New Faces, First-Time Winners Highlight Autograph Night at Stateline Speedway

June 8, 2026 | by Dan Nelligan (Tri State Racing News)

Ian Travis scores his first RUSH Late Model Win

BUSTI, N.Y. — A favorable weather window allowed Stateline Speedway to complete a seven-class racing program on Saturday night, featuring a mix of new faces and first-time winners. The event coincided with Autograph Night, a fan-favorite tradition where spectators meet drivers on the historic Busti oval. This year’s edition featured a special twist, with a stacked lineup of Hall of Fame drivers joining the current stars of Stateline Speedway.

Super Late Models

Matt Martin and Bud Watson led the field to the green flag, both seeking their first career Super Late Model feature victories after looking dominant in their heat races. However, veteran Greg Oakes passed Martin, while a bobble forced Watson to fight his way back through the field. Oakes utilized his experience to navigate lapped traffic and muscle his way to the victory over Jason Genco.

RUSH Late Models

The RUSH Late Model feature delivered an epic battle between Hinsdale, New York, residents Ian Travis and Jake Wilber. Travis successfully pitched a shutout against Wilber, closing the door on his challenges every lap to capture his first career RUSH Late Model victory. Wilber was seeking his second consecutive feature win after a victory at Bradford Speedway the previous Sunday. Jacob Tubbs earned the hard charger award, showing excellent speed to gain nine positions after missing his heat race.

UMP Modifieds

Mike McGee dominated the UMP Modified feature, remaining untouchable through a red flag and multiple restarts. McGee built multi-second leads on the restarts, starting his 2026 campaign with the same momentum that earned him multiple victories in 2025, including a Mod Mafia Touring Series win. Following a 1-2 finish last week, Greg and Zach Johnson finished second and third, respectively, maintaining their positions in the points standings. The race was marred by a violent crash down the backstretch when Tim Rockwell got sideways and rolled his car following an unsuccessful three-wide maneuver.

RUSH Pro Mods

In RUSH Pro Mod competition, Nick Arnold led flag-to-flag to secure the victory. Arnold successfully held off a push from last week’s runner-up, Victor Earle Jr., as well as late charges from Josh Wilcox and Josh Canfield.

Pro Stocks

Jason Covey returned to victory lane in the Pro Stock division, securing a win in only his second feature start since coming out of retirement from a previously successful career. Covey held off John Boardman and Brent Marrotto for the victory. Meanwhile, Dean Gibson Jr. provided the story of the race; after a heat race altercation relegated him to a 13th-place starting spot, Gibson marched through the field one by one to finish third, actively gunning for the leaders by the end of the feature.

RUSH Stock Cars

Cole Strickland captured his first career RUSH Stock Car feature victory after a flawless 15-lap battle with Raidden Wilson. The clean, lap-by-lap duel between the two young drivers thrilled fans as Strickland successfully held off one of the division’s top competitors.

Challengers

Holden Heineman earned his second consecutive victory in the Challenger division, following up his major win from the previous week. Heineman navigated past pole-sitter Billi Jo Huffman and Pete Volpe to secure the win, continuing a strong start to the season after going winless during his 2025 championship campaign. Annaleesa Diabo claimed the hard charger award, passing a handful of cars from her seventh-place starting position to finishing third on the podium.

Upcoming Schedule

Stateline Speedway will return to action next weekend on Saturday, June 13, at 7 p.m. The program will feature the third attempt at the Bill Law Memorial for the RUSH Late Model Series, alongside the Econo Mod Mania Tour, Open Modifieds, RUSH Pro Mods, Pro Stocks, RUSH Stocks, Challengers, and a major Super Late Model event. Further information is available on Stateline Speedway’s website and social media channels.