WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Western Swing Concludes with Thunderbowl’s Dennis Roth Classic

The time has come to salute one of Sprint Car racing’s most committed car owners. The Greatest Show on Dirt is heading to Tulare, CA’s Thunderbowl Raceway for the fourth running of the Dennis Roth Classic on Sept. 19-20.

Dennis and Teresa Roth’s Sprint Car team is one of the most iconic in the sport’s history. Any Sprint Car fan over the last three decades recognizes the famed No. 83. The look might have evolved over the years, but the mission hasn’t for Roth Motorsports, and that is to compete and win at the sport’s highest level.

The prize for winning Saturday’s finale? A very fitting $83,000 payday – which NOS Energy Drink has helped contribute to – as a nod to Roth’s car number that fans have seen on the World of Outlaws tour for years. On top of the money, Roth Motorsports will be handing out several meaty prizes on Saturday night. Both Simpson Quick Time and the Toyota Dash winner will take home 10 pounds of New York strip. Each Heat Race winner earns 20 pounds of tri-tip. The Feature winner will chow down on 30 pounds of ribeye, while second and third put 20 and 10 pounds of ribeye in the freezer.

Fans will also be treated to a Roth-themed autograph session on Saturday with several drivers that have wheeled a Roth Motorsports car participating. Danny Lasoski will also be pacing Saturday’s Feature aboard the 1998 Knoxville Nationals winning Roth ride. It’s a can’t-miss event for drivers and race fans alike.

BRIGHT LIGHTS ON BUDDY: There’s no doubt that plenty of attention will be on Michael “Buddy” Kofoid this weekend as he attempts to take Dennis and Teresa Roth’s No. 83 to Victory Lane at the Dennis Roth Classic.

Roth Motorsports is yet to conquer the event that salutes their founder, but Kofoid came so close a year ago. The Penngrove, CA native was one spot short of an $83,000 payday at Thunderbowl. Kofoid undoubtedly knows how to get the job done at the 3/8 mile. He won a Trophy Cup prelim at 14 years old in 2016 and topped another prelim in 2021 on his way to a Trophy Cup title.

It’s been a remarkable 2025 for Kofoid and the Dylan Buswell-led Roth team, and they’ll certainly be among the favorites this weekend. They’ve won 11 races, including a pair of six-figure paydays at Huset’s Speedway in June, and are currently the runner-up in points. Kofoid carries a streak of nine consecutive top fives into the weekend.

MEATMAN: There was no stopping Carson Macedo at last year’s Dennis Roth Classic finale.

He and the Jason Johnson Racing crew pieced together a perfect night. A performance that included Quick Time, a Heat win, Dash win, and Feature win not only netted them the $83,000 grand prize, but also made sure Macedo doesn’t have to purchase any meat for a while with all the extras awarded throughout the night.

The Lemoore, CA native is ready to defend his win this weekend. It’s been another superb season for Macedo and the JJR team with 10 wins and 23 podiums already. The 29-year-old owns four total checkered flags from Thunderbowl, three in a Sprint Car, along with one with the USAC National Midgets.

TULARE TITANS: The stats show two current World of Outlaws competitors stand out as a pair to watch come Saturday when major money is on the line. Both Donny Schatz and David Gravel have topped a trio of Tulare Features with the World of Outlaws. A single win for either this weekend would equal them with Joey Saldana and Tim Kaeding for the most.

Schatz first conquered the California track in 2005, went back to Victory Lane in 2007, and then grabbed a third checkered flag 10 years later. The 10-time champion goes for a record-tying fourth Tulare triumph this weekend aboard the Kevin Kozlowski-owned, Paul Silva-prepared Works Limited Sprint Car. That’s the same ride Kyle Larson took to a World of Outlaws win at the Thunderbowl in 2022.

Gravel tamed Tulare in 2016 and backed it up with another victory the following spring. Both of those were with CJB Motorsports, and then he and Big Game Motorsports won the Dennis Roth Classic opener last year on their way to a World of Outlaws championship.

BANGING ON THE DOOR: A handful of current World of Outlaws competitors have come close but been unable to seal the deal on a Thunderbowl trophy. What better time for a first than with $83,000 on the line?

Sheldon Haudenschild was runner-up at a 2015 Trophy Cup prelim, coincidentally driving for Roth Motorsports. Since then, he’s been on the Thunderbowl podium twice with the World of Outlaws, including a third in last year’s Dennis Roth Classic aboard the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing No. 17.

Logan Schuchart has a pair of Thunderbowl second-place finishes to his credit, most recently in last year’s Dennis Roth Classic opener with the Shark Racing team. The Hanover, PA driver is no stranger to big paydays, banking the biggest one in the sport’s history at the 2023 Eldora Million.

Three years ago, Bill Balog nearly grabbed a win at the California track with a second-place finish at a local race. That was in a Clayton Snow-owned car, and now he’ll head to Tulare with the momentum of a Perris Auto Speedway victory this past weekend.

HOME GAME: The California swing may have started this past weekend, but this trip to Tulare is the home game Cole Macedo has had circled all year.

The Thunderbowl is unquestionably Macedo’s favorite track. It requires courage. It makes a driver get up on the wheel. You’re always on the verge of crashing running the cushion. It’s just how the Lemoore, CA native likes it.

He badly wants to bag his first World of Outlaws win this season as he completes his rookie campaign. Only 16 races remain, and this weekend may present the prime opportunity for the TwoC Racing pilot. He’s got plenty of laps around the Thunderbowl, including a pair of wins, most recently beating the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) last October.

CALI CASH: Expect many members of the “Cali Clique” on hand, aiming to keep the big payday in the home state.

Tim Kaeding has been a force at the Thunderbowl over the years. Among his abundance of successes at the 3/8 mile is a record four World of Outlaws scores (2007, 2012, 2013, and 2015). Three of those came in a Roth Motorsports entry. The San Jose, CA native will pilot the Williams Motorsports No. 0 this weekend.

He may not be a true local anymore, but Clovis, CA’s Corey Day cut his teeth in the “Golden State” before his path led him to the first rungs of the NASCAR ladder this year. He plans to come home this weekend and wheel a Jason Meyers Racing ride. Day has three Feature victories at the Thunderbowl and is the two-time and reigning Trophy Cup champion.

Fresno, CA’s Dominic Scelzi has double-digit Thunderbowl victories on his résumé, including a trio with NARC. Scelzi led Feature laps with the World of Outlaws at the Tulare track in 2022, leading to a top-10 finish.

Shane Golobic, of Rocklin, CA, is always a threat at any Thunderbowl Sprint Car race. He’s won four Features and has a trio of Trophy Cup titles. He’s planning to make his season debut with the Series this weekend.

These four are expected to be joined by several other locals,f including D.J. Netto (Hanford, CA), Landon Brooks (Rio Oso, CA) Caeden Steele (Fresno, CA), Dominic Gorden (Clovis, CA), Kaleb Montgomery (Templeton, CA), and many more.