By Ben Deatherage
CASCO, Wis. (Oct. 20, 2026) — CASCO, Wis. (Oct. 20, 2026) — At just 19 years old, Coy Vlies accomplished something no Wisconsin driver had done before, becoming the first from the Badger State to capture the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod national championship. The Casco racer was also the youngest of IMCA’s 2026 national champions, prevailing in the closest national championship battle of the season by edging Jarett Franzen by a single point after a campaign that produced 19 feature victories in 45 starts.
For Vlies, the possibility of winning a national championship seemed like a long shot entering the year, particularly with Wisconsin’s limited weekly racing opportunities compared to other parts of the country.
“I thought going into the season if winning a national championship in the state of Wisconsin was even possible because you can only race two times a week up here,” Vlies said. “But everything fell the right way this year, and it all worked out.”
Driving the Prestige Custom Cabinetry & Millwork/Vlies Custom Race Bodies/Casco Kids Zone No. 17V Harris Chassis, Vlies collected 32 podium finishes, 40 top fives, and 43 top-10 finishes. He also repeated as Wisconsin State champion and secured track championships at both 141 Speedway and Luxy Raceway, extending his streak of consecutive titles at each facility to three.
Vlies collected eight victories each at Luxy Raceway and 141 Speedway, with one apiece at Maquoketa Speedway in Iowa and Buffalo River Speedway and Redwood Speedway in Minnesota.
“We didn’t have any of this on our bingo card,” Vlies said. “We just planned to go out and try to win some big races or win as many races as we could, and we started with winning four in a row and kind of stayed consistent all year long. At the end of the year, it got a little rough with some bad luck. Sometimes when you start out hot, you don’t stay hot all season long. I think we were in the top five pretty much every night and were consistent all year long.”
His success at Luxy Raceway has been particularly memorable.
“I love that track. It’s been so good to us,” Vlies said. “I won the first seven races there, and they put a bounty on me,” he added with a laugh. “I won the bounty, and I was one win short of breaking the record for the most consecutive wins, but I finished second. I won the track championship there my rookie year and every year since.”
Vlies began racing in 2022, spending much of the season practicing at 141 Speedway before entering several special events. His first full season came in 2023, when he earned rookie honors and the Luxy Raceway track championship. His father, Jeff, raced alongside him that year, finishing second to Coy in the track standings before stepping away from driving to concentrate on his son’s program.
Vlies also gained experience in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car division this year, making a handful of appearances in the car owned by Stephanie and Josh Sorce when regular driver Brandon Schmitt was unavailable.
With Wisconsin offering limited weekly racing opportunities, Vlies traveled to Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota in pursuit of the national championship. His trips to Dubuque and East Moline frequently brought him into competition with Franzen, his closest rival in the points standings.
“We can only race Friday and Saturday here, so we had to go some really long distances to race some places on Sunday at Dubuque or East Moline,” Vlies explained.
Vlies also made his second career appearance in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod Big Dance at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, finishing eighth at Boone Speedway.
Feature Wins: 19
Total Top Fives: 40
Total Starts: 45
His Pit Crew: Todd, Todd, Dave, Mandy, Lance, Cory, Brody
His Sponsors: Prestige Custom Cabinetry & Millwork, Vlies Custom Race Bodies, Casco Kids Zone, 4CC Trucking, All Things Motorsports, Brookside Meats, Casco Concrete Finishers, Luxemburg-Casco 1 Stop, Casco Cobbler Shop, Chad Roffers Trucking, CL Cochart LLC, Dynamic Drivelines, Dairyland Exteriors, Extreme Enterprises, Floors by Josh, Fox River Marine, Harris Auto Racing, Hyperco Springs, Hunters Edge Archery, Jolly’s Street Pizza, KNJ Holdings, Klink Equipment, Massart’s Auto Body, Neighborhood Auto Repair, Nick’s Bumper to Bumper, Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, Performance Bodies and Parts, Performance Shocks, Rohr-N-Machine, Ron’s Wisconsin Cheese, Todd Wiese, Throttle Shots Photography, Tri County Heating Inc., Viking Electric, Vlies Electric, Velocita USA, Victory Sign LLC, Waterfront Bar and Grill, Wehrs Machine, Wisconsin Diecast, Woody’s Signs.