The $30,000 RaceFest Summer Championship at West Virginia Motor Speedway headlines 199 scheduled races across 42 states. The DIRTcar Summer Nationals grinds through five Illinois stops, the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series invades Magnolia, and Wednesday's Dirt Cup pits the top Lucas Oil drivers against the top World of Outlaws drivers in a one-night bragging-rights showdown.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series and the American Late Model Iron Man Series converge on West Virginia Motor Speedway in Mineral Wells, West Virginia for a co-sanctioned two-night RaceFest Summer Championship. Friday pays $12,000 to win. Saturday pays $30,000.
The 1/4-mile oval has produced some strong fields this year. Drake Troutman won the most recent Super Late Model feature here in May, taking the $10,000 Iron Man event over a 41-car field. Tyler Carpenter has a win at WVMS this year as well. Devin Moran leads all active drivers with three wins at this track currently in the DLM database.
One rivalry to track all week: Bobby Pierce and Hudson O'Neal. The two sit 149-134 in head-to-head finishes across 328 entries currently in the DLM database (that total reflects races where both were entered, not necessarily races where both made the feature). In 2026, they're dead even at 13-13 across 26 shared entries. Both are expected at the Dirt Cup on Wednesday, then again at WVMS on both Friday and Saturday, giving them up to three chances to run up the score this week.
Pierce enters on a run after winning his Dirt Late Model Dream prelim night and the $100,000 Dream finale at Eldora Speedway. He leads the 2026 DLM money list with at least $509,600 earned across 46 races, with 13 wins. O'Neal matches that 13-win total and sits second in earnings at more than $339,753 in 50 starts.
The DIRTcar Summer Nationals opened its 2026 season Tuesday night at Brownstown Bullring and heads into a five-night Illinois run through Sunday. Purses start at $5,000 and escalate to $10,000 for the Friday and Saturday stops:
Wednesday: Kankakee County Speedway ($5,000) - Jason Feger has won the last two Super Late Model features here currently in the database.
Thursday: Peoria Speedway ($5,000)
Friday: Coles County Speedway ($10,000) - This tight 1/6-mile bullring puts a premium on patience and precision.
Saturday: Fairbury Speedway ($10,000) - Mike Spatola leads all drivers with 25 wins at Fairbury in recent seasons currently in the database. Ryan Unzicker, with 18 wins, is another strong contender on the Summer Nats trail.
Sunday: Sycamore Speedway ($5,000) - Feger has won the last two features here as well.
Appalachian Mountain Speedweek rolls through Pennsylvania with four nights: Action Track USA in Kutztown on Wednesday ($5,000, the biggest Late Model purse this 1/6-mile has offered in 2026, and its first Late Model race of the season), Marion Center Raceway on Thursday ($5,500), Bedford Fairgrounds Speedway on Friday ($5,000), and Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown on Saturday ($5,000).
Whiskey City Classic at Lawrenceburg Speedway ($7,500 Saturday) - The Northern Allstars Late Model Dirt Series event at this Indiana 1/3-mile is the first Late Model race the track has seen in 2026. Josh Rice has won the last two Super Late Model features here currently in the database.
Southern All Stars at Senoia Raceway ($7,500 Saturday) - Ashton Winger leads all drivers with 11 wins at Senoia in recent seasons currently in the database. Jonathan Davenport won the last two Super LM features here in November.
Golden Hammer Classic at Devils Lake Speedway ($5,000 Saturday) - The Northern Late Model Racing Association brings WISSOTA Late Models to Crary, North Dakota for the biggest purse at this track in 2026.
Heartland Late Model Tour at Lake Ozark Speedway ($3,000 Friday and Saturday) - First Late Model races of 2026 at this Missouri 3/10-mile.
Davenport has been one of the hottest drivers over the last 30 days: two wins, four top-5s in seven starts. He's expected to take the weekend off. O'Neal is also in strong form with one win and seven top-5s in 11 starts heading into a loaded week at the Dirt Cup and RaceFest. Dale McDowell, ranked 14th in the DLM ratings, has quietly strung together three top-5s in his last four outings.
On the cold side, Daulton Wilson holds the longest active winless drought among top-20 ranked drivers at 60 races. Brian Shirley (59) and Dennis Erb Jr. (59) are right behind him. Ethan Dotson, at 41 races without a win, rounds out the top-ranked drivers looking to snap extended dry spells.
One name trending up: Mason Zeigler. His average performance over the last 30 days has improved significantly compared to the prior month, the biggest jump among the top 100 ranked drivers, before a wild flip down the Eldora frontstretch ended his Dream weekend early.
Next week brings the $30,000 Mountain Moonshine Classic at Smoky Mountain Speedway with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series ($10,000 Friday, $30,000 Saturday finale). The World of Outlaws visits 141 Speedway in Maribel, Wisconsin for a two-night stop paying $12,000 and $25,000. The Summer Nationals continues its Midwest swing through Wisconsin and Iowa before the $10,000 Ray Marler Memorial at I-55 Raceway Park in Pevely on Saturday.
