The 2018 season favorites are expected to come out en masse as the American Modified Series continues its four-race swing through Illinois with a trio of shows over Memorial Day weekend.

On Friday, the AMS regulars make their first of two scheduled stops at Farmer City Speedway this year. One night later, they travel 40 miles north to Fairbury’s American Legion Speedway for a second straight $2,000-to-win event, before closing out the weekend at Fayette County Speedway’s high-banked quarter-mile track in Brownstown on Sunday with $3,000 on the line.

Watch AMS at Fayette County LIVE on FloRacing

Sunday, May 27 | 7 PM CDT

Mother Nature forced the postponement of last Friday’s stop at Daugherty Speedway in Boswell, IN, but Kasey Schrock helped the series wrap up the weekend in thrilling fashion Saturday at Kickapoo Speedway in Danville, IL, when he edged out points leader Trent Young for his first victory of the season in the 30-lap A-main.

Young currently sits atop the list of early contenders with 1,160 points—110 ahead of Josh Harris in second place. Rich Dawson is third overall (1,035 points), trailed by Brian Shaw (815) and John Clippinger (770).

However, that could all change by the time the series wraps up in Illinois and turns its attention to next week’s three-night trip to Tyler County Speedway in West Virginia.

Can Young double up his string of top three finishes to six straight? Will UMP Modified heavyweight Mike Harrison finish on top once again at Fayette County? 

Here’s a look at five drivers to keep an eye on this weekend:

Brian Shaw (1s)

AMS Standings: 4th 
Top Finish: 3rd, Kickapoo Speedway, 5/19

Shaw looks to have turned a corner following a season-best finish at Kickapoo last weekend, rising all the way from 12th to start the A-main to third place at the checkers. Though he didn’t earn the Hard Charger award Saturday, he picked one up at Cedar Ridge back on April 21.

A week later, he notched a UMP Modified win in a non-AMS race at Fayette County. The Robinson, IL, driver now sits fourth overall in the standings as he looks for his first series victory since 2015.

Josh Harris (22)

AMS Standings: 2nd 
Top Finish: 1st, Bloomington (IL) Speedway, 5/4

The defending series champion notched his first win of the 2018 AMS season three weeks ago at Bloomington Speedway, adding to a runner-up result at Cedar Ridge on April 21 (where he set a track record qualifying time of 14.452) and a third-place finish at Windy Hollow one day earlier. Harris is currently second in the standings, despite a pair of low finishes stemming from mechanical issues to his car. This past weekend, he led the first four laps at Kickapoo before he was forced to leave the track surface on lap five—Harris finished 20th overall on the night. He also suffered a mechanical issue at Fayette County on May 5 after leading the first 18 laps. If he and his team can sort out those car troubles, watch out because Harris should once again be at the front all weekend long.

Rich Dawson (80)

AMS Standings: 3rd 
Top Finish: 4th, Kickapoo Speedway, 5/19

Dawson’s steady results have him sitting third overall in the standings, with a series-leading five top 10s through five races (fifth, Windy Hollow; ninth, Cedar Ridge; 10th, Bloomington; seventh, Fayette County; fourth, Kickapoo). Though Dawson has yet to crack the top three, consistency will play a huge factor in which drivers can benefit from racing on back-to-back-to-back nights—and no car or team has displayed more of it than the group behind the No. 80 this season.

Trent Young (10y)

AMS Standings: 1st
Top Finish: 1st, Windy Hollow Speedway, 4/20

The two-time AMS champion and current points leader won the season opener at Windy Hollow on April 20 and has remained a fixture in the top three ever since. His lone finish outside of the podium spots came at Cedar Ridge when he experienced mechanical issues before taking the checkers in 14th. Altogether, the Crofton, Kentucky, native has gotten off to a blazing start to his 2018 UMP Modified campaign, with seven victories in all series and standalone events he’s raced in this season. More than 100 points clear of the AMS field, Young will look to extend his lead even further following a runner-up finish last week.

Mike Harrison (24h)

AMS Standings: 14th
Top Finish: 1st, Fayette County Speedway, 5/5

The six-time and reigning UMP Modified points national champion has only raced in the AMS twice so far this season but is scheduled to enter the series’ full slate shows this weekend. Harrison is tough to beat in just about any race he enters, but that seems to be the case at Fayette County especially. Altogether, the Highland, IL, driver has won three of the last four shows at the track since it was added to the tour schedule last year, including the AMS’ first stop at Fayette this season on May 5.