DirtonDirt

IMCA Super Nationals Late Model winner Greg Kastli of Waterloo, Iowa, a longtime competitor in IMCA's Late Model and modified divisions still competing past retirement age, died Wednesday. He was 72.

Throughout a lengthy Late Model career that began in the 1970s in his No. 73 race car, Kastli (pictured) earned 40 IMCA Late Model wins and five track championships, four at Independence (Iowa) Motor Speedway (1994, 2001-03) and one at Fayette County Raceway in West Union, Iowa, in 1994. He’s the third all-time winningest Late Model driver in the history of the 60-year-old Independence track.

Kastli captured IMCA’s prestigious Super Nationals in 1989 and was a five-time winner on the former Deery Brothers Summer Series, most recently in 2003 at Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City, Iowa. He was a 10-time starter of the Yankee Dirt Track Classic with a best finish of fifth in 1995 on the NASCAR Busch All-Star Tour at Farley (Iowa) Speedway.

Kastli was also an 18-time modified winner in IMCA competition with 1986 titles at Independence and Dubuque (Iowa) Speedway. He also briefly competed in the asphalt Late Model division at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

This summer, officials in Independence waived the requirement to be retired for five years prior to being inducted into the track’s Hall of Fame. The still active driver, whose last Late Model victory came at Independence in 2015, was a popular inductee during the annual ceremony.

Kastli retired from John Deere more than 25 years ago and later operated his own auctioneering service. Arrangements are pending. — IMCA reports