By Alex Nieten
ATTICA, OH (May 22, 2025) – Michael “Buddy” Kofoid might be from Penngrove, CA, but Ohio is a home away from home.
The 23-year-old cut his teeth on the bullrings of the “Golden State,” but he didn’t go right from the West Coast to stardom with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. There were a couple more stepping stones along the way, including an important stint in the “Buckeye State.”
Kofoid’s efforts in California earned him seat time in Ed Neumeister’s No. 11N toward the end of 2018 with the Linder family overseeing the operation. His first weekend in the car resulted in finishes of fourth and second at Fremont Speedway. The next year, Kofoid moved across the country to Ohio and in with the Linder family for a full season in Neumeister’s Sprint Car.
The pairing picked up four wins in 2019, including one with the All Star Circuit of Champions at Wayne County Speedway. The focus shifted to full-time USAC National Midget racing in 2020 before ultimately making his way to the World of Outlaws in 2024. It may have been brief, but the period spent primarily in Ohio is a time Kofoid holds close to heart.
“That Attica, Fremont area in northwest Ohio is pretty much the most home-type feeling I get not being in California because of the scenery and the familiarity of the area and the tracks,” Kofoid said. “But also, people make a place feel like home, and that’s really a credit to the Linders, the Neumeisters, the Brooks, and everyone involved with that. My first race with the Linders was 2018, so it’s going on seven years now. Everyone there has been really good to me and welcoming.”
The Memorial Day weekend ahead features an all-Ohio agenda for The Greatest Show on Dirt. It’s three nights at three different racetracks as Attica Raceway Park (May 23), Sharon Speedway (May 24), and Atomic Speedway (May 26) make for a big weekend in the “Buckeye State.”
Kofoid heads into the stretch having just taken over the second spot in points. After a somewhat slow start to 2025 riddled by misfortune, Kofoid and the Roth Motorsports crew are rolling with a 5.5 average finish in the last 16 races, including a trio of victories. After their strong conclusion to 2024, many expected Kofoid and company to be in this season’s title fight. Defending champion David Gravel still holds a healthy lead, but the No. 83 is now one spot behind him. And while the recent results have been strong, Kofoid is focused on where they can improve to have a chance at catching Gravel.
“It’s a good feeling for sure to see your name up there and see your face in the top three,” Kofoid said. “There’s still plenty of work to be done, and I feel like there’s some things that I could’ve done better even already this year. I think there’s some things that we can improve on to be similar if not better than how we ended last year.”
One area Kofoid knows they can perform better is Qualifying. It’s one of the most important times of a race night. It sets the tone. Two laps where tenths and even hundredths of a second can dictate the entire trajectory of an event. Kofoid’s average Qualifying result of 7.78 ranks sixth among full-time drivers. Meanwhile, Gravel’s Series-leading 2.61 average has been crucial in allowing him to build a healthy advantage.
“That tenth (of a second) that’ll get you in the top three or four, which is on the front row of a Heat Race, is the hardest tenth to find,” Kofoid said. “To me, it’s kind of similar to what I call finding that last 10 percent. Last year, I felt like I learned how to close out races a lot more, and to me, that was the last 10 percent of the day. Qualifying is almost like the first 10 percent, but it’s a crucial 10 percent, finding that little bit that, and it can make or break your night.”
The weekend ahead serves up three chances in familiar territory for Kofoid to work on making up some points on Gravel. Attica is an especially prime opportunity as he won there a year ago with a thrilling last-lap pass over fellow “Linderville” product Carson Macedo. A moment that truly made Kofoid feel at home despite being thousands of miles from California.
“When we won last year at Attica, it was cool to see the crowd rally for me,” Kofoid recalled. “You feel like one of their own even though you’re not from that area. I think when you’re involved with great people, great things happen. It gives you the want and the drive to come back and the excitement to be in that area, and that’s what I feel.”
Kofoid and the Roth team take on Attica Raceway Park (May 23), Sharon Speedway (May 24), and Atomic Speedway (May 26) this weekend. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
For the entire 2025 World of Outlaws schedule, CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.