By Ben Deatherage
GORDONVILLE, Texas (Oct. 30, 2026) — A decision between purchasing another dirt bike or trying something different led 24-year-old Austin Souder to the 2026 GRT Race Cars South Central Region Rookie of the Year award in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified division.
Souder becomes the 32nd Texas driver to earn South Central Region Rookie of the Year honors since the award’s inception in 1993, extending the state’s streak to 15 consecutive seasons.
The Gordonville, Texas, driver spent much of his life racing motocross before climbing behind the wheel of the N2 Enterprise/Souder Appliance Repair/Cam’s Auto/Gould Race Cars entry for his first full season on four wheels.
“I didn’t really know what I was getting into,” Souder admitted. “I raced motocross my whole life. I slowed down on the dirt bikes and just rode for fun.”
His introduction to dirt track racing came through friend James Nicholson, who began competing in 2025. After attending several races with Nicholson, Souder considered purchasing a race car rather than another motorcycle.
A connection with two-time IMCA Modified national champion William Gould helped make the decision easier.
Souder found one of Gould’s former Modifieds advertised on Facebook, a car originally built in 2008 and decided to give dirt track racing a try.
“I threw it together as cheap as I could because I didn’t know I was going to race all year,” Souder said. “I was just going to play around, and I ended up racing twice a week all year.”
Souder assembled the car on a limited budget, initially uncertain how often he would compete.
The transition proved challenging, particularly when learning how to control a Modified through the corners.
“It was a crash course at the beginning of the year,” Souder said. “I had a big-time lead foot. I think it took me three or four nights to make a feature.”
Gould encouraged him to slow down and concentrate on the fundamentals, advice that gradually improved his performance.
“William told me I was trying to drive it way too fast and to chalk it back a whole lot and start from the beginning,” Souder explained. “I did that and slowly started to get better.”
His motocross experience provided a foundation, especially after previously helping train younger riders.
“I think what helped me from being a previous racer, even though it wasn’t on four wheels, was learning the fundamentals,” Souder said. “Once I got the bug out of having fun the first couple of nights, I could then focus on the fundamentals and drive the car.”
Souder made 39 race appearances during his rookie campaign, advancing to 36 A-features while competing primarily at Heart O’ Texas Speedway and Grayson County Speedway.
He recorded 17 top-10 finishes, highlighted by a season-best fifth-place result May 16 at Grayson County. He also collected sixth-place finishes July 10 and Aug. 28 at Heart O’ Texas and Aug. 8 at Grayson County.
His consistency improved as the season progressed, with six top-10 finishes in eight August starts. Souder also won two heat races at Grayson County before closing his points campaign with consecutive top-10 finishes Sept. 19 and 26.
“The last six or eight nights, my goal was to get a top 10, and I did okay,” Souder said. “I ended up winning two heat races at Grayson County and one top five.”
Learning to compete on slick racing surfaces remained one of his biggest challenges.
“The biggest challenge for me, and still is, is trying to keep up with the fast guys on the slick tracks,” Souder explained. “It’s a whole other ballgame when the track slicks off.”
What began as an experiment with a different form of motorsports ultimately developed into a full season of competition and regional rookie honors for Souder, who finished the year with considerably more experience than when he first climbed into Gould’s former Modified.
Feature Wins: 0
Total Top Fives: 1
Total Starts: 39
His Pit Crew: James Nicholson, Rae Nicholson, Avery Nicholson, Karley Nicholson, mother Connie Souder, and stepfather Jeff Murphy
His Sponsors: N2 Enterprise, Souder Appliance Repair, Gould Race Cars, Cam’s Auto, and Hideaway Poker Club