PETERSEN MEDIA: Heading into the final IRA weekend of the year with a slim eight point lead in the season long championship, a tough Friday night and a valiant effort on Saturday night saw Nienhiser come up just 10 digits shy of the title, but still earned Rookie of the Year honors.

“I really want to thank Scott, Zoom, and all of my guys for all their hard work over the weekend, as well as their hard work getting us ready inside the shop,” Paul Nienhiser said. “I haven’t been much help as of late with work being extremely busy, but these guys continued to bust their tails for me.”

Checking in at Outagamie Speedway on Friday night to kick off the final IRA weekend, Nienhiser timed the AGRI-YIELD/CAM2 Lubricants/Midland Performance Inc. backed No. 9x in 12^th fastest in time trials before racing to a win in his heat race.

Moving into Dash No. 2, the Chapin, IL driver finished second, and found himself on the outside of the second row for the 30-lap feature event.

Settling into fourth when the race came to life, Nienhiser was doing a good job of maintaining his position inside the Top-Five and not pushing the issue as he had the big picture in mind.

Things took a turn on the 18^th lap when debris got into the engine compartment and knocked a fuel nozzle line off of his motor, which turned the championship chase upside down as he was forced into the work area.

With his team able to make the repair and send him back out, Nienhiser noticed his brakes starting to fade as he caught up to the rear of the field. Making the decision to stay out and try and pick up as many points as possible, Nienhiser found himself making contact with the wall and getting upside down on the 22^nd lap as his night came to a close, and he headed into Saturday’s finale in a hole.

“Friday night, things were going okay, and then they weren’t,” Nienhiser said. “We just got in a couple of unfortunate spots which really put us in a tough spot for Saturday.”

Signing in at Plymouth Dirt Track on Saturday night, Nienhiser timed in 13^th fastest in time trials, which placed him in the third row of his heat race. Advancing from fifth to third in his heat, Nienhiser lined up in the 11^th starting position for the final IRA feature of the year.

With a very good car under him, Nienhiser was able to put his mount anywhere on the track as he charged his way forward. Down 39 points heading into the feature, Nienhiser knew each spot was important as he soon found himself into the Top-Five. Able to work his way into third by the race’s conclusion he came up just 10 points short of the title, but was still named the series’ Rookie of the Year.

“Obviously you look at Friday and say ‘what if’, but in reality, we had plenty of opportunities over the summer with some stuff out of our control,” Nienhiser added. “I absolutely have nothing to hang my head about, and am really happy to earn ROY honors, and still finish second in points. Again, a big thank you to my guys for all of their work this year. They made my part easy as they worked tirelessly week in and week out.”

Nienhiser would like to thank AGRI-YIELD, CAM2 Lubricants, Midland Performance Inc., MB Heating & Cooling Inc., Buffalo Wild Wings, T&K Tree Services, Morrow Brothers Ford Inc., American Rental Center, Signature Signs, The ID | SP, Bradshaw Custom Pumping, Wessler Bros. Agency Inc., Haverfield Construction-Concrete, Steve’s Towing, Dropped Mobile, Mason Sound, AB&C Moving, Bayer Crop Science, Dekalb/Asgrow, Engler Machine and Tool, Rider Racing Engines, K1 Race Gear, and Super Shox for their support.

BY THE NUMBERS: Races-28, Wins-9, Top 5’s-16, Top 10’s-33

ON TAP: Nienhiser is scheduled for one final race in 2026 this Friday night at Jacksonville Speedway.

STAY CONNECTED: Stay updated with Paul Nienhiser by following him on Twitter @Paul_Nienhiser or by clicking over to www.paulnienhiser.com. 

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