Michael “Buddy” Kofoid shared a health update while announcing his decision to chase the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car series in 2026. 

Kofoid dropped out of the Chili Bowl Nationals due to an undisclosed illness that he was suffering from after returning from Australia, where he competed at the Perth Motorplex for the High Limit International event.

Car owner Keith Kunz informed FloRacing’s Tyler Burnett, “Buddy went to Australia over the winter, was really good over there. Got home. We we were on the way here and he came down with an illness here in just the last couple of days and he’s too sick to get here.”

In a press release psoted to Facebook, Kofoid’s team shared that he “is officially on the road to recovery after a recent illness and is grateful for the support of his team and fans as he turns his focus back to racing.”

Additionally, the team shared that he will be competing with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, “Roth Motorsports is pleased to announce that Buddy will return to competition on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in 2026, as the team looks ahead to another season at the highest level of sprint car racing.”

“I’m more excited than anything,” Kofoid said as part of the press release. “I feel like we have the car in a really great place and I feel better than I’ve ever been. With that combination I’m looking forward putting it to work this year.”

Kofoid’s crew chief Dylan Buswell added, “We’re really excited to get the year going after a strong 2025 and a successful stint in Australia. Hopefully we can start strong in Florida and pick right back up where we left off last year. We’ve got all the right pieces in place with great owners, TRD engines, and continuity within the team with the same crew guys—Nate and Gage.”

Kofoid finished second in Outlaw points to David Gravel last year. He had 12 wins, 44 top 5s and 59 top 10s in 68 starts.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Cars begins its 2026 season at the beginning of February at Volusia Speedway Park for the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. Racing action begins on February 4th and goes through February 7th. The series will go on hiatus for about a month before returning to Volusia at the beginning of March for the World of Outlaws Bike Week Jamboree on March 1st and 2nd.

NEXT: Donny Schatz Explains Why He’s Sticking With The World Of Outlaws Over High Limit Racing