Foltz Steals Kansas Win, Secures Playoff Spot in Dramatic Fashion

Sean Foltz pulled off a dramatic victory at Kansas Speedway, taking advantage of perfectly timed luck and flawless execution to steal a playoff win in the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series. The 150-lap race was filled with tension from the drop of the green, as drivers knew the unpredictable Charlotte Roval loomed just one week away. For Foltz, who admitted afterward that he will miss the cutoff race at Charlotte, the Kansas win was more than just a highlight—it was a necessity to keep his playoff hopes alive.

The night began with urgency in the air, and it quickly spilled onto the racetrack. Tire wear was far more severe than expected, with many drivers already using half of their allotted sets before the race even hit halfway. The combination of worn tires and close racing sparked multiple incidents, including a big pileup on lap 27 that collected Daniel “The Black Cat” Hill. Hill’s New Hampshire win had already secured him a playoff transfer, but others weren’t so lucky. Victor Lane and Fred Wolford both suffered major setbacks in separate wrecks, putting their postseason hopes in jeopardy.

As the field settled into a rhythm, long green-flag runs gave way to strategy. The pivotal moment came around lap 110, when Bill Martin spun while trying to enter pit road during a cycle of green-flag stops. The resulting caution trapped several front-runners, including Andrew Kotska and Dwayne McArthur, a lap down. Foltz, who had yet to make his stop, inherited the lead and suddenly found himself in control of the race. From there, he executed with precision, using the advantage of clean air and track position to keep the field behind him.

The closing laps were set up by another caution with just over 20 laps remaining when Michael Dow went around, giving the field one final chance to challenge Foltz. Daniel Hill, who had been nursing damage from earlier contact, pitted from eighth for his last set of fresh tires and immediately became the driver to watch. In a furious charge, Hill picked off cars one by one, climbing to a fifth-place finish that stunned the crowd and further reinforced his reputation as one of the toughest drivers in the series.

Up front, Foltz was untouchable. McArthur, who had battled his way back onto the lead lap, mounted a late charge and secured second place, while Tom Ogle kept himself firmly in the playoff picture with a solid third. For Kotska and Nelson, however, the night was bitter. Kotska, the winningest driver of the regular season, could only manage 13th after being caught out by the ill-timed caution, while Nelson’s playoff chances were dealt a crushing blow when he crashed out and finished 24th.

When the checkered flag fell, Foltz had not only won the race but effectively saved his season. With his spot now secured in the next playoff round, the fight for the remaining transfer positions will head to Charlotte, where chaos is all but guaranteed. For the drivers still on the bubble, Kansas was a warning shot—the margin for error has vanished, and the Roval will decide who survives and who gets left behind.

Hill Punches Ticket to Round of 8 with New Hampshire Win

Daniel Hill punched his ticket to the Round of 8 in the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series playoffs with a masterclass performance at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The 170-lap event began with Tom Ogle looking unstoppable, leading confidently from the pole after his win the previous week at Bristol. Early on, the race was interrupted by two quick cautions—Patrick Martindale’s spin on lap 10 and a separate incident for Torrance Childs—but once the field settled in, the night turned into a grueling green-flag run where tire management and pit strategy took center stage.

James Hislop nearly sparked disaster when he locked up the brakes on a restart while running second, spinning to the infield but avoiding contact. The mistake dropped him to the back, forcing him into a recovery drive that defined the rest of his night. Up front, Ogle, Hill, and Cortney Nelson set the pace while Greg McDaniel conserved tires and Jerry Isaacs carved his way forward from 17th, showing the speed that has made him a consistent presence all season.

The race shifted dramatically once green-flag pit stops began. Andrew Medlin tried to steal track position with an early stop, but the most impactful moves came from the leaders. Nelson pitted six laps earlier than Hill and Ogle, leapfrogging both and building a healthy lead. Ogle admitted later that he stayed out too long, costing himself dearly once he rejoined in dirty air, while Hill’s timing worked to perfection as he slotted ahead of Ogle and into striking distance of Nelson.

From there, it became a high-stakes duel. Nelson defended with everything he had, sliding the car hard off turn four while Hill patiently stalked him, preferring the outside line. With just over 50 laps to go, Hill finally made his move, committing to a daring run around the high side and completing the pass for the lead. Once in clean air, the driver nicknamed “The Black Cat” never looked back, pulling away to secure the win and automatically advancing to the next playoff round.

Nelson held on for second after his bold pit call, keeping himself in strong playoff contention as the series heads to Kansas and the Roval, while Ogle crossed the line third, frustrated by his strategic misstep but comforted by solid points. Jerry Isaacs impressed with a climb to fifth after starting 17th, a crucial performance for a driver below the cut line, and Hislop clawed back to finish tenth after his early spin. On the other end, Dwayne MacArthur’s season took a hit with a disappointing 20th-place finish, a lap down, leaving him in danger of needing a must-win at the Charlotte Roval. League founder Victor Lane also had a rough night, coming home 23rd and facing a steep uphill battle to keep his playoff hopes alive.

In the end, it was Hill’s perfect blend of patience, precision, and strategy that made the difference, proving once again why he’s one of the toughest drivers in the series when the stakes are at their highest.

Ogle Capitalizes on Hill’s Misfortune to Win at Bristol

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series wrapped up the opening round of its 2025 playoffs under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway, where the tight half-mile lived up to its reputation as “The Last Great Coliseum.” When the dust settled, it was Tom Ogle who emerged victorious, but the story of the night centered around Daniel Hill’s miscalculated pit stop that flipped the race on its head.

From the moment the green flag waved, Daniel Hill — better known by his “Black Cat” nickname — looked untouchable. Starting from the outside of the front row, Hill powered past polesitter Lloyd Moore on lap one and immediately built himself a cushion. An early caution on lap 10 for contact between Robert Guarisco and Todd Cousins briefly slowed the field, but Hill quickly reasserted control once racing resumed.

As the laps clicked off, the race settled into a long green-flag rhythm. The top lane became treacherous, with several drivers — including playoff favorite Andrew Kotska — scraping the outside wall. Hill, however, stayed smooth and in command, logging lap after lap at the front while his rivals wrestled for position behind him.

The night’s turning point came just past halfway. Jerry Isaacs committed to a two-stop strategy, pitting around lap 86, while Hill and others tried to stretch their fuel for a single stop. On lap 120, Hill finally ducked onto pit road with a comfortable lead — only for disaster to strike. Just two laps later, Clay Walker spun to bring out the caution.

Hill’s timing couldn’t have been worse. Trapped a lap down while the rest of the leaders pitted under yellow, he handed control of the race to Tom Ogle, who inherited the top spot and fresh tires all in one stroke. Ogle admitted after the race that he was stunned Hill pitted so early and knew instantly that fortune had swung his way.

Hill’s troubles didn’t stop there. On the restart, he was penalized for passing cars improperly during his wave-around, forcing him to serve a costly drive-through. It seemed his night was over, but in true “Black Cat” fashion, Hill refused to quit.

A caution for JP Rainey’s spin gave Hill the lucky dog, putting him back on the lead lap. From there, he clawed his way through the field, ripping around the high line and slicing past car after car. In the end, he salvaged a sixth-place finish — an impressive comeback considering he was multiple laps down after his pit road nightmare.

With Hill out of the picture for the win, the closing laps came down to Ogle versus Cortney Nelson. Nelson found speed on the bottom groove and relentlessly pressured the leader, shrinking the gap to just a few car lengths. Traffic added to the tension, but Ogle never flinched, keeping his line tight and his exits clean.

After 250 laps of short-track chaos, Ogle crossed the line first, securing his playoff advancement with a statement victory at one of the toughest tracks on the schedule. Nelson settled for second after a hard-fought effort, while Greg McDaniel rounded out the podium. Andrew Medlin and Dwayne MacArthur completed the top five.

The Bristol showdown also marked the cutoff for the Round of 16. Defending champion Josh Robinson and Mark Fisch were eliminated after not competing, while Ogle’s win and Hill’s recovery drive helped solidify the playoff picture heading into New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where the Round of 12 begins.

Kotska Controls Gateway to Punch Ticket Into Round of 12

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series 2025 rolled into Worldwide Technology Raceway on Sunday night, September 7th, for Round 28 of the season and the second race of the Round of 16 playoffs. The event was billed as a tricky test and Gateway more than lived up to its reputation. With its two very different sets of corners, heavy braking zones, and constant shifting, the 1.25-mile oval demands precision and discipline — traits that only a handful of drivers managed to master across the 130-lap contest.

Andrew Kotska set the tone from the outset by grabbing the pole position, beating out a strong lap from Tom Ogle, with Dwayne McArthur starting third. The drama began before the field even found a rhythm, as Ogle was handed an iRacing drive-through penalty for jumping the start, dropping him to the back while Kotska inherited the lead. From there, Kotska’s focus and tire management allowed him to control the pace, while McArthur shadowed him closely in the early going. Further back, the race came alive with surges through the field — most notably Cortney Nelson, who clawed his way from an EOL penalty at the rear to inside the top 10 before tire wear and wall contact stalled his charge. Dan Hill also impressed, starting 13th and steadily working his way forward into contention.

Tire management quickly emerged as the defining factor of the night. While most drivers aimed for a single pit stop around halfway, Tommy Emasie rolled the dice early with a short-pit strategy around lap 45, showing just how powerful fresh tires could be. But for most of the front-runners, patience and timing were everything. The pivotal cycle of green-flag stops came around lap 65, when Kotska, McArthur, and James Hislop ducked in. Andrew Medlin tried to undercut, while Jerry Isaacs made the biggest leap, vaulting himself into second with a perfectly executed stop. Scott Negus briefly appeared in the mix after short-pitting but eventually faded with worn tires, underscoring just how tricky Gateway can be on long runs.

From there, the race belonged to Kotska. He paced himself masterfully, leading 126 of the 130 laps and never putting a wheel wrong. Behind him, the best battle unfolded between Isaacs, Hill, and Hislop for the podium. Isaacs nearly threw away his run with a late wiggle out of turn two but hung on with a remarkable save to secure second place. Hill, meanwhile, showcased his trademark patience and tire-saving style, methodically picking his way into third after a spirited fight with Hislop. McArthur, already safe in the playoffs thanks to his Darlington win, rounded out the top five.

Kotska’s victory not only cemented his dominance on the night but also locked him into the Round of 12, a huge relief as the series heads next to the high-banked chaos of Bristol. Isaacs left Gateway pleased with second but admitted nothing short of a Kotska mistake would have given him a shot at the win. Hill was equally satisfied with third, calling it a strong recovery after a disappointing qualifying brush with the wall.

Ogle, despite his early penalty, salvaged 11th, keeping his playoff hopes alive. With Gateway complete, the playoff picture tightens, and all eyes turn to Bristol — a short-track wild card where fortunes can flip in the blink of an eye.