Nick Hoff, Speedway Connection

Williston Basin Speedway is open for the season, and not all those involved are found behind the wheel or on the track. Nick Hoff, Sidney, owns Hard Charger Performance Specialties LLC, an engine building and repair business that boasts the only engine dynamometer in Montana, and the surrounding area. An engine dynamometer, commonly known as a "dyno", measures an engine's force, torque or power. The dyno is housed in its own "room" and allows Nick to study, diagnose or create engines to whatever specification he or an owner wants. His dynamometer is specifically for gas, not diesel engines, and he works entirely on race or collector engines.

Nick has been involved with racing since the late 90s and started building engines out of Chadron State College in Nebraska. He attended The School of Automotive Machinist in Texas, with hopes of moving to North Carolina and building for NASCAR. However, life brought him back to Eastern Montana in 2008, where he started building engines in his garage. In 2020, he purchased the dyno, after traveling to Wisconsin to research one. Today, owners come from Billings, Western Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, and North Dakota to seek his services. Hank Berry, a Williston Basin Speedway driver, uses Nick for his race cars. He also works for XTO Energy, monitoring gas compressors for pipelines, but bringing racing engines to life is his passion.

Dirt track racing is Nick's favorite, and he would love to see more of a motorsport's presence in our area. A growing sub-culture of derbies, truck-pulling, drag racing, or other segments of motor racing is a goal he has for the community and the Speedway is one of just a few current venues offering a home for them.

Nick's family is involved with the Sidney and surrounding communities with his wife Kelly working at Central School in Sidney, and the Burns Creek Inn in Savage. His three children, Reece, 10, Seger, 9, and Sloane, 5, are involved in several sports and Sloane is part of the Cutting Edge Dance studio as well. He can be reached about his business at (406) 478-4437, or on Facebook at Hard Charger Racing Engines.