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A SECOND HOME

Arizona resident DeRagon has spent all summer racing across Iowa

Arizona may be home to Nathan DeRagon, but this summer, the race car driver followed his heart to Iowa.

The 27-year-old has lived much like a traveling musician since spring, competing across the state to gain more experience and exposure for his growing racing career.

DeRagon is from Peoria, Ariz., and last year, he became the state's first two-time Hobby Stock champion - doing so in unprecedented consecutive fashion. He also captured a Central Arizona Raceway title.

Instead of resting on his laurels, though, DeRagon stepped out of his comfort zone and decided to test his skill and stamina in a much deeper body of water: the nightly race tracks across Iowa.

"I ran (IMCA) Super Nationals (in Boone) last year, and to put it in simple terms, I got my butt kicked pretty badly all week," DeRagon admitted. "It opened my eyes to how much I could still improve.

"I decided after I got (back to Arizona) from that race that I wanted to come and spend the summer in Iowa (for 2026). I needed to get better."

DeRagon started mapping out a strategy. He saved money, secured finances through additional sponsors, and found a place to stay while planning a schedule that would both challenge and sometimes even humble him.

"The travel process really isn't too crazy," said DeRagon, who hasn't been back to Arizona since arriving for the season in Iowa on May 1. "I'm staying with my good buddy, Chaz Baca, and his girlfriend, Taylor, in Jewell. So we're not far from most of the race tracks.

"I just have a little (Ford) F150 and a flatbed trailer. We kind of roll old school compared to how most do it these days. The bed of my truck is filled with spare parts, tires, and my tools. The cab is packed with merch and whatever else I need."

Earlier in the season, DeRagon traveled to North Dakota and even Canada to compete. "We were on the road, hotel hopping for about 10 days straight," he said.

The summer months have mostly been spent competing against Iowa's finest dirt-track racers. DeRagon has secured five Hobby Stock victories in the process, while also placing in the Top-5 nearly 20 times.

"I've been at Kossuth County Speedway in Algona the most because they race on Thursdays and no one else really does," DeRagon said. "I've also been at Boone and Stuart a good amount."

DeRagon has been a Hobby Stock race participant at Sports Park Raceway in Fort Dodge multiple times in 2026. In all, he has competed at 23 different tracks across the state.

"The biggest benefit of being here is simply the amount of tracks and racing options," DeRagon said. "At home right now (in Arizona), we only have three tracks operating in the state. Two of them run the class I race. There are over 40 tracks in Iowa alone, and you can race Tuesday through Sunday most weeks.

"Just the amount of racing you can do while also going up against (elite competition) is a huge benefit. All the best racers are here in my opinion."

DeRagon grew up in San Diego. His passion for racing started at a very early age.

"I've watched NASCAR since I was a baby," DeRagon said. "I've always been into cars in general. My family knew some people that raced at the local dirt track in San Diego, so I went one day to watch, and saw they had a kids division. I was immediately interested, so my parents looked into it. They had a program where you could rent a car for a night, so they did that for me.

"I ran one race and was hooked. I got my own car a few weeks after that, and have been doing it ever since. I was five years old at that time, so now, 22 years later...we're still at it."

DeRagon is a United States Military veteran. He served at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia from 2019-22.

"I was in what we call, 'Metals Tech,'" DeRagon said. "The heart of it was machining and welding. We also did flightline jobs on aircraft, which included a variety of different applications."

In addition to Arizona, DeRagon has competed in California, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada and Utah out west. He's also raced in Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota, as well as Canada.

After Super Nationals at Boone Speedway Sept. 7-12, DeRagon will head back to Arizona. He is hoping to return to action here again in 2027.

"I don't have any family ties or anything to Iowa - I'm just here for the racing," DeRagon said. "I have a lot of friends here, though...friends we've met through racing, or people I know from back home who moved here for racing as well.

"Iowa, and the midwest in general, is such a hub for what we do. This is the place to be. You race against the best o