HAVING FUN AGAIN: Buddy Kofoid on Stellar Second Season, Areas to Enhance

The Californian confirmed no indicators of a sophomore droop with Roth Motorsports in 2025

Gratitude flows from Michael “Buddy” Kofoid anytime he talks in regards to the present place the place his profession has led him.

Not way back, he wasn’t having a lot enjoyable behind the wheel. Passion for the game he’d beloved since childhood dripped away as a scarcity of pleasure diluted his journey in Sprint Car racing.

Then got here an opportunity to affix Roth Motorsports midway by 2023. Fast ahead a pair years, and the enjoyment is totally restored as Kofoid and the Roth group have established themselves as one of many high pairings within the sport.

The Penngrove, CA native delivered an unforgettable Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year marketing campaign in 2024 with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. No sophomore droop slowed Kofoid in 2025. He’s upped his sport much more with 11 victories, 30 podiums and a 5.38 common end. The 23-year-old is second in factors heading into subsequent week’s season-concluding World of Outlaws World Finals (Nov. 5-8) at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

“I’m just really happy in the position I’m in and the people I get to work with every day,” Kofoid stated. “As a driver and as a person, it makes it enjoyable. There was a point in time where I wasn’t really having fun, and I’ve always said Dylan (Buswell) and everyone at Roth Motorsports helped resurrect that enjoyment for me again. I’m just happy to be in one of the best rides you can get in in the country. I can’t thank Dennis and Teresa Roth and Toyota and Mobil 1 enough. Being considered a guy that’s tough to deal with is pretty cool.”

The two-year tear has already positioned Kofoid among the many greatest to ever wheel a Roth automotive. Of his 21 profession World of Outlaws wins, 19 have come aboard the enduring No. 83. That equals him with Tim Kaeding for the second many of the 16 totally different opponents which have gained with The Greatest Show on Dirt driving for Dennis and Teresa Roth. He trails solely Danny Lasoski’s whole of 41. The 11 checkered flags Kofoid has racked up this yr gave Roth Motorsports its first double-digit win season with the World of Outlaws since Lasoski bagged a dozen in 2000.

As a California child that’s watched the evolution of Roth Motorsports his whole life, cementing his identify among the many group’s greatest so quickly is a surreal expertise.

“I grew up watching the Roth car on the west coast and raced against it for a while locally before I ever moved on to the Midwest,” Kofoid stated. “I know everyone they had there was obviously really good. I feel like that list is kind of a who’s who. Not everyone has driven for Roth, but there’s been quite a few people that have, and a lot of them being Hall of Fame drivers or exceptionally good at what they do. To see my name on that list pretty high up at least for the Outlaw wins is, I don’t want to say surprising, but I just never thought I’d make it up there that fast. I keep looking back to like I said before, just having, I feel like, the best people around me that make it easier to do my job, but also to enjoy it and have fun.”

While there’s loads of positives to get pleasure from, Kofoid and firm are additionally targeted on the place they are often higher. Improvement is all the time attainable, they usually’ve bought a transparent goal forward in David Gravel and Big Game Motorsports.

Gravel and his group have set the usual as they seem poised to lock up a second straight championship subsequent week. Kofoid has two areas circled to make up floor: Qualifying every night time and pace at two of a very powerful tracks on the schedule.

“I just need to work on Knoxville and Eldora for one,” Kofoid stated. “I also feel like David and Carson (Macedo) are outstanding qualifiers. I just can’t really pinpoint if it’s me, the car, or a collection of things. I just feel like we need to improve our Qualifying just by a couple spots. David starts either pole or second at worst in a Heat Race every night, and that’s huge. I feel like I haven’t always been in that position. We just need to figure out what we need to do to be in that position more often as far as qualifying better.”

Kofoid’s profession continues to be blossoming. He nonetheless has loads of time to deal with the shortcomings and attain the mountaintop of the game. Right now, he’s having fun with the experience and soaking all of it in. It’s a real dream come true that simply retains getting higher.

“It’s probably one of the hardest things that I’ve ever done is join the Outlaw tour, but also that’s why it’s so satisfying when you can run good because of how hard it is,” Kofoid stated. “I’ve watched all of my heroes race here, and this is where I’ve always wanted to be. I never would’ve believed I’d be here in the first place. To do it now and be running up front is incredible. I just hope we can keep doing what we’re doing, and I can figure out the things I need to figure out.”

Kofoid and the Roth Motorsports group shut out their 2025 marketing campaign subsequent week at The Dirt Track at Charlotte’s World of Outlaws World Finals (Nov. 5-8). For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you’ll be able to’t make it to the monitor, catch each lap reside on DIRTVision.