With two wild rounds in the books, the chase for the inaugural Lil’ Gangstas Mini Championship is heating up in a big way. Tommy Hoskinson currently sits atop the standings with 1,100 points, holding a 200-point advantage over second-place John Salhi and a 400-point gap over Jimmy Dale and Josh Finfrock, who are tied for third.
Series promoter Michael Poland admitted the BTR-backed points format wasn’t an instant hit behind the scenes—but that’s changed in a big way.
“Honestly, we weren’t hyped about the points series at first, but damn, it’s on a whole new level,” said Poland. “The intensity and focus from every single person, from the chip draw to the race, is pure madness! These guys are absolute dawgs, hungry to claim the title of the first-ever Lil Gangstas points champion!”
The battle now shifts to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where two more nights of racing at Speed Promotions’ $100,000-to-win small tire shootout could shake up everything. According to Poland, it’s still anyone’s game.
“Tommy Hoskinson is going into Bowling Green with a 200-point lead in the Speed Promotions & BTR Mini points series. It’s as tight as it gets—the top half of the field still has a chance to win with two nights of racing.”
Names like Billy Hoskinson, Bob Bauer, Jeff Lutz Jr., and Nick Plewniak are all in striking distance, and with points on the line every round, one big weekend could flip the script entirely.
Expect chaos. Expect drama. Expect fireworks.
This is Lil’ Gangstas, and it’s only getting hotter.
Photo courtesy of Megan Taylor
This story was originally published on June 17, 2025. 
The post Michael Poland Reacts to Lil’ Gangstas BTR Mini-Points Series First Two Rounds as Tommy Hoskinson Takes Lead first appeared on Drag Illustrated.