Top Storylines Heading into the Owosso Speedway
Top Storylines Heading into the Owosso Speedway
The yourBIGplans.com 500 Sprint Car Tour heads to Owosso Speedway for the second time in tour history. There is no shortage of storylines as the tour enters the Ovid, Michigan facility.
First Time “State of Michigan” Winner
While defending Owosso Speedway event winner Tyler Roahrig will be absent as he competes in the 25th Annual Summer Sizzler at New Paris Speedway, the race is still expected to feature one of the strongest fields of the season. Roahrig has been the benchmark for the Tour in the state of Michigan since the series first began racing there in 2022, but his absence opens the door for another driver to add their name to the growing list of Tour winners in the Great Lakes State. Since the series began racing at various Michigan tracks beginning in 2022, Roahrig has won every single race that has been contested by the 500 Sprint Car Tour. The gap had started to close in the 2025 season with drivers seemingly figuring out Roahrig’s secrets to speed. The door is officially open for a new name to claim victory in Michigan with Roahrig competing at New Paris this Saturday.
Fan favorite from South Africa returns
For the first time since July of 2023, the fan favorite South African competitor, Quintin Saayman, will be joining the yourBIGplans.com 500 Sprint Car Tour grid. Saayman was one of the original faces of the 500 Sprint Car Tour, having competed on a full time basis during the tour’s first season. He returned in 2023 where he ran a partial season, before shifting his focus to other disciplines. When the tour returns to action this Saturday at Owosso Speedway, Saayman will also return to action in the #7 machine for JB Hotchkiss. Saayman’s career best finish with the yourBIGplans.com 500 Sprint Car Tour is 10th, which he accomplished twice. With a competitive but open field of cars this weekend, he will be looking to crack the top 10, and perhaps, compete for a win.
Brady Allum Gaining Confidence
Brady Allum is gaining confidence heading into the yourBIGplans.com 500 Sprint Car Tour’s return to Owosso Speedway. The 2025 Tour Rookie of the Year has continued to build experience behind the wheel of a pavement sprint car and will look to put that knowledge to work on the fast 3/8-mile oval.
Allum’s best finish of the 2026 season came at Anderson Speedway on April 8, and he enters Owosso with added momentum after recently winning a Must See Racing event at the Michigan track. The combination of recent success and growing confidence could make Allum a driver to watch when the 500 Sprint Car Tour takes the green flag.
Jackson Macenko looking to take the top spot in points
2026, to this point, has been a career year for Jackson Macenko. Currently sitting second in points, only 13 points behind defending champion Kody Swanson, Macenko has established himself as a championship contender and series front runner. The last time the yourBIGplans.com 500 Sprint Car Tour competed, Macenko went to victory lane at Winchester Speedway. The victory was not only the first win of Macenko’s sprint car career, but it was also the first win for Brad Hayes Racing since joining the series in 2023. The team also put together a strong qualifying performance at the 78th Annual Unified Group Services Little 500 presented by Ed Martin as Macenko qualified and started 2nd, a Little 500 career best for the young driver and team. Macenko will look to put together another solid performance, perhaps another win, as he aims to keep pace with Swanson in the points race and continue his contention for the 2026 series championship.
O’Gara Redemption
It is no secret that the dominance of Tyler Roahrig at the Michigan tracks has been looming over the other competitors. One of those competitors that came as close as anyone to knocking Roahrig off the pedestal was Kyle O’Gara in 2025 at none other than Owosso Speedway. O’Gara showed up with speed right out of the gate. O’Gara qualified on pole position that day while also establishing a track record. After leading 8 laps, Roahrig took the point and went on to win. However, with a margin of victory less than 1 second, O’Gara showed that not only can he lead, but he can maintain Roahrig’s pace throughout the event. Redemption may only be a few days away as O’Gara will be looking to finish one place better and claim his first victory of the 2026 season.
YourBIGplans.com 500 Sprint Car Tour's return to Owosso Speedway on Saturday, August 1, as the Tour is joined by the USSA Kenyon Midget Series, Dort Financial Credit Union Street Stocks, and Valley Freightliner Modifieds for a full evening of racing action. Pit gates will open at 12:00 p.m., hot laps begin at 1:00 p.m., grandstands open at 4:00 p.m., and the green flag flies at 6:00 p.m. Advance tickets are available online by clicking HERE, and fans unable to attend can catch every lap of the action live on Racing America.
