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Salina Highbanks Speedway set to begin a thrilling new racing season Opening night is April 4th

March 27, 2026 Staff Report

As the cold of winter has quietly slipped away and the warmth of spring flourishes onto the scene, the Salina Highbanks Speedway is now ready to present the 2026 racing season with various special programs throughout the racing calendar that will compete on the lightning quick 3/8-mile super high-banked dirt oval. New for 2026 is the addition of O’Reilly Auto Parts as the new principal sponsor of the NASCAR sanctioned regional races. Formerly known as the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, the new title for the weekly programs is now the NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts. Founded in Springfield, Missouri in 1957, O’Reilly Auto Parts has grown from a single store to an automotive parts icon with over 6,400 locations across 48 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Canada. The company’s more than 92,800 dedicated team members are committed to excellent customer service, backed by a robust network of 31 distribution centers. Welcome O’Reilly Auto Parts to the NASCAR weekly racing family!

The returning weekly classes for the NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts are: Servpro of Mayes & Wagoner Counties B-Mods (Mitch Keeter)?AmeriFlex Hose Factory Stocks (Jeran Frailey) S&J Plumbing Pure Stocks (Cole Holman) Colvin Aircraft front wheel and rear wheel drive Trophy Cars (William Avila RWD / Anthony Smith FWD)
(2025 Track Champion) The season opener gets underway on Saturday April 4th with the Easter on the Highbanks program featuring the just mentioned O’Reilly / NASCAR local classes. Then the very next week, the excitement turns up a couple of notches as the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) national sprint cars make their first of four Sooner state stops for 2026. Last year, 36 sprinters jammed the pits and Sam Hafertepe Jr. held off Seth Bergman for the coveted golden eagle trophy. Of those four mentioned Sooner events, this will be the only visit to the Highbanks by ASCS so don’t miss this opportunity! The NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts will also be in action with the sprint cars. The local racers come back yet again on April 18th and on the 25th of the month, the All American Modified Series makes their first appearance on the Highbanks with the O’Reilly / NASCAR warriors.
Every Saturday in month of May sees the O’Reilly / NASCAR racers in action with Joe Duvall’s Funkadelic Dirt Track and Honky Tonk Extravaganza added to the card on May 23rd. The Funkadelic features modifieds from the USRA American Modified Series combined with the Heartland Modified Tour drivers. If you saw this event last year, you know what a show this was as 42 cars competed with Arkansas bad boy Tyler Wolff holding off Jason Hughes for the score.

June starts with the O’Reilly / NASCAR programs the first two weekends of the month and then, making a return to the Highbanks for the first time in five seasons is the Midwest Late Model Racing Association (MLRA) super dirt late models for the Freedom Tour! This will once again be a 2-day event with racing on Friday the 19th and Saturday the 20th. In 2021, it was Tony Jackson and Jesse Stovall taking victory laurels with the MLRA speed demons. The month concludes on the 27th with the annual Highbanks Memorial with the O’Reilly / NASCAR groupies.

July will see more O’Reilly / NASCAR action on the 11th and the All American Modifieds are scheduled to make their second and final appearance of the year on this date. As for the 18th and 25th, we are back with the O’Reilly / NASCAR gang where the action gets as hot as the mid-summer weather.

Turning the calendar page to August, O’Reilly / NASCAR racers take to the track every Saturday of the month and on the 22nd, we will also host the Oil Capital Racing Series (OCRS) winged sprint cars for their one and only performance of the season. The 2025 OCRS event was washed out and this will be the final sprint car program of the season at the Highbanks so get out here!
September closes out the racing season with two events. On the 12th, the Comp Cams Super Dirt Late Models make a solo visit with the O’Reilly / NASCAR racers and then on the 26th, its the annual Halloween on the Highbanks with the O’Reilly / NASCAR series to bringing down the final curtain of another racing season. Therefore, of these two programs, you have one featuring very wicked and scary fast race cars and the other, well….. scary should be enough said here and since it is the last racing event of the year, we want to see everyone all decked out in their Halloween threads for a grand racing season send off! There will be NO price increases as all admission pricing will remain the same as they were last season.

For all you weekly race teams: ?ALL regular classes are O’Reilly / NASCAR sanctioned so remember to get signed up for the new season. Also, for those preferred pit spots, contact Liz Davis at 918.434.7223 and she will assist you in obtaining a pit stall for you. ??Looking to advertise at the race track? There are some options still available so call Liz at the number above to see how you can be a part of the Salina Highbanks Family!

It all starts Saturday April 4th with the Easter weekend special where the annual Easter egg hunt will take place for all the kids in attendance. Spectator gates will open at 5pm with hot laps at 6:30pm and the first green flag of the season is set to drop at 7pm. Tickets are $10 with $5 for kids 12 & under, military attendees and seniors. Pit passes are $30 ($20 for kids). Don’t forget the Finishline Restaurant on the upper level of the grandstands. Great food and a great place to hang out. Hours during the racing season are:
Thursday and Friday: 5pm - 9pm Saturday (race night): 5pm and remaining open one hour after the final checkered flag of the night. Track website: www.salinahighbanlsspedway.com. Remember, you can always catch us on Facebook
It’s going to be great year everyone. Get ready to see thrills, spills and chills at the races!

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