The upper Midwest spotlight belongs to the USRA Kevko Racing Northern Lights Modified Series presented by Real Wheels this weekend as the second-year tour invades three Minnesota dirt tracks for the first time in series history with a demanding Friday-through-Sunday tripleheader against some of the toughest weekly competition in WISSOTA country.

The Northern Lights Modified Series will open the weekend Friday night at I-94 EMR Speedway before heading Saturday to Viking Speedway and concluding Sunday at Granite City Motor Park. All three facilities are weekly WISSOTA-sanctioned battlegrounds known for producing elite Modified talent and fiercely competitive racing.

For the Northern Lights regulars, the weekend presents a major challenge — and opportunity — as the touring stars square off with some of the best regional Modified drivers the WISSOTA sanctioning body has to offer. The clash of touring experience versus local knowledge should create one of the most anticipated weekends of the 2026 season to date.

Leading the Northern Lights contingent into Minnesota is current point leader Joe Chisholm, who enters the weekend riding a wave of momentum after a perfect opening weekend during the “Dairyland Showdown” at Mississippi Thunder Speedway earlier this month. Chisholm swept all three feature events during the marquee weekend alongside the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, immediately establishing himself as the early-season favorite in the championship chase.

Now, the target grows larger.

The Minnesota swing will test both the adaptability and consistency of the Northern Lights drivers as they tackle three distinctly different race tracks in three nights. Friday’s opener at I-94 EMR Speedway features a high-banked 3/8-mile layout well known for fast-paced, elbows-up racing. Saturday’s stop at Viking Speedway brings competitors to the famed “High Flyin’ Half Mile,” one of Minnesota’s most historic and respected dirt ovals. The weekend finale at Granite City Motor Park closes the stretch on another stout WISSOTA weekly venue that has become a staple of central Minnesota dirt racing.

While Chisholm and the Northern Lights regulars will carry the banner for the touring series, local WISSOTA standouts are expected to defend home turf throughout the weekend, setting the stage for a true regional showdown between touring racers and weekly warriors.

The inaugural appearances at all three Minnesota facilities continue the rapid expansion and growth of the Northern Lights Modified Series in just its second season of competition. After carving out a strong presence throughout Wisconsin during the tour’s inaugural campaign, the series now pushes further west and north into one of the richest Modified racing regions in the country.

Fans across Minnesota can expect packed fields, diverse competition, and three straight nights of high-intensity USRA versus WISSOTA action as the Northern Lights Modified Series continues building momentum in 2026.

The Kevko Racing USRA Northern Lights Modified Series presented by Real Racing Wheels 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 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

NEXT: Boothill Speedway’s Battle Of The States Up Next For ARMS