DRN Master Class

Eli Holden hails out of Princeton, Indiana. He drives the 5E Jr Sprint, Restrictor, and go-karts. Eli has accumulated over 50 Jr Sprint wins as of December 2022. He got a 2nd place finish at the Tulsa Shootout in 2021 and has gotten wins from Marion, Illinois to Circus City, Indiana. He has raced against two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch's son, Brexton. Kyle Busch himself said that "Eli is one of the best in the nation," and boy is he right! Its always fun to watch Eli and Brexton race. Eli was chosen to be a member of the master class because he was voted DRN Jr Sprint DOTY for two years in a row, and he also won DOTY in two different divisions in 2022, which makes him the first driver to ever do so and to make history within DRN. This makes him a member of the DRN Master Class!!

Hailing from West Frankfort, Illinois, Matt Filkins is a well-known driver in the Southern Illinois area. He has raced Street Stocks and Late Models, transitioning towards the Mod-Lite division in 2017. That same year, he earned himself Rookie of the Year at Southern Illinois Raceway. Since beginning racing a Mod-Lite, he has earned multiple wins and multiple championships - eleven to be exact. Seven at Southern Illinois Raceway and four at Wayne County Speedway (IL). He also has picked up victories at the Midwest Winter Nationals in Du Quoin, Illinois. He also scored a Stars Midwest Regional Championship. He has won Driver of the Year in the Mod-Lites twice, which makes him a member of the DRN Master Class!

Originally from Hamilton, Alabama, now living in Marion, Illinois, Corey Stephenson came onto the local racing scene after dreaming of being apart of the rich racing culture here in Southern Illinois. When the opportunity arose to purchase a Mod-Lite, Corey jumped in it and purchased the car and began his freshman season in 2024. That year, Corey raced at 14 different tracks in five different states (Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri). Corey in 2024 showed exponential growth throughout the season. Learning from all of his peers around him. He credits Matt and Tom Filkins and everyone in the Mod-Lite community for all of the help and support they have shown him throughout his career thus far. Corey is also the first ever rookie to be chosen as a Master Class Member in the three years we have done the Master Class by showing consistent growth and race results. Corey was inducted on March 1st, 2025.