Weekly Notebook presented by FK Rod Ends
Notes: Restored vision, AK car boosts Minnesotan
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt managing editor
Skeeter Estey (shooterguyphotos.com)
Skeeter Estey’s 2025 racing season was among the worst of his career. Battling the aftereffects of a July 2024 concussion after a wreck in Superior, Wis., the 38-year-old Kelly Lake, Minn., driver won a single Late Model feature in 40 starts.
Looking toward 2026, Estey was hopeful for a full recovery and a fresh start when in September he put his name on the list for an AK Race Car from fledgling chassis builder Austin Kirkpatrick.
“When I ordered this new car, I'm like, ‘If I can't make it work this year, then I'm probably gonna be done,' because I'm not gonna struggle like that,” Estey recalled. “I’m out there to win. I don't like to struggle.”
He couldn’t have hoped for a better turnaround.
Winning five of his first 14 starts, including a $3,000 WISSOTA Late Model triumph at Hibbing (Minn.) Speedway, Estey is on his way to the best season of his five-year Late Model career with a month more of a regular season and late-season specials coming up.
"AK Race Cars, honestly, we switched to Austin's stuff this year, and, it's been good right out of the box,” Estey said. “It fits my driving style and he's been great to work with, so that's been a big game-changer for my program.”
And his lingering vision problems from his concussion have virtually subsided, thanks to neuromuscular therapy and a lengthy healing process.
“The biggest thing was just time,” Estey said. "I just had to wait my time out … now I feel 100 percent better.”
Estey has long been an accomplished racer. Following the tire tracks of his standout father, Kelly Estey, Skeeter — that’s his given name — is a two-time WISSOTA Midwest Mod champion (2016-17) and the first two-time B-mod winner at Humboldt (Kan.) Speedway’s Battle of the Bullring. He piled up a career-high 32 victories in that division in 2018, had a successful stint in A-mods and moved into Late Models in 2022, winning two races and earning DirtonDirt honors as one of Minnesota’s best newcomers.
His first Late Model special event victory came with a $3,000 triumph at Grand Rapids (Minn.) Speedway in July 2024, but two weeks later disaster struck with a violent rollover wreck at Gondik Law Speedway in Superior, Wis., that destroyed his Longhorn Chassis and left him with a serious concussion.
Getting a new Longhorn, Estey returned to compete a dozen more times in 2024, never finishing better than sixth. And even in 2025, concussion symptoms kept him from feeling comfortable behind the wheel in scoring a single victory.
“I probably should have just took (2025) off, but when you've been doing it your whole life, that's kind of a hard thing to do,” he said. “It was just like anytime the track had character rough or anything like that, my vision would just go blurry. There was many nights I just had to pull off just because I couldn't handle going through the bumps and then it'd be — I don’t know — my head feel would like it'd swell up.”
He’s nearly 100 percent this season and, Estey admits, he’s as careful as he can to avoid putting his car into bad situations.
"Thankfully we haven't been on real rough stuff this year, but, like I say, it’s been getting better,” he said. “It’s more manageable now, but if there is something real rough, I can definitely feel it a little bit, but it's not affecting me like it did before.”
Feeling better has been half the battle, but finding success with the North Carolina-based AK Race Car has been key, as well. Estey first noticed the brand when Ross Bailes drove the house car at Vado (N.M) Speedway Park during 2025’s Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout, and Estey thought it would fit his style of racing.
“I called Austin and we talked for probably three hours that first time I called him and he just has a different way of looking at a race car,” Estey said. “Everything he does makes perfect sense after he explains it and it just kind of opened my eyes a little bit on the potential he had there with what he's doing.
“He's been great to work with. We're on pretty much the base package still and he's been very helpful. We've been fine-tuning a little bit here and there, and he’s real receptive for what I need. He's good at listening and he's definitely a problem-solver.”
When Estey went to North Carolina in March to pick up the car, Kirkpatrick and his father went to The Smoke House barbecue Restaurant in Salisbury, N.C., to talk things over.
“His dad asked what my goals were for the season and I told him I said, ‘I want to win 10 races.’ Like I feel I should be capable of winning 10 races,” Estey said. “And Austin looked across the table and he said, ‘We’ll win you 10 races, no problem.’ ”
Estey is halfway there with lots of season left, although his 40-hour a week job as a mechanic with the City of Hibbing and his moonlighting work with Snap Signs Wraps & Banners have prevented him from racing as much as he’d like.
“It’s just hard to get away,” Estey said. “It's pretty crazy around here.”
But with his father assisting on the crew along with 13-year-old son Colton, who also helps with the sign business, Estey is enjoying a standout season, even if he’s yet to his the 20-feature mark.
“It's nice to be back winning with the Late Model now,” he said.
The Hibbing Speedway points leader has four victories at his home track and another at Proctor (Minn.) Speedway. While weekly events make up most of his summer action, he’ll have a shot at several Structural Buildings WISSOTA Challenge Series late-season events and WISSOTA’s independent late-summer specials.
Estey has had success at Hibbing’s Labor Day Shootout, but never in a full-fendered car, so that’s one he's circled on the calendar.
“To win one of them in the Late Model, that's my goal for this year,” Estey said. “I've won it three times in the mod, and I think I got 10 or 11 B-mod titles. So to get a Late Model one would be pretty cool.”
Weekly highlights
• Earning $5,000, Dave Hess Jr. of Waterford, Pa., captured July 17’s Pete Loretto Memorial at Freedom Motorsports Park in Delevan, N.Y.
• Winning his sixth straight East Moline (Ill.) Speedway feature on July 19, Travis Denning of Sterling, Ill., remaining perfect in IMCA Late Model competition at the quarter-mile oval. Denning also won July 17’s feature at Davenport (Iowa) Speedway.
• The ageless Dana Eiland of Salem, Ala., captured July 17’s Limited Late Model feature at Penton (Ala.) Raceway.
• Scoring a pair of weekend Limited Late Model victories, Kyle Lear of Severna Park, Md., won July 17 at Dog Hollow Speedway in Strongstown, Pa., and July 19 at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway.
First things first
Recent first-time occurrences at the dirt track:
• Winning July 19 at Mason City (Iowa) Motor Speedway in Karl Chevrolet Premier Late Model Tour action, Cody Thompson of Sioux City, Iowa, notched his first Late Model victory. He led the final 18 laps.
• Shaun Mangum of Monroe, N.C., who has also raced in the vintage car division, notched his first Limited Late Model feature July 18 at Lancaster (S.C.) Motor Speedway after surviving a protest.
Weekly news briefs
• Listening to driver feedback, the WISSOTA Promoter's Association made several changes for the WISSOTA 100, September’s special event at I-94 EMR Speedway in Fergus Falls, Minn. The top six nightly redraw will no longer be used, the blend rule will govern race officiating and the top eight finishers from each night’s qualifying feature will transfer to the Saturday finale, among other changes. Additionally, the divisional running order will be rotated throughout the week with a different class starting and ending programs each of the three preliminary nights.
• Former Dirt Late Model racer Melvin Sloan of Americus, Ga., died July 16 at the age of 74. The retired state inspector for Expert Modular Consultants was a longtime racer whose career wins include a 1991 Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Racing Series victory at Interstate Speedway in Cordele, Ga.
• Callaway Raceway in Fulton, Mo., has updated its Late Model rules to align with recent changes implemented by Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., regarding tires and engines. See the track Facebook pages for details.
• Elkins Speedway in Kerens, W.Va., has made organizational changes with Cody Watson added to the officiating crew and Jamie Miller taking over registration duties, among other changes announced by track owner Mike Hurley after an uneven July 17 program. Hurley said he wants "to make sure that our racing program is solid and gives the fans exactly what they pay for" for upcoming events. Additionally the track's Bobby Hart Classic, a $5,000-to-win event originally scheduled for July 24, rained out and was rescheduled for Aug. 22.
• During July 18’s race program at Sugar Creek Raceway in Blue Ridge, Ga., a 602 Crate Late Model driver Jacob Davis went over the outside wall in turns one and two and hit the retaining fence. A fence pole struck the hood and fender of a Dodge pickup with two occupants, but no injuries were reported. The track hosts the Schaeffer's Southern Nationals on July 23.
• With Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park rained out midway through July 18’s program, the track plans a doubleheader program on July 25. Those with wristbands from July 18 can watch the five makeup features beginning at 4 p.m. Anyone purchasing a new wristband can watch the makeup features along with the 6:30 p.m. regular program, which includes five divisions with Super Late Models.
• Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway announced plans for a $5,000-to-win non-touring event for Crate Racin' USA 602 Late Models scheduled for Aug. 21-22. The Midwest Dirt Nationals, preceded by Aug. 20 practice, includes time trials and heat races on opening night along with consolation races and a $5,000-to-win, $350-to-start finale.
• Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., announced it will remain dark on July 25 as a courtesy to the Schaeffer's Southern Nationals finale at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway. Volunteer is scheduled to resume action Aug. 8.
• Carolina Speedway near Gastonia, N.C., on July 24 will induct its Class of 2026 into the track’s Hall of Fame. Inductees are Andy Thompson, Billy Thompson and Jerry Oliver with the ceremonies being held during intermission before feature events.
• Princeton (W.Va.) Speedway cancelled July 17’s racing program because of a medical emergency for track owner Melvin Bishop. He was treated for an aortic aneurysm and was back home by July 18. The track plans to return to racing on July 24.
• 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, cancelled July 18’s race program because of various staffing issues and the hot weather. The track returns to action July 25 with $5 admission thanks to sponsorship from Refreshment Services, the local Pepsi distributor.
• Granite City Motor Park owner James Trantina III of St. Joseph, Minn., suffered multiple broken bones, 10 broken ribs and a broken nose in an ATV accident July 21 at the Sauk Rapids, Minn., track. The 40-year-old Trantina's side-by-side flipped on the backstretch and he was pinned underneath. He was taken to a St. Cloud, Minn., hospital, for treatment.
• Grand Rapids (Minn.) Speedway on July 23 inducted Tim Jackson, Loran Tardy, Ryan Aho and Jeff Hart into the track's Hall of Fame. WISSOTA Late Models are on the six-division card.
• Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway is adding live streaming. The track partnered with Speed Sport TV with race programs priced at $24.99 with unlimited replays for 14 days. See the track’s Facebook page for details.
• Crate Racin’ USA recently announced its the Chevrolet Performance CT 525 Repair and Seal Program. The program allows competitors to repair the powerplants and reseal the engines, lowering the costs of repairs and maintenance. See the CRUSA website for details.
Weekly points
DIRTcar (Supers): Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., has 1,984 points to lead Tanner English (1,972) and Mike Spatola (1,615).
IMCA (Limiteds): Zach Zeitner of Bellevue, Neb., has 773 points to lead Tommy Elston (756) and Drew Baker (742).
WISSOTA (Limiteds): Shane Sabraski of Rice, Minn., has 1,264 points to lead Tyler Peterson (1,261) and Kevin Burdick (1,038).
American All-Stars (Crates): Logan Walls of Junction City, Ky., has 546 points to lead Brandon Fouts (508) and Dalton Brown (427).
Crate Racin’ USA (602 Crates): Joey Tucker of Elora, Tenn., and Brodie Thompson of Talladega, Ala., are knotted with 606 points apiece with Chace Pennington (677) in third.
Crate Racin’ USA (604 Crates): Shannon Lee of Lumberton, Miss., has 618 points to lead Chris Reid (578) and Nick Thrash (563).
DIRTcar (Crates): Braden Johnson of Taylorville, Ill., has 799 points to lead Chase Wilson (727) and Hudson Dick (653).
Gen X (Crates): Parker Gilbertson of Montevideo, Minn., has 949 points to lead Trevor Walsh (937) and Blake Swenson (908).
RUSH (Crates): Jeremy Wonderling of Wellsville, N.Y., has 1,320 points to lead Winchester, Va., driver Devin Brannon (1,303) and Davin Kaiser (1,288).
Ultimate (Crates): T.J. Salango of Beckley, W.Va., has 220 points to lead Brandon Adkins (205) and T.J. Hicks (191).
USRA (Crates): Jason McFadden of Jim Falls, Wis., has 4,058 points to lead Lucas Peterson (3,698) and Josh Wahlstrom (2,818).
Upcoming weekly specials
Among non-touring and independent special events coming up for Late Models at dirt tracks around the country:
Selinsgrove (Pa.) Speedway (July 24): Super Late Models top a three-division card with a $5,000-to-win purse.
Lake Cumberland Speedway, Burnside, Ky. (July 24): In a makeup of the previous weekend’s rainout, the Topless Steel Block Nationals carry a $4,044-to-win purse for the Tim Taylor Tribute.
Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, Wis. (July 24): Thanks to a $500 donation from tech inspector Michael Hofer, the USRA Late Model feature will pay $1,500-to-win with $150 hard charger and hard luck awards (courtesy the O’Brien Race Team).
Merritt Speedway, Lake City, Mich. (July 24-25): With the purse boosted to five figures by an anonymous supporter, the Wood Tic pays $10,000-to-win for the Super Late Model division.
Cottage Grove (Ore.) Speedway (July 25): The Virgil Hanson Memorial Logger’s Cup pays $4,200 for the Late Model feature with $50 per-lap-led bonuses. The track also hosts an $800-to-win tuneup July 24.
Winchester (Va.) Speedway (July 25): The Junior Boone Memorial pays $6,000-to-win for the Super Late Model division. Wilson Designs will present special awards to feature winners.
Legit Speedway Park, West Plains, Mo. (July 25): Super Late Models (Heartland rules) will battle for a $2,000-to-win payday.
Penton (Ala.) Raceway (July 25): On a double-points night, 602 Crate Late Models will chase a $2,000-to-win purse.
Brighton (Ontario) Speedway (July 25): The three-race Crate vs. Open Late Model Challenge concludes with a $2,500-to-win event.
Southern Raceway, Milton, Fla. (July 25): Round 4 of the Late Model Challenge Series presented by Clyde’s Well Service pays $3,000-to-win for 604 Crate Racin’ USA entries.
Shawano (Wis.) Speedway (July 25): On Racing for a Reason night to support childhood cancer awareness, the Late Model division pays $2,000-to-win thanks to sponsorship from Miron Construction.
Crowley’s Ridge Raceway, Paragould, Ark. (July 25): The track’s annual major event, the Glen Francis Cup, includes Late Models on the card.
Eriez Speedway, Hammett, Pa. (July 26): The Dick Litz Memorial pays $2,900-to-win for the Super Late Model division.
