IMCA RaceSaver Sprints suit Rekow well

Brandon Rekow of Ellendale has raced in a bunch of classes during his 24-year racing career. But now he’s entrenched on the class that seems to be his favorite – the IMCA RaceSaver sprints.

“I like the speed and just the way they drive and the feel of the car,” Rekow said.

And he’s done well in the class. Rekow finished second in the points at Red River Valley Speedway, finishing just two points behind champion Tye Wilke. Rekow leads the IMCA sprint points at Norman County Raceway in Ada, entering Thursday’s season finale at the track.

Rekow is only 37 but is approaching 25 years behind the wheel. He started in the Bomber cars at Tri-County Speedway in Wishek.  At the age of 13, he bought a 1970 Olds Cutlass 442.

“I put a roll cage in it,” Rekow said. “My dad told me one day I’d regret it, and I do. But I don’t as well.”

Even though he’s entrenched in his hobby now, he did not come from a racing family.  Nobody in his family raced growing up; it was a few trips to watch the World of Outlaws with his grandfather that grabbed Rekow’s attention.

“I liked the racing,” Rekow said. “My grandpa took me a couple of times to see the World of Outlaws. I wanted to do it.”

After starting out in the Bombers, he moved to North Carolina, where he raced dirt and pavement sprint cars. He moved back to North Dakota and kept the dirt sprint car, racing at Grand Forks and Hartford, S.D. He’s also raced in the late model, street stock and Midwest modified divisions.

Since 2021, the focus has been on IMCA sprint cars for Rekow, who stays busy operating construction and excavating business in addition to having a porta-potty and septic pumping business.  In 2021, in his first year in the IMCA sprints, he had two wins and 12 top five finishes in 16 starts.

He hasn’t posted a feature win since but is usually in the hunt: he had seven top fives in 12 starts in 2022, added three more top fives in 2023, five more in 2024 and had nine in 17 starts this summer.  He finished third both nights of the Howie Schill Memorial at RRVS last weekend.

“I’ve had a lot of help from Wade Nygaard,” Rekow said. “I’ve got a few really good sponsors. If we are not good, we try something every single week. We’re constantly changing, and Wade’s been a real good help with the setup.”

Another thing that is important to Rekow is getting kids involved in the stands. He sponsors the candy toss at RRVS and has sponsored bikes for giveaways.

“We try to do as much as we can with kid involvement,” Rekow said.

For Rekow, a big part of racing is trying to get to the front. He finished third or better seven times this summer but he’s still in pursuit of that feature win.

“(It’s) the feeling you get when you are behind the steering wheel -- the racing,” Rekow said. “It’s trying to chase the setup every week and seeing where you can be. You start getting a lot of second place finishes – it gives you the itch even more to keep going and going.  You want to be the best.”

Driver profile

Brandon Rekow

IMCA RaceSaver Sprint #69

Residence: Ellendale, N.D.

Age: 37

Sponsors: Autumn Breeze Acres, Dickey and LaMoure County Abstract and Title Company, Elite Collions Center, Farmers Union Insurance Lematta Agency, Hildenbrand Farms, Kappenman Ranch, Northland Steel and Trim, OLS, Top Notch Rapair/Pumping and Portables, 10-Pin Bar and Grill