Dirt on Dirt - Leach earns first Super Late Model win, $5,000

February 11

Volusia Speedway Park,

Barberville, FL

Sanction: DIRTcar Supers (Federated DIRTcar Nationals first semifeature) - $5,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac and track reports (last updated February 12, 11:45 am)

Leach earns first Super Late Model win, $5,000

Federated DIRTcar Nationals first semifeature

Michael Leach
Daulton Wilson
Ryan Gustin
Trey Mills
Dan Ebert
Cade Dillard
Chase Junghans
Ethan Dotson
Brenden Smith
Glenn Styres
Blair Nothdurft
Frank Heckenast Jr.
Tim McCreadie
Luke Morey
Kyle Bronson
Bobby Pierce
Dennis Erb Jr.
Austin Howes
Brent Larson
Reid Millard

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Michael Leach led the final 19 laps to win Wednesday's first semifeature.

What won the race: Powering back by Ryan Gustin on the second lap, polesitter Michael Leach of Sun River, Mont., led the rest of Wednesday's first 20-lap Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals semifeature at Volusia Speedway Park. Leach beat Daulton Wilson — who slipped by Gustin on a lap-18 restart — by 0.611 of a second for the $5,000 payday, the seventh overall victory of his career and first aboard a Super Late Model.

Quotable: “This is everything, we’ve had such a bad start to the year. We’ve been busting our asses, just trying day in and day out. We were like ‘Oh there’s always another day, there’s always another day,’ well today is another day,” Leach said. “I’m just so happy. But, honestly, I didn’t know they inverted the top-four (qualifiers). Usually I’m pretty calm, cool and collected, but I was putting more tear-offs on after I figured out we were starting on the pole and I was kinda just shaking a little bit.”

Key notes: Leach's most recent victory was Nov. 2's World Short Track Championship at Charlotte, worth $8,000 in 604 Crate action. ... His other five Late Model victories came near his Sun River, Mont., home in WISSOTA competition. ... Daulton Wilson took advantage of the lap-18 restart to slip by Ryan Gustin for second; Gustin, who led the opening lap, settled for third. ... Trey Mills finished fourth after taking the spot from Dan Ebert on the second lap; Ebert finished fifth. ... Glenn Styres climbed seven spots and rounded out the top-10 finishers as the final starter to complete 20 laps in the 10-minute semifeature. ... The race was slowed by three cautions, the first coming when eighth-running Kyle Bronson slowed on lap eight and retired. ... Bobby Pierce and Dennis Erb Jr. both pulled off under the lap-18 yellow. ... Sixth-running Frank Heckenast Jr. hopped the turn-two cushion and slapped the wall on lap 11, ending his night. ... Blair Nothdurft slowed from seventh for the final stoppage on lap 18. ... Reid Millard failed to take the green flag when his car shut off during warmup laps.

On the move: Ethan Dotson of Bakersfield, Calif., started 16th and finished eighth.

Winner's sponsors: Leach’s Loenbro Motorsports Longhorn Chassis carries sponsorship from DustPods, Willo Ranch, Longhorn Factory Team, Ohlins Shocks by Longhorn Dynamics and VP Racing Fuels.

Points chase: DIRTcar Nationals after Wednesday: 1. Cody Overton (220); 2. Hudson O’Neal (205); 3. Brandon Overton (194); 4. Nick Hoffman (193); 5. Ryan Gustin (184); 6. Devin Moran (174); 7. Tyler Erb (169); 8. Chris Madden (164); 9. Max Blair (162); 10. Brandon Sheppard (161).

Current weather: Scattered Clouds, 66°F

Car count: 59

Fast qualifier: Daulton Wilson

Time: 15.544 seconds

Polesitter: Michael Leach

Next series race: February 12, Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, FL) $12,000

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

From staff reports

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Live updates from Wednesday’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals third round, featuring three 20-lap, $5,000-to-win split-field semifeatures for DIRTcar-sanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Semifeature

Powering back by Ryan Gustin on the second lap, polesitter Michael Leach of Sun River, Mont., led the rest of Wednesday's first 20-lap Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals semifeature at Volusia Speedway Park. Leach beat Daulton Wilson — who slipped by Gustin on a lap-18 restart — by 0.611 of a second for the $5,000 payday, the seventh overall victory of his career and first aboard a Super Late Model.

Semifeature lineup

(20 laps)

Row 1: Michael Leach, Ryan Gustin
Row 2: Dan Ebert, Daulton Wilson
Row 3: Blair Nothdurft, Trey Mills
Row 4: Brenden Smith, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Row 5: Cade Dillard, Kyle Bronson
Row 6: Chase Junghans, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 7: Bobby Pierce, Tim McCreadie
Row 8: Luke Morey, Ethan Dotson
Row 9: Glenn Styres, Brent Larson
Row 10: Reid Millard, Austin Howes

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Daulton Wilson (58v), Fayetteville, N.C., 15.544
2. Dan Ebert (60), Lake Shore, Minn., 15.630
3. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 15.692
4. Michael Leach (09), Sun River, Mont., 15.693
5. Blair Nothdurft (76n), Renner, S.D., 15.776
6. Trey Mills (14), St. Augustine, Fla., 15.809
7. Brenden Smith (19m), Dade City, Fla., 15.849
8. Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 15.878
9. Cade Dillard (97D), Robeline, La., 15.894
10. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 15.922
11. Chase Junghans (18), Manhattan, Kan., 15.948
12. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 16.099
13. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 16.170
14. Tim McCreadie (9m), Watertown, N.Y., 16.484
15. Luke Morey (49m), Zeeland, Mich., 16.539
16. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 16.621
17. Glenn Styres (0), Ohsweken, Ontario, 16.662
18. Brent Larson (B1), Lake Elmo, Minn., 16.879
19. Reid Millard (14R), Jefferson City, Mo., 17.162
20. Austin Howes (17), Lewistown, Mo., 17.991

Wednesday’s schedule

(All times local)
8 a.m. - Pits open
11 a.m. - Hauler parking (Super DIRTcar Series)
1 p.m. - Ticket and pit pass sales open
3 p.m. - Pits closed and cleared
3:15 p.m. - Competitor registration opens
3:45 p.m. - Grandstands, midway closed and cleared
4 p.m. - Grandstands open
4:45 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting (WoO command center)
5:20 p.m. - Sprint car engine heat
5:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Modified time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- First Late Model semifeature (20 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
-  Second Late Model semifeature (20 laps)
Intermission/modified redraw
- Modified consolations (10 laps)
- Third Late Model semifeature (20 laps)
- Modified feature (30 laps)