BREATH OF FRESH AIR: Kofoid Clear Headed, Confident Heading to Dennis Roth Classic
The Californian is on a heater entering the event he and Roth Motorsports have had circled all season
TULARE, CA (September 19, 2024) –ย Michael โBuddyโ Kofoid admits there was a time not too long ago when he wasnโt enjoying Sprint Car racing the way he used to.
Itโs the sport he grew up in. Itโs the sport he loves. Itโs the sport where his talent was evident right when Dan Simpson put him behind the wheel in his earliest teenage years. But a short stretch of his career brought him to a place he didnโt want to be mentally.
Like any racer battling through a slump, Kofoid fought through it. Now, heโs landed in a spot where heโs having perhaps the most fun heโs ever had racing Sprint Cars.
Kofoid is navigating the second half of his rookie World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car campaign with Roth Motorsports, and the pairing have caught fire. Theyโve topped four of the last five races and havenโt finished worse than fourth in the last nine. The run of unflinching consistency has Kofoid knocking on the door of fourth in points, which would equal the best showing for a rookie in Series history.
โI grew up going to Outlaw races and watching,โ Kofoid said. โSteve Kinser was always my hero and still is. So, to go on a run like this is still surreal and kind of hard to believe because I know how hard it is to win. And the people that compete with the Outlaws is as hard as it gets. You canโt take it for granted. You have to cherish it. Itโs special to me because of how I view Sprint Car racing and what the Outlaws mean to me.โ
The peak of the stretch came three weeks ago at Husetโs Speedway when Kofoid and the Roth crew found redemption. A little more than a year after engine troubles broke their hearts, the same powerplant motored them to victory at theย Husetโs High Bank Nationalsย for a six-figure payday.
โI do know that Iโve probably watched that video from then to now 50-plus times. I feel like I watched it 20 times on the way back to the shop,โ Kofoid said. โI feel like it all came full circle. That motor is the same motor we won with this year. We figured she was worthy of one more chance, and she didnโt disappoint. That and when they announced the dates, Dylan (Buswell) and I messaged each other about the Husetโs race and the money, and we were like, โWell, itโs time for redemption.โโ
A common thread of Kofoidโs comments this year has been a reference to his crew chief Dylan Buswell. Heโs been around the sport for several years and worked with many top talents. His impact on Kofoid has been a catalyst to returning to the right headspace.
โThere was a little bit where I wasnโt really enjoying racing to the fullest extent to where I knew how I used to enjoy it or the way that I feel like you should still enjoy it to do it at a professional level and to grind and do it every single day,โ Kofoid recalled. โAnd then working with Dylan was kind of a breath of fresh air for me again. He helped me subconsciously believe that I could still do it and that there are people that could help me enjoy it and want to show up to work every day.โ
It’s been a mutually beneficial partnership between Kofoid and Buswell.
โI know heโs talked about me making him enjoy racing again,โ Buswell said. โAnd honestly it was the same for me. I kind of got to a point where I was kind of burnt out. Getting the chance to race with him rejuvenated me as well.โ
The recent hot streak couldnโt have come at a better time for Kofoid and company. Next up on the calendar is Thunderbowl Racewayโsย Dennis Roth Classicย (Sept. 20-21). A huge payday of $83,000 awaits Saturdayโs winner, but itโs about more than the money for the No. 83 team. Itโs about honoring Dennis and Teresa Roth in the best way possible by putting their car in Victory Lane at the race that salutes their dedication to the sport.
And perhaps even more important than the momentum theyโve built, Kofoid and Buswell head to Thunderbowl feeling revitalized and confident in the sport they love.
โI hope we havenโt peaked too early,โ Buswell said with a laugh. โItโs definitely the right time to be fast. Iโm definitely looking forward to this weekend. I think if some things roll our way, we can definitely get it done. I would love nothing more than to win theย Dennis Roth Classicย for these guys. Obviously, theyโve put so much into the sport. Theyโve done a lot for me and now Buddy. I would really, really love to win this race for them.โ
โI want to win it for Dennis,โ Kofoid said. โObviously, it pays well, and thatโs a lot of incentive, but Iโm kind of a history person. Iโve learned to appreciate things that have come before me and the people that have paved the way for where we get to stand right now and get to do what we love to do. So, I want to win it for Dennis and Teresa because I feel like they deserve this race for everything theyโve done.โ
Tickets will be available at the Thunderbowl Raceway gate for this weekendโsย Dennis Roth Classic. If you canโt make it to the track, catch every lap live onย DIRTVision.
EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/schedule/event-info/?event=6226
TRACK INFO: http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com
FAN 101: https://about.worldofoutlaws.com/