Matt Blasco Blasts to Overall Victory at Third Annual Big Sky Race Week, as the Montana-Based Event Expands With More Days and a New Track!
The first two years of Big Sky Race Week, the drag and drive event that visits the picturesque Montana, spent a week visiting four race tracks, and driving over 900 miles. For the third edition in 2026, Big Sky Race Week changed things up a little.
The 2026 event would expand to six days, and although no new classes were added to the line up, all twelve classes shared between 2024 and 2025 events were contested. Big Sky Race Week 2026 was hosted, as well as starting and finishing, at Yellowstone Drag Strip, the same start and finish location as previous years.
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Competitors would motor down the road to Anaconda and Lost Creek Raceway for day two, then visit a new track for day three, Helena Regional Motorsports Complex in Helena, an active airstrip that made for some memorable races and media captures.
Day four rolled to Lewistown Raceway, where weather took a turn for the worse and the day’s racing activities couldn’t be completed. Competitors moved on to Hi-Line Dragstrip in Malta for day five, before returning to Yellowstone Drag Strip for the final day of competition and crowning the champions.
After 2025 found the quickest average for the event coming from the Hot Rod class, 2026 had the Outlaw class winner reclaiming the quickest average of the event for the overall win. That winner would be Matt Blasco, the lone competitor to collect a 4-second time slip while completing the event.
Blasco’s 5.25 average claimed the top spot in Outlaw, Kelly Harvey scored the second spot in class for the second-straight year, and the familiar Isuzu Faster pick up of Dustyn Caudle rounded out the top three.
Mike Grady earned the champion’s spot in the Radial class for the second-straight year with a 5.49 average from his Chevrolet truck. Mike Eagy came in second with a 5.76 average, and Justin Greskowiak secured third.
Jake Klein topped the list in the Hot Rod class for the second year in-a-row, using a 5.51 average to deny former Big Sky Race Week winner Royce Payton’s 5.73 average for the top spot. The 6.05 average of Cody VanWinkle finished in the third slot.
After finishing in the second spot in Unlimited less than a month ago at Rocky Mountain Race Week, Anthony Reed made the most of his first Big Sky Race Week appearance, averaging a 5.72 to win the Pro Street class. Camryn Andreen would be the only other Pro Street class competitor to complete the week, and earned the second spot.
The Stick Shift class enjoyed a healthy turnout, and an epic battle between veteran drag and drive competitors Richard Guido and Bill Armstrong ensued for the top spot. After trading the lead back-and-forth to the final day, the ‘Canadian Chuck Norris’ Guido pulled out a best of the week 5.675 pass for a final average of 5.85.
Guido’s final tally just edged out the 5.867 average of Armstrong in what Guido called their tightest finish ever. The third spot went to Derek Hansen.
After coming into the third day nearly tied with Jesse Hazlett for the lead, Jaden Gasch would put together the runs needed to finish the week with a 6.46 average, earning the Limited Street class win in his Camaro. Bert Dodge picked up the second place accolades, and Larry VanWinkle narrowly scored third by just two tenth thousandths of-a-second.
The True Street class has traditionally been one of the largest in turnout, as well as the most competitive, with just mere thousandths of-a-second separating the top runners. The 2026 edition had the largest count in event history, with over 80 competitors vying for the winner’s buckle.
The top four spots would be separated by just five thousandths of-a-second at the end of the event, with Shane Obernesser varying from his ‘Dial-in’ by just .004 of-a-second average for the class win. Machell Pugh was just two thousandths of-a-second behind Obernesser in second place, and Nathan King’s .0092 variance secured the third spot by a mere two ten-thousandths of-a-second.
The Naturally Aspirated class is broken into a Small Block and Big Block version, with the Duster of Corey Pant scoring the win in Small Block thanks to a 6.71 average. Aiden Stone’s 7.28 average landed second, and the 7.49 average from Brad Morgan secured third place.
On the Big Block side of Naturally Aspirated, Dominick Zvacek would be the top dog thanks to his 6.56 average. Second place went to Dan Bold, and Jim Hopping locked up third.
Larry Lloyd would be the first new winner in Big Sky Race Week’s Diesel class in two years, using a 7.42 average for the win. Mason Dall slid into the second spot, and David Ruff rounded out the top three.
The Junior Street class only had two competitors complete the week, but the two finished with just thirteen thousandths of-a-second between them. The most consistent runner would be Adalyn Urie, with a solid .004 of-a-second variance across the week. Molly Allsup varied just .017 of-a-second for the event, landing second.
Another drag and drive veteran came home with the Gasser class title, with Jason King’s Willys truck holding on for a narrow fifteen thousandths of-a-second victory over Mike Smith, who used a 7.74 average for the second spot. Jon Hirsch wrapped up the top three in class.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, Big Sky Race Week / 3G Video-Jesse Fox, and participant submissions.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com