Chris Ferguson shared a cheeky response to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series returning to a traditional season long championship format.

During the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series’ end of season banquet in Indianapolis last weekend, series director Rick Schwallie stated, “For the 2026 season we are going to return to a traditional points format for next year and go away from the chase format.”

“We tried something,” he continued. “We wanted to elevate our program. We more than doubled our points fund in that time in those three years. We had clients like Big River Steel and ARP that helped us do that and really we wouldn’t be here over $1.2 million today if it wasn’t for that. So I don’t look back and think of that as any sort of failure by any stretch of the imagination. I really think it was a success that it took us to new places and a place that’s more lucrative for our race teams,”

“But I also think that we’re at a place that we’ve tried different formats, different tweaks to that format. Here we are three years later that we’re just going to return to a traditional format for next year and the points fund will remain the same,” he declared.

Ferguson reacted to the news on Facebook writing, “Let’s run a national tour in 2026. … Just kidding, we have to much work to do right now.”

While Ferguson is kidding, there are a number of drivers and teams who have already committed to the Lucas Oil series in 2026. They include:

• Cory Hedgecock
• Ricky Thornton Jr.
• Kyle Bronson
• Hudson O’Neal
• Brenden Smith
• Logan Zarin
• Devin Moran

NEXT: Nick Hoffman Shares What One Of His Main Priorities Heading Into 2026 Is