2/25/2026
High Limit Racing
LAST-MINUTE LEAP: Hank Davis & Michael Dutcher Ready for Challenge of Joining High Limit Full-Time
MOORESVILLE, NC. (February 24, 2026) – Two weeks ago, Hank Davis and Michael Dutcher left Florida after competing with the World of Outlaws at Volusia Speedway Park and looked forward to a busy 2026 season as true outlaws on the road with the Lifestyle Homes No. 17GP.
During the downtime since, though, Dutcher did some digging into the High Roller Club, the 2026 Joker Fund, full-time benefits, and the schedule for Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing compared with other major events in the sport. Then, he called Davis with a new plan in place.
“He called me and pretty much said here’s the deal: we’re running High Limit,” Davis said on their decision. “I was like that’s fine by me. The elephant in the room is with High Limit you can still run a bunch of other shows wherever and whenever you want, so it will be nice to have that freedom to either rest and recharge or maybe go run a local or regional race to try and build some confidence.”
Joining the Rayce Rudeen Foundation Rookie of the Year battle, Davis will go head-to-head with Tanner Holmes, who drives the Buch Motorsports No. 13, for the second-year award. The matchup pits a 22-year-old native of Sand Springs, Oklahoma (Davis) vs. a 21-year-old native of Jacksonville, Oregon (Holmes).
While Davis’ limited experience of 37 career 410 sprint car races is worth nothing, so is his optimism and outlook at such a new challenge.
“I honestly don’t know what to think because I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Davis said, pondering his own expectations. “Obvioulsy, yes, it’s going to be tough. I’m going into this with a totally open mind, though. I’m going to show up to the race track and drive my absolute best; if we did good then great, if we did bad then we have to get better. I don’t want to look too far forward. I want to stay present in the moment and whatever happens, happens.”
Don’t let his lack of national experience fool you, Davis has accomplished plenty when given a chance. Last year, the Okie won with ASCS at Lakeside, POWRi at Callaway, and swept the Short Track Nationals driving for Bill Villhauer’s Beaver Racing team. Prior to that, he drove the Two-C Racing No. 2C working with Wayne Johnson in the 360 ranks and collected 2024 Rookie of the Year honors with the ASCS National Tour.
“I’m not in a position to ‘buy’ rides, so I have to really search for the opportunities out there and prove myself,” he added. “I feel like making a step up to a national tour is the right move for my career right now. Everyone says timing is everything, and my situation is proof of that. I’m thankful everything happened the way it did along the way.”
Looking at his car owner, Dutcher is most known for his non-wing sprint car exploits in the USAC ranks. He earned the 2012 USAC Chief Mechanic of the Year Award while serving as Bryan Clauson’s crew chief during a championship run, and he’s also claimed 12 USAC National victories as a car owner paired with notable drivers like Kevin Thomas Jr. and Jon Stanbrough.
Slowly but surely, “Dutch” has been building up his winged racing program and recently fielded Landon Crawley and Tim Shaffer for most of the 2025 season. Lately, acquisitions of a former Colby Thornhill hauler and several engines from Jason Meyers Racing has the No. 17GP ready to take on a national tour.
With his jump onto the national scene, Davis is going to see a wide variety of new places this season. In fact, he’s set to make his debut at a whopping 21 of the 33 tracks on the Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing schedule. While some of those palaces are daunting to think about, he knows there are learning opportunities around every corner.
“I’m actually least looking forward to Port Royal,” he joked about facing the PA Posse and their tricky half-mile. “I know that you can’t run from it or hide, though, you have to be good there if you want to be a consistent contender so we’ll do our best to figure that place out. Everyone had to start at the beginning of their careers at some point, so what I’m facing is nothing anyone hasn’t done before. I’ll just take it as they come and learn as we go.”
The Michael Dutcher Motorsports No. 17GP is one of five teams (Randall, Lynch, Vermeer, Randerson) currently committed to battling for the ‘Joker Fund’ this year, and more importantly, chasing High Roller Club membership which can be obtained via a top-three points finish in 2026 or 2027, or a top-eight points finish in both years.
Davis’ 2026 Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing season officially opens with the SugarBee Blackjack Bash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12-14 during NASCAR weekend. The 65-race tour will criss-cross the country for eight months before concluding with the All-In Championship Weekend at Texas Motor Speedway on October 16-17. Fans can buy pre-sale event tickets, which enters you for a chance to be selected for the DURST Dice Roll, by clicking here.
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If you cannot join Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing at the track, you can watch every lap of every race live on FloRacing, the exclusive broadcast partner of High Limit Racing and the streaming provider of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, USAC Racing, the CARS Tour, the Chili Bowl Nationals, the Tulsa Shootout, the Gateway Dirt Nationals, and much more.
Article Credit: Brian Walker
