PAPILLION, Neb. With the upcoming season approaching, 17-year-old Cole Vanderheiden is set to drive a 410 Sprint Car at Iowas Knoxville Raceway for Mike VanderEcken, a 2012 Hall of Fame inductee at the historic Iowa track.

Vanderheiden, a Nebraska native, is coming off an impressive 2024 season and a strong Chili Bowl Nationals debut in early January. The move to 410 Sprint Cars represents a significant step forward in his career and he is eager to work alongside VanderEcken, a veteran car owner with over three decades of experience in the sport.

Im really looking forward to working with Mike and his team in 2025, Vanderheiden said. Mike brings a wealth of experience as a car owner, and I believe well make a great team.

Hes a respected figure in Knoxvilles racing history, and Im thrilled to be starting this next chapter of my career.

VanderEcken, who will be celebrating his 36th year as a car owner this year, shared his enthusiasm about the partnership, noting Vanderheidens growing skill set and relentless drive for success as key factors in his decision to offer the Nebraska racer a full-time ride at Knoxville.

I watched this kid run weekly at Husets [Speedway] on DirtVision and he caught my eye, VanderEcken said. After seeing how impressive he looked in his Chili Bowl debut, I sent him a message on Facebook that next morning to let him know that I was interested. He messaged me back shortly after but it wasnt until late last week that we solidified our plans for 2025.

I would love to see him get the Rookie of the Year and finish top 10 in points.

Vanderheiden is set to compete in all 410 events at Knoxville for VanderEcken Motor$port$, with the partnership making its debut at the Sprint Car Capital of the World on April 18 and 19 during the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series weekend.