Weekly Notebook presented by FK Rod Ends
Notes: WISSOTA's top rookie hunts first victory
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt managing editor
Devin Fouquette (Braden Bulthuis/Mike Spieker photos)
Devin Fouquette knows that names of recent WISSOTA Rookies of the Year in Late Models ring out as some of the division's best drivers: Cole Searing, Tyler Peterson and Shane Sabraski among them.
Through the first half of the season, the 23-year-old Fouquette of Foley, Minn., tops WISSOTA’s 2025 rookie standings, but he hasn’t racked up the victory totals of his predecessors (Searing had 21 victories in 2021, Peterson logged 20 in ’23 and Sabraski tallied 17 last season). The former modified racer is still looking to break through with his first Late Model victory.
"I think we have a lot of people who are rooting for us,” Fouquette said last week. “Hopefully the sooner the better.”
While the driver with the best mustache in WISSOTA racing hasn’t clicked off a feature victory, he’s proven to be competitive in his first season with nine top-five finishes in his first 27 starts, including a runner-up finish to Peterson in Fouquette’s season debut at Devils Lake Speedway in Crary, N.D.
Fouquette’s lengthy racing career began at age 15 in compacts before a shift to super stocks and then modifieds, where he was second in WISSOTA’s rookie points in 2021 with five victories. In 2025, Fouquette elected to jump into the Late Model division this season with the Upper Midwest’s WISSOTA organization.
“The end goal for WISSOTA really is Late Model racing. We were just telling ourselves if we see a good deal (on a Late Model) and if the price is right, we'll go do it,” said Fouquette, who last fall bought a 2022 Longhorn from Burwell Motorsports of Mount Vernon, Ill., that was previously driven by four-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion Jonathan Davenport.
“It's been an adventure with the whole Late Model world. I've been very used to modified racing and just how all that works, but when it came to the Late Model world, it's just been a whole different ballgame,” said Fouquette, who operates a dump-truck business with his father Chad. “It's no joke when they say you gotta be spot-on to win these races, because you can't even be the slightest bit off, unless you're just that good of a driver.”
April 12’s division debut at Devils Lake provided a promising start as he led half the 20-lapper before Peterson overtook him, leaving Fouquette with a runner-up finish.
“It was just a great start to our year,” Fouquette said. “I went to a track that I had never been to my whole life in Devils Lake, N.D. And I mean it was just one of those nights you're like, ‘Holy crap, I think we got something here.’ ”
Although he was quick from the outset in the spec-engine Late Model division, Fouquette had to not only learn to drive the Late Model but figure out a chassis that had some custom tweaks by Davenport and Co.
"I think the biggest thing for me when we got the car was kind of taking out some of the stuff that Longhorn uses for the Super Late Model program and just converting it back to what they run with WISSOTA and just adjusting things to — I shouldn't say my driving style — but adjusting it to a baseline to where I can be comfortable in the car and get consistent laps,” Fouquette said. "I'd say the big things that we took out were just like they had heavier springs, different angled bars that were more angled for the higher horsepower,” he said, adding that during his debut, “I was tight the whole damn time and the only way I was turning was just jacking the brake and standing on the gas wide open hoping it turns the next corner.”
Fouquette worked on loosening the car up and has received advice from Sabraski, a fellow Longhorn driver, Florida racer Trent McLeod and leading World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series rookie contender Drake Troutman, who Fouquette connected with through simulator racing and video games a few years ago. Making adjustments and getting the feel for the car was a challenge, he said.
“Because as a rookie driver who's never had experience in a Late Model, I mean you really don't know what to expect or feel fresh out of the box,” he said. After making early season adjustments, “we've been kind of tightening the car back up and just making sure and we're comfortable enough to drive it as hard as we need to to be able to compete for the wins night in, night out.”
While his second-place finish at Devils Lake was a great start to the season, Fouquette sees his May 31 run at Madison (Minn.) Speedway on the Structural Buildings WISSOTA Challenge Series as a key moment. On a night with a stacked field, he held the second spot the first half of the race and was headed for a top-five finish when engine woes forced him out with four laps remaining. Fouquette proved to himself he could run the best, including the night’s winner Scott Ward, Jeff Provinzino, Dave Mass and Sabraski, who started outside the front row alongside the pole-starting Fouquette.
"Shane's been known as a guy once he gets the lead it's pretty much lights out. And he checked out on me for a while and I think it was like after about six laps I found a line right where he wasn't running and I was able to reel him back in and put on a show,” Fouquette said. “That was huge to me just being able to not only have the opportunity to pass and even get by Shane, but throwing sliders and just racing as hard as I could and knowing that I had a car that felt like it could win the night.”
In the 40-lapper, “I showed that I can be competitive and we were really (contending) to be have a good chance at the win and we were definitely a podium car. For me, that would have been huge that night, but cards didn't play out in our favor.”
Fouquette will continue to pursue his dual goal of capturing WISSOTA’s Rookie of the Year title and finishing among the top 10 in overall points.
“I do feel like I can very well attain that as long as I stay consistent,” he said, knowing he’ll also be chasing his first victory along the way.
“The biggest thing, even after I ran second (at Devils Lake), the biggest goal when I got in the Late Model racing was just to show some consistency and be competitive, and yes, I do feel like I should have had a win by now, but I'm not gonna let that get in the way of just making decisions on and off the track,” he said. "I'm gonna race hard, but I know it'll come when it does, and I'm just gonna keep racing my heart out and hopefully I can get a couple of them.”
“We feel like we have a really good package,” Fouquette said. “We just have to put full nights together and I think we’ll be OK."
Correction: Fixes Fouquette's age to 23, not 32.
Weekly highlights
• Winning twice in WISSOTA Late Model competition in three days, Kevin Burdick of Proctor, Minn., notched a July 8 victory at Hibbing (Minn.) Speedway and July 10 triumph at his hometown Proctor Speedway.
• Chad Becker of Aberdeen, S.D., scored three victories from July 11-13, winning twice at his hometown Brown County Speedway and added a weekend-capping triumph at Casino Speedway in Watertown, S.D.
• Winning July 12 at Path Valley Speedway, 17-year-old Trent Merkel of Boyertown, Pa., notched his third victory of the season at the Spring Run, Pa., oval.
First things first
Recent first-time occurrences at the dirt track:
• Winning July 12’s Super Late Model feature at I-55 Federated Raceway Park in Pevely, Mo., 17-year-old Chevy Boyer of New Haven, Mo., won in his fifth feature start in the division.
• Modified racer Mark Smith of Anthony, N.M., scored his first Late Model victory in July 12 action at Vado (N.M.) Motor Speedway.
• Michigan racer Ryleigh Beebe captured his first Crate Late Model feature May 10 at Thunderbird Raceway in Muskegon, Mich., then added a second victory on July 12.
Weekly news briefs
• Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill., has added a Steel-Block Late Model class for its July 25 program, a division following the rules of Farmington (Mo.) Empire Speedway. See the Farmington track website for rules.
• Hidden Valley Speedway in Clearfield, Pa., praised emergency responders for efforts in resuscitating a racer who at the pit concession stand suffered cardiac arrest during intermission. The track specifically thanked Bethany McClellan, Skylar Witchey and a crew member from a Semi-Late racing team for initiating treatment along with the Glendale Fire Department and Glendale Quick Response Service. The racer was taken to Penn Highlands DuBois Hospital and then transferred to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., for continued treatment.
• The long-negotiated and expected deal for the city to purchase the Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway property has been finalized with racing to conclude at the 62-year-old track at the conclusion of 2025. Clarksville officials today made the announcement of the $7 million purchase of the 83-acre property, which includes a quarter-mile dirt oval that has been a longtime host of Late Model racing. The William Scogin-owned track confirmed via Facebook that its drag racing, stock car racing and drifting competitions will continue through 2025 with sale becoming official in January 2026. The purchase provides the city opportunity to build its long-planned Hazelwood Recreation Complex and widen the heavily-traveled Needmore Road.
• The Columbus, Miss., racing community is mourning the July 9 passing of Trey Rickman, a former Crate Late Model racer and third-generation driver from the Rickman Racing clan. He was 28. Among survivors are his father Rick Rickman, grandfather Eddie Rickman and uncle Brian Rickman, all longtime Dirt Late Model competitors.
• Citing a price increase of $250 for Hoosier's NLMT tires, County Line Raceway in Elm City, N.C., has opened up its Late Model tire rule to allow comparable American Racer compounds for the rest of the season.
• Cottage Grove (Ore.) Speedway is selling $50 lap sponsorships for July 26’s Virgil Hanson Memorial Logger’s Cup, a $4,200-to-win Super Late Model events. See the track’s Facebook page to sponsor a lap.
• Scooter Tippett of Welcome, Md., is home recovering from neck and leg soreness after a multiple-rollover wreck during a July 11 heat race at Potomac Speedway in Budds Creek, Md. The 18-year-old’s Rocket Chassis was totaled, but Tippett checked out at the hospital with no broken bones or serious injuries. Tippett said he was thankful he’d added a 2024 update with an extra halo bar on the rollcage that protected him from possible injury. He’s purchased a new race car.
• Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., is mourning the passing of former track photographer John Stivason, who died July 5, 13 months after a cancer diagnosis. The track called the Stivason family “a cherished part of our family and we share in their mourning and grief.”
• Noah Perkins, who built Willard (Ky.) Speedway and was a jack-of-all-trades worker at the quarter-mile oval, died July 9. The Webbville, Ky., resident and owner-operated of Perkins Sawmill was 68. On the Willard Speedway website, said “you could find him on a dozer, grader, racing a car, checking armbands or simply hanging out on the hill with the fans.” since the track’s 1997 opening. “He loved racing.”
• Charleston (Ill.) Speedway remained dark July 12 because of the passing the mother of the track’s Janie Ross. The track returns to action July 19.
• Quincy (Ill.) Raceway on July 6 inducted late racer Brent Slocum of Burlington, Iowa, and five others into the track’s Hall of Fame, the first induction ceremony since 2016. Along with Slocum, Jeff Carter, the owner of longtime racing sponsor Summy Tire and crew member for 16-time track champion Mark Burgtorf was inducted along with photographer Wayne Walbring. Racers Tony Dunker, Jim Gillenwater and Mike Dyche were also inducted during a race program that drew 2,100 fans.
Weekly points
DIRTcar (Supers): Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., has 2,142 points to lead Tyler Erb (2,104) and Dennis Erb Jr. (1,812).
IMCA (Limiteds): Kale Kosiski of Ralston, Neb., has 730 points to lead Curtis Glover (725) and Zach Zeitner (721).
USRA (Limiteds): Lucas Peterson of Stockholm, Wis., has 3,184 points to lead Cade Nelson (2,995) and Jason McFadden (2,906).
WISSOTA (Limiteds): Tyler Peterson of Hickson, N.D., has 1,156 points to lead Kevin Burdick (1,111) and rookie Devin Fouquette (995).
American All-Stars (Crates): Ronnie Martin Jr. of Buena Vista, Va., has 398 points to lead Justin Williams (389) and Darren Slone (342).
Crate Racin’ USA (602 Crates): Brett White of Kosciusko, Miss., has 694 points to lead Devin Whatley (675) and Cody Parsons (659).
Crate Racin’ USA (604 Crates): Ben Davis of Poplarville, Miss., has 655 points to lead Sid Scarbrough (644) and James Shirley (598)
DIRTcar (Crates): Brandon Sweitzer of Lincoln, Ill., has 916 points to lead Denny Woodworth (907) and Chase Wilson (896).
RUSH (Crates): Davin Kaiser of Winchester, Va., has 1,273 points to lead Jeremy Wonderling (1,265) and Tom Snyder Jr. (1,245).
Ultimate (Crates): Chandi Currence of Clarksburg, W.Va., has 324 points to lead Kolbe Kimbrew (232) and Derrick Shaw (221).
Upcoming weekly specials
Among non-touring and independent special events coming up for Late Models at dirt tracks around the country:
Freedom Motorsports Park, Delevan, N.Y. (July 18): The rain-postponed eighth annual Pete Loretto Memorial pays $4,000-to-win for Super Late Models in an event sponsored by Briggs Transport. Previous winners include Max Blair and Dave Hess Jr.
Dog Hollow Speedway, Strongstown, Pa. (July 18): Super Late Models chase a $2,400-to-win purse with a makeup feature from June 27. Limited Late Models and Crate Late Models are also in action.
Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, Wis. (July 19): The Duane Mahder Memorial pays a race-record $10,555-to-win for Late Models with each team getting two pit passes and free entry. The 55-lapper will have a fuel stop. USRA Late Models also battle for a $2,500 winner’s prize.
Winchester (Va.) Speedway (July 19): The Junior Boone Memorial for Super Late Models pays $5,555-to-win with four undercard divisions.
Florence Speedway, Union, Ky. (July 19): Crate Late Models chase a $2,000-to-win purse on Dollar Days with $1 soft drinks, beer and other food items. Crown Vics are on the undercard.
Laurens County Speedway, Laurens, S.C. (July 19): A2 Exterminators is sponsoring a $3,000-to-win event for 602 Crate Late Models. The track's Back to School Drive will collect school supplies for kids the next few weeks.
Route 66 Motor Speedway, Amarillo, Texas (July 19): The Country with Integrity Motors Chevrolet special for Limited Late Models pays $1,000-to-win with four other divisions on the card, including sprint cars
