After an extended stretch of rainouts put the brakes on the momentum generated during its successful debut, the POWRi Heartland Late Model Tour presented by Mel Hambelton Racing is set to return to action this weekend with its first-ever appearance at Dodge City Raceway Park for the El Capitan Classic on Friday and Saturday, June 19-20.

The two-night event marks another significant milestone for the tour’s inaugural season as competitors make their first visit to one of the Midwest’s premier dirt track facilities. Located in western Kansas, Dodge City Raceway Park welcomes the Heartland Late Model Tour for what promises to be one of the season’s most anticipated events.

The El Capitan Classic will feature two complete nights of racing action. Friday night’s program will include the Heartland Late Model Tour alongside IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars, while Saturday’s card pairs the late models with IMCA Sport Mods and IMCA Hobby Stocks.

While the tour opened its inaugural campaign with a highly successful debut weekend at Legit Speedway in Missouri, Mother Nature has since taken center stage. Following the season-opening doubleheader, four consecutive scheduled events have been lost to rain and severe weather, leaving competitors eager to return to competition and continue the championship battle.

The opening weekend at Legit Speedway delivered the type of excitement series officials envisioned when launching the tour. Springfield, Missouri veteran Terry Phillips etched his name into the record books by winning the first-ever Heartland Late Model Tour feature event. The following night, Tyler Kuykendall thrilled fans with a controversial yet dramatic last-lap pass to score victory and split the weekend honors.

While Phillips enters Dodge City atop the championship standings, with only two completed events on the schedule thus far, every lap and every point earned this weekend will carry added importance. The unfamiliarity of Dodge City Raceway Park for many series regulars could also play a major role in leveling the playing field and creating opportunities for drivers seeking their first Heartland Late Model Tour victory.

Dodge City Raceway Park promoter Kyler Fetters is excited to welcome the tour and its competitors to western Kansas.

“The excitement level is high heading into this week at Dodge City Raceway Park,” Fetters said. “We’re proud to host the Heartland Late Models during their inaugural season and showcase some of the best drivers and teams in the region. The El Capitan Classic has quickly become one of the events we look forward to most, and we’ve been working tirelessly to prepare the racetrack and create a first-class experience for our fans and competitors. If everything plays out the way we expect, it’s going to be one heck of a race.”

For the Heartland Late Model Tour, the weekend represents more than just another stop on the schedule. It is an opportunity to restart the momentum that was building following the successful debut at Legit Speedway and continue establishing the series as a premier destination for late model competitors throughout the Midwest.

The POWRi Heartland Late Model Tour returns to competition on Friday, June 19, and Saturday, June 20, for the El Capitan Classic as competitors look to shake off the rust, restart their championship pursuits, and renew the excitement generated during the series’ inaugural weekend.

A $40,000 point fund guaranteed, paying back ten positions, is in place for drivers who compete in 80 percent of the series scheduled events. $10,000 of the fund has been set aside for the inaugural champion.

The POWRi Mel Hambelton Racing Heartland Late Model Tour would like to recognize and thank our season long partners. Please thank them, with your patronage for their support.

Gold Partners – Central Spray Foam & Cement Lifting, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Opticians, Dirt Track Specialist, Dylan Scott Entertainment, Hochatown Saloon, Hoosier Tire Great Plains, Kevko Racing, Midwest Sheet Metal, Mel Hambelton Ford Racing, Pannell Chipping, RacinDirt.com, Real Racing Wheels, Rick Beebe Heating and Air Conditioning, Smith Equipment Company, Swift Springs, VP Racing Fuels Heartland, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products

Silver Partners – American Racer Tires, Buck Monson Photos, Bulletproof Tees and Racewear, Duvall Electric, Integra Shocks, JRT Trucking, Keyser Manufacturing, Midwest Automation, Photos By Boyd, Scotty Dogg’s Hideout

Bronze Partners – Bryke Racing, Fast Shafts, Freight Logistics Inc., KS Engineering, Maxima Racing Oil, Milburn Acreages by Tillison Enterprises, PEM Racing, Premier Lubricants, Schoenfeld Headers, Service Plumbing of Wichita, Transmissions Unlimited, Wagdog Spices, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Yeoman Race Engines

2026 HLMT Point Fund
1. $10,000
2. $6,000
3. $5,000
4. $4,000
5. $3,000
6. $2,800
7. $2,600
8. $2,400
9. $2,200
10. $2,000
*80 Percent attendance required to remain point fund eligible

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