Hunting with Heroes

Hunting with Heroes We are a 501C3 non-profit organization that supports Veterans through patriotism and Outdoor Pursuits
(1)

Hunting with Heroes is a non-profit organization that was founded in Lakota, Iowa by Jason and Bernard Becker in 2011. In its 12th year, the successes of this organization have been made possible through the generous support of the people of Lakota, Buffalo Center, Rake, Thompson, Ledyard, Algona and Bancroft, Iowa.

09/05/2026

Today we get to talk about the Competitive, Unique, Talented, Funny, Racer and Sportsman- Mr. Dylan Nelson. We have enjoyed getting to know him and his family through this process, and have really enjoyed spending time with him- even when he is grumpy if he didn't win that night 🙂

In the last two years, there have been few drivers that have surprised us more than Dylan. Of course, he has won a ton of Races, and is one of the all-time leaders in Salute to Veterans Race Wins, but he also has created a special connection to our Veterans- both on and off of the track.

As we have shared before, Dylan is one of the only Drivers we have gotten to know well that is both a racer and a hunter, and Dylan shared the fields with our combat wounded vets last year, and plans to this year as well. Along with that, he has had the two of "outdoors" related themes we have ever done for Wraps. (BTW- He's an equally good shooter as he is a driver!) Oh- and how could we forget that he won the Super Nats last year in his Salute to Veterans Wrap.

Big thanks to Dylan and his team for all they have done to drive our charity and the Salute to Veterans Tour Forward! We love the wrap, the look and the connection we have built! Oh- and who could forget the "random rooster" on the back of the last two year's wraps?

IMCA Racing
IMCA.tv
Performance Bodies
Boone Speedway
Rush Race Gear by Austin Witt
Myers
Clay County Fair Speedway
Kossuth County Speedway
Sybesma Graphics

09/03/2026

Tonight we highlight an incredible driver and individual whose entire family, and dare we say, state was behind his efforts during the Salute to Veterans tour- Cole Czarneski. Cole proudly represented the 115th Fighter Wing from the Wisconsin Air National Guard, and did it in fashion this summer. Cole's runaway victory to kick off the tour at the Clay County Fair Speedway this year is arguably the most dominant win by a modified driver in any Salute to Veterans Tour race in history.

Getting to know Cole, his family, and friends was a true honor this summer. Aside from the Squirrel surprise in his video- (Get your Merch at SuperNationals Featuring the Flying Squirrel), our favorite thing was getting to know him, his grandma, his grandfather, and his fans throughout the tour. The kid can clearly wheel a car, but it was his offer to continue supporting the tour as a racer as well as a fundraiser in the future that shows his true colors. This is a name you are gonna want to follow- he's gonna do big things and we couldn't have appreciated his efforts more! Look for this beautiful car to be gracing more victory lanes at a racetrack near you!

Performance Bodies
IMCA Racing
IMCA.tv
Kossuth County Speedway
Boone Speedway
Rush Race Gear by Austin Witt
Myers

08/27/2026

Today we recognize one of our 2026 Modified Drivers, Chaz Baca Racing. As many of you know, Chaz was the first driver selection that was made this year, and they had to hold the news under their hats for months! Chaz lived up to all of the hype of a multiple time National Champion, and perennial front runner throughout the tour and in the weeks after the tour. Drivers like Chaz always intrigue us, as they have a lot of irons in the fire, truly care about their racing craft, and yet, are 100% dedicated to the event, the leadup, and the tour/all that goes with it.
We joked throughout the tour that asking Chaz to be a part of the tour actually meant that we were asking Chaz and Taylor both. All kidding aside, Taylor showed an interest, passion, and engagement that was contagious, even bringing cool new ideas to the tour such as having dedicated Salute To Veterans Parking areas after the races, and a post tour wrap up party in Boone. While we were definitely ready for a break on wrap designs and edits with Taylor, the truth is that the tour and Chaz's wrap were better thanks to Taylor.
Speaking of the wrap- we loved his Army vs Navy wrap, which is a first of its kind Having West Point/Army on one side and the Naval Academy/Navy on the other was a very appealing look, and frankly, the hardest part of doing this wrap was determining which side was best!
On the track for the tour- Chaz gave us some of the best moments of the tour with his competitiveness, attention to detail, and overall engagement in the event that he and Taylor showed. We are incredibly thankful for their participation, fund raising, creativity, and commitment in 2026- and can't wait to see how they wrap up the season- Good things are coming!

IMCA Racing
IMCA.tv
Performance Bodies
Boone Speedway
Clay County Fair Speedway
Kossuth County Speedway
Rush Race Gear by Austin Witt
Myers
Sybesma Graphics

08/24/2026

Tonight we recognize Mike Smith from Smith Racing, one of our Sport Mod Drivers for the 2026 Salute to Veterans Tour.

Over the last handful of years, we have been incredibly blessed to get to know the entire Smith Family through the Salute to Vets tour, and we have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Mike better and better each year. Of course, you don't need to be a genius to understand that the Smith Family are great racers, and each year that goes by, Mike shows that he is one of the best young talents out there. We said it when he drove a hobby stock wrap, but we are just waiting for Mike to get a nickname- he's that good!

Not only is Mike one of the all-time winningest Salute to Veterans drivers, but he and his family, year after year, continue to go above and beyond for our charity and tour. The Smith family is a great example of a group that care deeply about the mission, and whether they are a wrapped driver or not- they always try to help us fundraise. Mike also has 2 of the top 3 most watched driver unveils of all time- with Mike pulling the farm implement with his car at the very top of our personal list of favorites!

With regards to Mike's wrap- we love the Black and Gold, as well as the connection to MARSOC- the Marine Special Operations Command. Mike basically said "Do whatever you would like" when it came to his wrap. On that topic- it is "like father, like son", as David famously told us to "Surprise" him when we wrapped his car, and not until he pulled it out of the wrap packaging did he know what we had done.

In conclusion, we can't thank Mike and his entire family for their connection to our charity, and the years of support you have shown!

08/23/2026

Nathan DeRagon Racing is the next driver we are featuring from this year's Salute to Veterans Tour. Nathan, an Air Force Veteran and very accomplished racer, was definitely on our radar, but when his "army" of followers jumped up and down about his nomination, it was clear that he was a guy we had to give a good hard look at! After our first call with him when he shared his dream to race in Iowa, and that he was going to be hauling out on an open trailer, it was a wrap! We loved his wrap theme that features Air Force history connecting Arizona to the "fighting tigers"- especially since Nathan is from Arizona and was in the Air Force.

As we talked about during pre-race in Algona, Nathan has been a real pleasure to get to know through 2026. Nathan is the one man show running a small team with Big Dreams. With a big assist from MOMTV, Nathan worked his way through the state of Iowa and picked up some wins and great finishes in 2026! Big shout out to Chaz Baca Racing for their help with Nathan this summer, and for giving them a great home away from home that beats the heck out of an AIRBNB for the summer! We like to think that Kossuth County Speedway ended up being his home track in Iowa!

In the end, we had a great time with Nathan this week, and truly appreciate the time, effort and attention he paid to making sure he did everything to support the tour, and promote the tour this summer. We love having Veteran drivers, and know that Nathan's engagement in our events this summer have resulted in a lot of new eyeballs on the Salute to Veterans Tour. Thanks to Pixel Boss Productions for the video content!

IMCA Racing
IMCA.tv
Performance Bodies
Myers
Rush Race Gear by Austin Witt
Boone Speedway
Clay County Fair Speedway

08/16/2026

Mike Albertsen Sizzle Reel Drop! We can't tell you all how much we enjoyed spending time with Mike Albertsen as he brought his talents to the group of drivers for the 2026 Salute to Veterans Lineup.

While everyone can agree that "Wahoo" is a great nickname for Mike, we have unofficially started calling him the "Mayor". We call him the mayor because he knows everyone, and when he is talking- people listen and pay attention. Whether it be a hobby stock guy or top level Late Model Driver- he probably knows them. Oh- and unlike most mayors- we think people really like this guy!

His personality and humor is contagious, he gives a great interview, and when he puts his mind to something- he hits it out of the park! Mike, by all measures firmly asserted himself as the top fund raiser in the history of the Salute to Veterans tour this year- and we haven't even auctioned any body panels or his race suit yet! Raffling off a whole hog and a couple of half hogs is a boss move- and one of our favorite fund raisers of all time.

The Scheme- the US ARMY- American Badass wrap was inspired by Mike's thoughts, and we love the matte look that carries through the entire design. Weeks later, this thing still looks great as it battles each and every week.

Additionally, we loved his family's engagement in this year's event. Both his wife Crystal and daughter Sienna were involved in various ways in helping at each race stop- and we really loved that his daughter used her art talents to be a part of the event, and to help fundraise in a significant way with us to support our Veterans. We might just have to all upon her in the future to help create some items!

In Summary- MIke was an all around great fit for the tour, and we can't thank "Mayor Wahoo" and his family enough for their efforts this year!

Stay tuned during SuperNationals and after for the Auctions of Body Panels and his Race Suit!!

IMCA Racing
IMCA.tv
Performance Bodies
Boone Speedway
Rush Race Gear by Austin Witt
Myers
Kossuth County Speedway
Clay County Fair Speedway

08/16/2026

This week, we start unveiling the Sizzle Reels of each of our 2026 Salute to Veterans Drivers, and we are starting with Owen Barnhill racing from Milton, FL. We start here for a multitude of reasons- to name a few of them: His Story, His Wrap, His Driving Style, His Personality, and even how long he showed an interest in supporting our veterans through this race tour.

Owen's journey as a STV driver started long before this year's selection process, as he sent us an instant message on March 24, 2024- over 2 years ago!! He shared his interest in racing the series, but also shared that he wanted to be a part of it someday. Fast forward of 2026, and Owen once again shared his interest, and dream of being a driver- which turned into multiple conversations and deciding to work together.

Aside from the general happiness, engagement, and all around good time he seemed to have on the tour, he also provided us with some very memorable moments- including the now famous, "Barnhill Drift" that we experienced during our photo shoot for this sizzle real and the unveil video for the STV drivers. Let's just put it this way- he was the first to go, he hit the drift at about 60 miles per hour, and we weren't sure if the Car, Cameramen, or the nearby houses were going to survive.. Luckily, they all did, even though 100% of the drivers, cameramen, and those looking on were left with their mouths agape... We would come to find out that day, through the tour, and afterwards that Owen has a "controlled chaos" that he drives with that you would never see coming if you had a conversation with him.

Of course, finally, we knew that his story, and that of his family's, was one that we wanted to tell- and that is of the US Civil War. When Owen told us his great, great, great grandfather was in the Civil War, and we had the chance to get to know Owen- it was a no-brainer for us to select him, and to do the Civil War theme. In the end, the theme was about "Unity"- not "Division", and to this day, after 10 years of Salute to Veterans races, it is surely in the very upper echelon of Salute to Vets wraps we have ever done. Of course, it doesn't hurt that his look, demeanor, and even his mustache all make you feel like he absolutely could have been in the civil war if he was born in a different era! Shoutout to Sybesma Graphics and Rush Race Gear by Austin Witt for bringing our vision to life.

So- do yourself a favor, go see this car up close, and go say hi to Owen and his family- they are a super great group of people, and we really enjoyed working with them, and getting to know them. This is a team that has said they will always come and run our tour, and we 100% believe them!

IMCA Racing
IMCA.tv
Performance Bodies
Rush Race Gear by Austin Witt
Boone Speedway
Clay County Fair Speedway
Kossuth County Speedway
Pixel Boss Productions
Myers

We gotta start shouting out some people for their help during the Salute To Veterans Tour! Let's start with the largest...
08/06/2026

We gotta start shouting out some people for their help during the Salute To Veterans Tour! Let's start with the largest 50/50 event in Salute to Vets history- almost $6000- with half going to us and half going to a deserving Veteran!!!

There were 4 people that put their hearts into this task- and the results were incredible! The effort was kicked off by Jen Rust and Juliet Becker, who walked up and down in the heat for a couple of hours. Just in the nick of time to keep the momentum going, they gained the support of Cory Weeks and Justin Becker to deliver an incredible result!! Lots of miles, yells, and encouragements (guilt trips in some cases) turned into thousands of tickets in the bucket!! Thank you to everyone who helped make the Boone Speedway 50/50 drawing a huge success- including Chad and Jerry on the microphones!

Great Story about the winner Chris Schutte, a veteran who approached us earlier in the night, and thanked us for all that we do, and then offered to help us at future events! So awesome for her to win the drawing- and we will definitely leverage her help in the future!

Address

103 3rd Street
Lakota, IA
50451

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Hunting with Heroes posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Hunting with Heroes:

Shortcuts

Share

Category