Key notes: River Cities Speedway hosts the 20th annual John Seitz Memorial, a two-day WISSOTA Late Model special that culminates with Saturday’s $9,292-to-win finale. … The event honors Seitz, the four-time Northern Late Model Racing Association champion who died of apparent natural causes while on a snowmobile trip in 2007, at the age of 36. … The Seitz Memorial payout received a bump this year, the second- and third-place finishers will each receive $9,200 behind the race winner’s $9,292 top prize. … The event unofficially began when Dave Mass of East Bethel, Minn., led the first two and final three laps of Thursday’s Prelude to the Johnny, worth $2,092 in the Northern Late Model Racing Association season finale. … A.J. Diemel of Elk Mound, Wis., led 25 of 30 laps (3-27) Thursday before settling for second. Diemel is a three-time Seitz Memorial winner (2014, ’16, ’21). … Dustin Strand of Grand Forks, N.D., is a 14-time NLRA feature winner since 2016 at his home track, worth more than $19,000. … Brad Seng is a two-time Seitz winner (2011, ’13), at his home track. … Shane Edginton of East St. Paul, Manitoba, topped 2023’s Seitz Memorial, to go along with NLRA wins there in 2021 and June of this year, combining for more than $12,000. … Cole Schill of Hawley, Minn., won last year’s $9,200 Seitz Memorial. … The dash winner will receive $920 with a decreasing payout thereafter (1. $920; 2. $400; 3. $300; 4. $200; 5. $100). … Modifieds, street stocks and midwest mods are on the undercard. … Pits open at 2 p.m. daily; racing begins at 6:30 for Friday’s prelim then 6 for Saturday’s finale. … Watch live on Dirt Race Central.

Who to watch: Dustin Strand of Grand Forks, N.D., eyes his first career John Seitz Memorial at his home track.

Points chase: WISSOTA weekly as of Sept. 6: 1. Shane Sabraski (1,601); 2. Kevin Burdick (1,598); 3. Tyler Peterson (1,594); 4. Dave Mass (1,523); 5. Johnny Broking (1,522).

Expected entrants: Dustin Strand, A.J. Diemel, Cody Overton, Brad Seng, Shane Edginton, Dave Mass, Chad Becker, Cole Schill, Tyler Peterson, Cole Searing, Sammy Mars, James Giossi, Mike Greseth, Jake Redetzke, Joey Pederson, Brody Troftgruben, Aaron Turnbull, Mike Stearns, Rusty Kollman, Chad Mahder, Jason Strand, Chad Olsen, Zach Johnson, Tucker Pederson, Mitch Johnson and more.