12/3/2025
MARS - Midwest Auto Racing Series
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends to Begin 2026 Season with the Nippy 50 at Maquoketa Speedway
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends to Begin 2026 Season with the Nippy 50 at Maquoketa Speedway
FAIRBURY, IL (December 3, 2025) – After the most successful season to-date with the MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends, series officials are thrilled to announce that the 2026 season will once again kick off at the Maquoketa Speedway, in Maquoketa, Iowa, as part of the Nippy 50! Complete shows will be held on both Friday, April 3, and on Saturday, April 4, for the MARS Late Models, with an open practice set to get the weekend rolling on Thursday, April 2.
The Nippy 50 weekend will continue to set the bar as the most lucrative weekend on the tour schedule with a combined total of over $120,000 in just MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends purse money set to be divvied out over the pair of events. On Friday, April 3, the MARS Late Models will compete for $7,500-to-win and $1,000-to-start in their 40-lap main event. On Saturday, April 4, drivers will race for $15,000-to-win and, a season high for the tour in 2026, $2,000 just to take the green flag in the feature event. A complete show including hot laps, qualifying, heat races, b-mains, and feature events will be contested each night for the MARS Late Models. Accompanying classes are currently being finalized for the event and will be announced in the coming weeks.
“We are extremely excited to bring back the 3rd annual Nippy 50 and once again partner with Darkside Promotions and the MARS Series to bring what we feel is fast becoming a marquee event in the Midwest for Dirt Late Models.” said event promoter Jeff Hoker. “Our vision when first creating this race was to create an event that racers and fans do not want to miss by giving them a fantastic payout, great racing, plus things to do off the racetrack, and we certainly feel we are on the right track! Last year's event proved that an event of this size can work in the Midwest this early in the season and proved to us that sanctioning with MARS was the right thing to do. We can't thank all the support we have had from our marketing partners, race teams, our fans, and the Maquoketa Speedway and staff for helping us make this possible!”
The third annual event first launched as an unsanctioned event in 2024 with Bobby Pierce and Ricky Thornton Jr splitting victories over the weekend. 2025 was the first season under the MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends banner with the car count almost doubling from year 1 with 50 Late Models in attendance over the course of the weekend. Oakwood, Illinois driver Bobby Pierce swept both nights and took home $25,000 for his efforts.
“Being able to partner with this great team of individuals to help put on an incredible weekend of racing like this to kick off our 2026 season is something we continue to be thrilled about” stated MARS Series Director Jonathan Clayton. “Any time you can mix the best of regional talent with the top stars on the national scene, it makes for an event you really don’t want to miss. The icing on the cake with Maquoketa is that it continues to prove its place in the Dirt Late Model world as one of the most exciting places to attend a race in the Midwest.”
In the coming weeks additional information will be released including event times, event prices, daily event schedules, support class information, and much more at marsracingseries.com and maquoketaspeedway.com. Camping inquiries can be directed to the Jackson County Fairgrounds at 563-652-4282. If you are interested in becoming an event partner of this blockbuster weekend of racing, please reach out to Jeff Hoker at jhoker@hokertrucking.com.
If you are unable to make it to the track, you can catch the 3rd annual Nippy 50 at Maquoketa Speedway live at floracing.com.
Nippy 50 at Maquoketa Speedway (Maquoketa, IA) MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Feature Event Purses
Friday, April 3, 2026
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Feature: 1. $7,500 2. $5,000 3. $2,500 4. $2,000 5. $1,500 6. $1,450 7. $1,400 8. $1,350 9. $1,300 10. $1,250 11. $1,200 12. $1,150 13. $1,100 14. $1,050 15. $1,000 16. $1,000 17. $1,000 18. $1,000 19. $1,000 20. $1,000 21. $1,000 22. $1,000 23. $1,000 24. $1,000. Tow Money = $75 + price of a pit pass.
Saturday, April 4, 2026
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Feature: 1. $15,000 2. $7,500 3. $5,000 4. $4,000 5. $3,500 6. $3,000 7. $2,900 8. $2,800 9. $2,700 10. $2,600 11. $2,500 12. $2,400 13. $2,300 14. $2,250 15. $2,200 16. $2,150 17. $2,100 18. $2,050 19. $2,000 20. $2,000 21. $2,000 22. $2,000 23. $2,000 24. $2,000. Tow Money = $75 + price of a pit pass.
The MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends & MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment tours are set to kick off in Spring of 2026. Complete schedules for each series will be released in the coming days.
For more information about the MARS Dirt Series, please contact Jonathan Clayton at 731-467-1316, visit the tour’s webpage at marsracingseries.com, or visit @MARSDirtRacing on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends and MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment would like to thank the following sponsors and marketing partners for their support of the 2025 racing season: FK Rod Ends (MARS Late Model title sponsor), Summit Racing Equipment (MARS Modified title sponsor), Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts (Official trailer and golf cart provider of the MARS Dirt Series), Flo Racing (Official streaming provider of the MARS Late Model tour), Racing Electronics (Official communications provider of the MARS Dirt Series), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official tire manufacturer of the MARS Dirt Series), Sunoco Race Fuels (Official fuel of the MARS Dirt Series and proud sponsor of the Sunoco Rookie of the Year chase all season long on the MARS Late Model & Modified Championship tours), Pontiac RV (Official RV Dealer of the MARS Dirt Series), Allstar Performance, O’Reilly Auto Parts, DIRTcar Racing, Driscoll Motors (Official dealership of the MARS Dirt Series), Woods Basement Systems (Official Basement Contractor of the MARS Dirt Series), MD3, Josh James Artwork, MWD Signs & Graphix, Fairbury Fastener & Supply, Dirt Draft, Digital Copy Systems, Whelen, Multi Fire X, Budda Bert Transmission, Dyer’s Top Rods, Fast Shafts, Wilwood Brakes, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Keyser Manufacturing, Varsitee Screenprinting, Willy’s Carb & Dyno, Trackside Racewear, Hooker Harness, Lethal Chassis, Remtek Enterprises, QuickCar Racing Products, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Midwest Sheet Metal, Shepard Synthetics, and Allgaier Performance.
Article Credit: Jonathan Clayton
Submitted By: Jonathan Clayton