By Ben Deatherage
BREWSTER, Minn. (Aug. 8, 2025) — In Brewster, Minnesota — a small town of just over 500 residents with deep railroad roots — Cory Probst has built a racing career that’s anything but small. The driver of the No. 75C Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock reached an extraordinary milestone on August 2 at Arlington Raceway, claiming his 300th feature win.
For Probst, the historic night came on familiar ground. His 100th win was at Arlington on June 23, 2018. His 200th win came at the same track on June 18, 2022. It’s a place where he has collected some of his biggest moments — and a track that still brings out the best in him.
“Arlington is one of my favorite tracks,” Probst said. “It’s a big half-mile with room to move. Things don’t get as congested, and if things get ugly, there’s places to hide.”
Probst’s milestone was the 17th time in his 27 B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region wins this year that he has started ninth or deeper in the field. The only other driver in IMCA Hobby Stock history to surpass 300 career wins is Shannon Anderson, who leads the all-time list with 361. Probst’s career-best single-season win total is 29, a mark he reached in both 2022 and 2024.
“Starting deep makes you a better driver,” he said. “There’s pressure there, and you’ve got to perform when it counts.”
That consistency has brought him national success. Probst is the reigning Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock National champion, also claiming the crown in 2020. He is an eight-time defending Arlington Raceway track champion, six-time Murray County Speedway track champion, and three-time reigning Redwood Speedway track champion, along with past titles at Buena Vista Raceway, Clay County Speedway, and Hancock County Speedway.
“It’s been a really good year,” he said. “I never thought it would go this way, but we’ve been taking one race at a time, showing up prepared, and it’s paid off.”
Cory Probst celebrates his 300th career IMCA Hobby Stock feature win with family and friends at Arlington Raceway (Photo by Sarah Moriarty).
From the Shop to the Track
Racing has been part of Probst’s life since childhood. His father, Dan, ran Hobby Stocks when Cory was young, and the car number 75C was a family creation — the 75 for Dan’s kids’ ages at the time, and the “C” for Cory.
“I always wanted to be by his side helping him,” Probst recalled. “I’d strip the car in the winter and tear it apart. Now my son’s almost three, and he seems to enjoy everything with wheels, just like I did.”
Probst began racing at 14 in a front-wheel-drive four-cylinder class, then moved into a local entry-level Hobby Stock-type division, where wins soon followed. He joined the IMCA Hobby Stock ranks in 2008 and has been there ever since. Dan still races in the division, keeping the family tradition alive.
“When I started, I raced just once a week,” Probst said. “In 2014–15, I started traveling to other tracks. The extra seat time made me more comfortable and a better driver. It’s something I’ve stuck with.”
Chasing Big Moments
The Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s remain on Probst’s bucket list. He’s one of hundreds of drivers heading to Boone Speedway this September, where he hopes to check off a career goal: winning the Big Dance. His best outing came last year, when he won the Prelude, the Race of Champions, and finished third in the Super Nationals main event after starting 15th. His only other Big Dance appearance was in 2023, finishing 22nd.
“That’s one of the last things I want to check off,” Probst said. “Last year was great, but I didn’t get the greatest starting spot. It took me a while to figure the track out, and it got a little wild at times.”
He also reflected on the 2024 National championship battle, which ended in a rare three-way tie with Mike Smith of Iowa and Cody Williams of Kansas. Probst won on the tiebreaker.
“That was wild,” he said. “It shows how good everybody is and how tight it can be. You can’t control everything, so you focus on what you can.”
Life Outside the Car
Brewster carries a proud history. Founded in 1872 as Hersey, the town was later renamed after the Massachusetts community — itself named for Elder William Brewster of the Plymouth Colony. Probst and his family live on an acreage just outside of town, enjoying the pace of rural life.
“Brewster has T.C.’s Tavern as one of the local gathering spots, but we like going to The Shed over in Lakefield when we don’t have time to cook,” he said. “We also spend time at my wife’s family cabin up by Spicer, Minnesota, after Saturday nights at Arlington.”
That cabin has become a regular getaway during the summer.
“We enjoy time on the boat, being on the water, and the fishing is pretty good up here,” Probst said. “I used to fish a lot more when I was younger, but now you have to pick what you can do when you get busier. I don’t do as much summer fishing anymore, but I try to get out ice fishing in the winter.”
The welcome sign greets visitors to Brewster, Minn., where Cory Probst and his family make their home (Courtesy Photo).
Winter also means more time with his kids. His daughter plays ice hockey and is heading into her second year in the sport, with Probst volunteering as her coach.
“Coaching is fun,” he said. “She seemed to really like it last year. I like watching hockey, and once racing season wraps up, my focus is that — even though I’m still working on race cars and making bodies for other drivers. I work on those when the kids are in bed and before I have to get up for work.”
Probst expressed his gratitude to his wife Katelyn, his mom and dad, his father- and mother-in-law, Lisa, Leon, and the Bradley family. He also thanked Big Daddy Race Cars, Weber’s Money, Jack Pines Resort, Bruns Racing Products, Mick’s Repair, Radio Works, KNP Properties, Oberlohs Scrap Metal, ReMax Realty Plus, and Kuehl Trucking.
