North/South 100 2026: Preview, Form & Who to Watch
One of dirt Late Model racing's crown jewels returns this weekend: the 44th Annual North/South 100 at Florence Speedway, with $75,000 waiting for whoever survives 100 laps on the fast northern-Kentucky clay. The headline question is a simple one — can anybody finally stop Bobby Pierce?
A dirt Late Model crown jewel
The North/South 100 is one of the sport's signature events and a marquee round of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The 2026 edition runs across three days: twin preliminary features Thursday and Friday (each paying $6,000 to win), then Saturday's 100-lap, $75,000-to-win finale, with a $3,000 non-qualifiers race for those who miss the show. The full Late Model weekend purse tops $325,000 — big money that draws the best dirt Late Model drivers in the country to Union, Kentucky.
The Pierce streak
Any preview has to start with Bobby Pierce. He has won the North/South 100 three years running (2023, 2024 and 2025) — four times in all — and is the first driver ever to three-peat the race. He arrives in form, too, having already won on the 2026 Lucas Oil tour at Adams County Speedway in July. Until someone beats him here, he's the measuring stick.
The 2026 title picture
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series reverted to a season-long points championship (no playoff) in 2026, and Brandon Sheppard has been the driver to beat — the hottest man on tour with a series-leading win tally (including July scores at 34 Raceway and Shelby County) and a place near the top of the standings. Hudson O'Neal, Devin Moran, Brandon Overton, Max Blair and Ricky Thornton Jr. fill out a stacked championship fight, and any of them can win a crown jewel on the right night.
Recent North/South 100 winners
| 2025 (43rd) | Bobby Pierce (over Ricky Thornton Jr.) |
| 2024 (42nd) | Bobby Pierce (over Devin Moran) |
| 2023 (41st) | Bobby Pierce (over Ricky Thornton Jr.) |
Three straight for Pierce — and Ricky Thornton Jr. has been runner-up in two of them.
Ones to Watch
Our picks below are informed opinion based on the form above — not a crystal ball.
The man to beat on record alone: three straight North/South 100s, four overall, and already a winner on the 2026 tour. Nobody has solved him here in three years.
Sheppard has racked up a series-leading win count in 2026 and sits near the top of the points. If current form decides it, he's the biggest threat to Pierce's streak.
A two-time bridesmaid in this race who has won four times in 2026. He has run Pierce close here before — and looks overdue to finish the job.
Moran has been a fixture at the sharp end this season with a string of runner-up runs, and he finished fourth in last year's North/South 100. A live threat if the leaders slip.
How to watch: All three nights stream live on FloRacing, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series' home. For the full rundown of dirt streaming services, see our How to Watch Dirt Track Racing in 2026 guide.
Full event details & how to watch →
Form and standings verified as of publication (Sunday, July 26, 2026). "Ones to watch" are our opinion — see our Editorial Policy. Start times shown in US Eastern; on the schedule they convert to your local zone.
