Tad Pospisil weathered a mid-race challenge, regained the lead when Friday night winner Eli Ross encountered trouble and held off a furious late charge from Scott Crigler to collect $5,000 in Saturday night’s Super Dirt Showdown finale at SaltCity Raceway.

Pospisil, who does not compete full-time with either the POWRi Heartland Late Model Tour presented by Mel Hambelton Racing or REVIVAL Super Dirt Series, capped the two-night showdown with Heartland regulars Scott Crigler and his son Sawyer Crigler joining him on the podium.

Pospisil started the 25-lap main event from the pole after winning Saturday’s six-lap Pole Dash and established himself at the front early. Ross, Friday night’s winner and a full-time REVIVAL competitor, quickly emerged as his biggest challenger as the leaders began working through traffic on the historic Kansas State Fairgrounds half-mile.

Traffic eventually opened the door for Ross, who capitalized when Pospisil became bottled up exiting Turn 2 to take the lead with 14 laps remaining. A potential weekend sweep disappeared just three laps later, however, when Ross suddenly slowed entering Turn 1 while leading, bringing out the caution and returning Pospisil to the point.

From there, Pospisil had plenty of company behind him.

Aaron Marrant and Sawyer Crigler battled for the runner-up position through the ensuing restarts, while Scott Crigler was rapidly becoming a factor after starting 15th.

Scott Crigler cracked the top four with seven laps remaining and continued marching forward, first working his way past Sawyer and then overtaking Marrant for second with two laps to go. The charge gave Pospisil one final threat, but the Nebraska driver had already built enough breathing room to finish the job.

Pospisil maintained an advantage of more than a second in the closing laps and drove beneath the checkered flag to secure the $5,000 victory.

Scott Crigler completed his impressive charge from 15th to second, while Sawyer finished third to put the father-and-son Heartland duo together on the podium. Marrant settled for fourth, with John Hansen rounding out the top five.

Jerrett Bransom, Kip Hughes, Chris Bragg, John Rowland and Dustin Walker completed the top 10.

Ross began Saturday by setting overall quick time at 20.766 seconds before Pospisil raced from fourth to first in the Pole Dash to earn the A-Main pole. Dusty Leonard and Hughes collected heat-race victories, while Walker won the B-Feature.

The weekend ultimately produced a pair of different winners from different sides of the Super Dirt Showdown. Ross, a full-time REVIVAL competitor, claimed Friday night’s Heartland-format opener before Pospisil played spoiler Saturday. Behind him, Scott and Sawyer Crigler’s second- and third-place finishes gave the Heartland Late Model Tour a strong presence on the final-night podium.

The father-and-son finish also tightened the battle at the top of the Heartland Late Model Tour championship standings. Sawyer Crigler continues to lead after eight events with 682 points, but Scott’s runner-up finish closed the gap to just 12 points with 670.

Rookie Kayden Clatt remains third with 591 points, 91 behind the leader, while Nightingale sits fourth with 576 despite his Saturday-night engine trouble. Dustin Walker rounds out the championship top five with 516 points.

For updated schedules, championship standings, event details, and breaking series news, visit HeartlandLateModelTour.com. Fans unable to attend in person can catch every remaining race of the 2026 season live and on demand exclusively on RacinDirt.tv.

POWRi Heartland Late Model Tour Championship Standings

After 8 Events

1. Sawyer Crigler — 682 points

2. Scott Crigler — 670 points (-12)

3. Kayden Clatt (R) — 591 points (-91)

4. Jake Nightingale — 576 points (-106)

5. Dustin Walker — 516 points (-166)

6. Joey Smith — 511 points (-171)

7. John Rowland — 442 points (-240)

8. Jason Sivils — 360 points (-322)

9. Brandon Morton — 358 points (-324)

10. Dusty Leonard — 326 points (-356)

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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