By Ben Deatherage
GLYNDON, Minn. (Oct. 13, 2026) — When Caleb Gardner climbed out of his No. 39 Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock at Dacotah Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 3, another night of racing had come to an end.
But this particular evening carried a little more significance for the Glyndon, Minn., driver, who was preparing to trade the familiar surroundings of dirt tracks and race shops for an overseas deployment with the Minnesota National Guard.
The Oktoberfest program in Mandan, N.D., marked Gardner’s final race before departing for Kuwait, where he will serve as a tracked-vehicle recovery operator.
For Gardner, racing has always been more than a weekend pastime. His grandfather, Al, raced before his father, Randy, and brother, Doug, followed into the sport. The family competed in several different divisions, and the No. 39 on Caleb’s Hobby Stock is the same number carried by his grandfather and father.
Yet for all that family history, it was one particular childhood experience at Buffalo River Speedway that convinced Gardner he wanted to move beyond go-karts and into a full-sized race car.
Three Generations and No. 39
“It’s been a generational thing for me,” Gardner said. “My dad, my brother, my dad’s dad, they all raced. The one that really sealed the deal is I got to ride in a two-seater ’58 Ford with Norm Olson at Buffalo River Speedway when I was a kid.”
Gardner began his racing career in go-karts in 2011, following the path established by his family. Although he was already competing, the opportunity to ride alongside Olson in the two-seat Ford gave him a taste of what racing a full-sized car could be like. The experience convinced him to make the transition into Hobby Stocks the following year, where he found a division that offered the competition he wanted while remaining within his family’s budget.
“I started in go-karts and then moved into Hobby Stocks,” Gardner said. “We’ve raced in the Fargo area at West Fargo, Norman County, and Glyndon.”
The decision to race Hobby Stocks was also helped by his father’s business. Randy operates a wrecking yard, giving the family access to parts and mechanical resources that have helped keep the racing program affordable.
“It fit the budget just right, and my dad has a wrecking yard, so it helps to get all the right parts that we need to get,” Gardner explained.
The number on the car was another connection to the family’s past, one that began with his grandfather’s first race car, a 1939 Ford coupe. Al Gardner chose No. 39 in recognition of that car, establishing a family tradition that would continue through his son Randy and eventually his grandson Caleb.
Although Gardner recalled that his brother Doug wasn’t allowed to carry the number when he began racing, Caleb was able to bring No. 39 back to the track when he started competing. What began with a 1939 Ford coupe had become a connection between three generations of Gardner racers.
Over the years, Gardner competed throughout northwestern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, including appearances at Buffalo River Speedway, Norman County Raceway, and tracks in the Fargo area.
One of his most meaningful accomplishments came at Buffalo River Speedway, where he captured the Hobby Stock track championship during the facility’s 70th season.
The achievement carried a remarkable family connection. His grandfather, Al, had won a championship during the speedway’s inaugural season, linking two generations of Gardner racers through accomplishments at the same facility seven decades apart.
For Caleb, the championship added another chapter to a family racing history that had begun long before he was born.
Caleb Gardner celebrates a Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature victory during championship night at Buffalo River Speedway in Glyndon, Minn., on Aug. 31, 2025. Pictured from left are his father, Randy Gardner; fiancée, Katrina; Caleb; and brother, Doug Gardner. (Courtesy Photo)
A Different Kind of Service
While Gardner followed his family into racing, his decision to join the military took him in a different direction.
Unlike his introduction to motorsports, which came through generations of family involvement, military service was something he decided to pursue on his own. The opportunities for education helped attract his interest, but so did the chance to experience something different and meet people from other backgrounds.
“The military was something that really caught my eye,” Gardner said. “No one in my family had really done it, and there was that big offer to help with college, so I decided one day to let my parents know that I was going to enlist, and they were all for it.”
Gardner joined the Minnesota National Guard approximately six years ago and recently reenlisted for another three years, a commitment that will bring his total service to nine years when his current enlistment is completed.
He initially served as a wheeled-vehicle mechanic before changing specialties last winter. During that transition, Gardner also earned promotion to sergeant, the Army’s E-5 pay grade, and became qualified as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle mechanic.
His upcoming deployment to Kuwait will involve somewhat different responsibilities.
“When we go over there, I’ll be designated as a tracked-vehicle recovery operator, but my actual MOS is a Bradley mechanic,” Gardner explained. “If it’s something easy, we go out and fix the vehicle up in the field. If not, then we tow it back and get to work on it in the shop to get it fixed.”
For someone who has spent much of his life working on race cars and finding ways to keep equipment running, the mechanical responsibilities are familiar, even if the circumstances will be considerably different.
This will be Gardner’s first deployment overseas, taking him away from the family, friends, and racing community that have been such important parts of his life.
Nevertheless, he speaks positively about his experiences in the National Guard, particularly the relationships he has developed through his service.
“The people you get to meet are amazing,” he said.
A Hometown With a Unique History
Gardner’s hometown of Glyndon sits in Clay County in northwestern Minnesota, a short distance from the North Dakota border and the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area.
The community traces its beginnings to 1872, when the railroad was extended through the region and Glyndon was platted. A post office was established that same year, helping the settlement develop into a permanent community along the expanding railroad network.
The town’s name carries an unusual connection to American literary history and the Civil War.
Glyndon was named in honor of Howard Glyndon, the pen name of Laura Catherine Redden Searing, a poet and journalist whose work gained recognition during the 19th century.
Searing lost her hearing at age 11 following an illness and later attended the Missouri School for the Deaf. She developed an interest in literature and journalism, eventually writing for several prominent publications despite the limited opportunities available to deaf women during that period.
During the Civil War, Searing worked as a correspondent in Washington, D.C., reporting on the conflict and writing poetry that reflected the experiences of soldiers and civilians. Her first poetry collection, Idyls of Battle, and Poems of the Rebellion, was published in 1864.
She later traveled through Europe, studied several languages, and continued her career as a writer and journalist. When the Minnesota railroad community was established in 1872, it was named in recognition of the literary identity she had created.
For Gardner, however, the community’s most familiar landmark is considerably closer to home.
He lives right next to Buffalo River Speedway, the same track where his ride with Norm Olson helped convince him to move beyond go-karts and where his family has accumulated decades of racing memories.
For visitors to the Glyndon area, Buffalo River State Park offers walking trails and camping, while racing fans can attend events at Buffalo River Speedway, Norman County Raceway, and Fix It Forward Speedway. Nearby Fargo, Moorhead, and Detroit Lakes also provide shopping and entertainment opportunities, with numerous golf courses scattered throughout the surrounding communities of Hawley, Moorhead, and Fargo.
Other attractions include North Dakota State University Bison football games and the Ferris wheel inside the Scheels store in Fargo. Gardner recommends Plaza Azteca in Fargo for a meal, while Midtown Tavern in Moorhead is a favorite weekly stop for wings and pizza.
When he isn’t competing, Gardner enjoys hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and attending races as a spectator.
Away from the racetrack and his National Guard responsibilities, Gardner works for Taracon Precast, helping manufacture concrete components used in projects such as walls and parking structures.
Between his civilian employment, military service, and racing program, Gardner has spent much of his adult life working with his hands, whether maintaining a Hobby Stock, producing concrete structures, or repairing military vehicles.
Now, those mechanical skills will take him considerably farther from home than any racing trip.
The Buffalo River winds through Buffalo River State Park near Glyndon, Minn., offering visitors opportunities for camping, hiking, and outdoor recreation. The park is located near Buffalo River Speedway, where Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock driver Caleb Gardner and his family have competed for generations. (Photo by CampUSA.com)
Family, Racing and the Road Ahead
Although Gardner is the one behind the wheel of the No. 39 Hobby Stock, he knows the racing program has always depended on the efforts of those around him.
His parents, Randy and Cheryl, have remained important supporters throughout his career, while his brother, Doug, and fiancée, Katrina, have also played significant roles in keeping the family racing tradition alive.
Gardner also credits Dennis Korf for helping prepare the car and ensuring it is ready for competition.
“There’s a lot of great sponsors and people that help me out, and I can’t thank them enough,” Gardner said.
His sponsors and supporters include Al’s Auto Parts, OK Tire Store, Johnson’s Auto Repair, Image Exteriors, My Plumbing Training, Iretta Smith, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Eat Turkey, OLR, Up North Country Sales, S&D Warehouse, and BOT.
That support has allowed Gardner to continue racing while balancing the demands of civilian employment and military service, something that will become even more important as he prepares to spend an extended period overseas.
His final race at Dacotah Speedway on Oct. 3 brought the immediate racing chapter to a close, but the family tradition that began with his grandfather remains an important part of his life.
Now, Caleb’s attention turns toward Kuwait and the responsibilities awaiting him with the Minnesota National Guard, while the No. 39 Hobby Stock remains back home awaiting his return.
For Gardner, racing is a family tradition that has spanned three generations. Military service is a commitment he chose for himself, one he intends to fulfill before returning to the sport that has been part of his life since childhood.
