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Daily Dirt 10/17/2026 17:44:32

October 17

West Virginia Motor Speedway,

Mineral Wells, WV

Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (DTWC Saturday first semifeature) - $5,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac, Kyle McFadden, series and track reports (last updated October 17, 6:42 pm)

Updates from Saturday's first DTWC semifeature

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Key notes: Time-trial scoring issues caused delays with qualifying starting at 5:13 p.m. and concluding at 6:38. ... Originally scheduled for Friday-Saturday before getting pushed to Saturday-Sunday because of wet weather, West Virginia Motor Speedway hosts Carl Short’s 46th annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship presented by Summit Racing, serving as the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season finale. … It’s the first DTWC held at WVMS since 2010, a $50,000 payday won by Earl Pearson Jr. on the old 5/8-mile layout. … This weekend’s program begins with Saturday's twin 25-lap, $5,000-to-win split-field semifeatures where the top-16 point earners will lock into Sunday’s 100-lap, $100,000-to-win main event, the most lucrative payout in track history; the rest of the field will need to qualify through one of Sunday’s consolations. … WVMS has had a revival under owner Mike Hurley, who shortened the track and made extensive renovations. Super Late Model winners this year at WVMS include Bobby Pierce and Tyler Erb (World of Outlaws), Drake Troutman (Iron-Man) and Devin Moran (unsanctioned Hillbilly Hundred). … Points leader Brandon Sheppard is a five-time DTWC champ, four of them coming at Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park (2013, ’16, ’19-’20) before 2023’s edition held at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Sheppard enters the weekend with a 45-point lead over Moran seeking his first career Lucas Oil Series title. … Gates open at 10 a.m. with hot laps at 5:30 p.m., daily; a church outreach service will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday followed by a driver autograph session from 4-4:45. … Watch live on FloRacing.

Who to watch: Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., eyes his second WVMS victory of the season.

Points chase: Before WVMS: 1. Brandon Sheppard (7,355); 2. Devin Moran (7,310); 3. Hudson O’Neal (7,215); 4. Ricky Thornton Jr. (6,945); 5. Brandon Overton (6,740); 6. Max Blair (6,670); 7. Josh Rice (6,475); 8. Brian Shirley (6,260); 9. Garrett Alberson (6,095); 10. Kyle Bronson (5,905).

Current weather: Clear, 55°F

Car count: 68

Fast qualifier: Dennis Erb Jr.

Time: 14.377 seconds

Next series race: October 18, West Virginia Motor Speedway (Mineral Wells, WV) $100,000

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

From staff reports

MINERAL WELLS, W.Va. — Updates from Saturday’s 46th annual Dirt Track World Championship preliminary night at West Virginia Motor Speedway, highlighted by twin 25-lap, $5,000-to-win spit-field semifeatures for Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Time trials

Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
Group A1

Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 14.377
Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 14.463
Tyler Carpenter (28), Parkersburg, W.Va., 14.486
Eddie Carrier Jr. (75), Salt Rock, W.Va., 14.509
Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 14.516
Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 14.561
Drake Troutman (5), Hyndman, Pa., 14.606
Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 14.606
Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 14.610
Chris Ferguson (22), Mount Holly, N.C., 14.641
Ryan Montgomery (12), Fairmont, W.Va., 14.868
Jon Hodgkiss (69), Kennedy Township, Pa., 15.402
Cory Workman (W1), Gratiot, Ohio, 15.502
Corey DeLancey (9-11), Parkersburg, W.Va., 15.529
Jordan Stotts (8), Pomeroy, Ohio, 15.639
Corey Galbreath (21), Mineral Wells, W.Va., no time
Wyatt Ervin (8w), Charleston, W.Va., no time

Group A2

Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 14.471
Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 14.484
Corey Miller (22), Parkersburg, W.Va., 14.517
Garrett Smith (10), Eatonton, Ga., 14.532
Benji Hicks (55), Mount Airy, N.C., 14.608
Clay Harris (6), Jupiter, Fla., 14.609
Dillon McCowan (8), Urbana, Mo., 14.709
Kyle Hardy (99), Stephens City, Va., 14.736
Brock Morris (17kn), Charleston, W.Va., 14.746
Brandon Weigle (47), Middlebourne, W.Va., 14.811
Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 14.873
Michael Lake (27), Uniontown, Pa., 14.978
Chris Carpenter (18), Parkersburg, W.Va., 15.050
Dave Loudin (12), Volga, W.Va., 15.193
Kenney Newhouse (17), Elkview, W.Va., 15.312
Matthew Bosley (R3x), Parkersburg, W.Va., 15.390
Ryan Payne (12), Pennsboro, W.Va., 15.422

Saturday’s schedule

(All times local)
10 a.m. - Pits and grandstands open
1:45 p.m. - Tech and registration open
4:45 p.m. - Tech and registration close
5 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
5:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (10 laps)
- Late Model consolations (12 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Late Model first semifeature (25 laps)
- Late Model second semifeature (25 laps)

Feature lineup

Row 1: TBA, TBA
Row 2: TBA, TBA
Row 3: TBA, TBA
Row 4: TBA, TBA
Row 5: TBA, TBA
Row 6: TBA, TBA
Row 7: TBA, TBA
Row 8: TBA, TBA
Row 9: TBA, TBA
Row 10: TBA, TBA
Row 11: Consolation transfers
Row 12: Consolation transfers