Sycamore Speedway will host the MARS Late Model Series on August 7th as part of the series 2026 schedule.
The main objective for the MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends when acquired by MC Promotions prior to the 2023 season was simple: to help stabilize Super Late Model racing in the region while giving teams the chance to race for solid money throughout the entire season. As the tour is set to begin its 27th consecutive season in operation, and season 4th under the current ownership, the growing yearly schedule, average car counts increasing each season, competition level continuing to get tougher, and continued interest from racetracks across the country shows that regional Late Model racing still has a special place in the ecosystem of the sport.
“We are thrilled with the progress we have made with the MARS tour over the past three seasons” stated Series Director Jonathan Clayton. “2023 was about proving how good of a product the series is, and had the potential be, and all that we have done since then is continued to propel what we are doing while raising awareness for the brand. People know that when the MARS tour rolls into town that the competition is going to be some of the toughest you will see there all season long, with the overall quality of the show being as good as anything you will see from any tour nationwide.”
2026 is set to be another huge year for the series as action will kick off the first weekend of April and wrap up the second weekend in October. The 30-race schedule features 21 different tracks across the Midwest hitting facilities in Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa, and Missouri.
New Tracks for 2026
Coles County Speedway – For the first time in track history, the Coles County Speedway in Mattoon, Illinois will play host to a touring Late Model series in 2026, on Sunday, May 17. Last season was the first try with full sized Dirt Late Models and Modifieds at the 1/8-mile dirt oval, with the Road to the Dome event, and the racing proved to be entertaining with a product to build on. Renovations to the speedway over the winter including a new front stretch wall, new fencing, and guardrail built higher around the turns will only help the tracks potential as 2026 will be a celebration of their 70th season of racing.
Benton Speedway – A new stop for the history of the tour will take the MARS teams to the beautiful Benton Speedway in Benton, Missouri, on Friday, August 28, for a $5,000-to-win event. The speedway has a storied history dating back to 1991, with current owner Rob Russell taking over the reins to the speedway in 2021, after sitting idle for 7 years. Since the rebirth of the speedway, Benton has hosted the DIRTcar Summer Nationals, American Sprint Car Series, All Star Circuit of Champions, POWRi 410 Sprint Car Series, among other traveling tours.
Returning to the Tour
One thing the MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends values the most is the partnership between the series and the racetracks. Of the 21 tracks the tour is set to visit in 2026, 18 of them were featured on the 2025 edition of the MARS schedule. A couple of noteworthy items of these dates include:
MC Promotions Promoted Events – New for 2026 will be not one, but two events promoted by the Matt Curl headed team for MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends season. The Gary Cook Jr Memorial at Spoon River Speedway on Sunday, May 24, and the Saturday, July 18 event at Charleston Speedway will both be events where Curl will lease the facilities for racing action with track promoters Brad Denney and Sonny Ross both assisting with the event at each of their speedways.
LaSalle Speedway – After a successful revival of the speedway in 2025, the track is excited to host the Illinois Valley Showdown once again on Friday & Saturday, August 14 & 15. With one of the most unique formats of the season, the Friday night portion will once again feature the Twisted Twin 25 lap features with the 50-lap main event being caution flagged after 25 laps complete, and the top 10 being inverted to run an additional 25 laps. Saturday night’s Illinois Valley Showdown finale will pay $20,000-to-win.
Fairbury Speedway – The third annual Illinois Dirt Shootout will take place on Saturday, September 5, and is set to offer the third largest payday of any Late Model event all season long at the speedway. After paying $10,000-to-win at last year’s event, the ante has upped in 2026 with the MARS Late Model main event now paying $15,000-to-win. With both national series scheduled off for that weekend, expect the best of both regional and national teams to be in attendance at “America’s Dirt Track.”
New Home for Championship Weekend
One of the glaring differences of the 2026 MARS schedule compared to years past is the addition of the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri. MARS Championship Weekend will be in conjunction with the annual “Fall Nationals” event for the Late Models at the speedway and run alongside the Super Stocks with their annual “Big Bug 50” event. A complete show will be held on both Friday, October 9, and Saturday, October 10, with a practice night scheduled on Thursday, October 8. The series last visited the speedway in 2008.