Dirt on Dirt - Hoffman, J.D. Mitchell, Chamberlain win heats

June 5

Eldora Speedway,

Rossburg, OH

Sanction: DIRTcar Supers (Dream XXXII second qualifying night) - $30,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac, Kyle McFadden, series and track reports (last updated June 5, 8:57 pm)

Hoffman, J.D. Mitchell, Chamberlain win heats

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Dale McDowell topped 45 cars in Friday's Dream prelim time trials.

Key notes: Ryan Montgomery and Wil Herrington were limited to one qualifying lap after technical inspection penalties. ... Chad Stapleton scratched after hot laps. ... David Watts scratched for the night after appearing to lose an engine during hot laps. ... The best Dirt Late Model drivers in the country descend upon one of the nation’s finest dirt tracks for Dream XXXII. … For the third consecutive year, the field will be split into two 50-lap, $30,000-to-win preliminary nights on Thursday-Friday, preceding Saturday’s heat races, consolations and 100-lap, $100,000-to-win feature. … The four-day total purse exceeds $700,000. … Nick Hoffman, fresh off a six-figure payday May 30 at Mansfield (Ohio) Speedway, led the final 34 laps in winning Wednesday’s $20,000 FloRacing Night in America Series-sanctioned opener, serving as the unofficial Dream warmup. … Bobby Pierce led the final 20 laps of Thursday’s first Dream qualifying night, collecting $30,000. Pierce is a two-time World 100 (2016, ’24) and two-time Dirt Track World Championship (2024-’25) winner at Eldora, combining for more than $363,000, but continues to chase his first career Dream finale. … Jonathan Davenport chases his fourth straight Dream victory and fifth overall (2015, ’23-’25). Davenport has 11 career Eldora crown jewel victories, amassing nearly $2,000,000 in winnings there since 2012. … Brandon Sheppard seeks his first Dream finale since 2019’s $125,000 payday. … The leader of lap 18 of Friday’s second prelim will receive $900 courtesy of Hellraizer Jacks, honoring the late NASCAR star Kyle Busch. … Watch live on FloRacing.

Who to watch: Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., chases his fifth career Dream finale and fourth consecutive.

Points chase: Dream XXXII before Friday: 1. Bobby Pierce (490); 2. Devin Moran (484); 3. Tyler Erb (482); 4. Hudson O’Neal (481); 5. Josh Rice (474); T6. Ethan Dotson (471); T6. Chris Ferguson (471); 8. Garrett Alberson (467); 9. Sam Seawright (464); 10. Kyle Bronson (452).

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 79°F

Car count: 45

Fast qualifier: Dale McDowell

Time: 15.036 seconds

Heat race winners: Nick Hoffman, Jonathan Davenport, Zack Mitchell, Tristan Chamberlain

Next series race: June 6, Eldora Speedway (Rossburg, OH) $100,000

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

From staff reports

ROSSBURG, Ohio — Updates and results from Friday’s Dirt Late Model Dream XXXII second qualifying night at Eldora Speedway, highlighted by a 50-lap, $30,000-to-win main event for DIRTcar Super Late Models at (results unofficial):

Heat race recap

Nick Hoffman commanded all 10 laps from the pole in winning the night’s first heat race by 1.789 seconds over Ashton Winger, who trailed Hoffman the entire way. Fourth-starting Jason Feger finished third with Brandon Sheppard and Trey Mills holding serve in securing top-five finishes, punching their tickets into the 50-lap preliminary feature. … Second-starting Jonathan Davenport fired off from the outside front row and earned a green-to-checkered victory in the second heat, winning by 1.549 seconds over polesitter Joseph Joiner. Fourth-starting Brandon Overton finished third with Daulton Wilson in fourth and eighth-starting Ryan Gustin charging to claim the fifth and final transfer spot. … Second-starting Zack Mitchell earned a flag-to-flag victory in winning the third heat by 1.213 seconds over third-starting Mason Zeigler, who took the runner-up spot from polesitter Todd Morrow on the fourth lap. Fourth-starting Dale McDowell took third from Morrow on the sixth lap, relegating Morrow to fourth, with sixth-starting Jason Jameson rounding out the top-five finishers. … Tristan Chamberlain controlled all 10 laps to win the night’s fourth and final heat race, taking the checkers 0.320 of a second ahead of Kyle Strickler, who pursued him the entire distance. Mike Marlar, Max Blair and Brian Shirley completed the top five after starting in their respective finishing positions.

Heat race results

(10 laps; top five transfer)

First heat: Nick Hoffman, Ashton Winger, Jason Feger, Brandon Sheppard, Trey Mills, Drake Troutman, Brenden Smith, Chase Junghans, Jimmy Owens, Luke Morey, Joe Chalmers. Scratched: David Watts.

Second heat: Jonathan Davenport, Joseph Joiner, Brandon Overton, Daulton Wilson, Ryan Gustin, Tyler Thomason, Ryan Crane, Garrett Smith, Steven Roberts, Mathew Porter, Alex Vance.

Third heat: Zack Mitchell, Mason Zeigler, Dale McDowell, Todd Morrow, Jason Jameson, Freddie Carpenter, Austin Smith, Wil Herrington, Tyler Bruening, Chase Frohnapfel, Devin Gilpin.

Fourth heat: Tristan Chamberlain, Kyle Strickler, Mike Marlar, Max Blair, Brian Shirley, Trent Ivey, Kyle Hammer, Ryan Montgomery, Jeffery Erickson, Bryant Dickinson. Scratched: Chad Stapleton.

Pre-qualifying notes

Wonderful weather conditions continue to prevail over Eldora Speedway for the second Dream XXXII preliminary program with mostly sunny skies and an afternoon high in the low 80s. There’s one difference tonight: it’s breezy as winds have been gusting over 20mph throughout the day, though they’re expected to die down as the show rolls on. … Saturday’s forecast includes the possibility of rain for the first time all week. Eldora officials are keeping a close eye on the timeline for expected precipitation and will, of course, make any adjustments necessary to the racing schedule to provide the best chance of completing the $100,000-to-win finale. … With 45 cars entered on Friday, the official count for this year’s Dream totals 89 cars. … Three drivers in Friday’s field did not compete in Wednesday’s FloRacing Night in America event to kick off the week: Devin Gilpin, Chase Frohnapfel and Chad Stapleton. … Friday’s program includes Wednesday winner Nick Hoffman and Jonathan Davenport, who is seeking an unprecedented fourth straight Dream victory. They’re parked side-by-side in the infield pit area. … Both Hoffman and Davenport stayed busy during their off nights on Thursday — Hoffman offered some technical and driving advice to NASCAR star Carson Hocevar while Davenport assisted his buddy Shannon Babb’s effort. … Hoffman said the 23-year-old Hocevar “just needs more laps” behind the wheel of a Dirt Late Model. He suggested that Hocevar should consider hitting some midweek DIRTcar Summer Nationals events in the coming weeks to gain experience. … Jason Feger’s team members are very noticeable in the pits for the Bloomington, Ill., veteran’s preliminary night. They’re all wearing Feger’s new button-down Hawaiian-style shirts that are available for purchase at his T-shirt trailer. … Dan Ebert isn’t racing tonight but his crew was busy during the day changing an engine for Saturday’s finale. The swap came after they found some metal shavings in the oil filter.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Jason Feger (25F), Bloomington, Ill., 15.153
2. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 15.169
3. Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., 15.271
4. Daulton Wilson (58v), Fayetteville, N.C., 15.278
5. Ashton Winger (12w), Hampton, Ga., 15.289
6. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 15.323
7. Nick Hoffman (9), Mooresville, N.C., 15.356
8. Joseph Joiner (10J), Milton, Fla., 15.370
9. Trey Mills (14jr), St. Augustine, Fla., 15.412
10. Steven Roberts (111R), Sylvester, Ga., 15.425
11. Luke Morey (49), Zeeland, Mich., 15.433
12. Tyler Thomason (7), Phenix City, Ala., 15.442
13. Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., 15.498
14. Ryan Crane (10c), Panama City, Fla., 15.519
15. Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 15.545
16. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 15.598
17. Chase Junghans (18J), Manhattan, Kan., 15.607
18. Garrett Smith (10), Madison, Ga., 15.681
19. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 15.795
20. Mathew Porter (19p), Austinville, Va., 16.063
21. Joe Chalmers (23), South Yunderup, W. Australia, 16.165
22. Alex Vance (95), Waynesville, N.C., 16.204
23. David Watts (6), Buchanan, Va., no time
Group B
1. Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 15.036
2. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 15.073
3. Mason Zeigler (25z), Chalk Hill, Pa., 15.364
4. Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 15.403
5. Zack Mitchell (57), Enoree, S.C., 15.417
6. Kyle Strickler (8), Mooresville, N.C., 15.491
7. Todd Morrow (T1), Penton, Ala., 15.558
8. Tristan Chamberlain (20tc), Richmond, Ind., 15.570
9. Freddie Carpenter (c4), Parkersbrug, W.Va., 15.577
10. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 15.592
11. Jason Jameson (12), Lawrenceburg, Ind., 15.592
12. Kyle Hammer (45), Clinton, Ill., 15.724
13. Austin Smith (11), Cedartown, Ga., 15.779
14. Ryan Montgomery (12m), Fairmont, W.Va., 15.850
15. Devin Gilpin (1G), Columbus, Ind., 15.974
16. Trent Ivey (88), Union, S.C., 16.040
17. Tyler Bruening (16), Decorah, Iowa, 16.092
18. Jeffery Erickson (1E), Muskegon, Mich., 16.269
19. Wil Herrington (15kh), Hawkinsville, Ga., 16.322
20. Bryant Dickinson (5*), Ionia, Mich., 16.901
21. Chase Frohnapfel (145), Canal Winchester, Ohio, 17.080
22. Chad Stapleton (32), Edinburgh, Ind., no time

Friday’s schedule

(All times local)
11 a.m. - Ticket office opens (ticket and pit pass sales)
Noon - Pits open
1 p.m. - Grounds cleared and secured
2 p.m. - All gates, suites and concessions open
2 p.m. - Turn one camping opens
2 p.m. - Ballroom opens
2:30 p.m. - Tech and registration (new entrants)
3 p.m. - Ballroom dinner buffet begins
5:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting (infield)
6 p.m. - Ballroom dinner buffet ends
6:30 p.m. - Hot laps
8 p.m. - Ballroom closes
8 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
Competition
- Late Model time trials
- Late Model heats (10 laps)
- Late Model consolations (12 laps)
- Late Model feature (50 laps)
Following last checkered flag: Live music (fan zone)