I-94 EMR Speedway sold to James Trantina III, Shaw stays involved

James Trantina III has bought I-94 EMR Speedway from Donald Shaw, and Shaw is not leaving the Fergus Falls dirt track behind. After six years of ownership, Shaw announced the sale on Facebook and said he is stepping back because of social-media negativity and a desire to protect his health, but the deal is being treated as a handoff, not a full exit, from one of Otter Tail County’s best-known summer venues.

Shaw said the most important part of the sale is that Trantina shares his love of racing and has the resources to keep it going. Shaw bought the speedway from Karla Kadelbach in 2020, and WISSOTA materials describe him as both an owner-promoter and an active late-model driver. He will remain co-promoter with Deb Engfer and plans to keep working every week on track prep, infield crew duties and track operations during the 2026 season.

That continuity matters because the speedway is heading into its busiest stretch. The 2026 opener was first scheduled for Friday, May 1, with pits opening at 4 p.m., gates at 5:30 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m., but a later track notice pushed it to Friday, May 8 because of cool weather and ongoing projects. The calendar is already packed with nights that can draw spectators, racers and spending into Fergus Falls, including May 15 Structural Building WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series action, May 22 Military Appreciation Night with NLRA Late Models, May 29 Dick Johanneck King of Dirt, Kids Night and Hall of Fame night, June 5 High Limit Sprint Cars, June 24 World of Outlaw Late Models, July 3 fireworks and fan appreciation night and an Aug. 14 backpack giveaway.

The sale also comes after a hard season for the racing community. In September 2025, Scott Engfer, a WISSOTA board member and I-94 EMR Speedway staff member, died after being struck by a race car during the WISSOTA 100. The annual Speedway Motors WISSOTA 100 remains one of the four-day highlights on the dirt-track calendar, and it continues to draw racers and fans from all over.

For Fergus Falls businesses, the change in ownership is more than a private transaction. I-94 EMR Speedway is a 3/8-mile dirt track that sits at the center of summer race nights, and those nights feed concession counters, hotel rooms and weekend traffic around the city. With Trantina taking over and Shaw still on the property, the immediate question is not whether the speedway will keep running, but how much momentum it can keep as the season begins.