The 46th Dirt Track World Championship at West Virginia Motor Speedway will now run as a Saturday–Sunday, October 17–18, program after wet weather forced organizers to revise the schedule. The 100-lap, $100,000-to-win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series finale is scheduled for Sunday in Mineral Wells, West Virginia.
The adjustment is significant for traveling teams and spectators: the Lucas Oil program previously planned for Friday and Saturday shifts back one day, while the Thursday event and Modified competition have been moved to October 24.
Revised Saturday program
Saturday, October 17, is now the preliminary night for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, with hot laps, two-lap time trials, heat races, B-mains and twin 25-lap features. Each preliminary feature pays $5,000 to win.
Sunday's crown jewel
Sunday, October 18, brings the last-chance races, the Jim Dunn Memorial non-qualifiers race and the 100-lap Dirt Track World Championship. The $100,000 first-place prize is only part of the weekend's stakes: the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season title will also be settled.
According to the revised event announcement, one eligible driver could potentially combine the DTWC winner’s check with a $250,000 series championship award, a $100,000 Big River Steel Bonus Program payment and a $5,000 Summit Racing Equipment award—a possible total of $455,000 if all conditions are met.
What fans should know
Gates are scheduled to open at 10 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday, with racing scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m. The organizers say previously purchased three-day all-access tickets will be honored for October 17–18 and October 24.
The return of this event to WVMS is a major moment for the Mineral Wells venue: the historic race was last held there in 2010. Fans traveling to the track should check the latest official announcements before departing, because inclement weather has already altered the program.
Sources: ARP Racing News schedule update, October 13, 2026; West Virginia Motor Speedway event information. Track logo source: WV News. This article reflects the announced schedule as of October 16.
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