CONCORD, N.C. — Michael Ledford is picking up speed in unfamiliar territories.
Building on a career-high season in the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds during 2025, the 21-year-old racer is preparing to take bigger steps in his career with championship hunts in the Midwest Auto Racing Series Modified Championship and the DIRTcar National standings, while gaining seat time in a super late model for the 2026 DIRTcar Summer Nationals tour.
The Pontiac, Ill., native has steadily built his résumé aboard a UMP Modified at his home tracks, Fairbury Speedway and Farmer City Raceway, at the start of the decade.
In 2023, Ledford ventured across Illinois and Missouri with success. He grabbed 16 wins at local races, along with his first Prairie Dirt Classic Showdown victory with the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals, and his first MARS win in the season-closing FALS Frenzy.
In 2024, Ledford failed to match his previous year’s stats, recording only four Feature wins. Deciding it was time for a reset before 2025, he joined Mike Learman’s Royal Race Cars to pilot the No. 9 house car.
“It really starts there,” Ledford said. “I got ahold of Mike and wanted to do something a little different. I came off a pretty tough year in 2024, so I got with him and didn’t really plan on doing like a ton of Modified racing to start with. But we ended up winning the Illini 100 with the Modified and decided that we could go for a national title. But it was a really fun year, I did a lot more traveling than we ever did since we were stuck to two tracks (Fairbury and Farmer City).”
The win at the MARS season-opener propelled Ledford to compete for the overall championship. Throughout the season, he faced an equal on-track adversary in the form of Owensboro, KY’s Cole Falloway.
While Ledford topped Falloway in the wins column, the “Blue Grass State” driver scored his first MARS crown by 25 markers. Ledford finished runner-up to Falloway once more in the DIRTcar National points by 54 points.
“I feel like we can race really hard against each other, but also really clean,” Ledford said. “I got a lot of respect for him. I hadn’t raced against him a ton previous to last year, so it was pretty cool doing that. We raced against each other almost 75% of the time, it seemed like.
“That’s what made it tough at the end to gain points on him because he would win once and extend his lead, then I would maybe win the next one. But it canceled each other out more than anything. It was a lot of fun, but I kind of wish we were able to sometimes stay away from each other.”
After Ledford got a taste for season-long points racing, he looked to tackle a full slate with the Summit Modified Nationals for the first time in 2025. Through 14 starts, he earned a career-high three feature wins at Macon Speedway, Farmer City, and Butler Motor Speedway, 10 top fives, and 13 top 10s en route to a third-place points finish.
“The big thing is that a lot of the tracks were new to me,” Ledford said. “So, it’s like trying to learn how to get around there pretty good, then obviously, there’s a ton of work with these cars. I like my stuff pretty well maintained, and not having to worry about it breaking on the track.
“It was a lot of work, but if you’re trying to get good laps, there’s no better place than the Hell Tour to get laps against really good competition. So, I’m looking forward to doing some of that with the Modified and late model to get some seat time, but it’s tough.”
Ledford faced the “Sunshine State” for the first time with his UMP Modified at Volusia Speedway Park for the 55th annual Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. He adapted through the week with a showing of three top fives and two second-place runs.
“It was really fun, the facility and everything there was really, really nice,” Ledford said. “The track races really well. I had some issues in Qualifying just because I’m not used to hammering down and not really lifting. But I think towards the end, we got a lot better.
“I mean, the only track close to a half-mile is Red Hill (Raceway), and I don’t race there very much. The rest of the stuff around here is all quarter miles, so it took about four or five races until I started to feel like I had a little better feel for it. Just like anything, you need laps and learn to change your driving style a little bit.”
Moving into the 2026 season, Ledford’s primary objective will be the chase for his first MARS Modified crown. After getting a feel for points racing against Falloway, he learned valuable lessons that will help him go a long way in the 21-race journey.
“I think that starts with the little things,” Ledford said. “There was a night I missed the Feature, and I think I had a provisional that I didn’t use, then I had a couple of DNFs here and there. Matt (Curl) and Jonathan (Clayton) do a really good job with that Series. I really like it, the pay is really good, and it gives us a good regional tour.”
Alongside the Modified activity, Ledford will get to open up the notebook for the Super Late Model in 2026. With little expectations, it allows him to understand the machine without extra pressure to win each night.
“I don’t have much experience, but I don’t have a ton of expectations,” Ledford said. “Which is fun for me because with the Modified, you expect to win, and then you get upset if you finish second. I’m looking forward to getting some Summer Nationals time and locally around here at Farmer City and Fairbury.”
