This year, we only have one late model rookie driver, but he is a good one. You’ve heard the old saying “quality not quantity” and this fits Coca-Cola Late Model Rookie of the Year contender Devon Wilcox to a T. For the last 40 years, the Wilcox family located out of Florence, Wis., have been staples in our racing community.

Steve Wilcox Sr. and his brother Claude Wilcox and I raced together back in the early 70s when the track was dirt. They were also part of the association that made the transition from dirt to asphalt.

While Claude is pretty much just a spectator now, Claude’s son Bruce raced in the slammer and super stock divisions in the 90’s. Steve has been active for many years getting both of his sons involved in the sport. Steve Jr. was a successful slammer driver in the 90s and did a short stint in the Fab 4 division. Tim Wilcox, who raced in the Fab 4 division for 12 years and was one our first Fab 4 track champions back in 2005, has turned many laps and won many races.

Steve also mentored his late son, Scott, who our racing family lost in an unfortunate car accident in 1998. He had the makings of a great young race car driver who was excelling in the slammer division and taken way too soon. One of our key employees at the speedway happens to be Tim’s wife, Becky Wilcox. She works in the press box and handles all of our electronic scoring. As you can see, the Wilcox family is one of the most long-standing prolific families at our track.

Steve Wilcox Sr. and Norway Speedway Hall of Famer Tim Schultz Sr. enjoy a race in Turn 4.

When I started racing back in the day there were no go-karts, no prepping someone young to get them ready in the sport. I got my driver’s license at 2 o’clock in the afternoon and was turning laps out at the speedway by 6 o’clock.

My best friend and I, Hall of Famer Tim Schultz Sr., parked next to each other down on the far end of the pit area and we would always joke about how mean Steve Wilcox was as he never seemed to smile when we were out at the track. Here we are 50 years later, and Steve Wilcox — who I think who could absolutely be a candidate for the Norway Speedway Hall of Fame — is still getting his family involved in the sport by backing our Rookie of the Year contender Devon Wilcox.

Devon has won several races in the Auto Value Super Stock division and I actually considered him a contender for the championship in 2025 when the news broke that they purchased a top-notch late model. Devon is very calm, and cool behind the wheel in the race car and his demeanor off the track is very professional and gentleman-like. He will be assisted in the pit area by grandpa, Steve, his dad and his Uncle Tim. It will be great having them move up and watching that young team develop.

Last week we welcomed a record number of Auto Value Super Stock Rookie of the Year contenders including Norway’s Tim Pollard, Joe Ostermann and Carol Graves, Kingsford’s Jon Maenpaa and Florence’s Andy Secrist. This week we are adding to that already amazing group of drivers including one of our top Fab 4 drivers who finished second in championship points last year and is a strong runner in the ISS Enduro Series — Kingsford’s Zach Hanson.

Unbelievably, there is another Auto Value Super Stock Rookie of the Year contender by the name of Stewart Hornick out of Peshtigo, Wis. Stewart ran in last year’s Fall 500, which incidentally will be run this year Sept 19-21.

Stewart has been the crew chief for his sister Sophi Hornick for the past couple of years and they have experienced success in both the Sportsman division and the Fab 4 divisions. Stewart and his family purchased one of the top cars from Trevor Pankratz, who has stepped away from the sport due to his work schedule. This brings the total rookie contenders to seven, which is basically an entire heat race. We will need a big roll of yellow tape for the back bumper of all those cars.

In the 141 Auto Sportsman division Cole Neeley, son of Auto Value Super Stock star Tommy Neeley and nephew of Sportsman Champion Joe Ostermann, will be competing for Rookie of the Year honors. His competition for the coveted award will be a young lady by the name of Emily Vincent. While being new to the division, she in not new to Norway Speedway as she has been a regular for Jim Chartre in the Spectator Eliminators.

Another rookie contender who got his feet wet at Norway Speedway is Escanaba’s Cody Turner. He is a standout dirt track driver at Escanaba Speedway and participated in last year’s Fall 500 with his dirt car. He won his qualifier at the Fall 500 and ran strong in the main event. He will be running Norway as often as possible until he has scheduling conflicts between the two tracks. But it will be great to have another young talent in our fold.

Next week will be all about the Coca-Cola Late Models and this season is shaking up to be possibly our best in many years.