Two of the region’s premier USRA Modified tours will converge on one of its most storied racetracks this weekend as the USRA Heartland Modified Tour presented by Real Racing Wheels meets the USRA American Racer Modified Series presented by Day Motor Sports for the Larry Phillips Memorial at Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, Oklahoma.

Following an open practice on Thursday, August 27, competition begins Friday before the weekend culminates Saturday night with one of the richest events remaining on either tour’s 2026 schedule. A $7,575 winner’s share awaits the driver who can rise above a field combining championship contenders, regional standouts and several of the most accomplished Modified racers in the country.

More important than the money, however, is the name attached to the event.

A native of southwest Missouri, Larry Phillips became one of the most dominant short-track racers in American motorsports history. The Springfield, Missouri, standout was the first driver to capture five NASCAR Weekly Series national championships, winning 220 of 289 NASCAR-sanctioned starts during an 11-year stretch and collecting 13 track championships across three states. Named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers, Phillips was recently selected for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027.

Phillips’ impact extended well beyond his own staggering win total. He became a mentor and measuring stick for generations of racers, with names such as Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Kenny Schrader and Kenny Wallace among those influenced by the Missouri legend.

His connection to Tri-State Speedway makes Pocola a particularly fitting home for the event. Phillips was both a track champion and regular competitor at the historic facility during an era that also brought future national stars through its gates.

That legacy will be represented on the racetrack this weekend by Phillips’ son, Terry Phillips.

A decorated champion and major-event winner in both Modified and Super Late Model competition, Terry Phillips has compiled a remarkable career of his own. His accomplishments include multiple MARS championships, two MLRA titles and victories in some of dirt racing’s most prestigious events, including the Show-Me 100 and Topless 100.

Phillips is also no stranger to Heartland Promotions competition. He won the inaugural Heartland Modified Tour event at Humboldt Speedway in 2024 and returned to victory lane earlier this season by capturing the inaugural event for the POWRi Heartland Late Model Tour presented by Mel Hambelton Racing at Legit Speedway. This weekend, he will attempt to add a victory in an event honoring his father to that already distinguished résumé.

The Larry Phillips Memorial represents the first of two crossover weekends scheduled to bring the Heartland Modified Tour and American Racer Modified Series together this season. The two tours will meet again during October’s Funkadelic weekend at Salina Highbanks Speedway and Arrowhead Speedway.

For the Heartland Modified Tour, the trip marks its first appearance at Tri-State Speedway in series history. The American Racer Modified Series has made two previous visits to the Pocola oval, with Tyler Wolf claiming the inaugural appearance on June 24, 2023, and Sam Osman earning the victory on July 20, 2024.

The HMT contingent arrives with Tyler Davis continuing to lead the championship standings. Davis has accumulated 888 points and carries an 83-point advantage into the weekend, but the battle behind him remains exceptionally tight.

Recent Valley Speedway winner Trevor Hughes has climbed into second with 805 points, just nine ahead of Chevy Coleman in third. Tanner Mullens sits fourth with 774 points, while Wyatt Gaggero completes the top five at 765. Only 40 points separate second through fifth as the tour enters one of the most valuable weekends of its season.

The American Racer Modified Series championship battle is even closer.

Bo Day enters Tri-State Speedway atop the standings with 271 points, but defending series champion Kale Westover trails by only four. Rookie contender Talan Willis sits another two points back in third, while Stormy Scott remains within striking distance, only 10 points behind Day. Drake Findley rounds out the top five, just 20 markers removed from the championship lead.

With five drivers separated by only 20 points, two nights of competition against an expanded crossover field could dramatically reshape the ARMS title chase.

The weekend also places several drivers on familiar ground. Hughes makes the short trip from Westville, Oklahoma, while ARMS contenders Jason Hughes of Salina, Oklahoma, and Sam Osman of nearby Spiro will look to capitalize on their regional experience. Osman enters seventh in ARMS points and returns as the most recent series winner at Tri-State.

Two tours, two championship battles and one of short-track racing’s most respected family legacies will come together for a weekend carrying significance well beyond its purse. When the green flag falls in Pocola, every driver in attendance will be competing for the opportunity to add their name to an event honoring one of the greatest short-track racers the sport has ever known.

For updated schedules, championship standings, event details and breaking series news, visit HeartlandModifiedTour.com and AmericanRacerModifiedSeries.com. Fans unable to attend can watch the Larry Phillips Memorial live and on demand exclusively on RacinDirt.tv.

The USRA Heartland Modified Tour Presented by Real Racing Wheels and USRA American Racer Modified Series Presented by Day MotorSports would like to recognize and thank our 2026 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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