CHICAGO — Before getting too far into the New Year, let’s recognize Chicago area track and association champions for the 2025 racing season.
Veteran Eddie Hoffman made off with another late model title at the Grundy County Speedway in Morris. A Wheaton resident, Hoffman captured a record 10th championship at the third-mile paved oval, which became a NASCAR Weekly Series track in 2025.
Recording his third straight championship and his sixth in the last eight years, Hoffman won one feature during the year and ended up ahead of former champions Ricky Baker and D.J. Weltmeyer in the standings.
A former two-time late model champ at Grundy, Baker, who won five features including the Bettenhausen 100 for the fourth time, was named NASCAR’s Illinois Weekly Series State Champion.
First-time Grundy champions included Jeremiah Senko, who won two feature races in the Mid-American/sportsman division, and Kellen Arnold, who grabbed four mains in the street stock class.
Other Grundy champions were Dan Schmeissing (pure stocks/four cylinders), Rob Baaske (super cup), Franc Beldowski (Big 8-style late models), Eddie Ligue (Crown Vic), Kevin Memoli (enduro), Jakob Koppers (high school racing) and Zach Ziegler (sixers).
Greg Cantrell raced to his fifth late model track championship at Sycamore Speedway in Maple Park. The DeKalb driver scored four wins at the three-eighths-mile dirt track and finished ahead of last year’s champion Titus Sneed in the final rundown.
Zach Zuberbier became another five-time track champion at Sycamore, winning the track’s street stock crown. Zuberbier scored an impressive 10 victories.
Other Sycamore champions were John Dietrich III (pure stocks), Sal Verado (spectators), Brad Ellingsworth (bonestock demo), Mallory Jackson (powderpuff), Brandon Schnupp (socker stockers) and Brandon Ricker (compacts).
Austin McCarty was the DIRTcar Pro Late Models champion at the Kankakee County Speedway. Repeating his 2024 performance, the Bradley speedster captured seven feature wins at the quarter-mile dirt oval, besting two-time champion Matt Hammond and Billy Knippenberg III.
Ranked seventh in national points, Steven Brooks nailed down the DIRTcar Modified crown at Kankakee, becoming a four-time division champion. Brooks racked up four feature wins and finished ahead of Brad DeYoung and Jason Hastings.
Other Kankakee champions were Jerrad Krick (stock cars), Trevor Bitterling (factory stocks), Scott Vetter (compacts), Curtis Caldwell (pro modifieds) Phil Bloch (Crown Vic) and Cody Clubb (vintage).
Bryce Shidler scored an impressive nine feature wins in DIRTcar modified action at Indiana’s Shadyhill Speedway. Winning his first Shadyhill modified title, Shidler beat his cousin Cameron Shidler and Tim Sullivan Jr.
Other Shadyhill titlists were Jacob Kolwyck (rebel late models), Kiran Roundtree (bombers) and Ryker Shidler (four bangers).
In its fourth year back as a paved raceway, Indiana’s Plymouth Motor Speedway saw Steve Stacy win the track’s sportsman division title. Other champions at Plymouth were Nick Stremme (street stocks), Derek Danley (Factory Fords), Melissa Keuhs (hornets) and Bobby Laughter (four cylinders).
The popular Fairbury American Legion Speedway witnessed McKay Wenger win his third DIRTcar Late Models crown, while Jeff Curl (DIRTcar Modifieds) and Nick Seplak (DIRTcar Street Stocks) were the track’s other champions. Seplak, from Coal City, was the DIRTcar Street Stocks national champion with 18 feature wins.
Posting three wins during the year, Scotty Gardner won his second straight Mid-Am Racing Series stock car championship. The Dyer, Ind., racer finished ahead of Josh Nelms, Daniel Calhoun and rookie of the year Kyle Brick in the standings.
Other stock car champions were Brenden Queen (Automobile Racing Club of America). Casey Johnson (ASA Midwest Tour), Randy Sargent (Big 8 Late Model Series), Cole Butcher (ASA Stars National Tour & ASA CRA Super Series) and Billy Van Meter (ASA CRA Jegs All Stars).
On the dirt track racing side, champions were Bobby Pierce (World of Outlaws Late Model Series & FloRacing Night in America), Jason Feger (Dirtcar Late Models) and Devin Moran (Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series)
Open-wheel racing saw Joliet’s Jimmy Anderson capture the Midwest Pavement Midget Series championship, winning two features at the Grundy County Speedway – the series’ “home track.” David Ward, Nick Grommes, Scott Koerner and Billy Hulbert chased Anderson for the crown.
Parker Jones won his second consecutive Badger Midget Auto Racing Association title, capturing 12 feature wins along the way. Blake Nimee was the Interstate Racing Association winged sprint car champion, while Indiana racer Adam Taylor claimed the Wisconsin Wingless Sprint Series title.
New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen has to be crowned the NASCAR champion of Chicago as he won both the Xfinity series and ‘Cup races on the streets of Chicago in 2025.
Definitely a high-profile performance was done by Illinois’ Bobby Pierce winning 32 times in dirt late model action in 2025 and racking up two championships and $1.3 million in winnings. Hats off to 72-year-old Larry Schuler for winning a late model feature at Grundy County Speedway in May. Schuler’s first late model win came in 1973.
The year was not without sorrow as a number of members of the racing community passed away including stock car racers Dave Decker, Chuck Merritt, Billy Jarrells Jr., Mike Slabenak Sr., Mike Hollifield, Norm Read, Donald “Bull” Markham, Cecil Montgomery, Bob Carnes, Gary Hemmerling and Kevin DeGraff, along with midget drivers Jim Gates and Tom Steiner.
You cannot forget car owners and mechanics Fred Nielsen, Lou Sipolt Sr., Ron Watroba and Don Proudfoot (stock cars) and Bill Cooper (midgets) along with race promoters and officials Ron Malec, Ted Knorr, Chuck Stebbins and Dewayne Demit.
Friends of racing include writer Jim Cleveland, photographer Denny Piefer and lettering artist Joel “Peter Pan” Peters along with Leo Plawecki, Pat Magee, Sharon Grod, Arlene Musgrave and Bob Soga.
