No place like Stateline for Haeden Plybon

This weekend is a homecoming for Spokane native Haeden Plybon as the CARS Tour Northwest Pro Late Models take to the quarter-mile Stateline Speedway for the Race to the Idaho 200 on Saturday night.

Located just across the Idaho border from Spokane, Stateline Speedway sits roughly 30 minutes from Plybon’s hometown, making the race a rare opportunity to compete in front of family and friends.

The opportunity to race close to home is one Plybon always looks forward to, with family and friends able to make the short trip to support him.

“I love this place,” Plybon said. “It’s great having all the hometown fans and putting on a show for them. We don’t get to race here as much anymore as we used to, so it’s nice coming back.

Plybon already owns one of the Pacific Northwest’s most prestigious victories at Stateline. In 2022, he captured the Idaho 200 after leading 145 of the race’s 200 laps.

He credits much of that success to the people around him.

“It means a lot to do it with these guys and my crew chief Kevin Richards,” Plybon said. “He puts countless hours into these cars, making them as perfect as possible. To come here and be fast against guys like Kevin Harvick and all the other competitors chasing the same thing means a lot.”

Plybon’s résumé is extensive for a driver still in his early 20s. He claimed the Northwest Super Late Model championship in 2023 and won the Mark Galloway 150 in both 2024 and 2025.

He has also finished runner-up in the Alan Kulwicki Driver Development Program twice, earning the distinction in both 2022 and 2023. Other marquee victories include the Oregon 125 at Hermiston Raceway, the Idaho 208 at Meridian Speedway, the Apple Cup at Tri-City Raceway and the Idaho 200. He also captured the Stateline Speedway track championship in 2020.

As he prepares for Saturday night’s CARS Tour Northwest event, Plybon is encouraged by what he saw during Friday’s practice sessions. He topped the speed charts in the opening practice before finishing second in the final session against a field that includes NASCAR veteran Kevin Harvick.

“It’s always good to beat that guy,” Plybon said with a laugh. “He’s got countless titles, so it’s awesome to be better than him in something, I guess. Not always, but you know what I mean?”

Jokes aside, Plybon believes the speed shown throughout Friday’s practice sessions is a sign his team has a car capable of contending for another major victory at Stateline.

“It felt really good,” Plybon said. “We did a couple of long runs, about 25 laps each. The car felt pretty stable, and we made some changes after the first long run. It was better in the second one, so I feel like we’ve got a really good piece.”