Another six-figure payday at Mansfield
Mansfield (Ohio) Speedway made Dirt Late Model history Saturday as the first track with six-figure paydays on back-to-back nights with the finale of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Blaster 57 Special.
Track owner Matt Tifft announced before Friday’s evening redraw that Saturday’s finale will pay $100,057-to-win thanks to racetrack benefactors Dan and Brenda Niss, who stunned WoO fans and competitors a night earlier by paying $100,000-to-win for Tyler Erb’s preliminary victory.
Saturday’s winning purse is the richest of the 2026 season and the race purse is among the highest at more than $280,000 at the track Tifft reopened this season after being shuttered for seven years.
“We have a little surprise,” Tifft announced to the crowd and DIRTVision streaming audience before the night’s lineup redraw. “Mr. Dan Niss and the Niss family has another trick up his sleeves. So ladies and gentleman, the night’s purse has again been raised. Tonight’s 57 Special will now pay $100,057-to-win tonight’s inaugural event at the Mansfield Speedway.”
Only Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, has hosted back-to-back six-figure events, but its 2021 races — Dreams paying $126,000 and $127,000 — were separated by a day of preliminaries.
Mansfield’s Niss family, who have made extensive real estate investments in the Mansfield area with a variety of development projects benefitting the community, added the $88,000 to the winner’s purse of Friday’s preliminary.
"We are appreciative that Matt and his team chose our community to build his dream and will help in anyway we can," Dan Niss told DirtonDirt. "I want Matt to be so successful."
Garrett Alberson of Las Cruces, N.M., is scheduled to start on the pole of Mansfield's 57-lap main event. Erb, Friday's $100,000 winner, is scheduled to start ninth.
