Texas Title Fight Becomes Family Affair at Deuces Wild Championships
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GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. (Nov. 3, 2026) — Ten events have brought them this far. Two races will decide what comes next.
The POWRi Heartland Late Model Tour presented by Mel Hambelton Racing heads to the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track November 5–7 for the Deuces Wild Championships, with Scott Crigler and Sawyer Crigler separated by just 18 points atop the standings.
Behind them, only 10 points divide third and fourth, while the fight for fifth is even tighter. With Thursday practice and qualifying followed by complete racing programs Friday and Saturday, the final weekend of 2026 promises far more than a championship coronation.
There is still a championship to settle.
Scott Crigler arrives in Fort Worth with 833 points, carrying the advantage after a season built on consistency. The Alton, Missouri, driver has started all 10 A-Mains, collecting six top-five finishes and nine top-10 results.
Although still seeking his first series victory of the season, Scott has repeatedly put himself in position to accumulate the points necessary to lead the championship. Now, two more strong performances could turn that season-long effort into the tour’s highest honor.
Sawyer Crigler has other plans.
With 815 points, one victory, five top-five finishes and nine top-10 results in 10 A-Main starts, Sawyer brings both proven winning speed and the consistency to keep the pressure on. Earlier in the season, he held the championship lead. He enters the finale looking to reclaim it when it matters most.
The margin leaves ample room for the championship picture to change. Under the series points system, a victory pays 100 points while seventh earns 78—a 22-point difference, enough to erase the current gap in a single night.
Neither Crigler can afford to approach the weekend as a waiting game. Every position gained and every problem avoided could shape the outcome before Saturday’s final checkered flag.
And the championship contenders will have plenty of company with something to race for.
Kayden Clatt enters third with 704 points, just 10 ahead of Jake Nightingale. The Edina, Missouri, rookie has produced two top-five finishes and five top-10 results in nine A-Main starts, putting himself in position to finish his first tour campaign among the top three.
Protecting that position will require holding off a driver who already knows how to reach victory lane.
Nightingale brings 694 points into the weekend, with a victory, two top-five finishes and five top-10 results in nine feature starts. The Hutchinson, Kansas, racer needs only a modest swing to move ahead of Clatt, making their contest one of the closest heading into Fort Worth.
The championship mathematics also underline the importance of the Criglers’ season-long work. If Scott earns at least the 45-point minimum both nights, neither Clatt nor Nightingale can reach his final total—even with two victories. That puts the focus squarely on Scott and Sawyer for the title while leaving third firmly up for grabs.
The fight for fifth is closer still.
Joey Smith holds the position with 641 points, only nine ahead of Dustin Walker. Smith, of West Plains, Missouri, has recorded three top-10 finishes in eight A-Main starts. Walker, of Polk, Missouri, has also earned three top-10 results while starting all 10 features.
With such a narrow margin, their order could change quickly. A strong Friday could establish an advantage; a strong Saturday could deliver the final answer. For both drivers, Deuces Wild offers a chance to turn a season of persistence into a top-five championship finish.
Those battles will unfold amid two nights of racing that offer their own substantial rewards. The Late Models will compete for $3,000 to win and $400 to start each night, giving championship contenders and visiting challengers alike plenty of reason to attack the final weekend.
The American Racer USRA Modified Series presented by Day Motor Sports and POWRi Honest Abe Roofing 410 Outlaw Sprints will also close their seasons at Deuces Wild, completing a three-division championship showcase.
For the Heartland Late Models, however, the central question remains simple: who leaves Texas with the championship?
Scott brings the lead. Sawyer brings a chance to take it away. Behind them, Clatt, Nightingale, Smith and Walker have their own unfinished business.
WHAT DRIVERS NEED TO KNOW: NOVEMBER 5–7
Purse: HLMT features pay $3,000 to win and $400 to start each night Friday and Saturday.
Thursday practice and qualifying: Two rounds of qualifying on November 5 will establish heat-race lineups for Friday and Saturday. HLMT will then follow its standard straight-up format, with the fastest qualifiers occupying the front heat-race starting positions. Transfers are determined by finishing position, with heats and B-Features building the 24-car feature field before provisional starters are added.
Unable to attend Thursday? Drivers may still compete Friday and/or Saturday, but will start at the rear of an assigned heat race.
Registration and paperwork: HLMT registration is FREE but required, along with a W-9, for drivers who have not competed with the tour this season. Drivers who have already raced with HLMT in 2026 have those series requirements covered.
Tires: Teams should review the event’s Late Model tire-rule announcement linked below before preparing for the weekend.
Parking: The main pit area has 120 paved spaces, assigned in arrival order Thursday, with overflow parking available. Teams wishing to park together should arrive in the staging line together; spaces will not be held.
Schedule: Pits open at noon all three days. Thursday practice and qualifying begin at 6:30 p.m., with grandstands closed. Friday racing begins at 7 p.m. Saturday hot laps begin at 6 p.m., with racing to follow.
Before traveling, drivers and teams should review the complete information in the links below:
- General information: https://www.powri.com/news/?i=196868&clk=featureNews
- Payouts: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A8rcULLCn/
- Format: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1F3RKxbUJL/
- Parking info: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1SwMdaLxzN/
- Late Model Tire Rule: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HUq8azwq8/
- HLMT Registration: https://www.myracepass.com/series/2403/registrations
The season has come down to Texas. Two nights remain to turn opportunity into a trophy—and an 18-point margin into a championship.
The Deuces are wild. The stakes are high. The Heartland Late Models are ready to settle it on the dirt.
HLMT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Entering Deuces Wild • Updated October 4, 2026
- Scott Crigler — 833
- Sawyer Crigler — 815
- Kayden Clatt (R) — 704
- Jake Nightingale — 694
- Joey Smith — 641
- Dustin Walker — 632
- John Rowland — 487
- Jason Sivils — 473
- Brandon Morton — 466
- Terry Phillips — 448
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.
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