Weekly Notebook presented by FK Rod Ends
Notes: Upgrade boosts young Michigan hotshoe
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt managing editor
Rylee Knoll (Jenn Wallington/The Checkered Lens)
Teenager Rylee Knoll of Lake, Mich., has gotten his Super Late Model career rolling along pretty well in older equipment, including tallying a career-best four feature victories last season.
Now equipped with a brand new MasterSbilt Race Car for 2026, the husky 19-year-old tagged as the Hot Dog Express hopes to take another step in his career. He’s off to a good start this season, winning twice before Memorial Day weekend for the first time in his career with a pair of victories in four starts, including his first-ever Crystal (Mich.) Motor Speedway triumph.
It’s a good time to be running well ahead of a holiday weekend tripleheader in Michigan on the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series with $10,000-to-win events coming up at Lake Odessa’s I-96 Speedway, Quincy’s Butler Motor Speedway and Crystal.
“Maybe we can get our hands on 30 big ones if possible,” Knoll mused in a video on his team’s Redline National Racing YouTube channel. “If not, then we’ll make sure to go have some fun.”
Knoll has been having fun at the racetrack about as long as he can remember. The third-generation driver began racing go-karts before first grade, moved to the four-cylinder division by age 10 and by 15 into Late Models, a class where his father Josh had found success with multi-track victories early this century. Now entering his fifth Late Model season, the younger Knoll has tallied eight career feature victories and is aiming for another level in his new MasterSbilt Unlimited machine.
“We're hoping to have a blowout season this year,” said Knoll, whose first name is a variation of the name Riley that includes a spelling honoring his maternal grandfather’s middle name, Lee. “We’ve got our hands on some good equipment this year, so we'll try to pick us off some more.”
While Crothersville, Ind.-based MasterSbilt doesn’t have the industry standing it did during its heyday of more than 20 years ago, the Tader and Jerilyn Masters-operated business has had a consistent presence in Michigan with drivers including longtime customer Eric Spangler, a multitime champ at his hometown Merritt Speedway in Lake City, Mich.
Knoll briefly ran a Rocket Chassis early in career before his family-owned team bought a 2015 MasterSbilt.
"I know MasterSbilt, it’s always been good up here in Michigan, so we'd seen an opportunity to go get our hands on one that was a fairly good price” years ago, Knoll said, “and we went and got her, and we've just been sticking with MasterSbilt cause they've been good to us. It's just carrying on with what we've had.”
The older car had modern updates, but it’d been showing its age with Knoll competing at various Michigan tracks along with occasional out-of-state trips to Indiana ovals including Brownstown Speedway.
“In ’23, our opening night, we went down to Brownstown and then I wrapped it around a tire and pushed the front clip over about 8 inches, so we had to get a clip there,” Knoll said. “And then I stuffed it in the wall at Winston once.”
The 2015 model “wasn't nowhere near perfect anymore. So it's kind of just had lost its touch. I mean, it was good in the tack (wet track conditions), but I mean, in the slick, I couldn't get any drive or couldn't get any sidebite out of it. But this new car has been just hooked up no matter what, so it's been great.”
Knoll opened the 2026 season with a sixth-place finish in Northern Allstars Late Model Series competition at Montpelier (Ind.) Motor Speedway — his career-best regional touring finish — then won May 9 at Crystal. The night after a May 15 sixth-place run at I-96, he captured Merritt’s season opener, rallying from his seventh starting spot.
After running fourth for eight laps at Merritt, Knoll actually went from fourth to first in a single lap with outside moves around Kadon Bowen and Bill Bray, taking command as the race-long leading Spangler simultaneously retired with a flat tire.
"I was hoping I didn't have to scuff up the new paint to get by some people,” said Knoll, who works for his family’s painting and drywall business. “I’d seen everybody up top, they'd just watered around the top and it was still slimy and they sent us green, so it kind of gave us an advantage starting on the bottom.”
Calling Merritt’s surface the best he’s seen in 12 months, Knoll found a comfortable groove in finishing off the victory.
"I'd seen people were running above the rough stuff, but I really didn't want to get up there yet,” he said. “I was just kind of sliding my car through the slick and then getting the brown off the corner. That's where it felt the best, too. It was hooked up all the way around the corner, coming off the corner, too. It just shot off like a rocket ship. So I figured I'd just keep my pace doing that instead of just singing around the top.”
Generally, Knoll prefers the high groove, which he used in winning at Crystal.
"I know I'm pretty good when there's a cushion, like when I can be able to get up on top and just let her sing,” Knoll said. “I’m not horrible around the bottom, but I'm more comfortable being up top. I like when there's a groove in the bottom and then it's slick all the way to the top with a cushion. That's usually like when it's the most fun. I know I'm pretty good in the rough, too. That's one of my specialties I like. Basically, anything but when it's a choo-choo train around the bottom.”
While Knoll plans to compete against top-notch competition in Memorial Day weekend’s Iron-Man tour action, he’s in perfect position to race once or twice every weekend all summer long, including some Fridays at Tri-City Motor Speedway in Auburn, Mich., where he notched his first career victory in the 2024 opener.
"Merritt, Crystal and Tri-City are all 54 minutes away from us, so we're kind of just like slap dead right in the middle of all of them,” said Knoll, who also plans to run at I-96 and perhaps the recently reopened Winston Speedway in Rothbury, Mich., on Fridays.
There are just a few details to work out. Whether he’ll do more out-of-state traveling and finding a little more room in the race shop he shares with his mother Amber’s graphics business (she does the vinyl graphics for his race car). For now, Knoll can keep his new car in his half of the shop, but the older car — in reserve as a backup or for when his father wants to race — is covered by a tarp outside.
"I mean, I don't appreciate her taking up half of my shop doing it,” Knoll says tongue-in-cheek, “but I guess it pays for my race car.”
He’s also still looking for his first non-Michigan victory.
"I don't know how much we're gonna be traveling this year. I know I want to,” he said. “I’m not sure what dad wants to do with work and stuff. I know we plan on trying to get out of state here and there. I just don't know how much is possible if we can do it.”
Weekly highlights
• James Giossi of Roberts, Wis., swept May 15-16 features at Red Cedar Speedway in Menomonie, Wis., and Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis.
• With a May 15 victory at Baton Rouge Raceway, Brady Walton of Greenwell Springs, La., notched his fourth straight Crate Late Model victory at the Baker, La., oval.
• Dustin Rollins of Princeton, Ky., scored a $3,000 victory May 16 at Western Kentucky Speedway in Nebo, Ky., in 602 Crate Late Model action.
• Winning May 15-16 Super Late Model features, Kyle Hardy of Stephens City, Va., took checkered flags at Elkins Speedway in Kerens, W.Va., and Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex in Markleysburg, Pa. Hardy turned back bounty-hunting drivers at Elkins.
• Cruz Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, swept May 15-16 home-state IMCA Late Model victories in Davenport and Maquoketa.
• Sweeping a home-state weekend, Travis Stemler of Ionia, Mich., won May 15-16 events at Lake Odessa’s I-96 Speedway and Crystal Motor Speedway.
• Chris McElhenney of Decatur, Miss., swept May 16’s 604 Crate Late Model features at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, Miss.
First things first
Recent first-time occurrences at the dirt track:
• Winning May 15 at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, N.C., Bailey Loftin of Mount Holly, N.C., notched his first Limited Late Model victory. He primarily competed in the modified division last season.
Weekly news briefs
• Issues with the track insurance have forced the indefinite closure of Mitchell’s Motorplex in Perkinston, Miss. “This is not the outcome we wanted, and this decision was not made lightly,” the Mitchell family posted in a statement. “We want to sincerely thank all of our racers, fans, sponsors, staff, and supporters who helped make The Plex what it is. The memories and friendships built here hold a very special place in our hearts.” The track has completed three early-season events, the most recent on April 11. Shannon Lee leads the track’s Late Model points over Nick Thrash and Ben Davis.
• After extensive work on the previously closed oval, Highway 72 Speedway in Corinth, Miss., is set to host practice May 23 with opening night on May 29. Robert Moore of Iuka's Moore Racing took ownership of the track late last year.
• Windy Hollow Speedway in Owensboro, Ky., has rented extra bleachers for upcoming specials including Memorial Day weekend action and next month’s DIRTcar Summer Nationals. The seating increases capacity by 1,200.
• Considerable spring rain that has left the grounds soft at Raceway 7 in Conneaut, Ohio, again pushed back the season opener; May 22 is cancelled and the track will tentatively try again May 29.
• 191 Speedway in Campton, Ky., has installed a five-position scoring and timing tower. The track hosts the Slingin’ Dirt Late Model Series on May 23 for the $5,000-to-win Deanna Noble Memorial.
Weekly points
DIRTcar (Supers): Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., has 470 points to lead Bobby Pierce (453) and Ryan Gustin (416).
IMCA (Limiteds): Curtis Glover of Knoxville, Iowa, has 374 points to lead Tommy Elston (296) and Zach Meitner (269).
Gateway (Limiteds): Jeff Sloan of Charleston, Mo., has 562 points to lead Mark Pflueger (527) and Mike Lough (472).
WISSOTA (Limiteds): Shane Sabraski of Rice, Minn., has 263 points to lead Tyler Peterson (233) and rookie Sexton Koch (224).
American All-Stars (Crates): Logan Walls of Junction City, Ky., has 486 points to lead Dalton Brown (272) and Tyler Hoy (230).
Crate Racin’ USA (602 Crates): Covy Parsons of Iuka, Miss., has 425 points to lead Allen Edwards (412) and Spencer Moore (397).
Crate Racin’ USA (604 Crates): Christopher Reid of Wiggins, Miss., has 439 points to lead Shannon Lee (411) and Ben Davis (366).
DIRTcar (Crates): Braden Johnson of Taylorville, Ill., has 210 points to lead Austin Leamon (205) and Chase Wilson (187).
RUSH (Crates): Davin Kaiser of Winchester, Va., has 914 points to lead fellow Winchester driver Devin Brannon (757) and Kolbe Kimbrew (525).
Ultimate (Crates): Brandon Adkins of Jumping Branch, W.Va., has 136 points to lead T.J. Salango (116) and Henry Hornsby III (105).
USRA (Crates): Cooper Sundby of Menomonie, Wis., has 1,046 points to lead Josh Wahlstrom (1,018) and Jason McFadden (998).
Upcoming weekly specials
Among non-touring and independent special events coming up for Late Models at dirt tracks around the country:
Bedford (Pa.) Speedway (May 22): The Turk Burket Tribute pays $4,000-to-win for the Super Late Model division with three divisions on the undercard.
Hidden Valley Speedway, Clearfield, Pa. (May 22): The Shawn “Sheetz” McGarvey Memorial pays $3,000-to-win for a Super Late Model special event.
Stateline Speedway, Busti, N.Y. (May 23): The Memorial Day Super Showdown pays $5,000-to-win for the Super Late Model division (with a makeup RUSH Crate Late Model Series event also on the card).
Lancaster (S.C.) Motor Speedway (May 23): After a weekend off, the South Carolina State Championship includes a $1,500-to-win Limited Late Model feature topping a six-division program.
Midway Speedway, Crooksville, Ohio (May 23): The Clay City Classic pays $3,500-to-win for the Super Late Model division with four divisions on the undercard.
Lake View Motor Speedway, Nichols, S.C. (May 23): Limited Late Models chase a $2,500 winner’s purse in a 30-lapper that tops a six-division card.
Blackwater Speedway, Baker, Fla. (May 23): A holiday weekend special pays $2,000-to-win for the 604 Crate Late Model division with bonuses for starting in the rear (and $500 to any 602 Crate finishing in the top six).
Merritt Speedway, Lake City, Mich. (May 23-24): Two complete programs will highlight the Memorial Day weekend action (purses weren’t publicized).
Eriez Speedway, Hammett, Pa. (May 24): The Andy Kania Memorial pays $7,676 for the Super Late Model winner with lap money and bonuses up for grabs.
Potomac Speedway, Budds Creek, Md. (May 24): The holiday special pays $3,000-to-win for the Limited Late Model division; military members get a $5 ticket discount.
