By Bill Martin
COLONA, Ill. (Oct. 31, 2025) — Logan Veloz acquired the nickname The Master when he was little because even back then his family joked that when it came to anything racing, he wanted to have everything perfect.
The now 21-year-old from Colona, Ill., a third-generation driver, came close to perfection this season in earning Sunoco IMCA Late Model rookie of the year honors.
“When I was a kid watching racing on TV, I didn’t watch and cheer for one driver, I cheered for whoever raced the best, like whoever hit their marks, and my mom Carolyn gave me that nickname,” said Veloz. “So, whenever I raced myself, whether it was go karts or big cars, I tried to be the most perfect I could, like I was trying to master something.”
Coming off a Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod career best 21-win season in 2024, when he’d finished fourth in the national points chase, Veloz was quick to prove his mastery in the new class.
He won his first feature in just his third night out in a Late Model, put together five straight wins between May 11 and May 25, and had nine checkers to his credit before the end of June.
His 2025 stat sheet showed another 13 top five finishes, in 31 starts at tracks in Illinois and Iowa before ending the season in Nebraska.
“We just wanted to be consistent. In the back of our minds, we wanted to go for rookie but knew that goals weren’t always hit, so our goal at the start of the year was just to run consistent, said Veloz, who would add national runner-up, plus East Moline Speedway and Illinois State championships following an impressive 11-win campaign.
“In the SportMod world, winning weekly was fun and I enjoyed running big shows with Brayton (Carter) and Dylan (VanWyk), but I really felt it was time to move up. I was thinking Modified because that’s what my dad drove all those years,” he continued, “but friends Kenny Roberts and Garrett Alberson thought I should go to a Late Model. They thought IMCA was the place to start, especially with where we’re located and the tracks I’m racing, because they have a lot of notes on them.”
Veloz totaled six wins at home track East Moline, four at Davenport Speedway, where he was second in points and got that first-ever win on April 25, and one at Maquoketa Speedway.
“I was surprised. I didn’t think I was going to adapt to a Late Model that quickly because they’re not anything like a SportMod,” admitted Veloz. “The only thing that’s similar is that they drive on the right front. The SportMod likes to slide a lot when you go in the corner. With a Late Model, it seems to be the faster you go in the corner, the more traction you get. It was really bizarre.”
Tutored by the likes of father Milo Jr., who is not officially retired but focuses on crew chief and car owner duties for his son’s 2022 Black Diamond Chassis team, Veloz also benefitted from advice given by Ray Guss Jr., IMCA’s 2010-2012 Late Model National champ.
“Probably right before Super Nationals was when we really looked at the (national points) race,” said Veloz, fifth in the Big Dance at America’s Racin’ Vacation. “Before Boone, we were still learning the car, the adjustments, the whole Late Model driving style. We tallied up the numbers and figured out we wouldn’t be in contention for the national championship, so we focused on wrapping up rookie of the year and keep having fun.”
A heavy equipment technician for the Altorfer Caterpillar dealership in Davenport, he’ll be back in the division in 2026 with goals yet to be determined.
Feature Wins 11
Top Five’s 13
Starts 31
HIS CREW: Father Milo Jr. and mother Carolyn, Noah Van Damme and Jason Dean.
HIS SPONSORS: Veloz Tire Repair, Roberts Motorsports, Prime Time Custom Wraps and R & B Seamless Gutters, all of Colona; Chopper’s Bar & Grill and Element Salon and Barner, both of Silvis; Jumpin’ Monkeys Day Care of Moline; Sedlock’s Paint and Body of Carbon Cliff; Centennial Contractors and Country Financial, both of the Quad Cities; Roemer Machine, Done Right TV and Muilenburg Motorsports, all of Davenport, Iowa; T & L Fabrication of Martelle, Iowa; and Superior Steering Wheels.