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James Trantina III has expanded his vast racing interests with the purchase of I-94 EMR Speedway in Fergus Falls, Minn., the track announced today. The 40-year-old St. Joseph, Minn., businessman, track owner, national-tour team owner and racing sponsor recently completed the purchase from Don and Brenda Shaw, who have owned the track for six years.

Trantina said he’s “excited for the opportunity to own such a beautiful facility and work with the team that makes it work week in and week out,” but doesn’t plan major changes. Deb Engfer will continue managing the track with the same staff members and Don Shaw, also a longtime Dirt Late Model racer, who will continue with track preparation and serving as co-promoter.

“Don and I have some plans to keep making it better and we plan to work as a team in 2026 to do just that,” added Trantina, who also owns Granite City Motor Park in Sauk Rapids, Minn. “Don has already spent quite a bit of money and many manhours this offseason with upgrades to the facility. This place is capable of premier events and that’s something I’ve always wanted, plus having a Friday and a Sunday night track within close proximity will allow us to have some fun and different events at both tracks.”

Shaw, who thanked everyone for efforts in making the track successful, said he decided on the sale in part to cut down on stress amid medical concerns. He says Trantina “has the strong desire to keep racing alive and absolutely has the resources to back it.”

I-94 Speedway is the annual host of the WISSOTA 100 and a recent stop on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series among other special events for Late Models and other divisions while operating from May through October. The season opener is May 8 with WISSOTA-sanctioned Late Models and Scott’s GenX Late Models among regular divisions.

Trantina owns and operates Collins Brothers Towing of St. Cloud, Minn., a sprawling business encompassing 18 towing and automotive companies across three states. He’s also been a longtime racing sponsor and owns the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series team for Lake Shore, Minn., driver Dan Ebert. Trantina also plans to compete as a Late Model rookie in 2026.

Visit i94speedways.com for more information. — Chris Stepan