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MARS Championship Tours Continue the Month of May with Three Midwestern Gems

MARS Championship Tours Continue the Month of May with Three Midwestern Gems

FAIRBURY, IL (May 19, 2026) – After a pair of action-packed nights of racing last weekend for the MARS Late Model Championship powered by FK Rod Ends and the MARS Modified Championship powered by Summit Racing Equipment, attention has now quickly shifted to a weekend many have had circled since the schedule was released last December. With the competition level being as high as possibly ever in both divisions, fans and drivers alike are looking forward to what should be three fantastic nights of racing with Davenport Speedway (Late Models only), Fairbury Speedway, and Spoon River Speedway next on the docket.

Friday, May 22 the weekend will get kicked off for the MARS Late Model Championship powered by FK Rod Ends with the annual visit to Davenport Speedway, in Davenport, Iowa, for the Corn State Nationals. With mother nature claiming the first 5 scheduled events in the Hawkeye State for the MARS tour in 2026, this will be the only time to catch the series in the state of Iowa this season. Since transitioning from the ½ mile to the ¼ mile in recent years, great finishes, and edge-of-your-seat action has been the norm any time the Super Late Models invade the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds. Last season the event was held in the month of September, as a two-night show, with Jason Feger sweeping the weekend worth $15,000+ for his efforts.

As we wrap up action in Davenport, the MARS Late Models will trek two hours and forty-five minutes southeast where they will join the MARS Modified Championship powered by Summit Racing Equipment for the “Triple Down Shootout” at Fairbury Speedway, in Fairbury, Illinois, for the Saturday, May 23 event. This will mark the first visit of four to the speedway for both tours in 2026, in what is expected to be a huge night of racing with most of tracks in the area taking the weekend off from racing. Last season this event drew 131 cars, over three divisions, including a season high 50 MARS Late Models to go along with 36 MARS Modifieds. Jason Feger took home the MARS Late Model victory over Brian Shirley and Dennis Erb Jr, while Derek Losh took home his first career MARS Modified victory over Michael Ledford and Austin Friedman.

Sunday, May 24 the MARS Championship Tours will wrap up the holiday weekend with a stop at the Spoon River Speedway, in Lewistown, IL, for the Gary Cook Jr Memorial. The Matt Curl promoted event will mark the final Super Late Model special of the season currently scheduled at the 3/8 mile high-banked dirt oval. Last season this event drew an impressive field of 33 MARS Late Models with Dennis Erb Jr taking a thrilling feature event over Shannon Babb and Ryan Unzicker. Tyler Nicely took home the Gary Cook Jr Memorial victory for the MARS Modified division with Will Krup and Trevor Neville rounding out the podium.

Ryan Unzicker continues to lead the way in MARS Late Model Championship powered by FK Rod Ends standings, as he has now opened up a 51-point lead following a pair of podium performances last weekend. Orcutt, California standout Dylan Thornton has moved himself into second in standings with Tanner English, Caden McWhorter, and Austin Howes rounding out the top 5.

The Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year chase has all the makings to be the highlight of the season as Dylan Thornton leads the way over Caden McWhorter, Austin Howes, Jordan Bauer, and Myles Moos. Only 48 points separate the top 5 in rookie standings.

After a pair of podium finishes last weekend, Michael Ledford has taken over the LRD Products red spoiler, and the points lead, for the MARS Modified Championship powered by Summit Racing Equipment. With a DNF at Coles County, Mike McKinney fell to second in standings trailing Ledford by only 11 markers. Ray Bollinger, Dave Wietholder, and Cole Falloway round out the top 5.

Our newest member of the MARS Modified feature winner club, Matthew Baker, overtook the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year lead with Owen Steinkoenig trailing by only 13 points. Braden Doyle, John Dimmitt, and Kyle Barker complete the top 5.

Event Info

Friday, May 22

Davenport Speedway
Davenport, IA

Corn State Nationals

$5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship powered by FK Rod Ends
IMCA Modifieds
IMCA Hobby Stocks
Vintage Late Models
Crown Vics

Pits open at 3:30 P.M.
Grandstands open at 5:00 P.M.
Drivers Meeting at 6:00 P.M.
Hot Laps at 6:30 P.M.

Adult General Admission $25
Kids ages 5-10 General Admission $5
General Admission for Kids 4 and under FREE

Pit Pass $40

Saturday, May 23

Fairbury Speedway
Fairbury, IL

Triple Down Shootout

$5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship powered by FK Rod Ends
$2,000-to-win MARS Modified Championship powered by Summit Racing Equipment
$4,300 Earl J. Hubert Memorial for the DIRTcar Stock Cars

Pits open at 12:00 P.M.
Grandstands open at 12:00 P.M.
Drivers Meeting at 5:15 P.M.
Hot Laps at 5:45 P.M.

Adult General Admission $30
General Admission for Kids 12 and under FREE

Pit Pass $45
Pit Pass for Kids 12 and under $15

Sunday, May 24

Spoon River Speedway
Lewistown, IL

Gary Cook Jr Memorial

$5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship powered by FK Rod Ends
$2,064-to-win MARS Modified Championship powered by Summit Racing Equipment
E-Mods
DIRTcar Hornets
Crown Vics

Pits open at 12:00 P.M.
Grandstands open at 4:00 P.M.
Drivers Meeting at 5:00 P.M.
Hot Laps at 5:30 P.M.

Adult General Admission $30
General Admission for Kids 12 and under $10

Pit Pass $45
Pit Pass for Kids 12 and under $20

MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Tire Rule for each night:

LF: Any (90) Hoosier
RF: Hoosier NLMT2 (90)
LR: Hoosier NLMT2 (90)
RR: Hoosier NLMT3 (92) or Hoosier NLMT4 (92)

Grooving and Siping will be permitted.

Event Purses

MARS Late Model Championship powered by FK Rod Ends nightly A-Main payout: 1) $5,000 2) $2,500 3) $2,000 4) $1,600 5) $1,400 6) $1,200 7) $1,000 8) $800 9) $700 10) $600 11) $500 12) $500 13) $500 14) $500 15) $500 16) $500 17) $500 18) $500 19) $500 20) $500 21) $500 22) $500. Non-Transfer Tow Money - Friday $115, Saturday $120, Sunday $120

MARS Modified Championship powered by Summit Racing Equipment Saturday A-Main payout: 1) $2,000 2) $1,500 3) $1,200 4) $1,000 5) $800 6) $600 7) $500 8) $400 9) $300 10) $275 11) $250 12) $250 13) $250 14) $250 15) $250 16) $250 17) $250 18) $250 19) $250 20) $250 21) $250 22) $250. Non-Transfer Tow Money - $70

MARS Modified Championship powered by Summit Racing Equipment Sunday A-Main payout: 1) $2,064 2) $1,500 3) $1,200 4) $1,000 5) $800 6) $600 7) $500 8) $400 9) $300 10) $275 11) $250 12) $250 13) $250 14) $250 15) $250 16) $250 17) $250 18) $250 19) $250 20) $250 21) $250 22) $250. Non-Transfer Tow Money - $70

MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Point Standings (Top 20)

1. Ryan Unzicker – El Paso, IL – 267 points
2. Dylan Thornton – Orcutt, CA – 216 points
3. Tanner English – Benton, KY – 214 points
4. Caden McWhorter – Fairbury, IL – 199 points
5. Austin Howes – Lewistown, MO – 198 points
6. Daniel Adam – Peru, IL – 197 points
7. Jordan Bauer – St. Jacob, IL – 191 points
8. Jake Little – Springfield, IL – 181 points
9. Jason Feger – Bloomington, IL – 177 points
10. Myles Moos – Lincoln, IL – 168 points
11. Bob Gardner – Washington, IL – 163 points
12. Mitch McGrath – Waukesha, WI – 136 points
13. Jeffrey Ledford – Pontiac, IL – 134 points
14. Mark Voigt – Marine, IL – 134 points
15. Frank Heckenast Jr – Frankfort, IL – 130 points
16. Chevy Boyer – New Haven, MO – 122 points
17. Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – 108 points
18. Rockett Bennett – Argenta, IL – 88 points
19. Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IL – 75 points
20. Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 75 points

Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Standings

1. Dylan Thornton – Orcutt, CA – 216 points
2. Caden McWhorter – Fairbury, IL – 199 points
3. Austin Howes – Lewistown, MO – 198 points
4. Jordan Bauer – St. Jacob, IL – 191 points
5. Myles Moos – Lincoln, IL – 168 points
6. Mitch McGrath – Waukesha, WI – 136 points
7. Jeffrey Ledford – Pontiac, IL – 134 points
8. Chevy Boyer – New Haven, MO – 122 points
9. Mike Mataragas – DeKalb, IL – 73 points

MARS Modified Championship powered by Summit Racing Equipment Point Standings (Top 15)

1. Michael Ledford – Pontiac, IL – 380 Points
2. Mike McKinney – Plainfield, IL – 369 Points
3. Ray Bollinger – Kewanee, IL – 309 Points
4. Dave Wietholder – Liberty, IL – 301 Points
5. Cole Falloway – Owensboro, KY – 278 Points
6. Trevor Neville – Mackinaw, IL – 274 Points
7. Matthew Baker – Kouts, IN – 268 Points
8. Owen Steinkoenig – Highland, IL – 255 Points
9. Zeke McKenzie – Claypool, IN – 231 Points
10. Damian Kiefer – Ste Genevieve, MO – 225 Points
11. Brayden Doyle – Ashmore, IL – 211 Points
12. John Dimmitt – Macomb, IL – 210 Points
13. Michael Long – Fowler, IL – 170 Points
14. Carson Friedman – Fairbury, IL – 143 Points
15. Austin Friedman – Fairbury, IL – 135 Points

Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Point Standings

1. Matthew Baker – Kouts, IN – 268 Points
2. Owen Steinkoenig – Highland, IL – 255 Points
3. Brayden Doyle – Ashmore, IL – 211 Points
4. John Dimmitt – Macomb, IL – 210 Points
5. Kyle Barker – Cooksville, IL – 112 Points
6. Dalton Lane – Botkins, OH – 42 Points

2026 MARS Late Model Championship powered by FK Rod Ends Statistics

Pontiac RV Heat Race #1 Winner

Mike Harrison – 1
Jason Feger – 1
Jordan Bauer – 1
Tanner English – 1

FK Rod Ends 1st Place Finisher

Ryan Gustin – 1
Ryan Unzicker – 1
Jordan Bauer – 1
Brandon Sheppard – 1

Swift Springs 4th Place Finisher

Frank Heckenast Jr – 1
Caden McWhorter – 1
Daniel Adam – 1
Mitch McGrath – 1

FK Rod Ends 5th Place Finisher

Ryan Unzicker – 1
Brayton Wallace – 1
Caden McWhorter – 1
Austin Howes – 1

Fairbury Fasteners 7th Place Finisher

Dylan Thornton – 1
Myles Moos – 1
Bob Gardner – 1
Daniel Adam – 1

Budda by Bert Transmission 9th Place Finisher

Austin Howes – 1
Jason Feger – 2
Tanner English – 1

Hooker Harness 11th Place Finisher

Jordan Bauer – 2
Dylan Thornton – 1
Kolby Vandenbergh – 1

Keyser Manufacturing 13th Place Finisher

Mark Voigt – 1
Bob Gardner – 1
Myles Moos – 1
Jake Little – 1

Fast Shafts 15th Place Finisher

Myles Moos – 1
Mike Mataragas – 1
Mitch McGrath – 1
Chevy Boyer – 1

MD3 Hard Charger Award Winner

Austin Howes – 1
Brayton Wallace – 1
Christian Miles – 1
Jason Feger – 1

Wilwood Brakes Hard Luck Award Winner

Rusty Griffaw – 1
Mark Voigt – 1
Rickey Frankel – 1
Jeffrey Ledford – 1

Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race Winner

Dylan Thornton – 2
Caden McWhorter – 1
Mitch McGrath – 1

2026 MARS Modified Championship powered by Summit Racing Equipment Statistics

Multi Fire X Fast Time Award Winner

Trevor Neville – 2
Cole Falloway – 1
Brayden Doyle – 1
Kenny Wallace – 1
Dave Wietholder – 1

Willy’s Carb & Dyno Heat Race #1 Winner

Michael Ledford – 1
Matthew Baker – 1
Kenny Wallace – 1
Cole Falloway – 1
Trevor Neville – 1
Dave Wietholder – 1

Lethal Chassis Heat Race #2 Winner

Mike McKinney – 3
Michael Long – 1
Ray Bollinger – 1
Damian Kiefer – 1

Allgaier Performance Heat Race #3 Winner

Cole Falloway – 2
Brayden Doyle – 1
Carson Friedman – 1
Michael Ledford – 1

Vanquish Race Cars Heat Race #4 Winner

Trevor Neville – 1
Cole Falloway – 1

Equiplinc Trucks & Equipment B-Main #1 Winner

Owen Steinkoenig – 2
Kyle Hammer – 1
Jeff Curl – 1

Summit Racing Equipment 2nd Place Finisher

Mike McKinney – 3
Trevor Neville – 1
Ray Bollinger – 1
Michael Ledford – 1

Fast Shafts 3rd Place Finisher

Michael Ledford – 2
Cole Falloway – 1
Mike McKinney – 1
Mike Chasteen Jr – 1
Dave Wietholder – 1

Swift Springs 4th Place Finisher

Trevor Neville – 1
Carson Friedman – 1
Jacob Steinkoenig – 1
Mike McKinney – 1
Dave Wietholder – 1
Ray Bollinger – 1

Keyser Manufacturing 7th Place Finisher

Zeke McKenzie – 2
Ray Bollinger – 1
Michael Ledford – 1
Charles Hess – 1
Drew Schwartz – 1

Hooker Harness 11th Place Finisher

Matthew Baker – 1
Owen Steinkoenig – 1
Dave Wietholder – 1
Lyndon Whitfill – 1
Treb Jacoby – 1
John Dimmitt – 1

MD3 Hard Charger Award Winner

Dave Wietholder – 2
Mike McKinney – 1
Damian Kiefer – 1
Zeke McKenzie – 1
Christopher Cole – 1

Wilwood Brakes Hard Luck Award Winner

Carson Friedman – 1
Dave Wietholder – 1
Kyle Barker – 1
Nash Hilmes – 1
Jeff Curl – 1
Taylor Kerz – 1

Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race Winner

Owen Steinkoenig – 2
Matthew Baker – 2
Brayden Doyle – 1
John Dimmitt – 1

Lethal Chassis Bonus Bucks Award Winner

Trevor Neville – 4
Nash Hilmes – 1

If you are unable to make it to the track, you can catch EVERY MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends event in 2026 live at floracing.com.

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 2026 racing season: FK Rod Ends (MARS Late Model title sponsor), Summit Racing Equipment (MARS Modified title sponsor), 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), 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, Allgaier Performance, Vanquish Race Cars, Swift Springs, LRD Products, Equiplinc Trucks & Equipment, K&S Ford, MatMan Designs, and Angry Duck Graphics.

MARS Championship Upcoming Events

• May 22, 2026 – Davenport Speedway – Davenport, IA - Corn State Nationals - $5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends

• May 23, 2026 – Fairbury Speedway – Fairbury, IL - Triple Down Shootout - $5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends | $2,000-to-win MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment

• May 24, 2026 – Spoon River Speedway – Lewistown, IL - Gary Cook Jr Memorial - $5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends | $2,064-to-win MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment

• May 29, 2026 – Paducah International Raceway – Paducah, KY - USA World 50 / Roy Brown Memorial - $10,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends | $2,000-to-win MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment

• May 30, 2026 – Red Hill Raceway – Sumner, IL - Red Hill Rumble - $5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends | $2,000-to-win MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment

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