LINCOLN, Ill. — The 2026 DIRTcar Fall Nationals came to a dramatic conclusion Sunday night at Lincoln Speedway, as another strong field of competitors filled the pit area for the final night of DIRTcar national points competition.
A total of 111 entries were on hand across five divisions, with national championships, season-ending bragging rights, and one final trip to victory lane all on the line.
The headline story once again came from the DIRTcar Super Late Models, where the national championship battle between Tanner English and Jason Feger came down to the final feature of the season.
Feger entered Sunday having won Saturday night’s Fall Nationals opener, cutting English’s championship advantage to just eight points. With the title hanging in the balance, the two contenders wasted little time getting to the front.
English and Feger both won their heat races and started near the front of the 30-lap feature. English quickly established himself at the point, but Feger remained close throughout the race, searching for any opportunity to get alongside the championship leader.
Feger, the three-time defending DIRTcar National Champion, refused to let English get away and kept the pressure on throughout the closing laps.
When the checkered flag fell, however, it was Tanner English taking his first career Lincoln Speedway victory and, with it, his first DIRTcar Super Late Model National Championship.
Feger crossed the line second by another slim margin, one night after beating English in a photo finish. Mike Spatola completed a strong weekend with a third-place finish, while Jake Little and Rich Bell rounded out the top five.
The championship capped a memorable weekend for the Super Late Models, with the two title contenders finishing first and second on both nights — Feger winning Saturday and English answering Sunday with the biggest victory of his season.
The Taco Bell DIRTcar Modifieds produced another entertaining feature Sunday night, with Kenny Wallace moving to the early lead from the pole.
Wallace was soon joined by Michael Ledford and Brandon Roberts, creating a three-car fight at the front of the field. Ledford and Roberts worked the lower groove while Wallace battled to maintain the top spot, at times putting the leaders three-wide.
Eventually, Ledford worked his way into the lead and began to pull away, driving to a convincing Fall Nationals finale victory.
Deece Schwartz finished second, followed by Wallace, Roberts and Rick Conoyer.
Although Saturday competitor Mike McKinney was not in attendance Sunday, his season-long body of work was enough to secure the 2026 DIRTcar Modified National Championship and the $25,000 top prize.
Sunday’s Modified field featured 29 entries, adding another strong lineup to a weekend that brought some of the Midwest’s best Modified racers to Lincoln Speedway.
For the second night in a row, the DIRTcar Pro Late Model feature belonged to Colby Sheppard of Williamsville, Illinois.
Sheppard started second and quickly moved to the front, building another sizable advantage as the 20-lap feature unfolded.
Just as he had Saturday night, 2026 DIRTcar Pro Late Model National Champion Braden Johnson of Taylorville, Illinois began closing the gap during the latter stages of the race.
Johnson was able to cut into Sheppard’s lead, but once again the Williamsville driver had enough in reserve.
Sheppard crossed the finish line first to complete a clean sweep of the Fall Nationals weekend, with Johnson finishing second for the second consecutive night.
Chase Wilson finished third, followed by Augustine Punke and Hudson Dick.
After competing on a limited schedule throughout much of the season, Sheppard closed 2026 in impressive fashion with back-to-back Fall Nationals victories.
The DIRTcar Stock Cars joined the Fall Nationals program Sunday night for their season finale, bringing another quality field to Lincoln Speedway.
Joe Brown of Wilmington, Illinois started third in the 20-lap feature and quickly worked his way forward.
Brown, who had already enjoyed an outstanding 2026 campaign with numerous victories across Illinois, eventually took command of the race and drove to another win to close out his season.
Jesse Simmons finished second, while Tyler Gilmour recorded a strong third-place finish. Dylon Holycross and Dennis Wernle completed the top five.
Brown also set fast time earlier in the program with a lap of 16.219 seconds.
The final feature of the 2026 Lincoln Speedway season ended much the same way Saturday night’s Pro Modified feature had — with Brayden Doyle of Ashmore, Illinois out front.
After winning the opening night feature, Doyle returned Sunday and immediately showed he was again the driver to beat.
Doyle was the night’s fastest qualifier with a lap of 15.587 seconds, won his heat race and started from the pole for the 20-lap feature.
From there, he controlled the race and kept the field behind him all the way to the checkered flag, completing a weekend sweep of the DIRTcar Pro Modified features.
Kade Ballinger finished second for the second consecutive night, while national championship contender Zach Whaley came home third. Kody Kovski and Brody Unzicker rounded out the top five.
