**Kolby Araki Dominates I-55 Dirt in Round 1 Championship Opener** Kolby Araki controlled the feature from start to finish at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, leading 27 laps and taking the checkered flag in the championship's opening round. The pole qualifier Connor Dudek couldn't convert his qualifying speed into race pace, and Araki methodically built a gap that nobody could close. The real story was Daniel Kelly8's absolute tear through the field. Starting deep in the pack at nineteenth, Kelly8 drove a perfect race and rocketed all the way up to third by the finish—a stunning plus-16 position gain that announced his presence in this championship fight. Brandon Garman rounded out the top two, holding second through a hard-fought feature. The day belonged to Araki, but Kelly8 just served notice that the back of the grid is no safe haven this season.