For the father-son duo of Ben and Broddy Enter, two of those things are their 2,500-pound SportMod race cars.

While no stranger to racing, Ben Enter returned to dirt oval tracks around Minnesota this summer after an 11-year absence to get back to doing what he loved and doing it alongside his son, Broddy, a fellow SportMod driver.

Ben Enter’s dirt track racing career began in 1999 with Enduro racing, a longer race that sees stock vehicles fitted with a basic roll cage and stripped of their interiors, side and rear windows and some exterior trim.

“I had friends that were in demo derbies and I liked helping them work on the cars and working on cars myself, and that’s what I do is work at Bode Collision [and Glass],” Ben Enter said. “Thought it would be kind of fun instead of spending all that time on a car to smash up in 20 minutes to be able to use it again and again. Came down to just a friend that had an Enduro car and said, ‘I’m not going to be using it. If you want to use it, go ahead. It’s out at my parents’ place.'”

Photo courtesy of Richard Keech Photography After an 11-year racing absence, Ben Enter (33e) races at the Redwood Speedway this summer in Redwood Falls.

Broddy Enter’s interest in racing started with something a little less intimidating to handle when he was 4 years old and got a John Deere Gator vehicle for kids as a Christmas gift.

“They bought me one of those little Gator go-kart things,” Broddy Enter said. “Started turning circles in the yard. It kind of went from there and they said it was time to get me into something that’s actually going to go more than 5 miles an hour.”

Broddy Enter then turned to racing go-karts, which his younger sister, Kenzie, also raced. The practice for go-kart racing began in the Enter’s driveway.

“That time I was racing Hobby Stocks, some stock cars, and I just set up a little track in the cement driveway,” Ben Enter said. “Found [a go-kart] locally to pick up for cheap to make sure this is what he’s going to be good at or what he’s going to do. First day, he was just a natural. It’s a big deal for a 4-year-old to jump into a go-kart and turn left, know where the gas is and also know where the break is and not hit anything or run into anything.”

While he won many go-kart races and even competed with adults when he was around 12 years old during his young racing career, Broddy Enter was eager to get into a car and race like his dad did as soon as he got the chance, which came at 15 years old.

Photo courtesy of Richard Keech Photography Broddy Enter (23e) competes in a race at the Redwood Speedway this summer in Redwood Falls.

Apart from being told to stop hitting things, Broddy Enter said his dad gave him some early racing advice to handle the dirt oval.

“[He said] just kind of keep your eyes forward, look a couple of cars ahead and see what’s going on,” Broddy Enter said. “Stay out of the big wrecks and just learn from others.”

While parts of his early dirt track racing career may have had its share of bumps and dings, Broddy Enter has polished his craft well in recent years. Now, the 20-year-old driver recently qualified to compete in Boone, Iowa, at Super Nationals for the third time in his young career and first time in the Race of Champions in the IMCA Northern SportMod class. The Race of Champions is a special race for all 2025 IMCA track champions or current point leaders.

“Definitely builds a lot of confidence,” Broddy Enter said of returning to Boone and his first time racing in the Race of Champions. “Won a couple races throughout the year, keep getting faster each week.”

Much of Broddy Enter’s success this year comes from the work he puts in ahead of the race and just staying active.

“Lot of behind-the-scenes and just seat time,” Broddy Enter said. “Lot of nights, lot of seat time. Figure out how to drive them, how to set up, go through shocks and springs and fine-tuning and stuff like that.”

Prior to the 43rd annual IMCA Speedway Super Nationals, which hosted around 1,100 total drivers from Sept. 1 to Sept. 6, Broddy Enter said he raced 40 nights this year.

For Ben Enter, putting a pause on his racing career until this year was due to it becoming a lot to handle. He instead took time off to work, watch his children race go-karts and help them along the way.

But the urge to race and being able to do so alongside his son was too tempting to keep Ben Enter off the dirt oval any longer.

“It’s just a proud moment to get out there and be in the same class [as my son],” Ben Enter said. “I’ve gotta get back into the feeling and getting comfortable and getting as quick as he is, too. It’s going to take a little bit, but it’s just a prideful thing.

“It’s just like when I tell Kenz, too, ‘Someday we’re going to get on a softball field together and we’re gonna play.’ … Racing is the same way. Couple weeks ago in Slayton, [Broddy and I] both got out in front in a race and got to do some side-by-side racing. Healthy competition [laughs].”

Competitiveness aside, Broddy Enter said racing with his dad has been fun.

“It’s been a journey,” Broddy Enter said. “It’s been fun. Ups and downs, but running side by side with him, I’ll get tempted to give him a door every now and again, but trying to play nice. It’s exciting, though.”

The two have shared pointers before and after races, working together as only a father and son could. And 2025 has been a special year for the two and a true full-circle experience.