CORTEZ – One of the attractions for any racer who takes to the Cortez Fairgrounds Speedway oval – once that green flag drops, anything can happen. On the right night, drivers who only race once per month might take home the top prize against seasoned veterans. That’s what makes what stock car star Layne Bellm is accomplishing that much more impressive.
The daughter of Blood, Sweat and Tears Productions promoter Joe Bellm, Layne has stepped into her father’s racing gloves and left the competition in her dust. With the rest of the state giving chase every time she takes the pole position, she has made the Cortez Speedway another site where she continues to pile up points toward a possible Colorado state title.
BST produces the summer racing series at the Cortez Speedway, along with several other venues across the Rocky Mountain region, meaning every time Bellm makes her stop in the Four Corners, fans are watching one of the sport’s greats at work in a production put on by her father’s BST team.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without him,” she said of her father.
Beyond just her father, Bellm recognizes it takes a full village to build a strong racer.
“I’ve had a really strong support team behind me, they’re really knowledgeable and have some of the ‘speed secrets’,” she said of her boyfriend, family, friends and sponsors. “We put in a lot of hard work into these cars during the week – and that makes it worth it going into the weekend.”
She cruised to a pair of wins on Friday and Saturday, taking home a prize in one of the most hotly-contested events of each night, with over a dozen other drivers trying to unseat her from what seems like an inevitable checkered flag.
At 21 years old, Bellm has already been behind the wheel of stock cars for six years, having jumped up from the hobby stocks and go-karts of her youth.
“I had a really good first season in hobby stock, and that got me stuck on racing,” she said.
Entering action on Friday and Saturday at the CFS, Bellm sat second in the Centennial State in stock car points – and that was with her taking one weekend off per month to relax. Now that the season has hit its midpoint, Bellm anticipates that her schedule will pick up to make sure she’s not leaving anything on the table.
“Now that we’re ‘points racing’, we’re going to be out every weekend,” she said with a smile.
Bellm is hoping for a second trip to the IMCA Nationals in Boone, Iowa over the week of Sept. 7 to 12 – a venue where she qualified in 2025 for the featured championship races. “I’d love to be able to qualify again – but after that point, being at nationals is all about having fun,” said Bellm.
From the other action on Fan Appreciation weekend at the Cortez Fairgrounds Speedway, Dolores’ Clay Tillia won the Sport Compact division on Friday night, only for Grand Junction’s John Frans to exact revenge the following night after having finished behind Tillia in several races this season.
Rio Rancho’s Paul Campos went from last place on Friday to first place on Saturday in the IMCA Modified class, with Dove Creek’s Aaron and Camron Spangler going first and second, respectively, on Friday. Brody Spangler added to a strong weekend for the family, collecting the win in the Northern SportMod division on both nights.
Aztec’s Ryan Greenwood won the Hobby Stock race on Friday before Brandon Lewis of Canon City took top honors the following night.
Cortez’ Brantley Frans swept both nights of racing in the Junior Warriors division, while La Plata, New Mexico’s Dennis Spencer duplicated the sweep in the Warriors.
The Kirtland father-son duo of Leon and Gabe Shim each took home a race apiece in the Mod-Lite division to close out the weekend’s races. Next up at the Cortez Fairgrounds Speedway, a pair of racing nights on July 24 and 25 will make for a full weekend at the Fairgrounds, with the Montezuma County Fair taking place that weekend as well.
