CENTER LISLE, NY – A new season is ready to roar to life at Thunder Mountain Speedway.

The 2026 racing campaign officially gets underway Friday and Saturday, April 17-18, with the running of the Jan Corcoran Memorial. With practice getting canceled this past weekend, this weekend will be the first time cars hit the track for the 2026 season.

A pair of 32-lap feature events headline Saturday’s program, as both the Modifieds will race for $3,000 to win and the DIRTcar Sportsman division battles it out for $1,500 to win.

Teams will get their first taste of competition on Friday night, which features optional timed warm-up sessions for the Modifieds and DIRTcar Sportsman divisions. Those sessions come with added incentive, as drivers can lock in key starting positions for Saturday’s main events. Drivers will get one set of hot laps only before two more rounds. The fastest competitor in the opening round of timed hot laps will earn the sixth starting spot, while the top driver in the second round secures the fourth position on the grid for Saturday’s feature events.

In 2025, Saturday’s program was lost to Mother Nature. As a result, Brett Tonkin and Tyler Johnston are locked into the field for 2026 with guaranteed starting positions in the Modified feature due to their fast-time efforts last year.

In the DIRTcar Sportsman division, both TJ Frost and Grant Hilfiger will also receive guaranteed spots in the field after setting fast time in 2025.

Friday’s program also delivers a full night of racing action, with heats and features scheduled for the 600cc Modifieds, 600cc Sprints, and Factory Stocks—ensuring fans are treated to a full card from start to finish. IMCA Modifieds and any other non competing division are invited to come for open practice.

On Saturday, the spotlight shifts fully to the Jan Corcoran Memorial. Alongside the Modifieds and DIRTcar Sportsman, the 600cc Modifieds return to competition, while the IMCA Modifieds make their 2026 season debut. The IMCA division is once again slated for a consistent presence at Thunder Mountain throughout the year.

With strong fields expected and early-season momentum on the line, the stage is set for an unforgettable opening weekend at “The Mountain.”

Event Schedule:

Friday racing is set for hot laps beginning at 7 p.m. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., and grandstands open at 5 p.m. Pit admission is $40, while grandstand tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for seniors, veterans, and youth ages 10-17. Children 9 and under are admitted free.

Saturday’s program begins with hot laps at 6 p.m. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., and grandstands open at 4 p.m. Pit admission is $45. Grandstand tickets are $25 for adults and $22 for seniors, veterans, and youth ages 10-17. Children 9 and under are free.

Fans unable to attend in person can catch every lap live on Dirt Track Digest TV, with both nights of racing available for purchase.

Those interested in contributing additional contingency awards for the event can contact jeremiecorcoran@rocketmail.com.

Thunder Mountain Speedway is located at 91 Hunts Corner Road, Center Lisle, NY. It is about an hour’s drive south of Syracuse, NY, and 30 minutes north of Binghamton, NY. More information can be found at thundermtnspeedway.net

Contact via email at thundermtnspeedway@gmail.com or call 607.849.7889.