Dirt on Dirt - Hoffman, Alberson, Rice, Mills top Mansfield heats

May 30

Mansfield Speedway,

Mansfield, OH

Sanction: World of Outlaws Late Model Series (Blaster 57 Special) - $57,000

Information provided by: Kyle McFadden, series and track reports (last updated May 30, 9:14 pm)

Hoffman, Alberson, Rice, Mills top Mansfield heats

presented by

Emily Schwanke

Tyler Erb celebrates a $100,000 victory in Friday's Mansfield opener.

Key notes: Brock Pinkerous backed his right-rear quarterpanel into the wall at the completion of his second qualifying lap. ... Ethan Dotson and Drake Troutman both went to backup cars after motor issues prior to heat race action. ... The World of Outlaws Late Model Series concludes its Buckeye State tripleheader with Saturday’s 75-lap, $57,000-to-win Blaster 57 Special at Mansfield Speedway. ... The feature pays $5,700-to-start. … Tyler Erb survived Friday’s rough-and-tumble opener, leading all 40 laps for a surprising $100,000 victory after prominent Mansfield business owners and community philanthropists, Dan and Brenda Niss, upped the ante in the 11th hour as cars began to roll onto the track for the feature. It was Erb’s first WoO victory of the season and fifth of his career. … It’s the third of five major Late Model events scheduled this season at Mansfield, the 4/10-mile oval that was recently revived and renovated by former NASCAR driver Matt Tifft; Tifft competed in Friday’s prelim but failed to make the 40-lap main event. … Ricky Thornton Jr. led all 40 laps in winning Thursday’s $12,000 Lonewolf 40 at nearby Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio. … Brandon Sheppard topped 2019’s Dirt Million event at Mansfield, worth $101,626 after also winning a $10,000 prelim there in Lucas Oil Series action. … Kyle Moore scored a big $5,000 hometown victory there after slipping by Rusty Schlenk in the late going to win May 15’s Iron-Man Series-sanctioned Comeback Classic. … Modifieds ($2,000-to-win) are on the undercard. … Watch live on DIRTVision.

Who to watch: Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, eyes his second Mansfield Speedway victory in as many nights.

Points chase: Before Mansfield Saturday: 1. Bobby Pierce (3,637); 2. Nick Hoffman (3,615); 3. Tyler Erb (3,404); 4. Tim McCreadie (3,381); 5. Drake Troutman (3,376); 6. Ryan Gustin (3,345); 7. Ethan Dotson (3,300); 8. Daulton Wilson (3,286); 9. Dustin Sorensen (3,214); 10. Dennis Erb Jr. (3,151).

Current weather: Clear, 55°F

Car count: 40

Fast qualifier: Nick Hoffman

Time: 16.979 seconds

Heat race winners: Nick Hoffman, Garrett Alberson, Josh Rice, Trey Mills

Next series race: June 12, West Virginia Motor Speedway (Mineral Wells, WV) $12,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

MANSFIELD, Ohio — Live updates and results from Saturday’s Blaster 57 Special, highlighted by a 75-lap, $57,000-to-win feature for World of Outlaws Series-sanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Heat race recap

Nick Hoffman cruised to lead all eight laps from the pole, winning the night’s first heat race by 0.944 of a second over Hudson O’Neal, who trailed him the entire way. Fourth-starting Tyler Erb finished third while sixth-starting Ryan Gustin slipped by Steve Banal on the final lap, punching his ticket into the 75-lap main event along with Erb, O’Neal and Hoffman. … Polesitter Garrett Alberson earned a flag-to-flag victory in winning the second heat by 1.975 seconds over second-starting Tristan Chamberlain. Brandon Sheppard started and finished third with fifth-starting Brandon Overton claiming the fourth and final transfer spot into the $57,000-to-win 57 Special finale. … Josh Rice controlled the entire distance in winning the third heat by 2.184 seconds over second-starting Chris Madden, who pursued Rice for all eight laps. Tim McCreadie and Devin Moran held service in rounding out the top-four finishers. … Trey Mills dominated the fourth and final heat race, leading all eight laps and taking the checkers by 0.819 of a second ahead of Michael Norris. Ricky Thornton Jr. started and finished third with eighth-starting Max Blair charging to grab the fourth and final transfer position. Chris Ferguson and Brock Pinkerous exchanged contact in the closing laps, with Pinkerous prevailing to finish sixth and Ferguson coasting to a stop in turn one on the final lap. … The four prelims were completed without incident and combined to last just shy of 12 minutes.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top four transfer)

First heat: Nick Hoffman, Hudson O'Neal, Tyler Erb, Ryan Gustin, Steve Banal, Dustin Sorensen, Ryan Montgomery, Jon Lee, Ryan Markham, Mason Zeigler.

Second heat: Garrett Alberson, Tristan Chamberlain, Brandon Sheppard, Brandon Overton, Daulton Wilson, Dallon Murty, Eli Johnson, Tyler Wyant, Ethan Dotson, Matt Irey.

Third heat: Josh Rice, Chris Madden, Tim McCreadie, Devin Moran, Drake Troutman, Dennis Erb Jr., Bobby Pierce, Dale McDowell, Lincoln Smith, Brent Larson.

Fourth heat: Trey Mills, Michael Norris, Ricky Thornton Jr., Max Blair, Logan Zarin, Brock Pinkerous, Rod Conley, Chris Ferguson, Larry Bellman, Kyle Moore.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Nick Hoffman (9), Mooresville, N.C., 16.979
2. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 17.184
3. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 17.205
4. Tristan Chamberlain (20tc), Richmond, Ind., 17.357
5. Steve Banal (8B), Lincolnton, N.C., 17.390
6. Brandon Sheppard (1s), New Berlin, Ill., 17.413
7. Tyler Erb (1) New Waverly, Texas, 17.460
8. Dallon Murty (13), Chelsea, Iowa, 17.518
9. Mason Zeigler (25z), Chalk Hill, Pa., 17.566
10. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 17.588
11. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 17.642
12. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 17.650
13. Jon Lee (5L), Summerville, Pa., 17.676
14. Eli Johnson (55E), Clewiston, Fla., 17.720
15. Dustin Sorensen (19), Rochester, Minn., 17.798
16. Daulton Wilson (58v), Fayetteville, N.C., 17.812
17. Ryan Montgomery (12), Fairmont, W.Va., 17.854
18. Matt Irey (36), Ashland, Ohio, 18.015
19. Ryan Markham (5m), Ashland, Ohio, 18.072
20. Tyler Wyant (24), Oil City, Pa., 18.164
Group B
1. Josh Rice (11), Crittenden, Ky., 17.361
2. Trey Mills (14), St. Augustine, Fla., 17.370
3. Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C., 17.371
4. Michael Norris (1n), Sarver, Pa., 17.507
5. Tim McCreadie (9m), Watertown, N.Y., 17.517
6. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 17.539
7. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 17.653
8. Logan Zarin (1z), Moon Township, Pa., 17.655
9. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 17.659
10. Brock Pinkerous (555), Ellenville, N.Y., 17.665
11. Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., 17.715
12. Chris Ferguson (22), Mount Holly, N.C., 17.743
13. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 17.781
14. Rod Conley (71R), Wheelersburg, Ohio, 17.798
15. Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 17.878
16. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 17.958
17. Brent Larson (B1), Lake Elmo, Minn., 18.086
18. Kyle Moore (1*), Mansfield, Ohio, 18.115
19. Lincoln Smith (31), Belmont, Ohio, 18.401
20. Larry Bellman (59), Wooster, Ohio, 18.859

Saturday’s schedule

(All times local)
1 p.m. - Pits open
2 p.m. - Grandstands open (presale ticketholders)
3 p.m. - Grandstands open
4 p.m. - Church outreach service
4:30 p.m. - Driver autograph session
6 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified group qualifying
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
Intermission/WoO redraw
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (75 laps)
- Modifieds (30 laps)