
Shawn Natenstedt: A Century of Wins Forged in the Nevada Desert
By Ben Deatherage FERNLEY, Nev. (Oct. 6, 2025) — The desert around Fernley stretches wide and golden, framed by the distant Sierra Nevadas and stitched with the old irrigation canals that turned sagebrush into farmland more than a century ago. Freight trains roll past the cement plant, the hum of Highway 80 in the distance, and every so often, the bark of a race engine echoes from a nearby shop. For Shawn Natenstedt, that sound is home — the rhythm of long nights, late drives, and the relentless pursuit of one more win. That pursuit reached a milestone this summer when he captured his 100th IMCA-sanctioned victory on Aug. 2 at Lovelock Speedway, earning his place among the prestigious Century Club. That milestone also put Natenstedt in rare company — only four other Nevada drivers have ever reached the 100-win plateau in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified division. “It was a hard feat, but we finally made it happen,” he said. “It didn’t come as soon as I wanted, but when it did, it meant a [Read More]