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Upper Midwest Special Event Archive

Mighty Axe Nationals

North Central Speedway • Brainerd, Minnesota • 2002–present

North Central Speedway's Labor Day weekend tradition began in 2002 and has grown into a two-night, multi-division dirt-track festival where class winners take home one of Upper Midwest racing's most distinctive trophies: the Mighty Axe. Sprint cars, touring Modifieds, WISSOTA and IMCA divisions, and North Central weekly classes have all been part of the event's evolving history.

Open North Central Speedway ArchiveEvent HistoryYear-by-Year ArchiveNorth Central Speedway
Annual Editions
25
Feature Records
126
Preserved Result Rows
253
Recorded Winners
77
The Tradition • 2002
Twenty-five annual editions now point cleanly back to a 2002 beginning.

The 2012 event was advertised as the 11th annual, 2014 as the 13th, 2023 as the 22nd, and 2026 as the 25th. Together those independent annual counts establish the modern Mighty Axe lineage without requiring a guessed start date.

The Axe Trophy
This is a multi-division event, so there is no single “Mighty Axe champion” each year.

Feature winners across the weekend's participating classes earn Axe trophies. The museum therefore preserves each class and night as its own race record, then groups them under one annual Mighty Axe edition.

Event Eras

How the Mighty Axe Evolved

The common thread is Labor Day weekend at North Central; the class mix has changed substantially over 25 years.
2002–2005
The early Axe years
The annual lineage is secure, but detailed local-class finishing orders from the first four editions remain the largest research gap in the archive.
2006–2008
ASCS Northern Plains era
The Mighty Axe became a two-night ASCS Northern Plains sprint-car destination. Curt Lund, Dustin Lindquist, Jerry Richert Jr., Lee Grosz, Joseph Kouba and Eric Lutz are among the preserved winners.
2009–2014
UMSS and touring Modifieds
UMSS sprint cars became a major part of the weekend, while the Advantage RV Modified Tour added another traveling-series layer. Brooke Tatnell swept the 2011 sprint weekend; Chris Graf's 2012 opener became official after Scotty Thiel failed post-race weight.
2015–2019
Transition to the modern format
The event shifted toward the IMCA/WISSOTA and North Central weekly-division mix that defines today's Mighty Axe. These years remain a priority for additional class-by-class backfill.
2020–2025
Modern two-night festival
The museum archive now preserves both nights across Modifieds, Sport Mods/Midwest Mods, Super Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Mod Fours, four-cylinder classes and other divisions where results survive.
2026
25th Mighty Axe Nationals
The 25th edition drew more than 150 cars and featured eight classes across the Labor Day weekend, including both WISSOTA and IMCA Modified programs.
Sprint-Car Chapter
The Axe has a meaningful place in Minnesota sprint-car history.

ASCS Northern Plains brought complete programs to Brainerd in 2006–08. UMSS followed in the next era, producing memorable weekends including Brooke Tatnell's 2011 sweep and Ryan Bowers / Jerry Richert Jr. splitting the 2014 sprint features.

2012 • Tech Decides the Axe
Chris Graf is the official opening-night sprint winner.

Scotty Thiel crossed the line first but weighed eight pounds light after the 25-lap feature. Graf was elevated to the official win, a ruling preserved in this archive rather than the apparent finish at the checkered flag.

Archive Coverage

What Is Preserved Today

15 of 25 editions currently contain at least one class/night race record; the remaining editions stay visible as research targets.
126
Feature records
Each record represents a specific night and division, not an artificial overall champion.
253
Finishing-position rows
Modern years inherit surviving North Central Speedway result depth from the museum database.
14
Division labels represented
The archive spans sprint cars, touring Modifieds and numerous WISSOTA / IMCA / local divisions.
2002–05
Primary enrichment gap
The editions are confirmed; local feature winners and deeper fields still need to be recovered.
Year-by-Year Archive

All 25 Mighty Axe Editions

Years without class records remain in the chronology so future research can be added without changing the event structure.
2026 • 25th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
16 preserved feature records
Archive StatusResults preserved
NightDateDivisionWinnerDepth
1Sep 5A-modifiedJoe Chisholm1 row
2Sep 5A-modified — Feature 2Landon Atkinson1 row
3Sep 5B-modifiedJake Smith1 row
4Sep 5B-modified — Feature 2Jake Hagemann1 row
5Sep 5Four CylinderKaitlyn Kohl1 row
6Sep 5Hobby StockTim Otterness1 row
7Sep 5Mod FourDustin Holtquist1 row
8Sep 5Super StockTim Johnson Brainerd,1 row
9Sep 6A-modifiedTrevor Saurer1 row
10Sep 6A-modified — Feature 2Aaron Johnson1 row
11Sep 6B-modifiedLandon Gross1 row
12Sep 6B-modified — Feature 2Jake Smith1 row
13Sep 6Four CylinderKollin Teafatiller1 row
14Sep 6Hobby StockTim Johnson Brainerd,1 row
15Sep 6Mod FourPatrick Specht1 row
16Sep 6Super StockRyan Satter1 row
Source examplesNorth Central Speedway
2025 • 24th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
13 preserved feature records
Archive StatusResults preserved
NightDateDivisionWinnerDepth
1Aug 30A-modifiedAaron Johnson1 row
2Aug 30B-modifiedJake Kierstead1 row
3Aug 30Four CylinderTravis Roush1 row
4Aug 30Hobby StockTim Otterness1 row
5Aug 30Mod FourRowan Tramm1 row
6Aug 30Street StockKyle Howland1 row
7Aug 30Super StockEric Martini1 row
8Aug 31A-modifiedAaron Johnson1 row
9Aug 31B-modifiedJustin Jones1 row
10Aug 31Four CylinderAlex Aderman1 row
11Aug 31Hobby StockCory Probst1 row
12Aug 31Mod FourChad Funt1 row
13Aug 31Super StockEric Martini1 row
Source examplesNorth Central Speedway
2024 • 23rd Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
14 preserved feature records
Archive StatusResults preserved
NightDateDivisionWinnerDepth
1Aug 30A-modifiedJordan Rogotzke1 row
2Aug 30B-modifiedMark Martini1 row
3Aug 30Four CylinderBrandon Backstrom1 row
4Aug 30Hobby StockBrandon Bombardo1 row
5Aug 30Mod FourLuke Erlandson1 row
6Aug 30Stock CarKenny Richards1 row
7Aug 30Super StockJason Garner1 row
8Aug 31A-modifiedMark Blood1 row
9Aug 31B-modifiedJustin Jones1 row
10Aug 31Four CylinderBrandon Backstrom1 row
11Aug 31Hobby StockBrandon Bombardo1 row
12Aug 31Mod FourPatrick Specht1 row
13Aug 31Stock CarAaron Johnson1 row
14Aug 31Super StockTim Johnson Brainerd,1 row
Source examplesNorth Central Speedway
2023 • 22nd Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
16 preserved feature records
Archive StatusResults preserved
NightDateDivisionWinnerDepth
1Sep 2A-modifiedJordan Rogotzke1 row
2Sep 2B-modifiedJustin Jones1 row
3Sep 2Four CylinderEllen Lange1 row
4Sep 2Hobby StockBrandon Bombardo1 row
5Sep 2Mini SprintRyan Erickson1 row
6Sep 2Mod FourTommy Bawden1 row
7Sep 2Stock CarAaron Johnson1 row
8Sep 2Super StockTim Johnson Brainerd,1 row
9Sep 3A-modifiedAaron Johnson1 row
10Sep 3B-modifiedChris VanMil1 row
11Sep 3Four CylinderJenna Hagemann1 row
12Sep 3Hobby StockBrandon Bombardo1 row
13Sep 3Mini SprintRyan Frandsen1 row
14Sep 3Mod FourJustin Jones1 row
15Sep 3Stock CarRob VanMil1 row
16Sep 3Super StockDylan Nelson1 row
Source examplesNorth Central Speedway
2022 • 21st Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
16 preserved feature records
Archive StatusResults preserved
NightDateDivisionWinnerDepth
1Sep 3A-modifiedAaron Johnson4 rows
2Sep 3B-modifiedRich Pavlicek4 rows
3Sep 3Four CylinderGreg Kohl1 row
4Sep 3Hobby StockBrandon Bombardo4 rows
5Sep 3Mini SprintCaleb Moen1 row
6Sep 3Mod FourLuke Erlandson4 rows
7Sep 3Stock CarTim Johnson Brainerd,4 rows
8Sep 3Super StockDylan Nelson4 rows
9Sep 4A-modifiedBrandon Beckendorf4 rows
10Sep 4B-modifiedJustin Jones4 rows
11Sep 4Four CylinderNathan Kohl4 rows
12Sep 4Hobby StockCory Probst4 rows
13Sep 4Mini SprintCaleb Moen1 row
14Sep 4Mod FourChad Funt4 rows
15Sep 4Stock CarTim Johnson Brainerd,4 rows
16Sep 4Super StockDustin Nelson4 rows
Source examplesNorth Central Speedway
2021 • 20th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
14 preserved feature records
Archive StatusResults preserved
NightDateDivisionWinnerDepth
1Sep 4A-modifiedShawn Fletcher4 rows
2Sep 4B-modifiedMark Martini4 rows
3Sep 4Four CylinderGreg Kohl4 rows
4Sep 4Hobby StockDevin Larson4 rows
5Sep 4Mod FourTommy Bawden4 rows
6Sep 4Stock CarBrandon Beckendorf4 rows
7Sep 4Super StockDave Mass4 rows
8Sep 5A-modifiedShawn Fletcher4 rows
9Sep 5B-modifiedChris VanMil4 rows
10Sep 5Four CylinderBrett McConnell4 rows
11Sep 5Hobby StockDave Johnson4 rows
12Sep 5Mod FourTommy Bawden4 rows
13Sep 5Stock CarTim Johnson Brainerd,4 rows
14Sep 5Super StockDustin Nelson4 rows
Source examplesNorth Central Speedway
2020 • 19th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
17 preserved feature records
Archive StatusResults preserved
NightDateDivisionWinnerDepth
1Sep 5A-modifiedBilly Kendall III4 rows
2Sep 5B-modifiedDustin Nelson4 rows
3Sep 5Four CylinderRamsey Meyer4 rows
4Sep 5Hobby StockDave Johnson4 rows
5Sep 5Micro SprintJeremy Snow4 rows
6Sep 5Mini ModifiedNathan Kilwine4 rows
7Sep 5Mod FourTommy Bawden4 rows
8Sep 5Super StockDustin Nelson4 rows
9Sep 6A-modifiedShawn Fletcher4 rows
10Sep 6B-modifiedJason Vejtruba4 rows
11Sep 6Four CylinderNate Coopman3 rows
12Sep 6Hobby StockCory Probst4 rows
13Sep 6Micro Sprint07 - Unknown1 row
14Sep 6Mini ModifiedTyler Johnson Int Falls3 rows
15Sep 6Mod FourTommy Bawden4 rows
16Sep 6Stock CarDan Mackenthun4 rows
17Sep 6Super StockAustin Niemeyer4 rows
Source examplesIMCA
2019 • 18th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
Edition confirmed • class results still being researched
Archive StatusEnrichment needed
2018 • 17th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
Edition confirmed • class results still being researched
Archive StatusEnrichment needed
2017 • 16th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
Edition confirmed • class results still being researched
Archive StatusEnrichment needed
2016 • 15th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
Edition confirmed • class results still being researched
Archive StatusEnrichment needed
2015 • 14th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
Edition confirmed • class results still being researched
Archive StatusEnrichment needed
2011 • 10th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
2 preserved feature records
Archive StatusResults preserved
NightDateDivisionWinnerDepth
1Sep 3UMSS Sprint CarsBrooke Tatnell1 row
2Sep 4UMSS Sprint CarsBrooke Tatnell1 row
Source examplesUMSS race report
2010 • 9th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
2 preserved feature records
Archive StatusResults preserved
NightDateDivisionWinnerDepth
1Sep 4UMSS Sprint CarsCody Hahn1 row
2Sep 5UMSS Sprint CarsChris Graf1 row
Source examplesUMSS race report
2009 • 8th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
Edition confirmed • class results still being researched
Archive StatusEnrichment needed
2008 • 7th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
2 preserved feature records
Archive StatusResults preserved
NightDateDivisionWinnerDepth
1Aug 30ASCS Northern Plains Sprint CarsJoseph Kouba1 row
2Aug 31ASCS Northern Plains Sprint CarsEric Lutz1 row
Source examplesASCS • ASCS
2007 • 6th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
2 preserved feature records
Archive StatusResults preserved
NightDateDivisionWinnerDepth
1Sep 1ASCS Northern Plains Sprint CarsJerry Richert, Jr.1 row
2Sep 2ASCS Northern Plains Sprint CarsLee Grosz1 row
Source examplesASCS • ASCS
2006 • 5th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
2 preserved feature records
Archive StatusResults preserved
NightDateDivisionWinnerDepth
1Sep 2ASCS Northern Plains Sprint CarsCurt Lund1 row
2Sep 3ASCS Northern Plains Sprint CarsDustin Lindquist1 row
Source examplesThe Third Turn
2005 • 4th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
Edition confirmed • class results still being researched
Archive StatusEnrichment needed
2004 • 3rd Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
Edition confirmed • class results still being researched
Archive StatusEnrichment needed
2003 • 2nd Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
Edition confirmed • class results still being researched
Archive StatusEnrichment needed
2002 • 1st Annual Mighty Axe Nationals
Edition confirmed • class results still being researched
Archive StatusEnrichment needed
Research Note
This archive is intentionally built to grow backward.

The 25-edition chronology is established, while class-by-class results are strongest from the sprint/touring era forward and especially deep from 2020 onward. As early North Central programs, local newspaper reports or archived results are recovered, they can be added directly beneath the correct year without changing the page structure.

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