8/16/2025
Hibbing Speedway
8/16/25 Hibbing Speedway Hall of Fame Night
The points season at Hibbing Speedway is winding down as we inducted 5 individuals into the Hibbing Speedway Hall of Fame on Saturday. Bob Espe, Troy Vajdi, Jeff Ruzich, Sandra Rohwer and Rudy Aho all have been officially enshrined in history as Hall of Fame members. Our 5 weekly WISSOTA classes were in action alongside the Northern Renegade Wingless Sprint Cars.
The night started off with the WISSOTA Super Stocks, where class point leader Dalton Carlson redrew the pole position and ran away with the lead for a majority of the race. A later race caution stacked the field up, including strong contenders Tristan LaBarge and Kyle Copp. Copp threw everything he had at the dominant weekly runners of Hibbing, ripping the high line of the speedway to clip LaBarge for second at the line behind Carlson, who earned his third Hibbing Speedway victory of 2025.
Next up was the headline division of the Hibbing Speedway, the WISSOTA Late Models. Skeeter Estey and Kyle Peterlin started on the front row and Estey would take the advantage early. Peterlin made a few mistakes early but roared ahead of 3rd place Johnny Broking. Peterlin would continue to follow Estey, who was setting a torrential pace. A restart proved to be vital in determining the outcome of the 20-lap feature race, where Estey got a good jump and continued his domination of the evening. Estey would end up grabbing the win as the 7th competitor to win a WISSOTA Late Model race at Hibbing in 2025; there has been no repeat winners in the class yet this season.
After the Late Models was the Northern Renegade Wingless Sprint Cars. 10 competitors made the trip, making it a 15-lap contest. It took Paul Schultz a few laps to sort through the field from his 7th-place starting spot, but once he reached the clear, he stuck to the bottom and held it. 8th-place starting Chris Lewis found the high line of the speedway with tons of grip, but did not find it in time to fully catch up to Schultz. Schultz would win the second appearance of the Renegades at Hibbing in 2025, also claiming the Renegade win back during the season opener.
Next up was the WISSOTA Modifieds, where travelers Dave Cain and Blake Adams would lead the 18-lap feature to green. It had been quite a few years since Cain has visited Hibbing, but the reshaped oval was quite to his liking in this one. Cain rolled the middle line of the speedway smoothly and to perfection, making the competition look near silly as he went for a 18-lap Saturday night drive. It was his first Hibbing win since 2012. Jack Rivord made the trip from Superior and looked solid all night, claiming 2nd place, while local driver Mervin Castle III continues to look solid in the jump to the A Mod division with a 9th-to-3rd run.
The WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds would be next, where 28 cars showed up for competition. After a B Feature, 24 cars were set to do battle for 18 laps. Chad VanDuker and Keith Koski would lead the field to green in the ultra competitive Midwest Modified division. Joey Jensen made another trip north to Hibbing, where he started in the 4th position. He sat patiently and waited for Koski and VanDuker to battle it out before crossing the line as the leader on the 4th lap. Fellow competitors Andy Davey, James Vendela, Sam Blevins, and Michael Blevins all tossed their hat in the ring for the Top 5 positions, but Jensen was the class of the field. Davey, Vendela, Sam Blevins and Michael Blevins would claim the rest of the top 5 spots.
The nightcap was the ever exciting WISSOTA Hornets, with 24 cars in attendance to begin the evening. A 15-lapper was on deck to finish the evening, where Russell Kiker Jr. and Mikayla LaBarge would bring the field to competition. The Hornets put on exciting 2, 3 and 4-wide racing with drivers such as Kiker, LaBarge, Jada Lore, Mark Gangl, Zeb Graves, and Bobie Arnes all competing for the top spots early. Kiker would continue to lead until a lap 10 caution, where Graves would have a good restart and take over the top spot. Hibbing's Brady Fosso had some bad luck in his heat race, earning the 20th starting spot. He would methodically work through the field and amazingly have a shot at the victory at the end. Fosso ended up 3rd at the line behind Graves and Kiker. Gangl and Louis Skaja completed the top 5 finishers.
Next Saturday, August 23rd, is season championship night. Current point leaders Johnny Broking, Tyler Kintner, Dalton Carlson, Andy Davey and Brady Fosso all look to cement their place as 2025 track champions ahead of the annual Labor Day Shootout on Saturday, August 30th and Sunday, August 31st.
Race Results
WISSOTA Late Models
A Feature (20 Laps)
- (1) 37X Skeeter Estey - Kelly Lake
- (2) 23 Kyle Peterlin - Hibbing
- (3) 45J Johnny Broking - Grand Rapids
- (7) 6M Jeff Massingill - Keewatin
- (4) 28 Jeff Provinzino - Hibbing
- (6) 16 Derek Vesel - Hibbing
- (9) 12X Ben Heinle - Bovey
- (8) 12 Mark Heinle - Bovey
- (12) 34 Taylor Madrinich - Duluth
- (10) 79 Kevin Carlson - Carlton
- (13) 35 George Ledin Jr. - Britt
- (11) 13 Roger Paolo - Hibbing
- (5) 54 Rick Niemi - Eveleth
Heat 1
45J Broking, 54 Niemi, 37X Estey, 6M Massingill, 12X Heinle, 13 Paolo, 35 Ledin
Heat 2
23 Peterlin, 28 Provinzino, 16 Vesel, 12 Heinle, 79 Carlson, 34 Madrinich
WISSOTA Modifieds
A Feature (18 Laps)
- (1) 2C Dave Cain - Corcoran
- (4) 19J Jack Rivord - Superior, WI
- (9) 10 Mervin Castle III - Grand Rapids
- (2) 40D Blake Adams - Cameron, WI
- (8) 45 Bob Broking - Grand Rapids
- (5) 22 Tyler Kintner - Hibbing
- (6) 18S Kennedy Swan - Chippewa Falls, WI
- (11) 11JR Andrew Inman - Canyon
- (7) 12 TJ Heinle - Bovey
- (10) 55 Jeff Wood - Chisholm
- (3) M2 Chris Magistad - Floodwood
- (14) 13 Devyn Weleski - Bemidji
- (12) 43 Lance Schilling - Laporte
- (13) 4S Steve Stavenger - Gilbert
- (15) 72 Adam Johnson - Perham
Heat 1
19J Rivord, 2C Cain, 40D Adams, 45 Broking, 10 Castle, 11JR Inman, 4S Stavenger, 72 Johnson
Heat 2
18S Swan, 22 Kintner, M2 Magistad, 12 Heinle, 55 Wood, 43 Schilling, 13 Weleski
WISSOTA Super Stocks
A Feature (18 Laps)
- (1) 57 Dalton Carlson - Cohasset
- (5) 26 Kyle Copp - Brule, WI
- (6) 19 Tristan LaBarge - Kelly Lake
- (8) 40C Chaston Finckbone - Grand Rapids
- (7) 76 Doug Koski - Chisholm
- (4) 41 Mikey Vajdl - Chisholm
- (2) 11 Kevin Salin - Iron
- (10) 41X Brian Vajdl - Chisholm
- (9) 72 Mike Johnson - Menahga
- (3) 01 Trevor Arens - Hibbing
Heat 1
76 Koski, 41 Vajdl, 19 LaBarge, 11 Salin, 72 Johnson
Heat 2
40C Finckbone, 57 Carlson, 26 Copp, 01 Arens, 41X Vajdl
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
A Feature (18 Laps)
- (4) 30 Joey Jensen - Forest Lake
- (6) 91 Andy Davey - Hibbing
- (8) 15V James Vendela - South Range, WI
- (11) 15 Sam Blevins - Hibbing
- (5) 10 Michael Blevins Sr. - Hibbing
- (2) 76 Keith Koski - Hibbing
- (7) 2 Scott Splittstoesser - Cottage Grove
- (10) 12A Alex O'Dell - Chisholm
- (9) 10JR Mikey Blevins - Hibbing
- (1) 22 Chad VanDuker - Forbes
- (12) 71 Jacob Anderson - Superior, WI
- (13) 44 Brayden Rewertz - Hibbing
- (18) 14G Brant Gruba - Britt
- (19) 10Z Cade Johnson - Iron
- (22) 41 Austin McClellan - Hibbing
- (16) M2 Chris Magistad - Floodwood
- (20) 10X Matthew Cunha - Chisholm
- (3) 32M Mia Musel - Cloquet
- (17) 14* Adam Shinn - Duluth
- (21) 428 Kevin O'Dell - Chisholm
- (14) 15M Kris Macko - Zimmerman
- (15) 7A Eric Anderson - Chisholm
- (24) 62K Ryan Kough - Isabella
- (23) 31 Randy Haupt - Chisholm
B Main
428 O'Dell, 41 McClellan, 31 Randy Haupt, 62K Ryan Kough, 1 Joe Pangrac (Buhl), 03F Connor Fall (Hudson, WI), 68G Eric Gruba (Embarrass), 9 Bobby Carpenter (Black River Falls, WI)
Heat 1
91 Davey, 10 Blevins, 10JR Blevins, 44 Rewertz, 14* Shinn, 428 O'Dell, 03F Fall (DNS)
Heat 2
30 Jensen, 2 Splittstoesser, 12A O'Dell, 15M Macko, 14G Gruba, 9 Carpenter, 41 McClellan
Heat 3
22 VanDuker, 76 Koski, 15 Blevins, 7A Anderson, 10Z Johnson, 31 Haupt, 1 Pangrac
Heat 4
15V Vendela, 32M Musel, 71 Anderson, M2 Magistad, 10X Cunha, 62K Kough, 68G Gruba
WISSOTA Hornets
A Feature (15 Laps)
- (5) 31 Zeb Graves - Nashwauk
- (1) 13K Russell Kiker Jr. - Brainerd
- (20) 27 Brady Fosso - Hibbing
- (4) 34 Mark Gangl - Bovey
- (8) 46 Louis Skaja - Pengilly
- (15) 74 Jacob Petrich - Hibbing
- (6) 57 Spencer Smith - Neebing, ON
- (7) 9 Nick Ruzich - Hibbing
- (10) 8X Adam Kessler - Hines
- (14) 188 Ian VanVickle - Hibbing
- (11) 40 William Lange - Staples
- (19) 81R Ryker Larson - Grand Rapids
- (18) R20 Riley Terry - Floodwood
- (13) 10 Easton Pfeiffer - Bovey
- (17) 78JR Chris Manska - Hibbing
- (21) 21 Tiffani Hauta-Sanders - Hibbing
- (24) 22 Paige Kintner - Hibbing
- (3) 24JR Jada Lore - Embarrass
- (9) 94A Bobie Arnes - Mora
- (2) 79JR Mikayla LaBarge - Keewatin
- (16) 38 Calvin Skaja - Pengilly
- (12) 25K McKenna Folstad - Hibbing (DNS)
- (22) 96 Trenton Beel - Hibbing (DNS)
- (23) 4 Brian Barker - Kelly Lake (DNS)
Heat 1
24JR Lore, 57 Smith, 31 Graves, 8X Kessler, 10 Pfeiffer, 38 Skaja, 81R Larson, 96 Beel
Heat 2
94A Arnes, 13K Kiker, 34 Gangl, 40 Lange, 188 VanVickle, 78JR Manska, 27 Fosso, 4 Barker
Heat 3
79JR LaBarge, 9 Ruzich, 46 Skaja, 25K Folstad, 74 Petrich, R20 Terry, 21 Hauta-Sanders, 22 Kintner
Northern Renegade Sprint Cars
A Feature (15 Laps)
- (7) 101 Paul Schultz - Grand Rapids
- (8) 5J Chris Lewis - Grand Rapids
- (3) 46 KC Hawkinson - Grand Rapids
- (2) 44 Shane Hawkinson - Grand Rapids
- (6) 92 Danny Wait Jr. - Cohasset
- (4) 22 Travis Krumrei - Coleraine
- (5) Z15 Zach Olson - Grand Rapids
- (1) 17C Hunter Colton - Sandstone
- (10) 17 Mariah LaPatka - Nevis
- (9) 11 Jesse Grife - Grand Rapids
Heat 1
101 Schultz, Z15 Olson, 92 Wait, 17C Colton, 11 Grife (DNS)
Heat 2
46 Hawkinson, 5J Lewis, 22 Krumrei, 44 Hawkinson, 17 LaPatka
Hibbing Speedway Points Chases
WISSOTA Late Models
45J Johnny Broking 364, 6M Jeff Massingill 353, 23 Kyle Peterlin 350, 37X Skeeter Estey 341, 16 Derek Vesel 318, 30 Kevin Burdick 285, 28 Jeff Provinzino 266, 12X Ben Heinle 265, 12 Mark Heinle 242, 54 Rick Niemi 226
WISSOTA Modifieds
22 Tyler Kintner 366, 45 Bob Broking 337, M2 Chris Magistad 314, 12 TJ Heinle 269, 55 Jeff Wood 268, 55W Jeffrey Wood 243, 11JR Andrew Inman 236, 40D Blake Adams 209, 10 Mervin Castle III 199, 4S Steve Stavenger 118
WISSOTA Super Stocks
57 Dalton Carlson 363, 76 Doug Koski 345, 41 Mikey Vajdl 333, 40C Chaston Finckbone 329, 01 Trevor Arens 322, 19 Tristan LaBarge 320, 11 Kevin Salin 309, 47J Justin Barsness 268, 79A Andy LaBarge 255, 41X Brian Vajdl 205
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
91 Andy Davey 349, M2 Chris Magistad 330, 10JR Mikey Blevins 329, 15 Sam Blevins 323, 10X Matthew Cunha 304, 22 Chad VanDuker 298, 76 Keith Koski 294, 10 Michael Blevins Sr. 285, 14* Adam Shinn 278, 14G Brant Gruba 273
WISSOTA Hornets
27 Brady Fosso 304, 25K McKenna Folstad 278, 24JR Jada Lore 265, 79JR Mikayla LaBarge 263, 188 Ian VanVickle 260, 4 Brian Barker 231, 9 Nick Ruzich 230, 21 Tiffani Hauta-Sanders 223, 13K Russell Kiker Jr. 211, 94A Bobie Arnes 198