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Cup North Star Racing

Vasquez Controls Iowa, Extends Championship Lead with Dominant Victory

Zach Johnson Updated Aug 13, 2026

NEWTON, Iowa — Nic Vasquez entered Iowa Speedway as the North Star Racing championship leader. He left Iowa with an even stronger grip on the top spot.

Vasquez delivered one of his strongest performances of the season, winning Stage 1, leading a race-high 146 of 250 laps and taking the checkered flag to earn his fourth victory of the season.

Behind him, Tommy Krawczyk finished second after spending much of the race near the front, while Alex Rogers charged from 14th on the starting grid to finish third. Haden Higginbotham and Joe T Wright completed the top five.

Vasquez Sets the Tone in Stage 1

It did not take long for the championship leader to establish himself as the driver to beat.

Vasquez led 50 of the 59 laps in Stage 1 and took the opening stage victory, collecting another 10 championship points in the process.

Tommy Krawczyk finished second in the stage, followed by Zack Saunders, Caleb Sheets and Alex Rogers.

The opening stage also proved difficult for several championship contenders. Josh Stoltz, who entered Iowa second in points, finished Stage 1 in 20th after collecting six incident points. Zach Thomas Johnson also found himself deep in the running order in 19th.

Stage 1 Top Five

  1. Nic Vasquez
  2. Tommy Krawczyk
  3. Zack Saunders
  4. Caleb Sheets
  5. Alex Rogers

Cory Mott Strikes in Stage 2

The complexion of the race changed dramatically during Stage 2.

While Vasquez had controlled much of the opening portion of the race, Stage 2 opened the door for different strategies and gave several drivers an opportunity to score valuable points.

Cory Mott took advantage and captured the Stage 2 victory, leading one lap and collecting the maximum 10 stage points.

Garry Wells finished second, followed by Alex Rogers, Lucas Gortman and Vasquez.

Tommy Krawczyk remained one of the strongest cars in the field, leading 54 of the 61 laps in the stage before finishing sixth.

Stage 2 Top Five

  1. Cory Mott
  2. Garry Wells
  3. Alex Rogers
  4. Lucas Gortman
  5. Nic Vasquez

Vasquez Takes Control When It Matters

Once the race entered its final stretch, the championship leader returned to the front.

Vasquez ultimately led 146 of the race’s 250 laps and finished 2.027 seconds ahead of Krawczyk. His average running position of 1.7 showed just how consistently the No. 22 remained at the front throughout the event.

Krawczyk didn’t make it easy. The No. 48 led 54 laps and finished second, continuing an impressive stretch of performances despite still searching for his first victory of the season.

But when the final laps clicked away, nobody had an answer for Vasquez.

The Iowa victory gives him his fourth win of the season and adds another statement performance to what is becoming a championship-caliber campaign.

Rogers Charges from 14th to the Podium

One of the biggest performances of the night belonged to Alex Rogers.

Starting 14th, Rogers steadily worked his way toward the front and became a factor as the race developed. After finishing fifth in Stage 1 and third in Stage 2, Rogers completed the night with a third-place finish.

He led 13 laps and scored 48 total points, making Iowa one of his strongest overall performances of the season.

Rogers now has eight top-five finishes in just 11 starts and continues to show that when he’s in the field, he’s capable of running with North Star Racing’s best.

Higginbotham and Wright Rally into the Top Five

Haden Higginbotham quietly put together one of the night’s biggest charges.

After starting 19th, Higginbotham climbed all the way to fourth by the checkered flag, gaining 15 positions over the course of 250 laps.

Joe T Wright went even further.

Wright started 22nd and drove through the field to finish fifth — a 17-position improvement and one of the strongest recovery drives of the Iowa event.

Neither driver had the dominant speed of Vasquez or Krawczyk, but both maximized their nights and walked away with significant points.

Tough Night for Stoltz Changes the Championship Picture

Iowa could prove to be an important turning point in the North Star Racing championship battle.

Josh Stoltz entered the race just two points behind Vasquez in the standings, but his night ended after only 59 laps. Stoltz was officially scored 22nd and collected just 15 points.

Vasquez took full advantage.

With 72 points from the Iowa weekend, Vasquez now leads the championship with 981 points. Stoltz remains second with 922, but the gap has ballooned to 59 points.

Steven Carlile sits third with 809 points, while Zach Thomas Johnson moved up one position to fourth with 767. Stewart Harding Walker dropped to fifth with 763.

Championship Top Five After Iowa

  1. Nic Vasquez — 981 points
  2. Josh L Stoltz — 922 (-59)
  3. Steven Carlile — 809 (-172)
  4. Zach Thomas Johnson — 767 (-214)
  5. Stewart Harding Walker — 763 (-218)

Vasquez has also reached four victories, 11 top-five finishes, 17 top-10 finishes and seven stage wins through 23 starts.

Driver of the Race: Nic Vasquez

There isn’t much debate this week.

Nic Vasquez is the North Star Racing Driver of the Race.

He won Stage 1. He led 146 laps. He won the race. And he turned what had been an extremely close championship battle into a 59-point advantage.

His average running position of 1.7 and average finishing position of 1.9 for the race show just how complete the performance was.

Iowa wasn’t simply another victory for Vasquez. It was the kind of race that can change the direction of a championship.

Iowa Race Results — Top 10

  1. Nic Vasquez
  2. Tommy Krawczyk
  3. Alex M Rogers
  4. Haden Higginbotham
  5. Joe T Wright
  6. Steven Carlile
  7. Mitch Clark
  8. Garry Wells
  9. Vince Mitchell
  10. Cory Mott

Championship Momentum Swings Toward Vasquez

For much of the season, Vasquez and Stoltz have been locked together at the top of the standings. Iowa created the first significant separation between them.

But with plenty of racing remaining, the championship is far from settled.

Stoltz now faces his first major challenge of the title fight: responding after a costly result. Carlile continues to hold third, while Johnson and Walker are separated by only four points in the battle for fourth.

Further back, Tyler Belanger, Caleb Sheets, Vince Mitchell and Michael Deitch continue to battle for position inside the top 10.

One race changed the complexion of the standings considerably.

Now the question becomes whether Iowa was simply a bad night for Stoltz — or the moment Vasquez began taking control of the North Star Racing championship.

Fan Poll

Who impressed you the most at Iowa Speedway?

  • 🏆 Nic Vasquez — Stage 1 winner, 146 laps led and race winner
  • 🔥 Tommy Krawczyk — 54 laps led and runner-up finish
  • 📈 Alex Rogers — 14th to 3rd
  • 🚀 Haden Higginbotham — 19th to 4th
  • 💪 Joe T Wright — 22nd to 5th
  • 🏁 Cory Mott — Stage 2 winner

Cast your vote and tell us who deserves the most credit for their performance at Iowa!