Buddy Kofoid Wins Gunslinger Stampede in First Visit
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 13, 2026
Kofoid wins at Dodge City
Buddy Kofoid won the Gunslinger Stampede at Dodge City Raceway Park and did it in his first visit to the track. The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series returned to Dodge City Raceway Park for the race, and Kofoid left with a clean result that fit the night’s big stage. Emerson Axsom led the opening lap, but Kofoid took control on Lap 2 and never gave the lead back. He carried Roth Motorsports’ No. 83 to the finish with nearly five seconds to spare, a strong margin in a series where small mistakes usually change the shape of a feature in a hurry.
The opening moments set the tone. Axsom got the first lap in front, then Kofoid made the move that changed the race before it could settle into a long battle at the front. That early exchange mattered in sprint car racing, where traffic, pace and track position can keep a race tight for long stretches. Kofoid did not need a late charge or a last-lap save; he protected the advantage through the finish.
Kofoid takes control
Kofoid’s run at Dodge City was sharp from start to finish because he never let the race drift away from his control. He built a gap, protected it and kept the field behind him as the laps clicked off. The finish order behind him showed how much space he created. David Gravel finished second, Axsom settled for third, Carson Macedo was fourth and Sheldon Haudenschild took fifth. That lineup put several of the series’ recognizable names near the front, but Kofoid still separated himself from the pack with the clearest performance of the night.
The gap gave the feature a clear shape once Kofoid settled into the lead. Axsom’s early pace mattered only for the opening lap, while Kofoid’s response established the result. The measured victory underscored the significance of winning on a first trip to the track.
Gravel and Roth Motorsports
The win also moved Kofoid deeper into a strong season. It was his series-leading 13th victory of the year, his personal best in a World of Outlaws season and the 35th World of Outlaws win of his career. Those numbers put the night in context. Kofoid had not just won races; he had stacked them at a rate that made him one of the defining drivers of the series that season. Every new win added to a year that had already stood above the rest of his World of Outlaws campaigns, and Dodge City was another step in that run.
Gravel’s second-place finish added another layer to the season picture. It was his 28th podium of the year, and that tied him with Kofoid for the most podiums on the season. That kind of consistency keeps a driver in the hunt even when a win slips away. Gravel stayed close enough to the front to keep his place among the series leaders, while Kofoid matched him in podium production and went one better with the victory. Roth Motorsports also came away with a bigger edge. The team extended its lead as the winningest team on the tour in 2026, and Kofoid’s drive in the No. 83 helped push that standing forward. The night ended with a first-time track visit, a quick move to the lead and another win added to a season that already carried more than enough proof of how strong Kofoid had been.
