NEW PARIS: LINDLAG IMPRESSES; DEVREESE AND SCHISLER DOMINATE

NEW PARIS, IN — When the New Paris Speedway announced that they would be adopting National Compact Touring Series rules and combine their struggling Outlaw Front Wheel Drive class with their Mini Stock group, many wondered how the new class would shape.

Most tracks in the area have switched to an ABC format with similar rule sets. New Paris and Russell’s M-40 Speedway were one of the lone holdouts on the ABC format. Russell’s M-40 decided to go in a different direction when they merged their Outlaw Front Wheel Drives and Mini Stocks together to form one class, they kept their stock class as their own, and introduced a budget class in honor of Mottville. For 2026, New Paris aligned with Russell’s as its closest track where some drivers may race on off nights in either location, and the move would also allow drivers to potentially run with the National Compacts.

An Opening Night Win

Sheldon Lindlag won the inaugural 4-Cylinder Feature at New Paris Speedway on April 25, 2026.

It was an original member of the National Compacts Touring Series which took home the opening night feature victory as Sheldon Lindlag held off several Mini Stocks to take home the competitive victory. It wasn’t for a lack of effort by the Mini Stocks as several pushed their way forward, but Lindlag had an answer for them at every corner. For Lindlag, this was not his first experience in racing with Mini Stocks on the track, and he’s been one of the top contenders each year for Drew Jach’s Compact series. Where many fans might have assumed an easy path to victory for the Mini Stocks, as is often the case at other tracks, on this night, the Front Wheel Drive counterparts flexed their potential in the new class. While it is only one night out of several to come, the building blocks for a successful transition showed themselves immediately.

A Returning Champion

Nick Stremme, a former Street Stock Champion at New Paris, made his return to The Hottest 1/4 Mile in the Midwest on April 25, 2026.

The Street Stocks took two false starts to get their laps going, but once the third green flag dropped, a race to the front took place which saw Saige Hanna bolt out front quickly. A speeding ticket sent The Grumpy Girl to the back, but another Hanna soon found themself out front as her dad, Charlie, had the lead. Not for long though, as fast qualifier Andrew DeVreese raced like he was on a fire department call and chased down Hanna for the lead. Once out front, it seemed that only a mistake by DeVreese or a race changing caution could make things interesting. Former track champion, Nick Stremme, made his return to New Paris and found himself in second place as he attempted to chase down DeVreese, but there were not enough laps to make up the overall distance despite lapped traffic providing some opportunity as DeVreese worked his way through them.

Hot Out of the Gate

Andrew DeVreese raced his way to the front and never looked back in his first victory of the 2026 season at New Paris on April 25, 2026.

The Limited Late Models went green to checkered as Bug Schisler found himself out front within the first couple of laps and put it on cruise control from there. Street Stock winner, Andrew DeVreese, played a similar role as Stremme did in the Feature before as DeVreese attempted to chase down Schisler to put some pressure on the former track champion and defending Trifecta Champion, but it was on this night that it belonged to Schisler and crew. DeVreese raced in place for Jerime Damron who had planned to jump into the Limited Late but swapped over to race the Hornet.

Making a Statement

Bug Schisler, the defending Trifecta Champion and a former track champion, raced to victory on Saturday, April 25th, at the New Paris Speedway.

Speaking of Damron, he had an impressive race himself in the Hornet A-Feature. Not only did his hood pop open during the race, which caused temporary blindness as he followed his instincts to stay in the race despite limited visibility, he had to work his way through a crowded front. Once he found some space, Damron went to work and, with a missing hood, took home the opening night win.

The B-Feature saw several new faces make their debut in the Hornets which included Doug Beem Jr., a traditional Night of Destruction competitor, and Cruz Everage, a former Mini Wedge racer who got his first big car experience this past winter in a few Enduro races. But on this night, the victory belonged to Harley Stanley as he held off Beem several times to take home the win.

No Hoodie Weather for Damron

No hood, no sweat. Jerime Damron won the Hornet A-Feature after his hood went up earlier in the race and was removed by safety during a caution on April 25, 2026 at the New Paris Speedway.

New Paris returns to action next Saturday, May 2nd, for their annual Cabin Fever featuring the first leg of the Trifecta Series. On the property will be the Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Limited Late Models. The Street Stocks race for $1,000 to win while the Limited Lates and Modifieds will race for $1,075 to win. It’s $275 to start for the Modifieds and Limited Late Models and $200 for the Street Stocks. Racing starts at 5:15 P.M.

New Paris: Night of Destruction Delivers Chaos

NEW PARIS, IN — The Season Opening Night of Destruction delivered plenty of hits for the New Paris faithful on a chilly night in Elkhart County.

Drivers were eager to compete, and the event saw the return or Tori Stanley for her first competition since 2024. In traditional fashion, the Beat the Clock, Spectator Drags, and Burnout Contest kicked things off. During the Spectator Race, a red truck nearly hit the Turn 1 wall after losing control after the driver secured victory, and that moment set the tone for the rest of the night.

In the Burnout Contest, a fan favorite burnout did not secure the victory as the same red truck returned to do what many considered the winning burnout. The judges felt different, but that did not stop the fans from being entertained. Stanley won her first race back since 2024 over a hard charging Tabitha DeWitt, and Seth Gilbert flexed his muscles once again with several victories.

The Enduro delivered several memorable moments, and things were so intense at one point with a drying track that the New Paris Fire Department made another visit to water down the surface. In the PAC-Man Race, several PAC-Man were needed as hits were delivered and cars broke. As the clock wound down, the lone survivor was finally caught and the PAC-Man were back on top once again.

The next Night of Destruction takes place on May 23rd.

Kalamazoo: Roahrig, Town Deliver On Big Night

KALAMAZOO, MI — It’s been a while since a line wrapped around the property with race fans to enter the Kalamazoo Speedway for a weekly show, and that’s exactly what took place on Opening Night 2026 when thousands of fans packed the stands for the Outlaw Super Late Models, Street Stocks, and Front Wheel Drives.

The Street Stock Feature was a show stealer in many ways. After Brock Ganus raced out to an early lead that he held down for most of the race, two late race cautions changed the entire dynamics of the Feature. On the first restart, Ganus was able to hold off the pack behind him and get out front, but action in Turn 2 once again brought out the caution. This was all within a few minute window as Ganus originally took the white flag before the caution displayed. Now with a second restart to go, Ganus was out front but Jeffery Town was able to get by Ganus and completed the race out front as he held off Ganus on the high side.

The headliner, The Intimidator 100, had a difficult act to follow, but the Outlaws delivered. Phil Bozell had a dominating performance at the start of the race as he paced the field for several laps, but issues ended the Bozell night early which saw Mark Shook and Tyler Roahrig take over as they battled. While Shook held fort with Roahrig for many laps, Roahrig was able to stretch the race out and picked up his latest victory in the Outlaw Super Late Models at Kalamazoo. Fans were treated to surprises from the field as Scott Hantz and Craig Everage, both cars which were not on the pre-entry list, made the trip north to Kalamazoo.

The Front Wheel Drives A-Feature was won by defending champion Matthew Elsey Jr. in his freshly designed car. The B-Feature was won by former Hartford Speedway Compact driver James McDonald, and the C-Feature was won by Dayton Brady after several cars received a speeding ticket during the race.

Kalamazoo returns to action on Friday, April 24th, with their Fast Friday’s at the Zoo Weekly Racing program on Alamao Township Night. The Front Wheel Drives will also race for a higher purse with the Autism Awareness Race.

Shttrr’s Full Enduro

JONES, MI — The Great Lakes Racing Promotions brought their annual Shttrr’s Full Enduro back to the Russell’s M-40 Speedway on a freshly snow covered race track with 41 entries in the field. It was a chilly day, but several fans made the trip to take in the first race of the season in Michigan.

The Enduro opened with a long segment of racing with nearly 20 minutes ticked off the clock from the time the green flag dropped. The always tough Mike Ely as well as Brock Sweeter were well in contention with Joliet, IL’s Matt Rex right in the mix. The 150 lap featured a few red flag moments which allowed for drivers in disabled cars to exit the track. Despite the less than ideal driving conditions, the drivers respected the surface and their competitors for several side-by-side battles as each pushed for the front.

In a field with veteran racers, which included weekly competitors such as Christina Rantz, Dylan Stremme, and Jesse Terry to name a few, a rookie driver made their official jump from the Mini Wedge ranks as Cruze Everage made his debut in the big cars. The young rising star certainly had some close calls on the track for his first race in the snow, but overall he held well and had a huge fan zone in the infield which cheered him on along the way.

By the end of the race, a familiar name found his way to the checkered flag first a month after he won the Evil Elf Enduro at Kalamazoo as Mike Ely was victorious. Brock Sweeter took second and Matt Rex was third.

The second Enduro of the day, The Loo if Full, saw Meghan Nuff take the victory in the 15 lap women’s race.