HURON — The Tri-State Late Model Series will be returning to Dakota State Fair Speedway for the Bauman Agency Harvest of Champions event on Saturday.

After making its first trip to the Huron oval earlier this season during the 2022 Wheel Jam, director Mike Gross says the series is eager to return.

“We were thrilled at Wheel Jam with the huge crowd that was there and are really looking forward to coming back to the community of Huron to put on another show,” Gross said. “We’re Looking forward to gettting back up to the community and Orville (Chenoweth) is always a great promoter, who gives us a good track to race on.”

Joining the Tri-State Late Model Series for Saturday’s event, which begins at 7 p.m., will be the WISSOTA street stocks, Midwest modifieds and modifieds.

One driver from each of the classes in action will walk away with a share of Orv’s Pot of Gold.

The top 15 drivers in each class based on points earned at DSFS throughout the 2022 season will be entered in a drawing. One of those drivers from each class will be chosen through the draw to be eligible for the top prize of $5,000. The second driver selected will receive $1,000 with the other two finalists each receiving $500.

“We had some great sponsors step up and make the Pot of Gold possible,” Chenoweth said.

Orv’s Pot of Gold has created quite a buzz throughout the Tri-State Late Model Series this season according to Gross.

“In the five years of the Tri-State Series our guys have never been able to be a part of something like that, where a guy just by luck of the draw has a chance at an extra $5,000,” he said. “We have some drivers of ours in the top 15 and if some of the regulars in the top 15 would be gone, there could be some movement upwards.”

Trevor Anderson of Watertown is the currently points leader on the Tri-State Late Model Series after 12 events on the 20-event schedule. He has collected wins in two of the last three events.

“He’s gotten two wins and has quite a few top-3 finishes as well,” Gross said of Anderson. “In uur last race (at Wagner Speedway) Gary Brown Jr. picked up the win.”

Rounding out the top five in the Tri-State Late Model series standings are rookie Shane DeMay of Denison, Iowa; Nate Beyenhof of Rock Rapids, Iowa; Brad Vogtof Pierce, Neb.; and Jared Jelsma of Springfield.

Cole Searing of Huron (10) and Scott Ward of Watertown battle for the lead during a late model heat race in an Tri-State Late Model series event held June 2 at Dakota State Fair Speedway.

In the previous appearances this season at Dakota State Fair Speedway, Justin Zeitner of Malvern, Iowa, and Cole Searing of Huron recorded Tri-State Late Model Series wins.

Searing, who is the defending WISSOTA late model national champion, leads the late model standings at DSFS with 325 points in three events this season. Chad Becker of Aberdeen is second, followed by Chad Olsen of Hendricks, Minn., Dustin Arthur of St. Lawrence, and Anderson to round out the top five.

Mike Stearns of Hecla leads in the WISSOTA modified division, which has had just one event this season at the Huron track. Duke Erickson of Sioux Falls is second, followed by Brian Diede of Huron, Dale Ames of Huron and Kelly Duffy of Winner.

With just seven drivers competing in the July 4th event, there is room for eight more drivers to secure spot in the drawing for Orv’s Pot of Gold.

“The first eight drivers after those in the top seven will have a shot at winning,” Chenoweth said.

Ames is one of modified drivers looking forward to another race at his hometown track.

“Getting back to Huron is always fun. You have the hometown crowd, a lot of speed and Orville doing the track up and getting it ready to go,” he said. “It’s always a good time.”

Ames in currently in the midst of one the best racing seasons of his career. He has a total of nine wins in 32 events, including a victory during the XR Northern Storm Tour at ABC Raceway in Ashland, Wis.

“Our year has been really good. We’ve been up front in a lot of races and we’ve done a lot of traveling,” Ames said. “We actually went east over to ABC Raceway and we won a big race over there and we won a big race in Aberdeen, so it’s been a really good year.”

Making Ames’ accomplishment even more impressive is the level of competition he has been able to contend with.

“Everybody that has hung out in the modified class is definitely a quality driver,” he said. “You have to remember every guy you pass is really hard to pass so if you start fourth and you finish second that’s a really good night and all you can do is look to forward.”

Leading the WISSOTA Midwest modified standings heading into Saturday’s event is Scott Hansen of Garden City. He sits 12 points in front of Tracy Johnson of Lake Preston.

Luke Johnson of Miller (3), Jayden Bogh of Huron (20JR) and Cole Phillips of Winner (Z22) battle for position during their WISSOTA street stock heat race on July 4 at Dakota State Fair Speedway.

Lorin Johnson of Miller, who is seeking his 100th career win at the Huron track, is third just two points back. Matt Heinzerling of Spearfish, who collected his first-ever feature win at DSFS earlier this season, is fourth and Jake Wranek of Winner is fifth.

Maria Broksieck of Goodwin is also in the midst of a very successful season. She has five wins and a total of 30 top-5 finishes in 37 events this season in the WISSOTA street stock division.

Broksieck holds the points lead at DSFS after two events with 214 points, while Chris Serr of Aberdeen is second at 206. Rounding out the top five are Leonard Ferguson of Kyle at 202, Andy Rossow of Florence at 195 and Matt Goth of Huron at 187.