Pourrier Aiming to Repeat as King of the Dirt Champ this week at I-94

Only 16 years old and in his third year of racing, Chase Pourrier of Fergus Falls quickly has learned a valuable lesson.

“Even when you think you got it figured out and dialed in,” he said. “you’ve got to be ready for the setbacks. That’s how racing goes.”

This season, the Wissota Hornet driver has experienced those ups and downs. When he’s been able to start and finish feature races, Pourrier’s 35 machine has been fast – three wins and four top threes in seven starts. But he also has three DNFs (did not finishes) and two times when he was unable to start the feature, including last Saturday at Viking Speedway, when his clutch plate broke.

Pourrier is the defending hornet champion at I-94 EMR Speedway’s King of the Dirt, which is set for this Saturday at the 3/8-mile oval, and his goal – pushing the mechanical gremlins in the past -- is to defend that KOD crown.

Pourrier, who just completed his sophomore year at Rothsay High School, is a third generation driver.  His grandfather Bobby and father Corey have both raced.

“My dad used to race these (hornets),” Pourrier said. “He raced a little bit of late model and modified in his day. That’s what I’m hoping to move up to.”

In his first year he had two top fives in 14 starts. He had a breakthrough season in 2024 with 10 feature wins and 26 top five finishes in 34 starts. He finished eighth in the Wissota national points, and wants to chase a national title in 2025.

“That was pretty decent last year, and I’m hoping to get one this year,” Pourrier said of the national title. “We had it strong in the first quarter of the season, and then we had some ground wire issue that affected us a lot last summer.”

He finished second in the points at I-94, falling 42 points short to Jeff Rohner of Willmar. “I got very close last year,” Pourrier said.

In addition to winning the King of the Dirt at I-94 in 2024, he also won the Hornet special at Viking Speedway, and finished second at Wissota’s MPH Invitational at Bemidji Speedway.

The car he races has a good pedigree: Kevin Youngquist and Shawn Beto both won multiple track titles in the Short Trackers at I-94 in it.  And he has a lot of confidence behind the wheel.

“I feel like it’s in my blood. I know what to do,” Pourrier said. “This car has a good set-up on it. I’m very confident.”

While he hopes to move up to bigger classes in the future, he’s enjoying his time in the Hornet class.

“It’s fun,” Pourrier said. “It’s so much adrenaline.”

Driver Profile

Chase Pourrier

Wissota Hornet #35

Residence: Fergus Falls, Minn.

Age: 16

Sponsors: Fergus Fast Lane, Bell Bank, Pressure Washing Unlimited, Up North  Tattoo, Massage Clinic, Larson family, Phillips farm, City Brewcade