offroadspeedway

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (July 29, 2023) – Variety was the operative word for Saturday night’s feature winners at Off Road Speedway. Each of those winners would have had a descriptive story to hash over in any sort of late night, after competition conversation in the pit area before loading up their cars for the journey home. Dylan Schmer, for example, probably felt like he won the IMCA Sunoco Late Models feature more than once after he had to overcome a number of challenges even after producing large leads on multiple occasions. Three cautions, the last two with under eight laps remaining, along with twice catching up to and having to contend with lapped traffic on both the high and low lines, kept challengers within reach. But in the end, Schmer simply had too much speed and power for the rest of the field, using the high line of the track to secure his first win at Off Road Speedway this season. Chase Osborne came from a starting position in the sixth row within [Read More]

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com  NORFOLK, Neb. (July 15, 2023) – Coming from behind was the trend during Saturday night features at Off Road Speedway. Only one of the four IMCA winners began the race among the first three rows in the starting grid, while the other three started at least four rows behind the pole sitter. Making up the most ground on Saturday was Cade Richards, who travelled from the sixth row in the field of 16 cars to the front to earn his first Off Road Speedway IMCA Sunoco Late Model win plus the $250 Sunoco Race Fuels bonus. Richards survived a four-car battle for fourth to enter the top three with 14 of the 25 laps left and then, without a caution to help close the gap, still had to catch up to race leader Travis Birkley, which meant winning a duel with Alex Banks, who was also in pursuit. Richards caught and passed Banks on the inside one lap later and, using the high side of the track to gain momentum, was able [Read More]

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (July 8, 2023) – Saturday night was a difficult night for the points leaders in the various divisions at Off Road Speedway. Primarily due to issues beyond their control, which forced exits from the racing surface to the pits, none of those drivers finished anywhere near contention for a spot among the top three during the feature races in any of the five divisions. Those circumstances, with just seven nights of points racing remaining this season, leaves the competition for track championships wide open. In the Friesen Performance IMCA Late Model feature, for example, Cory Dumpert was forced to leave the track twice with fuel system problems, ending a performance that had the Newman Grove driver battling for the lead with Dylan Schmer for much of the race.  When Dumpert left for the first time with seven laps remaining, which required him to report to the rear of the field upon his return, three cars – Schmer, Chase Osborne, and Nelson Vollbrecht –continued the up front competition. After several [Read More]

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (July 3, 2023) – A pre-Independence Day special event was well-attended by both competitors and fans on Monday night at Off Road Speedway. With a full, reddish-colored moon as a backdrop, 100 cars, including a large number of drivers trying their luck at the Norfolk track for the first time, and a crowd of approximately 500 enjoyed a night of IMCA racing followed by a celebratory fireworks display. Cory Dumpert ran away with the IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature, despite a starting position in the middle of the 22-car grid. Dumpert made his way to the front during the first half of the race before taking the lead by coming out on top of a brief five-lap battle with Cade Richards. Dumpert then pulled away from the field both before and after the race’s fifth and final caution occurred with seven laps remaining. Richards finished second with Tad Pospisil taking third. The narrowest margin of victory belonged to Cameron Wilkinson, who nipped Ron Pettitt at the finish line of the IMCA [Read More]

By Randy Pospishilsports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (June 17, 2023) – Off Road Speedway doubled up on its regular slate of racing Saturday night, adding the features that were rained out a week ago to offer race fans and drivers a two-for-one bonus opportunity. For some drivers, who appear to be finding the most effective setup for the Norfolk track and are preparing their cars accordingly, that became a chance to double up on finishes among the top five or, in some cases, to notch another win. Four-time defending national champion Cory Dumpert picked up his third Off Road Speedway feature win of the season in the IMCA Sunoco Late Model division. Dumpert started five rows back and wasn’t among the top six cars chasing leader Ben Sukup, but that changed with nine laps left. Dumpert, who normally favors the high line, made a move into fourth place then third one lap later, before passing both Alex Banks and Ben Sukup on the outside as he accelerated out of turns one and two with the lead. Dumpert won [Read More]

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (June 3, 2023) – The racing season may be just one-third of the way toward completion, but the points lists and the respective leaders in each of the various divisions are already taking shape at Off Road Speedway. Even at this early stage of the season, every point earned contributes to a potential track championship. Cory Dumpert, for example, entered Saturday night’s regular night of racing with a narrow three-point advantage over Devin Johnson and Chase Osborne in the IMCA Sunoco Late Model division. Dumpert will be able to add to that margin, albeit slightly, after his feature win, while Johnson was black flagged during the race and Osborne finished third. Dumpert patiently moved from deep in the field, with a starting position five rows back from the leaders then, after gaining momentum exiting turn two, cut sharply down the track entering turn three to secure the lead from Justin Bertschinger just before the race’s second caution and restart with four laps remaining. Dumpert’s win is his second of [Read More]