RPW Exclusive: Thunder Mountain Speedway Announces 2026 Schedule

Column By: JOE PHILLIPS / RPW – CENTER LISLE, NY – So far, 2026 has not been kind year so far to New York State. Multiple weather events have occurred, whether it be snow, or extreme cold temperatures. At this point, New York is ready to give “Old Man Winter” the proverbial boot.

Fortunately, Thunder Mountain Speedway has released its 2026 Season Schedule. In just a few short weeks, race teams and fans will kick off another season of sun and great racing.

For its regular shows, Thunder Mountain is sticking to its 2025 format. The weekly divisions will consist of Open Modifieds, DIRTcar Sportsman, 600cc Mods, 600cc Sprints, and Factory Stocks. IMCA Modifieds and the DIRTcar 358 Modifieds will also join the card alternating weekends.

The cars hit the track for the first time on April 11th, for an Open Practice session. The first race weekend at the facility takes place April 17th-18th, which is the weekend of the Jan Corcoran Memorial. The Friday night portion consists of features for the 600cc Mods, Factory Stocks, and 600cc Sprints. Modifieds, IMCA Modifieds and Sportsman will all have Open Practice sessions. On Saturday, features will then be contested by the Modifieds, Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds and the 600cc Modifieds.

The regular season title chase officially starts on April 25th, which is the Season Opener. That night is a full racing program joined by the 358 Modifieds.

The first “special event” date is on May 16th. That date features a full program, but the “Classics on Dirt” join the card in place of the IMCA Modifieds.

May 25th sees the return of the “Beasts of the Northeast” for the Super DIRTcar Series “Natural 77”. This is an annual race held each year in memory of the late Dale Planck. Planck was a standout driver in both the Central and Southern Tier regions of New York. Naturally, all of the top names in Big Block Modified racing will be making “The Mountain” their home for that race night.

Other special events include the Doug Worthing Memorial and First Responders night on June 20th and the Chad Sindoni Factory Stock race taking place on June 24th. Doug “the Junkyard Jet” Worthing was another driver that left a strong legacy in the racing community of the Southern Tier.

Thunder Mountain will have its annual Fourth of July weekend slate, with a full program plus DIRTcar 358 Modifieds. July 4th is on a Saturday this year, so racing fans and drivers alike will celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States by “battling” on “The Mountain”.

Sprinkled throughout the season are some off weekends. The first of these occur on June 27th, which is an off night for local graduation celebrations. Another off night occurs on August 1st. The facility will be open that night, but instead of V8 horsepower, true “horse power” will be featured on the track. The New York State Horse Pulling Association will be showcasing their talents at the Speedway. This sounds like a fun and unique event and will be a new experience for many.

August 15th marks the return of the CRSA Sprint Cars to the facility. Both the Factory Stocks and IMCA Modifieds will be off that evening.

August 29th is the regular season ending “Championship Night” program, when track champions will be crowned.

On September 7th, the Decker Memorial takes place for the Open Modifieds, and the Randy Decker Factory stock Memorial race.

September 12th features the “Mountain Mashup” 100 lap Enduro race, which is the only enduro on the schedule.

September 26 is “Mountain Madness”, which features the Open Modifieds, Sportsman, 600cc Modifieds “Hustle The Highway” Series, and Factory Stocks. The evening will also feature the 1st Annual Sam Usborn 4 Cylinder Memorial Race.

After that, Thunder Mountain will remain silent until October 30. That night sees the kick off of the 3rd Annual “Monster Bash”. The card features the 600cc Modifieds “Hustle the Highway” Series, Ed Billings IMCA Modified Memorial, Factory Stocks and 600cc Sprint Cars for this night. Both the Modifieds and Sportsman cars will have Open Practice sessions.

To close out the season on October 31, the Open Modifieds, Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, and the Mohawk Valley Vintage Modifieds will take to the 3/8 mile oval to do battle. This has been a date that has featured large car counts in the past and has been an exciting way to cap off the year.

It is important to note that Thunder Mountain is running later than usual into September this year with some specials. The 2025 season was affected by a number of weather events, and promoters are rolling the dice to try getting more events in this year.

In preparation for 2026, new clay was laid down at the facility. The surface in 2025 was consistently smooth, and racy. The new clay should only enhance what promises to be an awesome racing season once again.

With the season rapidly approaching, be sure to support your local race tracks!