By Ben Deatherage
REDWOOD FALLS, Minn. (May 29, 2026) — Redwood Speedway, “The Big House” half-mile oval, will honor the memory of fallen Minnesota National Guardsman Brent Koch during Military Night on Sunday, June 14, with a special memorial race program featuring Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing competition.
The evening will celebrate the life and sacrifice of Koch, a Morton native and member of the Minnesota Army National Guard who was killed while serving in Iraq in 2006. This year marks the 20th anniversary of his passing.
“This year is 20 years since he’s passed,” said event organizer, three-time reigning Redwood Speedway Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified track champion, and former member of Koch’s pit crew, Dan Menk. “A friend of mine mentioned it was the 20-year anniversary, and I started thinking about putting on a memorial race. June 14 was already our Military Night, so I reached out to Rick and Velvet Dostal and ran the idea by them. They were onboard right away.”
Friends of Brent will serve as the presenting sponsor of the memorial race, helping honor Koch’s legacy two decades after his passing.
Military Night will feature discounted $5 general admission for all past and present members of the United States Armed Forces.
On the track, Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars will each race for $1,000 to win. Both features will serve as qualifying events for the 2026 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational and the B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational, held during the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September.
Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks will compete for a $500 top prize, while Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods will also be part of the racing program. Additional contingency awards will be distributed throughout the evening.
Koch graduated from Cedar Mountain High School in 2002, where he participated in football and basketball before joining the Minnesota Army National Guard. Assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry Combined Arms Battalion in Redwood Falls, he deployed to Iraq in March of 2006 as part of the 34th Brigade Combat Team.
On June 9, 2006, Koch was killed at the age of 22 when an explosive device detonated near his military vehicle in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq.
“Brent was the kind of kid that you would want with you if you were over there fighting a war,” Cedar Mountain School District Superintendent Bob Tews said following Koch’s death. “He was committed and mature beyond his years.”
Racing begins at 5:30 p.m. at Redwood Speedway.
For more information and event updates, visit the Redwood Speedway Facebook page.
