By Greg Grabianowski
ALGONA, Iowa (July 24, 2025) — The Salute to Veterans Tour rolled into Kossuth County Speedway for its biggest night of the season, and despite nearly two inches of rain in the previous 24 hours, track manager Kevin Long and his crew worked their magic to make the surface race-ready in just five hours.
Dylan Nelson took advantage of the outside front row starting spot and led the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature from the start. A series of cautions slowed the action, including a lap five tangle between Parker Larson and Blake Luinenburg, and more yellows involving Brayden Fahmi and Trevor Iverson.
Nelson continued to lead through each restart, with Skylar Pruitt staying within striking distance. The final caution flew with just two laps remaining due to debris in turn four, but it wasn’t enough to shake Nelson’s rhythm. He went on to capture his third Salute to Veterans Tour win in Algona and fifth overall in the series.
The $1,000 payday also marked his first B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region victory of 2025. Pruitt finished second with Michael Wade coming home third. Veteran Norman Roth was paired with Nelson and received a custom engraved Golden Boy rifle.
Avila Wins SportMod Main and Race of Champions
Matt Avila and Justin Klynsma led the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods to the green, and it was Avila who jumped to the early lead in a feature filled with cautions. Payce Herrera brought out the first yellow on lap three, and then back-to-back-to-back cautions on lap seven for Nate Albrant, Alec Fett, and Jake Simpson slowed the pace.
After a tangle between Klynsma and Josh Appel ended both of their nights, Charlie Stevens inherited the second spot. The race went green until lap 23 when Jacob Tacheny’s car overheated, but Avila stayed focused and claimed his third Salute to Veterans Tour win. Stevens was second and Jeremiah Reed rounded out the podium.
Avila’s victory was his fifth overall of the season and came with a $1,500 check. He added another $1,000 and a carved trophy by winning the Race of Champions earlier in the night. Daryl Tonderum was the veteran paired with Avila and took home a commemorative rifle.
Matt Avila poses with his team after winning the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature on July 24 during the Salute to Veterans Tour at Kossuth County Speedway. The win was worth $1,500. (Photo by Jane Burd)
Shryock Scores Seventh Salute to Veterans Win in Stock Cars
Ryan Grochow was the early leader in the 24-car Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature before several early cautions slowed the pace. McCain Jennings, Shelby Williams, and Tyler Pickett were involved in a lap three incident, and more trouble in turn two followed just a few laps later.
After a complete restart caused by Mike Hansen’s spin, Kelly Shryock seized the lead and began pulling away. More yellows flew on laps eight, 16, and 17, but the final eight circuits went caution-free. Blake Luinenburg pressured Shryock to the end, but the veteran from Fertile held strong and earned his seventh Salute to Veterans Tour victory along with $3,500 in prize money.
The win also marked Shryock’s 14th triumph in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region this season, five of which have come at Kossuth County. Luinenburg finished a close second and Johnathan Logue claimed third. Veteran Norvee Van Payne was honored with the Golden Boy rifle for his pairing with Shryock.
Kelly Shryock is joined in victory lane after capturing the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature win at the Salute to Veterans Tour stop on July 24 at Kossuth County Speedway. Shryock collected $3,500 for his efforts. (Photo by Jane Burd)
Gaylord Overcomes Caution-Filled Modified Feature
Joel Rust and Cody Knecht paced the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified field to green. Rust took the early lead and held the top spot for the first six laps, but during a caution for Jeremy Mills’ flat tire, Rust developed a mechanical issue and was forced to retire from the race. That handed the lead to Tripp Gaylord.
Despite several more cautions throughout the 25-lap race, Gaylord held strong through every restart to pick up his first-ever Salute to Veterans feature win. The victory was worth $3,500 and marked his sixth win of the season in the Razor Chassis North Central Region.
Colby Fett finished second while Cody Laney was third. Veteran Gary Weishaar was paired with Gaylord and received the commemorative rifle.
Tripp Gaylord celebrates his Salute to Veterans Tour win in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature on July 24 at Kossuth County Speedway. He earned $3,500 for the victory. (Photo by Jane Burd)
The Salute to Veterans Tour stop at Kossuth County Speedway was broadcast live on IMCA TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $24.99/month. And don’t miss Season 2 of The Boone Docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
