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Keller collects Street Stock Rookie of the Year accolades for his 2025 efforts

By Meghan Diemel, Editor

ZIMMERMAN, MN - Trent Keller is the 2025 co-Rookie of the Year in the WISSOTA Street Stocks. The Zimmerman, Minnesota racer made his way to the title with 31 top-10 finishes and eight top-fives. He made his way into racing with the help of the Pogones family, who he used to crew for.

The 24-year-old is a plumber by day, and has support from his parents George and Charlene Wallace.

All The Dirt! Racing News: What was your favorite racing-related memory from the 2025 season?

Trent Keller: Getting my first heat race win at Princeton by .049 seconds.

ATD: What was the low light, racing related, of the 2025 season?

Keller: Hitting a tractor tire and rolling over while battling for a redraw position in the Street Stock Tour race at Granite City [Motor Park].

ATD: What is your background in racing, and who has helped your racing career along the way, whether family, friends, or other racing mentors?

Keller: Before this year I had just been a crew guy for the Pogones family for a few years, and they significantly helped me get better through this season.

ATD: From a wider perspective, what are a few of your favorite moments from your career to this point?

Keller: Favorite moments other than the racing this year was just the first time getting in to drive the car for practice at Ogilvie, and feeling what it’s like to actually drive it around.

ATD: Break down the reality of a racing season for you. What is your advice regarding how much time and effort goes into a successful season like you’ve had, for drivers around your age just getting their start in dirt track racing?

Keller: To race a full busy season is like having a second full-time job, and takes a lot of sacrifice of other things you might want to do throughout the year. Every night after work is more work on the car and every weekend is completely filled with just racing.

ATD: What can be the hardest or most trying part of racing season for you, and why?

Keller: The hardest part of the season for me was toward the end-of-the-year special season, because you are racing against a lot more and a lot better drivers. A few of the events it’s a challenge for me to just make the feature, especially if they’re at tracks you’re not used to racing at.

ATD: What is your favorite event of the year and why?

Keller: My favorite event of the year is the WISSOTA 100 because you can have a great time with a lot of people you don’t see very often throughout the year, and it’s quite the challenge to try to make the show.

ATD: Is there a race or race track you have never raced in/at, and why do you want to race there?

Keller: A track that I would like to race at is Casino Speedway because I like small tracks and it looks like it would be a blast to race at.

ATD: What will be your favorite part of the offseason, as we head toward late 2025 and early 2026, for you?

Keller: My favorite part of the offseason is building the new body for the car and sometimes having to get creative.

ATD: What are your racing plans for 2026?

Keller: My plan for 2026 is to continue racing Street Stock, have a lot of fun with it, and hopefully get some wins.

ATD: Who are your sponsors you’d like to thank?

Keller: East Central Sports, Thumbs Up, and Racers X Performance Parts.