Three races. Four days. One championship picture that could look completely different by Saturday night.

The USRA Heartland Modified Tour presented by Real Racing Wheels returns to action next week for Heartland Freedom Weekend, a three-race holiday swing featuring two of Missouri’s premier dirt racing facilities.

The weekend opens Thursday, July 2, at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri, before shifting north to I-35 Speedway in Winston, Missouri, for back-to-back nights on Friday and Saturday, July 3-4.

With only three completed races on the 2026 schedule entering the weekend, the Heartland Modified Tour is set to double its completed race count in just four days. That makes Heartland Freedom Weekend one of the most important stretches of the season and a potential turning point in the championship chase.

Current points leader Tyler Davis enters the weekend with a 22-point advantage over Trevor Hughes, but with three full point-paying events on tap, no position inside the top ten feels secure.

Current Championship Standings

Tyler Davis (Haysville, KS) – 273

Trevor Hughes (Westville, OK) – 251 (-22)

Paden Phillips (Chanute, KS) – 234 (-39)

Henry Chambers (Baldwin City, KS) – 232 (-41)

Cole Campbell (R) (Mexico, MO) – 231 (-42)

Bobby Williams (Hermitage, MO) – 229 (-44)

Dustin Hodges (Centralia, MO) – 223 (-50)

Shadren Turner (Kansas City, KS) – 221 (-52)

Wyatt Gaggero (Wichita, KS) – 219 (-54)

Chevy Coleman (Wichita, KS) – 215 (-58)

Just 58 points separate first through tenth, while only 19 markers separate third through tenth. With three races in four days, the opportunity is there for major movement throughout the standings.

Lucas Oil Speedway Opens the Weekend

Heartland Freedom Weekend begins Thursday night at Lucas Oil Speedway, a facility that has already become a major stop in the young history of the Heartland Modified Tour.

The tour first visited Wheatland on May 11, 2024, when Terry Phillips topped a stout 50-car field to capture the victory over Gabe Hodges, Tyler Wolff, Ryan Middaugh and Paden Phillips. Less than two months later, Tyler Davis added his name to the Lucas Oil Speedway winners list with a June 28 triumph over Tad Davis, Gabe Hodges, Chad Wheeler and Kenton Allen.

The tour returned to Lucas Oil Speedway in 2025 with Tanner Mullens scoring the May 10 victory ahead of Tyler Davis, Wyatt Gaggero, Trevor Hughes and Tad Davis. On July 3, Tyler Wolff picked up the win over Terry Phillips, Darron Fuqua, Nic Bidinger and current rookie contender Cole Campbell in a 53-car field.

Lucas Oil Speedway has already produced four different Heartland Modified Tour winners in four previous visits, and Thursday’s opener offers another opportunity for a driver to add their name to that list.

I-35 Speedway Hosts Holiday Doubleheader

After Thursday’s opener, the series heads to I-35 Speedway for consecutive nights of racing on Friday and Saturday.

The Winston oval has been equally unpredictable for the tour. Tyler Hibner won the first Heartland Modified Tour event at I-35 Speedway on June 8, 2024, finishing ahead of Tyler Wolff, Kyle Slader, Terry Phillips and Trevor Hughes.

Later that season, Tanner Mullens captured the October 19 event over Tyler Hibner, Brandon Givens, Houston Johnson and Shadren Turner. The tour returned in 2025 with Dakota Dale winning the April 12 event ahead of Brandon Givens, Bobby Williams, Tyler Hibner and Tad Davis.

Most recently, Shadren Turner closed the 2025 season at I-35 Speedway with a victory over Wyatt Gaggero, Bobby Williams, Chevy Coleman and Tad Davis.

Like Lucas Oil Speedway, I-35 has yet to produce a repeat Heartland Modified Tour winner. Four previous series visits have produced four different winners, adding even more intrigue to this weekend’s doubleheader.

Championship Pressure Builds

The points battle entering Heartland Freedom Weekend is tightly packed and full of opportunity.

Tyler Davis has used consistency to take control of the early championship lead, while Trevor Hughes sits within striking distance entering a weekend where three strong finishes could quickly erase the current gap. Paden Phillips, Henry Chambers, rookie Cole Campbell, defending series champion Bobby Williams, Dustin Hodges, Shadren Turner, Wyatt Gaggero and Chevy Coleman all enter the weekend within 58 points of the lead.

Several of those drivers have already shown strength at Lucas Oil Speedway and I-35 Speedway in previous tour appearances. Davis owns a Lucas Oil Speedway win and multiple strong runs at the Wheatland facility. Turner enters the weekend as the most recent Heartland Modified Tour winner at I-35. Gaggero, Williams, Coleman, Hughes, Phillips, Hodges and Chambers have all recorded notable performances at one or both tracks.

With the season still young, the weekend could serve as a launching point for a championship push.

Three Nights That Matter

Heartland Freedom Weekend offers three chances to win, three chances to gain points, and three chances to build momentum heading into the second half of the 2026 season.

For fans, it is a holiday weekend packed with high-level modified racing at two premier Missouri facilities. For drivers and teams, it is one of the first true tests of depth, speed, consistency and durability.

By the time the checkered flag falls Saturday night at I-35 Speedway, the Heartland Modified Tour championship chase may have a completely different look.

Complete event information, live timing and scoring, and post-race coverage throughout Heartland Freedom Weekend will be available through the Heartland Modified Tour and MyRacePass.

The USRA Heartland Modified Tour Presented by Real Racing Wheels enters year three in 2026, and we 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, Kevko Racing, Midwest Sheet Metal, Mel Hambelton Ford Racing, Pannell Chipping, RacinDirt.com, Real et 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 Point Funds (ARMS, HMT, NLMS)
1. $7,500
2. $4,500
3. $3,500
4. $3,000
5. $2,500
6. $2,400
7. $2,300
8. $2,200
9. $2,100
10. $2,000
*80 Percent attendance required to remain point fund eligible

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