Once on-track foes, Wiest brothers now cheer for each other

For a few years, the Wiest brothers, Joshua and Shawn, raced against each other in the INEX Legends class in eastern North Dakota – and their goal was to beat each other.

Fast forward two years – Shawn Wiest has moved into the IMCA Modified class while Joshua remains in the INEX Legends – and that mentally has changed a bit.

“It was fun. I pushed him to the limits all the time,” Joshua said. “I was making him grow and get better, and that’s how we got better.”

“It was a lot of fun when we were both racing legends together, just the competitiveness between us to beat the other,” Shawn said.  “Now it’s easier that we’re in different classes. I want him to win vs wanting to win myself.”

The Wiests are originally from Jamestown, but now live and work in Fargo. They race at Fix It Forward Speedway in West Fargo and Jamestown Speedway along with other tracks in the region. Unlike several drivers, the brothers did not come from a racing family. Shawn joked that they chose the numbers they did because if they ended up on their roof, it would end up the same as the brother's car.

 Joshua Wiest, 35, was the first in the family to start racing in the INEX Legends in 2019.

“One year, at the age of 28, I decided to get a car,” Joshua said. “It was very easy to get into, and low maintenance. It’s an overall just fun car to drive.”

Shawn Wiest, 39, joined his brother in the INEX Legends class in 2022.

“I wanted to do it when I was younger, I just didn’t have enough money,” Shawn said. “When I had enough money, I bought a car.”

From 2022-24, the Wiest raced against each other in the INEX Legend class. Shawn picked up his first feature win in 2023, and added two more in the Legends in 2024. Joshua picked up his first feature win in 2023, and added another in 2025. In 2025, Joshua won the track championship at Buffalo River Speedway, was second at Jamestown and was fourth in the INEX Legend Pro Dirt National Points.

“A really good year,” Joshua said of 2025. “It was just over and over nightly racing, and the nightly working on the cars and learning different stuff.  Just trying tp stay ahead of the competition, to be in the top five so you have a good points (night).”

Shawn tackled a new challenge in 2025 – hopping into the IMCA Modified class.

“I’ve always wanted to run a modified,” Shawn said. “I’m from Jamestown and live in Fargo and I can run an IMCA Modified at both tracks.”

The inaugural season in the modifieds was a learning process. “It was a struggle. They drive a lot different than a Legend,,” Shawn said. “There was a learning curve, but I like it.”

Both drivers are up to solid starts in 2026. Joshua is second in the points at Fix It Forward Speedway and has six top fives in 14 starts with a best finish of second. Shawn Wiest has run well of late, finishing in the top seven in three straight features, including a fifth at Norman County Raceway on June 26.

“The biggest one would be improvement. I’m hoping to get more frequent top 10s,” Shawn said. “It would be nice if I could frequent the top five. It would be awesome if I could poke out a win, but there’s a lot of guys that are fast. The competition is crazy.”

For both drivers, racing is a source of enjoyment.

“The thrill of it; it’s addicting,” Shawn said. “And honestly a lot of the people here, the other racers, the competition – that’s what keeps you coming back.”

“It helps us grow together. Me and my brother, we’re with each other nightly, working on the Mod and working on the Legend,” Joshua said. “The family, they are all very supportive, they don’t care what the outcome is. Their main objective for us is to make sure we bring our cars home safe and ourselves home safe.”

Driver Profiles

Joshua Wiest

INEX Legend #28

Residence: Fargo, N.D.

Age: 35

Sponsors: Aunt Theresa, Platinum Plumbing Service LLC, Ellingson

Shawn Wiest

IMCA Modified #82

Residence: Fargo, N.D.

Age: 39

Sponsors: Aunt Theresa, J and A Trucking, Platinum Plumbing Service LLC.