BARBERVILLE, FL (February 19, 2026) – Michael “Buddy” Kofoid knew something wasn’t right.
Symptoms of sickness set in as he spent his off-season racing in Australia preparing for the 2026 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series campaign with Roth Motorsports, but this was no ordinary flu. A severe headache. Lethargy. Loss of appetite. Nausea. You name it, Kofoid likely felt it. Eventually, whatever was ailing him sent the 24-year-old to the emergency room.
“Honestly, the first day I knew it wasn’t normal,” Kofoid explained. “I don’t think I’ve ever had food poisoning, but I thought maybe it could’ve been that. But then pretty quickly I figured out it was probably something more serious than that, especially by the second or third day when I could barely even get out of bed.
“It actually started with a massive headache, and it never went away, and I just felt nauseous all day, could barely even eat, barely even drink. I just kind of suffered through the day and finished the race. It just kind of progressed and got worse and worse. I had to go to urgent care there and get some help and honestly kind of started to feel a little better leading up to when I had to fly home and was like maybe it’s starting to go away whatever this is.
“And then the second day home, that night, it was like a snap of a finger. It was way worse than it ever had been. The next morning, I felt really bad. I went from like a 98 (degrees) temperature to like a 101 in 30 minutes. And I was like OK this is probably serious now. I went to the hospital and was at the emergency room for like 12 hours and did every test pretty much known to man.”
The tests finally revealed a parasitic invasion and nearly necessitated surgery with the World of Outlaws season on the horizon.
“Long story short, I had some sort of bacterial, I don’t want to say infection, but a parasite type of thing,” Kofoid said. “I found out it came from most likely some sort of water or ice that I had while I was in Australia. That caused appendix inflammation and small bowel inflammation that they were really worried about. From being that sick, it caused a lot of issues and a lot of worries. I lost a decent amount of weight that I can’t afford to lose and just had no energy.”
The sickness sidelined Kofoid and forced him to axe the remainder of his off-season racing plans. This meant no Chili Bowl to chase a coveted Golden Driller. No returning to Australia for more Sprint Car seat time. Instead, his focus became healing and putting the weight back on as the annual trip to Florida neared.
And that’s exactly what Kofoid did. He regained energy and got himself in shape to chase a championship.
The Penngrove, CA native joined forces with Dennis and Teresa Roth’s team midway through 2023, hit the road with The Greatest Show on Dirt in 2024, and has cemented himself as a title contender. He came home fourth during his rookie campaign before rising to runner-up last year.
The season kicked off two weeks ago at Volusia Speedway Park, and Kofoid eliminated any concern or doubt that may have existed after falling ill. Bad luck had bitten Kofoid at Volusia in the past since teaming with Roth, but he came out swinging to make a statement. He got his first win at the 1/2 mile on the second night and finalized the week with a charge from 21st to fourth, nearly bagging the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator in the process. All positive results for the No. 83 group consisting of Dylan Buswell, Nate Knotts, and Gage Tyra came away happy with their performance.
“I feel like this was the first week where we were able to control our own destiny so to speak and not have something out of our control put a damper on it,” Kofoid said. “I’ve talked to some people, done interviews, or I’ll hear people say that I’m not really that great (at Volusia). And it’s like yeah, I mean, I hadn’t won there, but I ran second twice. I was leading a couple years ago and blew a tire with like nine (laps) to go. I ran podium there before and been fourth or fifth a couple times. So, I was like I don’t think I’m bad or lacking, just got to put the rest of it together or not have something go wrong for us. I feel like finally we were able to prove, and I was able to prove that we are good or we can be good here.”
One of the biggest storylines entering Volusia was whether or not Kofoid could hang with David Gravel at one of the two-time and defending champion’s best tracks. The years have proven you can’t win the title in Florida, but it certainly seems you can lose it. The standings show Kofoid and Gravel are knotted up at the top.
A long season remains, but Kofoid quieted the questioning for now. He proved he can circle Volusia as well as anyone. The frightening illness is behind him. He knows it won’t be easy, but he’s ready to put forth his best effort for a championship. It’s not just Gravel he’s battling on a nightly basis. It’s Carson Macedo, Donny Schatz, Logan Schuchart, Sheldon Haudenschild, and many more. But that’s why he wants it so bad. It’s the pinnacle of Sprint Car racing. The peak of the sport he’s loved his entire life.
“I’ve always wanted to be an Outlaw champion,” Kofoid said. “I feel like I’m in the best opportunity that I can be in to do that and the best position. For me, I’m into statistics a lot, too, and history. I would love to be Dennis and Teresa’s first Outlaw champion. That would mean the world to me, just for them and everything they’ve done.”
Kofoid and the Roth Motorsports team continue their title pursuit at Barberville, FL’s Volusia Speedway Park during the Bike Week Jamboree, March 1-2, before traveling to Alabama’s Talladega Short Track on March 6 and Mississippi’s Magnolia Motor Speedway on March 7. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.
Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.