Belleville, IL. (3/18/26) - The POWRi National and West Midget Leagues continue building early-season momentum entering the highly anticipated debut of the Lil Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track, presented by Milestone Home Services, with pre-entry interest stacking the bill of top-notch competitors heading to the DFW area on March 19-21.
Teams will get their first look at the facility with a practice session on Thursday, followed by two full points-paying events on Friday and Saturday that could play an early role in shaping the championship landscape.
With the season beginning to take form, several drivers enter the weekend firmly in the early POWRi National points conversation, including the defending league champion Jacob Denney, the Keith Kunz Motorsports standout already having notched a pair of feature wins on the year and sitting comfortably in second place in the standings.
Keeping pace amongst the yearly front-runners, former POWRi Micro Champion Kale Drake currently sits fourth in the yearly standings as 2023 National Midget Champion Karter Sarff circles inside the current top five after impressive showings at Port City.
A strong group of drivers continues to apply pressure in the standings as the POWRi Midget Leagues head to Texas, including Keith Kunz Motorsports teammate Gavin Miller alongside Colton Robinson, each remaining within reach of the points pinnacle as the championship battle begins to take shape.
Proving the strength of the POWRi National Midget rookie of the year class, Chase McDermand Racing unloads a pair of front-running first-years, including Drew Sherman and Mack Leopard, as Overland Park, Kansas wheelman Hank Soares and Nesbit, Mississippi talent Chase Howard join the 2-Fellas Racing stable in the Texas debut.
The weekend also presents a prime opportunity for drivers seeking to gain ground early in the season, including Caiden Warren, Brecken Reese, Brody Wake, Ryan Padgett, and Ethan Mitchell, each aiming to capitalize on the two-night format.
Additional entries continue to round out the competitive field, including Cullen Hutchison, who will campaign the full POWRi season in the Sam Johnson Racing entry as he looks to make an early-season impression in national midget competition.
Consistency across multiple nights will be key at a new venue, placing added importance on POWRi West Midget League drivers such as two-time champion Andrew Felker, current point leader Kyle Jones, Cooper Miller, Pierce Urbanosky, eleven-time victor Trey Marcham, and Brylee Kilmer, who continue to look for strong weekends to climb the order of competition.
Adding even more names to the entrant list for 2026, POWRi National and West Midget Leagues will welcome the addition of a trio of Kevin Ramey Racing drivers, with Dylan Ramey and Chance Crum making their season debuts, as well as Rylan Gray joining forces with the team for the Texas two-step weekend.
Key Storylines Heading to Texas
The upcoming weekend also carries historical significance as the POWRi National and West Midget Leagues make their debut at the Lil’ Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track, marking the first time the series has competed at the Texas Motor Speedway facility. The event also signals a return to the Lone Star State for the series for the first time since 2021, bringing national-level midget competition back to Texas in front of a new audience.
With a new venue comes added intrigue, as teams will work quickly during Thursday’s practice session to adapt to the unique characteristics of the freshly prepared dirt surface before two championship-paying nights begin on Friday and Saturday. Track position, adaptability, and consistency across both nights will likely prove crucial in determining who leaves Texas with momentum in the early-season standings.
Another developing storyline centers around the championship picture, as several drivers currently positioned near the top of the POWRi National standings will not be in attendance, opening the door for others to gain valuable ground in the points race. With multiple contenders capable of capitalizing on the opportunity, the Texas weekend could play a major role in shaping the early championship outlook.
Drivers to Watch
Jacob Denney enters the weekend as one of the early favorites, already claiming two feature victories this season and sitting second in POWRi National points. The Keith Kunz Motorsports standout has quickly established himself as one of the drivers to beat whenever the green flag drops.
Kale Drake continues to build momentum in the RMS Racing entry after a consistent start to the year, positioning himself firmly inside the championship conversation.
Former POWRi National Midget Champion Karter Sarff remains another strong contender, carrying early-season speed into the Texas weekend with Trifecta Motorsports.
Representing the depth of the Keith Kunz Motorsports lineup, Gavin Miller will look to continue climbing the standings with another strong performance as the young driver gains experience at the national level.
On the POWRi West side, current point leader Kyle Jones enters the weekend aiming to translate his early-season momentum into results against the combined National and West fields.
Veteran competitor Trey Marcham, an eleven-time POWRi winner, also remains a driver to watch as his experience and consistency make him a threat whenever the series visits new venues.
Drivers such as Caiden Warren, Brecken Reese, Ryan Padgett, Ethan Mitchell, and Cullen Hutchison will also look to capitalize on the two-night format while attempting to gain valuable ground early in the championship standings.
Event information for Friday, March 20, at Lil’ Texas Motor Speedway, including tickets, can be found online at: https://www.myracepass.com/events/602328.
Event information for Saturday, March 21, at Lil’ Texas Motor Speedway, including tickets, can be found online at: https://www.myracepass.com/events/602331.
POWRi memberships are available online at: https://www.myracepass.com/series/1572/registrations/.
More details for Lil’ Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track, including track location and camping accommodations, can be found online at: www.texasmotorspeedway.com | 16400 Lone Star Circle, Fort Worth, TX 76177 | (817) 255-6000
All racing action from Lil’ Texas Motor Speedway will be streamed LIVE and ON-DEMAND via Start2Finish. For more information or to purchase a subscription, visit www.s2ftv.com.
Follow along for additional information, including race recaps, updates, full results, and press releases online at www.powri.com, or on X and Instagram at @POWRi_Racing and Facebook at POWRi.