10/11/2025
Hibbing Speedway
10/11/25 Hibbing Speedway Hot Dish Nationals
The 2025 season for the Hibbing Speedway came to an (almost) close on a beautiful autumn day perfect for some hot dish with a side of racing at the Hot Dish Nationals. 115 cars were in the pits as each of the WISSOTA classes all competed for $1,000-to-win, and the Crown Vics had their inaugural race at the Hibbing Speedway in a preview of what's to come weekly in 2026.
The racing got underway at 2:00 PM, with passing points from the heat races setting the lineups for the features. First up was the WISSOTA Super Stocks, where Merrifield's Dylan Nelson made his first Hibbing appearance of the season and lined up on the pole alongside Thunder Bay's Rick Simpson. Nelson would take command of the contest and hold the top spot for the first 9 laps of regulation. Unfortunately, going down the backstretch, Nelson's car came up lame, exiting the backstretch of the oval and surrendering the lead to Saginaw's Austin Blom. Blom would hold strong ahead of a smattering of competitors vying for positions 2-5. It was redemption for Blom, who was disqualified in post-race tech back in June at Hibbing, which threw a wrench into the momentum of his season. Track champion Dalton Carlson would finish second ahead of Simpson, Doug Koski, and a visitor from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Patrick Beeksma.
Next up were the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds, who had a strong field of 39 racers checked in vying for the inaugural Hot Dish Nationals crown. WISSOTA National Champion Tyler Vernon would lead the field to green, but it would be Hibbing's Michael Blevins Sr. that would get the jump from the outside of the front row. Blevins would jump out to a 1.5 second lead by lap 7 over Vernon. Vernon's car ended up slowing coming into turn 3, leaving Mikey Blevins and Joey Jensen nowhere to go. Mikey's car would take quite a tumble, ending the up-and-down season for the younger Blevins. His dad would once again pull out to a decent lead after the race resumed, but this time, Jensen was lurking. With a 20 lap feature on the card and a full field of Midwest Mods, Blevins and Jensen would catch up to lap traffic a few laps before the end of the race. Blevins took the white flag and made a slight mishap in turn 2, which was enough for Jensen to slip past him. Blevins would attempt a "hail mary" move in Turns 3 and 4, but did not have enough juice to complete the victory pass. Jensen had an amazing season, but ended up just short of Vernon in the national title hunt. Track champion Andy Davey, Thunder Bay's David Simpson and Duluth's Paul Ripley completed the top 5 behind Jensen and Blevins.
The next race up was a preview of the 2026 season. The Crown Vic division has been added as a weekly class, and anybody with a completed car was invited to compete at the Hot Dish Nationals. 3 established Crown Vic racers made the trip from central Minnesota, with 2 northern racers getting a car put together and ready in anticipation of the 2026 season. Mike Layne from Darwin, Andy Oksa from Sauk Rapids, and Wayne Nelson from Milaca would pull ahead of Goodland's Dustin Hammer and Pennington's Jason Jensen to begin the 10-lap showdown. Layne would pilot the field until a broken rear end would take him out of the race. Nelson would take the lead after the restart and never look back, claiming the first-ever Crown Vic win at Hibbing Speedway. Oksa, Hammer, Jensen, and Layne was the rest of the finishing order.
18 WISSOTA Late Models were present for the final 25-lap feature race of the season. Hibbing drivers Kyle Peterlin and Derek Vesel would lead the field to green, and Vesel would shoot around the high side of the speedway to the early race lead. Peterlin gave chase, but Vesel's green and white throwback machine to his father Steve was a rocket ship. Vesel would lead every lap en route to his first Hibbing victory of 2025 ahead of Peterlin, Kevin Burdick, Jeff Provinzino and Zach Wohlers. Asked about winning in the tribute car to his dad, Vesel was very grateful that he was able to have one more chance to park it in Victory Lane at his home track.
The WISSOTA Modifieds feature race was the penultimate race of the now-evening, as an autumn chill set over the facility. Tanner Gehl made the trip up from Solon Springs, Wisconsin and led the field to green with veteran Bob Broking to his outside. Broking looked just as fast as he has all season at Hibbing, dominating the field ahead of WISSOTA National Champion Blake Adams, Jack Rivord, Mervin Castle III and Jeffrey Wood.
The final feature of the 2025 Hibbing Speedway season was a 30-lap WISSOTA Hornet contest with $1,000 on the line. The drivers of the 4-cylinder division had to pace themselves over the length of the contest, as they usually run anywhere between 15 and 20 laps on a regular basis. Lady power led the field to green, as Hibbing's McKenna Folstad and Thunder Bay's Selena Owen started on the front row. Folstad settled into a spot she has gotten pretty used to at Hibbing this season: 1st place. However, Track Champion and winner of both days of the Labor Day Shootout Brady Fosso lurked right behind Folstad. Folstad's 25K and Fosso's 27 cars were definitely the cars to beat at Hibbing in 2025, and the Hot Dish Nationals proved to be no different. Folstad, Fosso and Owen set a pretty torrid pace ahead of the rest of the 23-car field. Fosso would end up getting around Folstad during the middle of the race to claim the lead. A late-race restart was bad juju for Owens, as she got knocked out of the racing line and fell all the way to the back of the pack. Fosso would claim the win to complete the sweep of "special season" after winning the track championship with 0 regular season victories. Folstad finished 2nd ahead of Hard Charger Calvin Skaja, who completed an impressive run of 14th-to-3rd over the course of the 30 laps. Track regular Mark Gangl and visitor Kaitlyn Kohl completed the final top 5 of the season.
Race Results
WISSOTA Late Models
A Feature (25 Laps)
- (2) 16 Derek Vesel - Hibbing
- (1) 23 Kyle Peterlin - Hibbing
- (4) 30 Kevin Burdick - Proctor
- (9) 28 Jeff Provinzino - Hibbing
- (5) 71 Zach Wohlers - Cohasset
- (3) 12X Ben Heinle - Bovey
- (8) 54L Jayme Lautigar - Gilbert
- (12) 34 Taylor Madrinich - Duluth
- (15) 04JR Adam Ayotte - Elk River
- (7) F15 Devin Fouquette - St. Cloud
- (14) 42 Paul Niznik - Medford, WI
- (11) 73 Brandon Englund - Wahkon
- (13) 55S Ryan Schaufler - Hutchinson
- (6) 12 Mark Heinle - Bovey
- (16) 13 Roger Paolo - Hibbing
- (10) 54 Rick Niemi - Eveleth
- (18) 37X Skeeter Estey - Kelly Lake
- (17) 6M Jeffrey Massingill - Keewatin (DNS)
Heat 1
16 Vesel, F15 Fouquette, 54L Lautigar, 54 Niemi, 42 Niznik, 13 Paolo
Heat 2
23 Peterlin, 12 Heinle, 28 Provinzino, 73 Englund, 04JR Ayotte, 37X Estey (DNS)
Heat 3
12X Heinle, 30 Burdick, 71 Wohlers, 34 Madrinich, 55S Schaufler, 6M Massingill
WISSOTA Modifieds
A Feature (20 Laps)
- (2) 45 Bob Broking - Grand Rapids
- (4) 40D Blake Adams - Cameron, WI
- (3) 19J Jack Rivord - Superior, WI
- (5) 10 Mervin Castle III - Grand Rapids
- (7) 55W Jeffrey Wood - Chisholm
- (10) 22B Josh Beaulieu - Bemidji
- (6) 2R Jeff Reed - Bemidji
- (9) 22 Tyler Kintner - Hibbing
- (1) 2 Tanner Gehl - Solon Springs, WI
- (13) M2 Chris Magistad - Floodwood
- (8) 43 Lance Schilling - Laporte
- (12) 12 TJ Heinle - Bovey
- (11) 46H Ken Hron - Grand Rapids
- (14) 11 Jody Bellefeuille - Carlton (DNS)
Heat 1
45 Broking, 2 Gehl, 2R Reed, 22B Beaulieu, 55W Wood, 12 Heinle, 11 Bellefeuille
Heat 2
40D Adams, 19J Rivord, 10 Castle, 22 Kintner, 43 Schilling, 46H Hron, M2 Magistad
WISSOTA Super Stocks
A Feature (20 Laps)
- (4) 3B Austin Blom - Saginaw
- (3) 57 Dalton Carlson - Cohasset
- (2) 77K Rick Simpson - Thunder Bay, ON
- (6) 76 Doug Koski - Chisholm
- (8) 21C Patrick Beeksma - Ironwood, MI
- (9) 69X Andy LaBarge - Hibbing
- (10) T26 Nic Lewis - Bemidji
- (5) 11 Kevin Salin - Iron
- (15) 65 Ron Reed - Solway
- (11) 17 Faye Lewis - Bemidji
- (7) 01 Trevor Arens - Hibbing
- (1) 25 Dylan Nelson - Merrifield
- (14) 30 Dan Severson - Crosby
- (12) 41X Mikey Vajdl - Chisholm
- (13) 37 John Garrity - Thunder Bay, ON
Heat 1
57 Carlson, 76 Koski, 11 Salin, 01 Arens, 69X LaBarge, 17 Lewis, 37 Garrity, 30 Severson
Heat 2
3B Blom, 25 Nelson, 77K Simpson, 21C Beeksma, T26 Lewis, 41X Vajdl, 65 Reed, 19 Tristan LaBarge (Kelly Lake) DQ
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
A Feature (20 Laps)
- (7) 30 Joey Jensen - Forest Lake
- (2) 10 Michael Blevins Sr. - Hibbing
- (8) 91 Andy Davey - Hibbing
- (5) 70 David Simpson - Thunder Bay, ON
- (3) 28 Paul Ripley - Duluth
- (4) 1 Jake Stai - New Auburn, WI
- (11) 15 Sam Blevins - Hibbing
- (19) 33 Jake Hagemann - Little Falls, MN
- (20) 3DJR Kyle Monteith - Thunder Bay, ON
- (9) 76 Keith Koski - Hibbing
- (16) 69 Mark Kangas - Eveleth
- (23) 74 Gary James Nelson - Blackduck
- (15) 428 Kevin O'Dell - Chisholm
- (14) 7P Cory Peterson - Red Lake
- (10) 22E Ethan Elhardt - Bovey
- (24) 7A Eric Anderson - Chisholm
- (12) 41 Austin McClellan - Hibbing
- (13) 31 Randy Haupt - Chisholm
- (22) M2 Chris Magistad - Floodwood
- (21) 47 Don Craig - Thunder Bay, ON
- (17) 57JR Robert Squitti - Thunder Bay, ON
- (1) 41V Tyler Vernon - Mason, WI
- (6) 10JR Mikey Blevins - Hibbing
- (18) 50 Brady Caul - Fort Frances, ON (DNS)
B Main 1
33 Hagemann, 47 Craig, 74 Nelson, 1J Joe Pangrac (Buhl), 21R Ross Siiter (Esko), 12A Alex O'Dell (Chisholm), 14G Brant Gruba (Britt), 26K Sam Kolar (Marble), 20 Matthew Anderson (Hibbing), 13X Frank Paolo (Hibbing), 57 Blake Higginbotham (Bagley) (DNS)
B Main 2
3DJR Monteith, M2 Magistad, 7A Anderson, 44 Brayden Rewertz (Hibbing), 27B Dave DeVente (Neebing, ON), 68G Eric Gruba (Embarrass), 33L Travis Tupa (Hibbing), 6 John Norris (Embarrass), 9 Bobby Carpenter (Black River Falls, WI), 76K Mitch Kieber (Rhinelander, WI) (DNS)
Heat 1
1 Stai, 28 Ripley, 69 Kangas, 76 Koski, 21R Siiter, 26K Kolar, 44 Rewertz, 12A O'Dell
Heat 2
30 Jensen, 91 Davey, 50 Caul, M2 Magistad, 7A Anderson, 3DJR Monteith, 20 Anderson, 33L Tupa
Heat 3
41V Vernon, 15 Blevins, 22E Elhardt, 31 Haupt, 9 Carpenter, 68G Gruba, 27B DeVente, 14G Gruba (DQ)
Heat 4
70 Simpson, 10JR Blevins, 57JR Squitti, 47 Craig, 1J Pangrac, 6 Norris, 57 Higginbotham, 76K Kieber (DNS)
Heat 5
10 Blevins, 41 McClellan, 428 O'Dell, 7P Peterson, 33 Hagemann, 74 Nelson, 13X Paolo
WISSOTA Hornets
A Feature (30 Laps)
- (3) 27 Brady Fosso - Hibbing
- (1) 25K McKenna Folstad - Hibbing
- (14) 38 Calvin Skaja - Pengilly
- (6) 34 Mark Gangl - Bovey
- (9) 76K Kaitlyn Kohl - Fort Ripley
- (7) 2X Nathan Penney - South Range, WI
- (5) 19 Josh Backstrom - Pillager
- (8) 46 Louis Skaja - Pengilly
- (2) 34EH Selena Owen - Thunder Bay, ON
- (17) 9 Landin Lucente - Chisholm
- (18) 0X Dylan Black - Bemidji
- (15) 78JR Chris Manska - Hibbing
- (19) 22 Paige Kintner - Hibbing
- (16) 21 Tiffani Hauta-Sanders - Hibbing
- (10) 31 Zeb Graves - Nashwauk
- (20) 33 Alexis Hagemann - Little Falls
- (13) 24JR Jada Lore - Embarrass
- (11) 79JR Mikayla LaBarge - Keewatin
- (4) 74 Jacob Petrich - Hibbing
- (21) 218 Astion Schelde - Cook
- (12) R20 Riley Terry - Floodwood
- (23) 96 Benny Galli - Hibbing
- (22) 7 Abby Baum - Superior, WI
Heat 1
74 Petrich, 27 Fosso, 34EH Owen, 31 Graves, 38 Skaja, 0X Black, 22 Kintner, 218 Schelde
Heat 2
25K Folstad, 76K Kohl, 2X Penney, 24JR Lore, 78JR Manska, 21 Hauta-Sanders, 33 Hagemann, 7 Baum
Heat 3
19 Backstrom, 34 Gangl, 46 Skaja, R20 Terry, 79JR LaBarge, 9 Lucente, 96 Galli
Crown Vics
A Feature (10 Laps)
- (3) 12 Wayne Nelson - Milaca
- (2) 18 Andy Oksa - Sauk Rapids
- (4) 99 Dustin Hammer - Goodland
- (5) 22 Jasen Jensen - Pennington
- (1) 17 Mike Layne - Darwin
Heat
17 Layne, 18 Oksa, 12 Nelson, 22 Jensen, 99 Hammer
