ST. LOUIS, Mo. — After winning Friday's 25-lap preliminary feature at the Castrol Gateway Dirt Nationals, an event that's put the spotlight on its share of unheralded drivers, Myles Moos wanted fans to make sure he's not satisfied with the $5,000 victory, even if it marks his richest career payday.
In closing his victory lane interview, the 28-year-old Lincoln, Ill., driver wanted to make one thing particularly clear heading into Saturday's $30,000-to-win finale.
"We're here to win this race, just so everybody knows," Moos said.
Starting outside the front row, Moos staked his claim as one of the weekend's fastest drivers at The Dome at America's Center by leading all 25 laps of Friday's main event that completed Gateway's second and final split-field program. He ran mostly unchallenged at the fifth-mile oval, turning back a final charge from Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., in the final laps
Hoffman, whose Scott Bloomquist Racing team scrambled to make an engine change before his heat race, finished 0.863 seconds back at the checkers. Polesitter Austin Simpson of Bartonville, Ill., and Jody Knowles of Tyrone, Ga. — two more unheralded upstarts — were third and fourth while Gordy Gundaker of St. Charles, Mo., rounded out the top five.
Two-time Gateway Nationals final winner Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., started 16th in the 20-car field but never cracked the top 10 and retired his banged-up car with six laps remaining.
Moos looked unbeatable most of the race, but he admitted he got a little worried when he caught a glance of the Dome's video screen to see Hoffman making up ground late in the race.
"I kind of screwed up and looked at the (video screen) and I saw Nick, and I was like, 'Aww, dang it.' I just had to hold a smooth line because that rut down there was treacherous," he said. "I was just trying to keep a smooth line like I had all night. It's a race. I just had to picture in my head it was just like a heat race anywhere."
During his victory lane interview, it hit Moos what he'd accomplished in Dirt Late Model racing's lone indoor event.
"Man, this is awesome. I don't even know what else to say to be honest with you," he said. "Look at this? I mean, look at this? Look at all these people! Let's go St. Louis."
Winning exceeded the highest hopes of Moos, who won a heat race in 2017's Gateway competition but had never previously cracked the feature lineup for the finale.
"My No. 1 goal even coming here was just to make the show, you know? Then my dad drew a three (for qualifying order), luckily, when we got here, and I just knew that was going to be important for qualifying," he said. "I can't believe it, to be honest with you. I've been chasing this thing and having bad luck after bad luck, but you know what? We're here in a borrowed trailer, this car's three or four years old. We do what we can with what we've got."
The 25-lapper was slowed by two cautions, the first for a lap-seven pileup in turn two that included David Seibers, Jacob Magee, Joseph Hughes and Bobby Pierce. The second caution came out on the 11th lap when Joseph Hughs stopped inside turn four.
Friday's top four finishers will join Thursday's top four finishers — Tyler Carpenter, Bob Gardner, Tanner English and Kyle Hammer — as drivers locked into Saturday's 40-lap main event paying $30,000-to-win. The rest of the drivers will run consolation races to battle for the remainder of the feature's starting lineup.
Feature
Scoring his biggest career victory, Myle Moos of Lincoln, Ill., led all 25 laps Friday at The Dome at America's Center to capture the weekend’s second split-field program in the Castrol Gateway Dirt Nationals. Moos turned back a late challenge from Nick Hoffman to win $5,000 with a 0.863-second victory.
Feature lineup
Row 1: Austin Simpson, Myles Moos
Row 2: Nick Hoffman, Kenny Collins
Row 3: Gordy Gundaker, Mike Spatola
Row 4: Cody Bauer, Jody Knowles
Row 5: Jonathan Davenport, Rusty Schlenk
Row 6: Joseph Hughs, Reid Millard
Row 7: David Seibers, Jacob Magee
Row 8: Jadon Frame, Bobby Pierce
Row 9: Jeff Herzog, Jason Welshan
Row 10: Delbert Crum, Daniel Jacober
Consolation results
(Eight laps; top four transfer)
First consolation: David Seiberts, Jadon Frame, Jeff Herzog, Delbert Crum, Chris Carpenter, Austin Horton, Freddie Carpenter, Max Baker, Ruben Mayfield, Chris McKeehan, Erik Thorne, Robert Ardry, Rob Bayard.
Second consolation: Jacob Magee, Bobby Pierce, Jason Welshan, Daniel Jacober, Derek Fetter, Charles Newby, Robert Tincher, Robbie Stuart, Matt Koch, Joe Denby, Will Harris. Disqualified: Rich Bell (rough driving).
Heat race results
(Eight laps; top two transfer)
First heat: Myles Moos, Cody Bauer, Jadon Frame, Jeff Herzog, Ruben Mayfield, Erik Thorne, Rob Bayard, Chris McKeehan.
Second heat: Nick Hoffman, Jonathan Davenport, David Seibers, Austin Horton, Freddie Carpenter, Robert Ardry, Max Baker.
Third heat: Austin Simpson, Joseph Hughs, Delbert Crum, Chris Carpenter, Ryan Unzicker, McKay Wenger, Chris Nash.
Fourth heat: Mike Spatola, Jody Knowles, Jacob Magee, Jason Welshan, Will Harris, Rich Bell.
Fifth heat: Kenny Collins, Rusty Schlenk, Bobby Pierce, Robbie Stuart, Levi Ashby, Derek Fetter, Robert Tincher.
Sixth heat: Gordy Gundaker, Reid Millard, Daniel Jacober, Joe Denby, Matt Koch, Charles Newby, Brian Mullins.
Pre-race notes
St. Louis’s weather remains dry and unseasonably warm on Friday with temperatures reaching 70 degrees, making conditions comfortable for fans walking to the Dome and teams inside the pit area where loading-dock doors are kept open to circulate air. … Forty-three Late Models are signed in for Friday’s preliminary program, pushing the division’s car count for the weekend to 82. … Also in action Friday are 23 modifieds and 20 midgets. … Thursday feature winner Tyler Carpenter of Parkersburg, W.Va., was fined by Gateway Dirt Nationals officials for not wearing SFI-rated safety equipment — specifically his footwear — during the opening-night competition. The 30-year-old driver raced with a pair of Hey Dude slip-on shoes on his feet. … With Carpenter locked into Saturday’s $30,000-to-win finale that he won in 2019, his father, Freddie, and older, Chris, will carry the Carpenter name as they run their Late Models in Friday’s show. Freddie has previously entered the Gateway Dirt Nationals but hasn’t qualified for the headline event while Chris is making his first-ever appearance at the Dome. … Ricky Thornton Jr, of Chandler, Ariz., blasted Tyler Carpenter with some choice words over the p.a. system and live broadcast when he was interviewed after a mid-race tangle knocked him from Thursday’s feature. As penance for one particular off-color remark he felt especially bad about in retrospect, the Lucas Oil Series regular donated $500 to the Special Olympics. … McKay Wenger of Fairbury, Ill., is making his Dome debut driving the Capital Race Car fielded and normally driven by Tucker Finch of Jacksonville, Fla. … Myles Moos of Lincoln, Ill., was Friday’s overall fastest qualifier, nipping Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., for the honors. … Garrett Alberson of Las Cruces, N.M., recorded the fastest lap in Friday’s second qualifying group, but that might represent the highlight of his weekend. Heavy smoke poured from his Roberts Motorsports No. 59 as he completed his quick circuits, signaling terminal engine trouble that will force him to withdraw from further action. “At least this ‘ol Black Diamond had some speed in it,” said Alberson, who doesn't have a backup car or engine but was weighing his options to continue his first Gateway Dirt Nationals appearance by jumping in another team's machine and starting at the rear of a heat. “Just a little bit of heartbreak.” … Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., timed fifth-fastest in Friday’s first qualifying group but afterward engine woes were diagnosed in his Scott Bloomquist Racing. His crew went to work making an engine swap with hopes of completing the work in time for Hoffman to tag the rear of a B-main this evening; in fact, Hoffman's crew was able to install the backup powerplant in time to keep his starting spot in Heat 2 and he outgunned Jonathan Davenport at the initial green flag to assume command en route to taking the victory.
Time trials
First group
Myles Moos (84), Lincoln, Ill., 11.659
Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 11.805
Austin Simpson (35), Bartonville, Ill., 11.847
Ruben Mayfield (00M), Lenoir City, Tenn., 11.848
Nick Hoffman (2NH), Mooresville, N.C., 11.925
Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill., 11.951
Chris McKeehan (21M), Winder, Ga., 12.022
David Seibers (18), Chapel Hill, Tenn., 12.049
McKay Wenger (25W), Fairbury, Ill., 12.058
Jadon Frame (J27), Winchester, Tenn., 12.073
Austin Horton (16), Whitesburg, Ga., 12.091
Chris Carpenter (18C), Parkersburg, W.Va., 12.099
Cody Bauer (19x), Farwell, Mich., 12.115
Freddie Carpenter (K), Parkersburg, W.Va., 12.122
Delbert Crum III (34C), Cutler, Ohio, 12.128
Jeff Herzog (11H), Festus, Mo., 12.243
Robert Ardry (127), Lavergne, Tenn., 12.248
Joseph Hughs (7), Springfield, Ill., 12.342
Erik Thorne (260), Baytown, Texas, 12.498
Max Baker (1*), Morristown, Tenn., 12.623
Chris Nash (354), Portage, Mich., 12.744
Rob Bayard (81), Washington, Ill., 12.949
Second group
Garrett Alberson (59), Las Cruces, N.M., 11.940
Kenny Collins (1C), Colbert, Ga., 12.177
Gordy Gundaker (11G), St. Charles, Mo., 12.178
Jacob Magee (1M), Caney, Kan., 12.183
Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 12.188
Joe Denby (27D), Winchester, Tenn., 12.277
Jody Knowles (66), Tyrone, Ga., 12.297
Rusty Schlenk (91), McClure, Ohio, 12.299
Daniel Jacober (22), Highland, Ill., 12.407
Jason Welshan (01), Maryville, Tenn., 12.433
Levi Ashby (1A), Cumberland Furnace, Tenn., 12.450
Reid Millard (14R), Jefferson City, Mo., 12.458
Mike Spatola (89), Manhattan, Ill., 12.497
Derek Fetter (32F), Troy, Mo., 12.512
Brian Mullins (626), Cincinnati, Ohio, 12.568
Rich Bell (21B), Sheffield, Ill., 12.635
Robbie Stuart (6R), DeRidder, La., 12.649
Matt Koch (96), Aviston, Ill., 12.744
Will Harris (21), Pendergrass, Ga.,, 12.757
Robert Tincher (43R), French Lick, Ind., 14.263
Charles Newby (13N), Seymour, Ind., 15.549
Friday's schedule
10 a.m.: Registration and credentials office opens
10:30 p.m.: Vendors’ early access
11 a.m.: Pit doors open
11 a.m.: Technical inspection begins
11 a.m.: Fuel storage and fueling lane opens
1 p.m.: Drivers’ meeting
2 p.m.: Spectator doors open
2:30 p.m.: Midget engine heat
3 p.m.: On-track activity begins
- Late Model (Night 2) hot laps
- Midget hot lap/qualifying
- Modified (Night 2) hot lap/qualifying
- Late Model qualifying
5:30 p.m.: Opening ceremonies
- Midget heat races (8 laps)
- Late Model heat races (8 laps)
- Modified heat races (8 laps)
- Late Model B-mains (8 laps)
- Modified B-main (8 laps)
- Midget feature (20 laps)
- Late Model feature (25 laps)
- Modified feature (20 laps)
(Pits close one hour after final checkered flag)
