HENDERSON, BEAT AND BARRY LEAD SEASON OPENER IN WHEATLAND
MAY 2, 202
Wheatland, Mo. ~ For the second straight year, a new season starts with familiar speed as AMSOIL Championship Off-Road, presented by Brunt Workwear, returns to Wheatland, Missouri, for the Show-Me Shootout at Lucas Oil Speedway. The opening round launches an eight-weekend national championship chase that will stretch across the summer before culminating under the California lights at Glen Helen Raceway in October.
The storylines are already stacked. Ten-time Pro 4 champion CJ Greaves is sidelined early with an injury, opening the door for Kyle Greaves to step into his ride for points purposes and shake up the premier truck class. Jimmy Henderson enters with late-season 2025 momentum in Pro 4, Keegan Kincaid begins his Pro 2 title defense with Ryan Beat in pursuit, and two-time Pro Lite champion Johnny Holtger moves up to both Pro 2 and Pro 4, leaving a major opening in the Pro Lite ranks. Add in a wide-open Pro Spec field, a deep and talented SXS field, and a forecast calling for blue skies, tacky dirt and flat-out racing, and the 2026 season opener has no shortage of intrigue.
HENDERSON HOLDS FORM WITH FOURTH STRAIGHT PRO 4 VICTORY
With ten-time defending champion CJ Greaves sidelined for the opening rounds while recovering from offseason surgery, Kyle Greaves stepped into the No. 33 Toyota for Wheatland. But the spotlight belonged to Jimmy Henderson, who carried his late-2025 momentum straight into the new season with a commanding performance.
Henderson led from the drop of the green, briefly surrendering the top spot to Greaves following the mandatory mid-race restart. The lead change was short-lived, as Henderson reclaimed control one lap later and quickly distanced himself from the field, securing his fourth consecutive win dating back to Fall Crandon.
“That was a great race,” said Henderson. “Just proud to start the season this way. To be able to win the first race, I guess that means we get the points lead for now (laughs).”
Greaves delivered a strong run to finish second and collect valuable points for CJ, while Johnny Greaves charged from seventh, moving into third on lap six and holding off Adrian Cenni to complete the podium.
BEAT BLAZES TO PRO 2 OPENER AS TITLE RIVALRY REIGNITES
The Pro 2 championship fight between Keegan Kincaid and Ryan Beat came down to the final weekend in 2025, with Kincaid ultimately claiming the title. But if the Wheatland opener is any indication, that battle is far from over. Beat came out firing to start 2026, taking over the lead on lap two and putting on a clinic out front, leading all 12 laps en route to the opening round win.
“Sometimes it’s not about being the fastest but just maintaining the racing and doing the smart thing and not throwing it away,” said Beat. “I’ve done that plenty of times in my career, so just try not to that again.”
Kincaid had his work cut out from the start, rolling off sixth and fighting through a tight pack in the closing laps. A three-way battle with Jacob Rosales and Ricky Gutierrez saw positions shuffle lap after lap between second and fourth.
When it settled, Kincaid secured the runner-up spot, while Gutierrez completed an impressive charge from ninth to finish third, holding off Rosales at the line for the final podium position.
MITTAG BATTLES THROUGH LATE CHAOS FOR PRO LITE WIN
With points champion Johnny Holtger moving up to the Pro 2 and Pro 4 ranks in 2026, the Pro Lite class opened the season with opportunity—and delivered immediate drama in Wheatland. Travis Milhausen set the tone early, leading the first six laps while holding off mounting pressure from Michael Funk. That pressure eventually forced a mistake, as Milhausen slipped from the top spot, opening the door for both Funk and Drake Mittag (driving in place of the injured Connor Barry) to move through.
Funk briefly controlled the race, leading for two laps, but Mittag’s charge to the front proved decisive. Mittag made the pass with three laps remaining and pulled away to secure his first career Pro Lite win.
“Connor had a little bit of an oopsie in the off-season, broke his knee, and I am honored to fill in,” said Mittag. “Off the start I was just thinking to be smart, but after the restart it went great. I got around the outside of Milhausen and then just played it smart.”
Behind him, the battle for second went down to the wire, with Milhausen regrouping and making a last-lap move to reclaim the runner-up spot, finishing just ahead of Funk, who settled for third.
SZYMIK SHINES IN BREAKTHROUGH PRO SPEC VICTORY
Draxton Szymik’s rookie season in 2025 featured flashes of speed mixed with a few setbacks, but his 2026 campaign is off to a defining start. The young driver wasted no time asserting himself, taking over the lead on lap two and never relinquishing it, driving to his first career Pro Spec win in a class loaded with emerging talent.
“My dad’s been helping me, and he told me to just keep it smooth,” said Szymik. “He was just keeping me calm and we came out on top.”
Behind him, the race for the podium was shaped by early chaos. Nick Visser avoided trouble in the opening laps and capitalized, charging from sixth into the runner-up position after getting around defending champion Wyatt Miller and Chris Van Den Elzen following a crash that saw Miller get caught in a rut and roll, collecting Van Den Elzen. Hunter Van Zile also made a decisive move in the aftermath, climbing from ninth into third and holding the position to round out the podium.
BUTH OPENS WITH WIRE-TO-WIRE PRO BUGGY VICTORY
Billy Buth has been knocking on the door of a Pro Buggy win the past two seasons but kept coming up just short. In the Wheatland opener, everything finally came together. Lined up alongside former class champion Michael Meister, the pressure was there from the start—but Meister exited early in the opening turns, leaving Buth with a clear track. He capitalized in full, jumping out front and delivering a flawless, wire-to-wire drive to secure the long-awaited victory.
“We changed literally everything on the car last winter,” said Buth. “This last winter we focused on a couple of things and it really paid off today. It feels so good to start the season this way.”
Behind him, the battle for the podium stayed intense throughout. Tony Keepers moved into second by lap two and spent the rest of the race under constant pressure. Jaden Uribe kept the heat on from behind, with Cole Bernloehr joining the fight late, but Keepers stayed composed to lock down the runner-up spot. Uribe held strong in the closing laps to fend off Bernloehr and claim third, capping off a tightly contested podium fight.
BOOTLE BUILDS EARLY MOMENTUM WITH PRO SXS WIN
With defending champion Owen VanEperen absent in Wheatland, Jeb Bootle wasted no time asserting himself as an early contender after his strong finish to the 2025 season. Bootle tucked in behind holeshot winner Nathan Wolff at the start, but made a decisive move on lap four to take over the lead and quickly created separation.
From there, Bootle controlled the race over the final laps to secure the opening round win.
“This Polaris Pro R is right where it needs to be,” said Bootle. “Everytime I get in it, it impresses me. I don’t think I have ever had a good round one at Champ, so to be able to come out swinging means a lot to our team.”
Wolff backed up his early pace with a solid, uncontested run to second—an encouraging start after a single podium in 2025. Kolton Krajicek continued his late-season momentum from a year ago, delivering a consistent drive to finish third and round out the podium.
KIRCHMEIER CAPITALIZES LATE FOR FIRST PRO STOCK SXS VICTORY
Cross Kirchmeier showed once again that Wheatland suits his style. After a pair of podiums at the venue in 2025, Kirchmeier returned with a dialed-in setup to open the 2026 season and put it to work when it mattered most. Newcomer Brody Sands grabbed the holeshot and controlled the race early, leading through the first eight laps while setting a strong pace out front.
Kirchmeier stayed within striking distance and found his opportunity late, dialing in his lines and traction to take over the lead on lap eight. Sands refused to back down, keeping the pressure on all the way to the checkered flag, but Kirchmeier held firm to secure his first career Pro Stock SXS win by just 0.37 seconds.
“I feel this track just favors the Honda platform, just the way it handles and the torque that it has,” said Kirchmeier. “We spent a lot of time in the off-season just refining the platform. Not a lot of big changes, just a lot of but a bunch of little changes that’s got this car very competitive.”
Behind them, David Gay locked down the final podium spot, holding off a hard-charging Collin Truett—who came from 12th on the grid—to finish third by half a second.
PRO AM SXS: 2025 Sportsman SXS champion Code St. Peter carried his momentum into the Pro AM SXS ranks, picking up right where he left off with a win in his class debut. St. Peter made a decisive move on lap three to take the lead from Carson Hill and immediately set the tone out front.
From there, the two stayed tightly linked, with Hill applying pressure throughout and making a last-lap bid for the top spot. St. Peter held firm under the challenge to secure the victory, while Hill settled for second. Hudson Houle rounded out the podium with a strong, steady drive to third.
FREEDOM RACE LIFTS PRO AM TURBO SXS: Ty Lueckemeyer made an immediate impact in his Pro AM Turbo SXS debut, working forward from a fourth-place start to take control on lap six and drive away with the opening round win. Once out front, Lueckemeyer created separation and never looked back en route to victory.
Defending champion Rick Schroeder charged through the field from seventh, moving into second with two laps to go to secure the runner-up spot. Schroeder was kept honest to the finish by early race leader Colin Greenfield, fending him off in a tight battle to the line by just 0.320 seconds, with Greenfield rounding out the podium in third.
SUPER STOCK TRUCK: The 2025 Super Stock Truck championship was a weekly seesaw, with a different driver seemingly taking control of the points each round. When the dust finally settled, it was Nick Byng on top, thanks to his uncanny ability to work through traffic early and charge to the front late. To open 2026, Byng flipped that script. Starting second behind Colt Wierzba, he stayed patient early, keeping the leader within reach as the race developed.
Byng made his move on lap six, taking over the top spot and quickly stretching the gap to secure the round one win. Wierzba dropped back to second but stayed composed under pressure, holding off a late push from Brad Barglind. Barglind put together one of the drives of the race, climbing from ninth into podium position by lap six and maintaining the spot to finish third.
STOCK TRUCK: Anything can happen in Stock Truck, and the Wheatland opener delivered exactly that. Colt Wierzba started fifth but wasted little time working forward, taking over the lead by lap three and setting the pace out front.
Dustin Rogaczewski mounted a charge of his own, climbing into second by lap six and keeping the pressure on to the finish. The pair crossed the line just 0.874 seconds apart, with Wierzba securing the win. Tyler Hoffman added to the late-race movement, advancing from sixth and breaking into the final podium spot with two laps to go.
1600 LIGHT BUGGY: It took Evan Hockers five rounds to find victory lane in 2025, but he needed just one shot to get there in 2026. Hockers stayed within striking distance all race before making his move with two laps to go, getting around Eric LaFreniere to take over the lead and ultimately secure the opening round win.
The late-race shuffle didn’t stop there. Jake Dischler capitalized on the same moment, charging from fourth and slipping past LaFreniere to move into second with two laps remaining. LaFreniere regrouped after losing the top spot and held firm to round out the podium in third.
1600 SINGLE BUGGY: Connor Schulz endured a rollercoaster 2025 season in 1600 Single Buggy—seven wins, but enough inconsistency to leave him fourth in the final standings. If the opener is any indication, 2026 could be a redemption run. Schulz started sixth, methodically worked his way forward, and surged into the lead on lap four before breaking clear of the field.
Behind him, the fight for the podium stayed tight to the finish. Defending champion Michael Seefeldt was on the move all race, pressing into contention before making a decisive last-lap pass on Taylor Roloff to secure second. Seefeldt edged Roloff by just a tenth of a second at the line, leaving Roloff to settle for third after running near the front throughout.
RACE-DRIVEN SPORTSMAN SXS: Sam Phillips made the most of his debut in the Sportsman SXS class, jumping out front at the start and leading wire-to-wire to secure his first career win. Phillips controlled the race from the drop of the green, never giving the field an opportunity to challenge.
Behind him, Chad Emling wasted no time moving forward, climbing from fifth on the opening lap to second by the end of lap two, where he would ultimately finish. Raymond Deininger delivered one of the drives of the race, charging from 13th and battling Kody Krantz to the line, edging him in a door-to-door drag race to claim the final podium spot.
YOUTH SXS: William Holtger made an immediate impact in his debut in the Youth SXS class, going wire-to-wire to capture the opening round win. Holtger controlled the race from the front, showing composure and pace throughout to keep the field at bay.
Behind him, Easton Helms put together a strong drive to secure second, while Madisyn Winistorfer delivered one of the standout performances of the race. Starting ninth, she methodically worked through the field and broke into podium position with two laps to go, holding on to finish third.
MOD KART: Defending champion Lincoln Mandsager wasted no time making a statement in 2026. Starting fifth, Mandsager surged into the lead by lap two and never looked back, driving to the opening round win. Corbyn Wassenberg grabbed the holeshot and maintained a strong pace throughout to secure second. Race Visser made a late push, moving into third with three laps to go and holding on to complete the podium.
SHORT COURSE KARTS: Ryker Smith made a strong debut in the Short Course Kart class, taking over the lead on lap three and driving to the opening round win. Smith showed composure out front, controlling the pace the rest of the way.
Roman Tullberg, last year’s runner-up, worked forward from third and made the move into second with two laps to go, securing the runner-up spot. Miles Pakenham delivered one of the drives of the race, charging from eighth and holding off Quinton Mocco by just 0.2 seconds at the line to claim third.
170 SXS: Jojo Pakenham put together a commanding performance in the combined 170 and 200 SXS race at Wheatland, leading every lap en route to the overall win while also topping the 170 class for maximum points. Pakenham controlled the pace from the outset and never left the door open for challengers.
Behind him in the 170 class, Wesley Nickolaus secured second with a consistent run, while Cooper Groh rounded out the podium in third, holding position in a steady drive to the finish.
200 SXS: Gaborik Geyen put together a flawless run in the 200 SXS class, leading the way to secure the opening round win and full points. Geyen controlled the race from the front, setting the pace and keeping challengers at bay throughout.
Henry Holtger followed with a strong effort to finish second, staying within reach but unable to close the gap late. Finnly Pence rounded out the podium in third, delivering a consistent drive to cap off the top three.
570 SXS: It took William Holtger seven rounds to break through for his first 570 SxS win last season, but he wasted no time in 2026. Holtger moved into the lead on lap two and controlled the race from there, driving wire-to-wire the rest of the way to secure the opening round victory.
Alexander Walraven worked forward from a fourth-place start, making a key move with two laps to go to lock into the runner-up position. Izabella Fritzinger settled into third early in the race and maintained a steady pace throughout, holding the spot to round out the podium.
Next AMSOIL Championship Off-Road Pro Points Race: Round 2 of the Show-Me Shootout at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri.