Dirt on Dirt - Give him West Liberty: Chris Simpson cruises

June 16

West Liberty Raceway,

West Liberty, IA

Sanction: DIRTcar Summer Nationals - $5,000

Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated June 17, 4:09 am)

Give him West Liberty: Chris Simpson cruises

Chris Simpson
Dallon Murty
Chad Simpson
Cade Dillard
Dylan Thornton
Billy Moyer
Jason Feger
Derrick Stewart
Frank Heckenast Jr.
Tanner English
Kayden Clatt
Michael Leach
Mitch McGrath
Clay Stuckey
Daniel Adam
Jake Rainey
Curt Schroeder
Tyler Leach
Nick Marolf
Brody Smith
Mark Voigt
Matthew Larson
Jonathan Brauns
Tyler Millwood

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Chris Simpson rolls to a track-record lap at West Liberty. He also led all 30 laps of the $5,000 feature.

What won the race: Leading all 30 laps, polesitter Chris Simpson of Oxford, Iowa, completed a perfect night Tuesday at West Liberty Raceway with a $5,000 victory after lowering the track record and dominating a heat race. Winning his fifth DIRTcar Summer Nationals event, Simpson took the checkers 1.020 seconds ahead of fellow front-row starter Dallon Murty in front of a big crowd at the tour's lone half-mile venue that was once a home track for Simpson.

Quotable: "I felt like I checked out pretty good (late in the race)," Simpson said. "(A slower car) was running about the same speed as me down a little lower, so I figured it was kind of taking rubber down there, and I did all I could to try and get around him, and I knew it was probably letting Dallon (Murty) run me down. So I was glad to see a caution."

Key notes: Chris Simpson, who led by more than three seconds before halfway, notched his fifth career Summer Nationals victory and first since June 18, 2022, at Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway. … Simpson, whose children's bus driver prepares the West Liberty surface, won his first race of any kind since August 2025 at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. ... Front-row starters Simpson and Dallon Murty touched just past the flagstand in taking the green and Murty, in his Summer Nationals debut, pulled underneath Simpson repeatedly in turns one and two in the early laps before giving up second to Chad Simpson after the lap-six restart. ... Murty was briefly back to fourth but regained second from the elder Simpson on the 19th lap. ... Two cautions slowed the action, the first on the sixth lap as Tyler Millwood slowed and retired. ... On the 21st lap, caution flew for a slowing Mark Voigt (Brody Smith broke and required a tow under caution). ... The 19-minute feature concluded at 10:35 p.m. (a major turn-one crash in an undercard division required a lengthy cleanup). ... Tanner English entered the event as the series points leader, but a flat tire while leading a heat race forced him into a provisional starting spot. English finished 10th in the feature; prior to West Liberty, he'd never been worse than third on the series. … Chris Simpson's 18.165-second lap lowered the track record (unofficially, the previous track record was held by Dave Eckrich with an 18.424-second lap in 2009). … West Liberty hosted a series event for the first time since Rick Aukland's 1995 victory (Billy Moyer, the '95 runner-up, was the only driver entered in both events).

On the move: Series points leader Tanner English of Benton, Ky., started 21st and finished 10th.

Winner's sponsors: Simpson's Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Rhyne Competition Engine and carries sponsorship from Hot Rod Septic, Hoker Trucking, C&J Trucking, Randy Davidson Trucking, Simpson Farms, Superior Cleaning, Carmody Services, Hilltop Armory, Five Star Shop Service, Dirt Pro Inc., Capital Sign Company, Allgaier Performance, Tye Twarog Performance and Midwest Sheet Metal.

Points chase: Week 2 after West Liberty: 1. Jason Feger (125); 2. Cade Dillard (122); 3. Tanner English (114); 4. Frank Heckenast Jr. (111); 5. Mitch McGrath (95). Overall after West Liberty: 1. Tanner English (400); 2. Jason Feger (391); 3. Frank Heckenast Jr. (318); 4. Daniel Adam (299); 5. Clay Stuckey (293).

Current weather: 63°F, mostly cloudy

Car count: 27

Fast qualifier: Chris Simpson

Time: 18.165 seconds

Polesitter: Chris Simpson

Heat race winners: Chris Simpson, Chad Simpson, Dallon Murty

Consolation race winners: Jonathan Brauns

Provisional starters: Tanner English, Mark Voigt, Curt Schroeder, Matthew Larson

Next series race: June 17, Davenport Speedway (Davenport, IA) $5,000

Editor's note: Corrects fast qualifier (and record-holder) to Chris Simpson; updates winner's sponsors.

From staff reports

WEST LIBERTY, Iowa — Updates from Tuesday’s sixth round of the 40th annual DIRTcar Summer Nationals at West Liberty Raceway, an event highlighted by a 30-lap, $5,000-to-win feature for DIRTcar Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Leading all 30 laps, polesitter Chris Simpson of Oxford, Iowa, completed a perfect night Tuesday at West Liberty Raceway with a $5,000 victory after lowering the track record and dominating a heat race. Winning his fifth DIRTcar Summer Nationals event, Simpson took the checkers 1.020 seconds ahead of fellow front-row starter Dallon Murty in front of a big crowd at the tour's lone-half-mile venue that was once a home track for Simpson.

Feature lineup

(30 laps)

Row 1: Chris Simpson, Dallon Murty
Row 2: Chad Simpson, Dylan Thornton
Row 3: Michael Leach, Billy Moyer
Row 4: Derrick Steward, Daniel Adam
Row 5: Cade Dillard, Brody Smith
Row 6: Jason Feger, Nick Marolf
Row 7: Jake Rainey, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Row 8: Kayden Clatt, Jonathan Brauns
Row 9: Tyler Millwood, Clay Stuckey
Row 10: Mitch McGrath, Tyler Leach
Row 11: Tanner English, Mark Voigt
Row 12: Curt Schroeder, Matthew Larson

Consolation race results

(Eight laps; top five transfer)

Consolation: Jonathan Brauns, Tyler Millwood, Clay Stuckey, Mitch McGrath, Tylier Leach, Matthew Larson, Mark Voigt, Matt Furman, Curt Schroeder, Steve Stultz, Doug Tye. Scratched: Tanner English.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top five transfer)

First heat: Chris Simpson, Dylan Thornton, Derrick Stewart, Brody Smith, Jake Rainey, Matthew Larson, Curt Schroeder, Tyler Leach, Doug Tye.

Second heat: Chad Simpson, Michael Leach, Daniel Adam, Jason Feger, Frank Heckenast Jr., Jonathan Brauns, Clay Stuckey, Mitch McGrath, Steve Stultz.

Third heat: Dallon Murty, Billy Moyer, Cade Dillard, Nick Marolf, Kayden Clatt, Tyler Millwood, Tanner English, Matt Furman, Mark Voigt.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
Chris Simpson (32), Oxford, Iowa, 18.165
Brody Smith (17sr), Dade City, Fla., 18.261
Derrick Stewart (43), Ainsworth, Iowa, 18.561
Dylan Thornton (38t), Orcutt, Calif., 18.597
Tyler Leach (05), Sun River, Mont., 18.770
Matthew Larson (8), Lake Elmo, Minn., 18.793
Jake Rainey (87), Powder Springs, Ga., 18.997
Curt Schroeder (15c), Newton, Iowa, 19.705
Doug Tye (4D), Troy, Ill., 19,993
Group B
Michael Leach (09), Sun River, Mont., 18.623
Chad Simpson (25), Mount Vernon, Iowa, 18.736
Daniel Adam (75), Peru, Ill., 19.010
Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 19.070
Mitch McGrath (74), Waukesha, Wis., 19.157
Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 19.195
Clay Stuckey (15), Shreveport, La., 19.381
Jonathan Brauns (22B), Muscatine, Ill., 19.674
Steve Stultz (78s), Peoria, Ariz., 20.115
Group C
Tanner English (96), Benton, Ky., 18.720
Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., 18.748
Dallon Murty (13), Chelsea, Iowa, 18.830
Cade Dillard (97), Robeline, La., 19.288
Nick Marolf (33), Moscow, Iowa, 19.391
Tyler Millwood (31), Kingston, Ga., 19.445
Mark Voigt (30), Marine, Ill., 19.515
Kayden Clatt (50k), Edina, Mo., 19.536
Matt Furman (51), Iowa City, Iowa, 19.695

Tuesday’s schedule

(All times local)
3:30 p.m. - Pits open
4 p.m. - Tech and registration open
5 p.m. - Grandstands open
5:30 p.m. - Tech and registration close
6 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Stock car hot laps
- Sport mod hot laps
- Modified hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Vintage hot laps
Opening ceremonies
- Stock car heats (6 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Sport mod heats (6 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Vintage heats (6 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Late Model consolation (10 laps)
Feature events
- Stock cars (20 laps)
- Sport mods (20 laps)
- Late Models (30 laps) 
- Modifieds (25 laps)
- Vintage (15 laps)