About Cole
Cole “ColeTrain" Vanderheiden is a 16-year-old racer from Papillion, Nebraska. He is currently a Junior at Papillion La Vista South HighSchool. When not slinging dirt at tracks throughout the Midwest, he is an avid golfer. Vanderheiden is living the dream of climbing the ranks of the Sprint Car ladder. Cole started his racing career with Cage Karts and Flat Karts in
2020 before progressing to Micro Sprints in 2021.
The 2021 campaign found Cole traveling throughout the Midwest as he competed in over 60 events. His Micro Sprint rookie campaign accomplishments include three wins along with a 10th-place finish in the Lucas Oil National Open Wheel 600 Series points. Vanderheiden closed out his Micro Sprint career with the 2022 Tulsa Shootout. He won his Last Chance Qualifier and B-Feature to lock himself into the A-Main, where he climbed to a 10th-place finish
from the 17th-starting spot.
For the 2022 season Cole once again advanced to a new division. The Nebraska racer progressed to the IMCA RaceSaver 305 Sprint Car ranks, which found him competing at three tracks for weekly points. Vanderheiden also dotted his schedule with a handful of special events. His inaugural season in a full-sized Sprint Car saw Cole accumulating two wins, seven Top-5 finishes, and 26 Top-10 finishes in 50 events. On the heels of his impressive rookie season, he claimed the 2022 Rookie of the Year honors at both Eagle Raceway and Crawford County Speedway. Additionally, Cole finished second in the IMCA National Rookie of the Year standings and finished in the Top-10 in the final standings at all three tracks that he frequented throughout the course of the season.
In 2023 The 16-year-old racer's campaign included 38 starts with 12 Top-5 finishes and 19 Top-10 finishes, spanning 10 different tracks. Six of his Top-5 performances were fourth-or-better finishes.
Additionally, he finished one point short of the Huset's Speedway (Brandon, S.D.) Track Championship with the battle for the title going down to the final lap of the final event. Vanderheiden also qualified for the Big Dance at the IMCA RaceSaver Nationals at Eagle (Neb.) Raceway. With 87 entries in attendance, he raced to a 13th-place finish.
Career Highlights
CAREER AT A GLANCE
2023 2nd in Husets Speedway Track Championship points (lost by 1)
2023 Qualifier for the Big Dance, at the RaceSaver Nationals, Finished 13th (87 cars entered)
2022 Two A-Main wins in RaceSaver Sprint Cars rookie season
at 15 years old
2022 Crawford County Speedway second in points;
2022 Rookie of the Year
2022 Eagle Raceway eighth in points; 2022 Rookie of the Year
2022 Husets Speedway sixth in points; Second in
Rookie of the Year points
2022 Second in IMCA National RaceSaver Sprint Car
Rookie of the Year points
2022 Eighth in IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car Nationals
Race of Champions
2022 10th-Place Finish in Micro Sprint division at the Tulsa Shootout
2021 Three Micro Sprint feature wins
2021 10th in National Points with Lucas Oil NOW600 Micro Sprints
2020 Little Sunset Speedway Flat Kart Track Champion
Sponsors
BradCo Companies, Twisted Thunder Fireworks, Electric Express, Brad Flanagan Team, Gina V Physical Therapy, Young Chiropractic , Chariots 4 Hope, Arose Mental Health, 316 Strategy Group, Casm Safety Products, victory fuel, Shadow Lake Collision Center, Wilson Premier Powder Coating, Cake Pops By Brynn, Titanium HVAC