the No. 09 of Kayden Willey immediately challenged on the inside. Willey briefly claimed the top spot before the No. 23M of Izaak Mead joined the fight. Mead closed in but backed out before completing the pass.

Stanley quickly reclaimed the lead and, as the front-runners caught the tail end of the field, had to make several quick moves through lapped traffic to stay out front. After escaping a close call midway through the race, Stanley finally found clear track and began stretching her advantage. Driving away over the closing laps, Stanley captured the Dash victory, finishing nearly three seconds ahead.

Bandit Feature – 12 Laps

The No. 25 of Edward Shupe jumped to the early lead, but the No. 28 of Chandler Gasser stayed close behind, shadowing him through slower traffic during the opening laps. The field safely negotiated a tense two-wide moment entering Turn 1 before Shaw spotted an opening and charged into third.

Shaw's momentum continued as he worked past Gasser and, with just three laps remaining, completed the pass for the lead. From there, he never looked back. Even after spinning while taking the checkered flag, Shaw held on to score the Feature victory.

Outlaw Feature – 12 Laps

Before the race could settle in, several competitors spun together, prompting a complete restart. On the second attempt, Mead took command of the field with Muhler applying steady pressure as the pair ditched the pack.

Behind them, Willey and the No. 44 of Emersyn Weitzel remained locked in a close battle for third while the leaders navigated slower traffic. When Mead was briefly held up behind a lapped car, Muhler seized the opportunity and took over the lead. Mead continued to lose ground, allowing Muhler to pull away over the closing laps. From there, it was all Muhler, as he drove to the checkered flag for the Outlaw Feature victory.

Bandit Dash: No. 28P, Hayden Powers

Bandit Feature: No. 15S, Declan Shaw

Outlaw Dash: No. 07, Madison Stanley

Outlaw Feature: No. 95J, Jaxon Muhler

CNS would again like to thank our fans for their patience during the weather delay! We'd also like to thank our competitors, crews, officials, track staff, employees, sponsors, and partners for making the opening night of our three-day racing weekend a tremendous success!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Legend FAST Feature - 30 Laps