Memorial Day weekend is one of the crown jewels of motorsports as a whole, and Colorado National Speedway is no exception. On Saturday, May 25th, 2024, excellent car counts across four divisions – Pro Trucks, Grand American Modifieds, Late Models, and Trains – did battle on track for an incredible house of fans. The stars and stripes snapped in the wind over our dedicated fans and drivers for one of the best shows in the country, and we were lucky enough to have Mr. Dizzy, renowned stuntman and seven-time world record holder, showed off his death-defying skills as he leaped out of an exploding car. The heat could be felt all throughout the front stretch from the explosion – a fitting metaphor for the on-track action on Saturday.
Matco Tools Pro Trucks
Feature 1 – 20 Scheduled Laps
The No. 9 truck of Curtis Heldenbrand and the No. 22 of Brian Yackey took the green from the front row. Heldenbrand shot to the inside, but couldn’t shake Yackey as they rounded Turn 4 on the first lap. Meanwhile, the No. 16 of Travis Roe and the No. 1F of Happy Ferree duked it out for the third position behind them. Ferree won the battle and settled in behind Yackey as the field strung out behind Heldenbrand. Meanwhile, the No. 43 of Kody Vanderwal muscled his way through the field, marching right up to Roe’s bumper with 11 laps left on the board. He snagged fourth place and ran away with it. By the halfway point, the top three – Heldenbrand, Yackey, and Ferree – were strung out evenly, but they were denied a chance to race to the line when the No. 9 truck grenaded in Turn 1, spewing oil and slicking up the track. Yackey hit the oil slick and went sideways, backing hard into the wall as Ferree was collected and knocked down the fence alongside him. Roe wheeled his truck out of the way and spun out to avoid contact himself. Due to the ensuing red flag and extensive cleanup, the race was called after 15 of its scheduled 20 laps. Vanderwal, who was running fourth before the incident, was declared the winner of the first Pro Truck Feature.
Feature 2 – 40 Laps
Rudy Vanderwal picked up the lead when the green flag dropped, throwing his No. 34 truck ahead of the No. 85 pf Jeff Walbaum. The No. 7 of Adam Deines and the No. 50 of Tyler Wiggans, who took it side-by-side for the coveted third position, traded paint as they led a two-wide pack behind them. Kody Vanderwal, on a mission to sweep the night’s Features, ran hard against Tyler Davis’s No. 33 truck for fifth place, while Roe bested Steve Johnson’s No. 11 truck for sixth behind him. On Lap 9, Kody Vanderwal and Deines began a vicious battle for fourth. Two laps later, Kody Vanderwal had him and yanked his truck in front of Deines. The three frontrunners ran single file until Deines lost the back end of his truck, getting sideways and allowing Kody Vanderwal the opportunity to get past him. Kody put the No. 43 on the bumper of Wiggans for third place, and both trucks slowly began to cut the distance that Walbaum had on them for second place. Then, the No. 6 pf Kip Sandell went for a neat spin all by himself, but the track stayed green and Rudy continued to show the way. Walbaum, eyes locked on the rearview, sent his truck a little too hard in Turn 4, letting Wiggans and Kody get by.
The two trucks touched, but Wiggans held on. Kody gathered himself and lined up the shot again, but had to back out as they came up on lapped traffic. Walbaum plummeted through the field and was overtaken by Roe for fifth, continuing to lose ground. Rudy Vanderwal held a comfortable lead, but just as he was closing in on lapped traffic, Sandell went for a spin again, causing a caution. The pack lined back up for a restart with nine laps left. The restart gave Wiggans the shot he needed to fight Rudy for the lead, and the two trucks battled nose-to-nose for the lead until Wiggans got a bit loose and found himself in the clutches of the younger Kody. After a few laps of back-and-forth, Kody put Wiggans behind him and lit out after his father, who maintained the lead. The two Vanderwals gave each other no quarter as they thundered around the track in pursuit of the checkered flag. On the last lap, chasing a lapped car, Rudy found a little more speed than Kody, who dug into the groove, staying high and casting the nose of his truck across the finish line in front of his son, securing the top two spots for the Vanderwal clan.
Quick Time: No. 9, Curtis Heldenbrand, 17.297
Feature 1: No. 43, Kody Vanderwal
Feature 2: No. 34, Rudy Vanderwal
GTI Services Late Models
Fast Dash – 10 Laps
The patriotic No. 8 of Dan Alamaa immediately shot to the outside, fending off the No. 98 of Lee Kemmit. Alamaa was clearly better on the straights, but Kemmit cut the distance in the corners, but it wasn’t enough to beat Alamaa and the No. 8 took off with a comfortable lead. A fight for the second spot shaped up on Lap 4 as Kemmit fell victim to the No. A51 of Kyle Clegg, sliding backward as he was caught by Del Trantham Jr.’s No. 5 and Eric Meisner’s No. 51. Clegg stalked Alamaa, taking advantage of the uppermost lane before executing a daring crossover on the last lap. Alamaa didn’t let him have the position without a fight, though, and the two streaked toward the finish line in a dead heat – but it was the No. A51 of Clegg with the advantage for the win by just a hair.
Dash – 10 Laps
The No. 21 of Robert Hoard took the lead on the high side, but the No. 60 driven by Rick Duckworth fought back on the bottom. They touched and bounced apart in Turn 2, letting Hoard jump ahead with the lead, although Duckworth didn’t let him run off with it. The two trucks made slight contact again, this time giving the advantage to Duckworth as Hoard lined up behind him and shot to the inside. Hoard took the top spot again while Duckworth leaned on his quarter panel before losing ground and unhappily settling into second. The two-car breakaway for the lead continued as Duckworth rallied on the outside, fell back, lined up one more shot, but couldn’t make it stick and followed Hoard to the checkered flag.
Feature – 30 Laps
Seventeen Late Models followed the No. 7X of Kyle Morse to the green flag, but he couldn’t shake the No. 6 of Tommy Roe. The race cars made light contact, scrubbing speed from Morse’s machine as Roe took advantage and claimed P1. Morse slipped backward and was passed by Meisner and Kemmit before falling into fourth place. Roe continued to lead as Meisner fought to his rear bumper, pressuring him for the lead. Meanwhile, Clegg’s No. A51 had cut his way into fifth place after starting eighth, quickly demoting Morse and taking fourth place for himself. Up front, Meisner had Roe reeled in, giving him a hard time for the lead before shooting to the top of the board on Lap 15 – but not for long, as an apparent mechanical issue kneecapped the No. 51 machine, forcing Meisner to jerk his race car up high and let the field get by on the inside before rejoining the flow of traffic.
Roe inherited the lead and rounded the track, getting a bit sideways in front of the pack, but he had enough real estate to stay out of trouble and maintain P1. Clegg caught Kemmit, who held down second place, as both cut down on Roe’s lead until the No. 21 of Dash winner Hoard had a tire go down and went for a spin, causing a yellow flag. Roe got loose on the restart and surrendered the lead to Clegg and Kemmit. Clegg got to the point as the white flag waved, leading all the way to the stripe and claiming his second straight win of the season.
Quick Time: No. 51, Eric Meisner, 17.642
Fast Dash: No. A51, Kyle Clegg
Dash: No. 21, Robert Hoard
Feature: No. A51, Kyle Clegg
Sunoco Race Fuels Grand American Modifieds
Fast Dash – 10 Laps
Kyle Clegg’s No. 51 got off to an incredible start, although the No. 08 of Jace Hansen looked to the inside. Clegg led the first lap, but Hansen put the hammer down and demoted him in Turn 2. Holly Clark’s No. 17 looked to the outside of Clegg but couldn’t get around him, lightly brushing the front stretch wall. By Lap 4, the field strung out in single file formation, following Hansen as he showed the way. Clark mounted a charge on the outside lane to bring it side-by-side with Clegg for P2, getting by in Turn 4 as she set after Hansen. She put plenty of pressure on him heading to the checkered flag, but nothing would deny Hansen’s Fast Dash win, not even a spinning car on the last lap.
Dash – 10 Laps
The No. 77 of Brian McKeever jumped to the lead after the green flag dropped, but Kyle Ray’s No. 58 fired back on the outside and took the lead by Lap 2. Meanwhile, Jeremiah Hill’s No. 3 and Jacob Smith’s No. 89 battled for P3 behind them. The field finally strung out halfway through the race, and Ray stretched his lead, but P2 became a hotly contested position once more as Smith and McKeever raced abreast of one another. McKeever reclaimed second place as Smith pressured Hill for third. Ray had a straightaway’s lead and absolutely dominated the pack to take the Dash win.
Feature – 50 Laps
Commercial Truck & Trailer along with High Stakes ponied up to extend the GAM Feature event, and the increased purse meant that stakes were high for the 23-car field. A chaotic first lap set the tone for the 50-lap race as Scotty Scott’s No. 6 machine led, while Fast Dash winner Hansen was forced to retire with an apparent mechanical issue just two laps in. Scott continued to lead until several cars accordioned in Turn 4, sending the No. 52 of Jared Wall sideways. Sparks spewed from beneath Wall’s race car as he limped around the track, stopping high in Turn 1 and causing a caution. Scott restarted with Darin Clark’s No. 13 alongside him. Scott picked up right where he left off, but was now under pressure from the No. 24 of Nathan Gasser and the No. 17 of Clark. Gasser got right on Scott’s bumper, but Scott got away with the lead out of Turn 4, leaving Gasser to fight with Clark for P2. Clark shot by on the bottom and demoted Gasser, going after Scott with Gasser right on her bumper. Then, the No. 13 of Darin Clark spun after contacting Cody Milan’s No. 32 machine. Milan suffered a broken toe link and had to pull off; the No. 13S, Jordan Smith, who spun to avoid incident was able to continue.
The restart put Clark in line with Scott, and she got to the top spot with Scott in tow, followed by Gasser, Ray, and Clegg. Clark checked out with half a straightway between herself and Scott. Gasser got around Scott on Lap 19 and locked Clark in his sights, intent on grabbing the lead, even as Clegg took third place and began stalking him. Gasser cut a little more distance as Clark had to go three-wide around lapped traffic, but her lead vanished when the No. 8 of Benjamin Stanley suddenly slowed down the front stretch, ailing with mechanical issues. Clark and Gasser started together on the front row; Clark got her lead back and Gasser managed to keep Clegg behind him. A few race cars spun but cleared the racing surface, allowing the track to stay green as Clark stretched her lead once more. Then, Scott spun out on Lap 38, forcing Jacob Smith to act fast and spin his No. 89 clear to avoid piling into him. Clark and Gasser restarted again on the front row; Clark once again took the lead as Clegg held up Gasser for P2 before pulling up to Clark’s bumper for the lead. Then, Hill’s No. 3 and Steve Rodenbaugh’s No. 2 slammed together, sending Hill for a spin and causing a caution; the race restarted briefly before another caution was called for the No. 9 of CJ Wilson going for a spin.
This time, Clark restarted abreast of Clegg. They appeared to be evenly matched, battling nose-to-nose until Clark sped into the lead. Gasser entered the conversation, passing Clegg and taking Ray along with him, putting Clegg in fourth place as his race car threw sparks heading into the turns. Clark stayed out front and took her first CNS win while Gasser held off Ray for second.
Quick Time: No. 08, Jace Hansen, 16.922
Fast Dash: No. 08, Jace Hansen
Dash: No. 58, Kyle Ray
Feature: No. 17, Holly Clark
Take 5 Oil Change Trains
Trains are always a wild card at CNS, and Saturday night was no different. In fact, it was quite the show as the No. 91 JH Livestock Friday Night Special lurched into the lead ahead of the No. 41G, JH Livestock’s Funny Farm. The No. 01 Dukes of Hazard train pounded the wall and had to pull off on the front stretch while the other Trains continued to race. Friday Night Special kept the lead, paced by Funny Farm, until Funny Farm found a way around and took the lead. In The X, the No. 3 Anger Management was hammered and got into the dirt along with Funny Farm, and the No. 151 Crazy Train took heavy damage as well. The action allowed Friday Night Special to reclaim the lead as the No. 80HD SNAFU lost a wheel and limped to the line. When the dust settled, Friday Night Special took home the trophy.
Feature: No. 91, Friday Night Special
Huge thanks to everyone who trekked out to see the show at CNS on Saturday night. You know where to find us all summer and then some, so be sure to check out the action for yourself as the season progresses. We appreciate our fans, competitors, and employees who make things at CNS possible.
If you missed any of the live action over the weekend. Subscribe to LowBudget TV to re-watch the nights action. Click Here
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Pro Truck Feature 1 - 20 Laps
43 Kody Vanderwal
16 Travis Roe
33 Tyler Davis
11 Steve Johnson
50 Tyler Wiggans
7 Adam Deines
34 Rudy Vanderwal
85 Jeff Walbaum
28 Brian Weinmaster
71 Tim Duvall
6 Kip Sandell
88S Brad Skufca
86 Tim Coate
4 Chris Jordan
9 Curtis Heldenbrand
22 Brian Yackey
1F Happy Ferree
Pro Truck Feature 2 - 40 Laps
34 Rudy Vanderwal
43 Kody Vanderwal
16 Travis Roe
50 Tyler Wiggans
33 Tyler Davis
7 Adam Deines
85 Jeff Walbaum
11 Steve Johnson
88S Brad Skufca
4 Chris Jordan
86 Tim Coate
71 Tim Duvall
28 Brian Weinmaster
6 Kip Sandell DNS 9 Curtis Heldenbrand DNS 22 Brian Yackey DNS 1F Happy Ferree
Late Models - 30 Laps
A51 Kyle Clegg
98 Lee Kemmit
6 Tommy Roe
7X Kyle Morse
8 Dan Alamaa
5 Del Trantham Jr
18 Casey Wiggans
58 Bryce Weinmaster
60 Rick Duckworth
16 Steve Mills
32 Joseph Andrade
99 Tessa Marine
51 Eric Meisner
17X Mariah Boudrieau
23 Jordan Abeyta (R)
21 Robert Hoard
14 Larry Mullins (R) DNS 17 Paul Deines
Grand American Modified - 50 Laps
17 Holly Clark
24 Nathan Gasser
58 Kyle Ray
51 Kyle Clegg
21 Ryan Jones (R)
89 Jacob Smith
13S Jordan Smith
68 Jason Hulvey (R)
55 Damian Lockhart
6 Scotty Scott
98 Todd Glace (R)
9 CJ Wilson
7 David Robinson
88 Paul Himler
22 Travis Rudolph
2 Steve Rodenbaugh
3 Jeremiah Hill
8 Benjamin Stanley
13 Darin Clark
32 Cody Milan (R)
77 Bryan McKeever
52 Jared Wall
08 Jace Hansen
Trains - 10 Laps
91 JH Livestock Friday Night Special
80HD SNAFU
41G J&H Livestock's Funny Farm
151 Crazy Train
3 Anger Management
01 Dukes Of Hazzard