Sanders Wins North Star Nationals finale; Chisholm Crowned 2026 NLMS champion
FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. (Sept. 12, 2026)—Rodney Sanders saved his best for last Saturday night at Mississippi Thunder Speedway, while Joe Chisholm officially put the finishing touches on a championship season.
Sanders captured the 30-lap finale of the North Star Nationals, earning his first victory of the season with the USRA Kevko Racing Northern Lights Modified Series presented by Real Racing Wheels. Chisholm charged from ninth to finish second—more than enough to secure the 2026 series championship and cap a season in which the Osage, Iowa, driver established himself as the man to beat across the Upper Midwest.
Starting from the pole, Sanders took command of Saturday night's Pannell Chipping feature and made the most of the opportunity, holding off a field loaded with many of the region's top Modified competitors to close the 2026 campaign in Victory Lane.
Behind him, Chisholm had work to do.
After starting ninth, the championship leader steadily worked his way toward the front and climbed all the way to second by the checkered flag. Nick Murgic completed the podium in third, while Jim Chisholm finished fourth and Friday night winner Keith Foss backed up his breakthrough first career NLMS victory with a fifth-place run.
For Sanders, the victory provided a fitting conclusion to an incredibly consistent season. The Happy, Texas, veteran finished all 11 of his NLMS starts inside the top 10 and recorded six top-five finishes. Saturday night finally added the missing piece: a trip to Victory Lane, and vaulted Sanders into second in the final championship standings.
But the season belonged to Chisholm.
From the opening stretch of the 2026 campaign, Chisholm established himself as the championship favorite and rarely loosened his grip. His six victories were twice as many as any other driver accumulated during the season, and he finished with nine top-five performances and 10 top-10s in 11 feature starts.
Among those victories was a Memorial Day Weekend triumph at I-94 EMR Speedway and another at Mason City Motor Speedway in July as the tour worked through a busy summer schedule. Even when Chisholm wasn't standing in Victory Lane, he continued piling up the finishes needed to maintain control of the championship.
By the time the Northern Lights Modified Series arrived at Mississippi Thunder Speedway for the North Star Nationals, the title was his to finish off.
He did exactly that.
Chisholm ended the season with 1,039 points, 119 ahead of Sanders, to become the second champion in the two-year history of the Northern Lights Modified Series.
Harley Dais finished third in the championship standings with 900 points. Alex Williamson finished fourth with 882, while Parker Hale rounded out the final top five with 879.
The North Star Nationals also showcased just how deep the competition had become by season's end. Friday night, Keith Foss scored his first career Northern Lights Modified Series victory before Sanders became another first-time 2026 series winner on Saturday.
Saturday's program began with Harley Dais earning the Deatherage Opticians Overall Quick Time Award with a lap of 16.016 seconds. Dais then won the Rick Bebee Heating & Air Conditioning opening heat race, Josh Angst captured the Smith Equipment Company second heat, and Jim Chisholm won the Kevko Racing Products third and final heat.
With Sanders' victory and Chisholm's championship celebration, the checkered flag Saturday night officially brought the curtain down on year two of the USRA Kevko Racing Northern Lights Modified Series presented by Real Racing Wheels.
Final 2026 Championship Standings:
- Joe Chisholm, Osage, IA — 1,039 points
- Rodney Sanders, Happy, TX — 920 points (-119)
- Harley Dais (R), Winona, MN — 900 points (-139)
- Alex Williamson, Rushford, MN — 882 points (-157)
- Parker Hale, Grand Meadow, MN — 879 points (-160)
- Zach Brom, Winona, MN — 836 points (-203)
- Darwin Karau, Kasson, MN — 681 points (-358)
- Joe Horgdal, Mantorville, MN — 661 points (-378)
- Joe Ludemann, Grand Meadow, MN — 546 points (-493)
- Keith Foss, Winona, MN — 527 points (-512)
Media Results — September 12, 2026
Mississippi Thunder Speedway — Fountain City, WI
USRA Northern Lights Modified Series — 24 Entries
A Feature 1 — 30 Laps — Pannell Chipping: 1. Rodney Sanders; 2. Joe Chisholm; 3. Nick Murgic; 4. Jim Chisholm; 5. Keith Foss; 6. Parker Hale; 7. Jacob Bleess; 8. Alex Williamson; 9. Landon Volkman; 10. Harley Dais; 11. Shaun Walski; 12. Zach Brom; 13. Cole Bennerotte; 14. Joe Ludemann; 15. Taylor Ausrud; 16. Lee Beemer; 17. Darwin Karau; 18. Tony Schill; 19. Avery Alms; 20. Josh Angst (DNF); 21. Joe Horgdal (DNF); 22. Jason Fall (DNF); 23. Frank Gasperini (DNF); 24. Taton Hansen (DNS).
Heat 1 — 8 Laps — Rick Bebee Heating & Air Conditioning: 1. Harley Dais; 2. Rodney Sanders; 3. Cole Bennerotte; 4. Jacob Bleess; 5. Tony Schill; 6. Darwin Karau; 7. Taylor Ausrud; 8. Jason Fall; 9. Frank Gasperini.
Heat 2 — 8 Laps — Smith Equipment Company: 1. Josh Angst; 2. Nick Murgic; 3. Parker Hale; 4. Alex Williamson; 5. Landon Volkman; 6. Joe Ludemann; 7. Avery Alms; 8. Jason Fall.
Heat 3 — 8 Laps — Kevko Racing Products: 1. Jim Chisholm; 2. Keith Foss; 3. Joe Chisholm; 4. Zach Brom; 5. Shaun Walski; 6. Lee Beemer; 7. Joe Horgdal; 8. Taton Hansen (DNF).
Qualifying — 2 Laps — Deatherage Opticians: 1. Harley Dais, 16.016; 2. Josh Angst, 16.038; 3. Jim Chisholm, 16.053; 4. Rodney Sanders, 16.151; 5. Nick Murgic, 16.224; 6. Zach Brom, 16.241; 7. Cole Bennerotte, 16.287; 8. Parker Hale, 16.306; 9. Keith Foss, 16.322; 10. Jacob Bleess, 16.332; 11. Landon Volkman, 16.384; 12. Taton Hansen, 16.490; 13. Darwin Karau, 16.494; 14. Alex Williamson, 16.571; 15. Shaun Walski, 16.584; 16. Tony Schill, 16.655; 17. Joe Ludemann, 16.725; 18. Joe Horgdal, 16.739; 19. Taylor Ausrud, 16.777; 20. Avery Alms, 16.907; 21. Lee Beemer, 17.334; 22. Frank Gasperini, 17.342; 23. Jason Fall (DNS); 24. Joe Chisholm (DNS).
The Kevko Racing USRA Northern Lights Modified Series presented by Real Racing Wheels would like to recognize and thank our 2026 season long partners. Please thank them, with your patronage for their support.
Gold Partners - Central Spray Foam & Cement Lifting, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Opticians, Dirt Track Specialist, Dylan Scott Entertainment, Hochatown Saloon, Kevko Racing, Midwest Sheet Metal, Mel Hambelton Ford Racing, Pannell Chipping, RacinDirt.com, Real Racing Wheels, Rick Beebe Heating and Air Conditioning, Smith Equipment Company, Swift Springs, VP Racing Fuels Heartland, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products
Silver Partners – American Racer Tires, Buck Monson Photos, Bulletproof Tees and Racewear, Duvall Electric, Integra Shocks, JRT Trucking, Keyser Manufacturing, Midwest Automation, Photos By Boyd, Scotty Dogg's Hideout
Bronze Partners – Bryke Racing, Fast Shafts, Freight Logistics Inc., KS Engineering, Maxima Racing Oil, Milburn Acreages by Tillison Enterprises, PEM Racing, Premier Lubricants, Schoenfeld Headers, Service Plumbing of Wichita, Transmissions Unlimited, Wagdog Spices, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Yeoman Race Engines
2026 Points Funds (ARMS, HMT, NLMS)
1. $7,500
2. $4,500
3. $3,500
4. $3,000
5. $2,500
6. $2,400
7. $2,300
8. $2,200
9. $2,100
10. $2,000
*80 Percent attendance required to remain point fund eligible