Vargason enjoying breakout year in Wissota Midwest Modified

Cylen Vargason after a win at Greenbush. (submitted photo)

Even Cylen Vargason himself didn’t expect to get his first career feature win in 2025. Not only has the 18-year-old from Edinburg, N.D., accomplished that this summer – he’s been to victory lane three times.

“Having three wins feels really good. There’s been luck, there’s no way there wasn’t luck,” Vargason said. “Every race I pray for everyone‘s safety and I pray for speed. I think it is more of the Lord helping us to get those wins. There’s been a lot of staying calm. The more I stay calm, the better I do.”

Vargason is in his fourth season in the Wissota Midwest Modified class. He previously raced in go-karts and briefly was in the Outlaw Mini Mod class before jumping into the B mods.

His dad, Chris, raced a modified in 2007, and his brother raced a pure stock, which planted the racing seed in his mind.

“That’s what I grew up watching,” Vargason said. “That was my decision, that I wanted to race. I was always in the garage or at the races.”

His first taste of driving the Wissota Midwest Modified car was in the Trophy class at Devils Lake Speedway.   The Vargasons then picked up a 2016 JMR car that they still race today.  He had a modest goal for his first season of racing in 2022.

“That was my biggest thing my first year, don’t hit anyone,” Vargason said.

He had ten top 10s in 2022, and in 2023 had 18 top 10s and two top fives in 29 feature starts. In 2024 he improved to seven top fives and finished third in the points at River Cities Speedway behind Austin Hunter and Jamie Dietzler.

Getting more time behind the wheel, along with getting some guidance from fellow drivers like Jory Berg, Nate Reynolds and Patrick Sobolik, has helped the yearly progression.

“Seat time helps out a lot,” Vargason said. “Just being able to figure out patience was my biggest key. If someone would hit me, I’d get mad. I couldn’t let the little things get into my head.”

The breakthrough victory came on June 21 at Greenbush Race Park

“It felt really good. I didn’t think we were going to get a win. I’ve seen some drivers who are way better than me struggling to get their wins,” Vargason said. “The whole night came into play perfectly. Got out in the front, had a really good redraw. I just ran my own race and kept running the same line until I saw someone.   I had to tell myself, the whole race, ‘don’t freak out.’ It was amazing.”

He followed with another feature win at Greenbush on June 28, and added a third win at Devils Lake Speedway on July 12. He currently leads the points at Greenbush by three points over Justin Olson of Thief River Falls.

“We’re going to keep running Greenbush, we’re in the points battle there,” Vargason said.

He is also fifth at River Cities Speedway heading into this week.

He also would like to post a top 10 finish at the Golden Hammer at Devils Lake this week, and make the main event at bigger shows like the John Seitz Memorial and the Jamestown Stampede.

He likes the family aspect of racing, and that comes firsthand with the help and father and crew chief, Chris.

“I wouldn’t be able to do it without him,” Vargason said. “He’s taught me everything I know today. I couldn’t be racing without my parents.”

Driver Profile

Cylen Vargason

Class: Wissota Midwest Modified #29

Age: 18

Residence: Edinburg, N.D.

Sponsors: Home Improvement Handyman, Accurate Electric, Gary Paulson Farms, Ohma Electric, Harwood Oil, Reynolds Racing, Moore Auctions, Citizen State Bank, Dr. J’s Motorsports, Backstretch Productions,  Lizakowski Growers