McFadden Won Dennis Roth Classic Opener at Stockton
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 19, 2026
McFadden won opener
James McFadden won the Dennis Roth Classic opener at Stockton Dirt Track and did it the hard way, coming from the third row in the Tarlton Motorsports No. 21 and working his way through the field in the 35-lap Feature. He moved into second by lap 20, then grabbed the lead on lap 30 when Michael “Buddy” Kofoid got pinned behind a lapped car in Turns 3 and 4. McFadden held on from there and claimed his first World of Outlaws victory of the season and the 13th of his career. The race gave him a statement win in a loaded field and showed how quickly he could turn a difficult starting spot into control of the race. Stockton asked him to be patient early, aggressive in traffic and sharp when the opening came. McFadden delivered on all three. He never needed a long stretch out front to make the win stand out, because the move into the lead came at the point when the race tightened and the pressure built. From that moment, he had to finish the job cleanly, and he did. The opener set the tone for the weekend and put McFadden in the center of the conversation around the Dennis Roth Classic before the bigger money race arrived. For McFadden, the night carried more than one trophy. It also kept his season moving forward with a World of Outlaws win that arrived after a strong run through the main event and a late-race push that changed the shape of the Feature. Coming from the third row and winning against this level of competition made the result more than a routine scoreline. It showed a driver and team that found speed, managed traffic and made the right move when the race opened up.
Kofoid, Macedo chase
Michael “Buddy” Kofoid finished second after leading late before the lapped traffic situation in Turns 3 and 4 cost him the top spot, and Carson Macedo took third after staying in range through the closing laps. David Gravel finished fourth and Bill Balog came home fifth, giving the front of the order a familiar look with several of the series’ top names in the mix. The top five reflected a race that stayed competitive deep into the Feature and gave McFadden no easy path once he reached the front. Kofoid’s run stood out because he had the race in hand until traffic turned the final stretch into a scramble. That left him with a runner-up finish after a night in which he was right where he needed to be. Macedo continued to press the leaders and kept the pressure on through the final segment, while Gravel and Balog rounded out a strong group at the sharp end of the field. The order at the finish also underscored how quickly the race shifted once McFadden reached second and then pounced on the opportunity in front of him. A 35-lap sprint leaves little margin for error, and every opening matters. Stockton produced one of those races where the front-runners had to stay clean in traffic, protect position and react immediately to anything that changed the rhythm. Kofoid, Macedo, Gravel and Balog all stayed in the hunt, which made McFadden’s move that much more valuable. He had to beat quality cars to the point and then keep them behind him. The result was a podium that featured four proven names behind the winner and a race that stayed tight enough to make the decisive moment clear.
Tarlton Motorsports celebrates
The win also gave Tarlton Motorsports its third overall World of Outlaws victory with a third different driver, a mark that speaks to the team’s ability to put multiple people in position to win at the series level. McFadden added another chapter to that record and did it after winning the Tuscarora 50 at Port Royal Speedway the week before in the Macri Motorsports No. 39m. Those back-to-back wins came in different cars and on opposite coasts, a stretch that showed how quickly McFadden has been able to carry momentum from one stage to the next. He left Port Royal and followed it with another World of Outlaws triumph at Stockton. The Dennis Roth Classic opener served as the preliminary event for the weekend, and the finale was set to pay $83,000 to win. McFadden’s victory put him in the spotlight before the finale. The combination of the team milestone, the season-first World of Outlaws win for McFadden and the timing of the result made the night matter on several levels. It was a race win, but it was also a sign of consistency from a driver who had just proven he could win in one machine and then do it again in another. That kind of form travels well in sprint car racing, and Stockton extended it.
