Dirt on Dirt - Late restart can't deny manhandling Sheppard

July 5

Macon Speedway,

Macon, IL

Sanction: DIRTcar Summer Nationals (Pepsi Herald & Review 100) - $7,500

Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated July 6, 1:21 am)

Late restart can't deny manhandling Sheppard

Pepsi Herald & Review 100

Brandon Sheppard
Luke Morey
Tanner English
Kyle Hardy
Mitch McGrath
Mike Spatola
Tyler Millwood
McKay Wenger
Clay Stuckey
Jason Feger
Rusty Schlenk
Rusty Griffaw
Brody Smith
Mark Voigt
Ryan Miller
Sam Seawright
Zach Taylor
Brenden Smith
Jake Little
Brandon Carpenter
Jack Franklin

presented by

Photo slideshow Race history

Tim Hunt/highsideraceshots.com

Flag-to-flag winner Brandon Sheppard at Macon Speedway.

What won the race: Getting redemption after losing last year's race by inches and overcoming a two-lap sprint to the finish, outside front-row starter Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., led all 101 laps Sunday at Macon Speedway, earning his second career Pepsi Herald & Review 100. Sheppard, who lost power steering with 18 laps remaining, beat Luke Morey by 0.729 of a second for the $7,500 paycheck, his 29th career DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory and first of the season.

Quotable: “This race has always meant the world to me. I grew up watching races here, watching my dad here. It means the world for him and my whole family,” Sheppard said. “It means the world to me to have Macon Speedway have a packed house. I knew I had to make the trek home to support it. Any time we can support our local dirt tracks, we love to.”

Key notes: Sheppard led all 101 laps — extended beyond 100 because of a last-lap caution — to become the third driver to earn a flag-to-flag victory in Macon's Herald & Review event, joining Rick Standridge (1987) and Shannon Babb (2006). ... He also won the race in 2020. ... Sheppard's 29th career series victory gives him sole possession of seventh on the all-time list, breaking a tie with the late Scott Bloomquist. ... Sheppard lost power steering as a plume of smoke rolled from his car entering turn three on the 83rd lap; he feared losing oil pressure but motored on. ... His lead reached its largest margin of 7.551 seconds on the 73rd lap and was cut to 3.4 seconds at one point. He edged back away before a last-lap caution flew for a slowing Ryan Miller. Sheppard won the two-lap dash to the checkers. ... Sixth-starting Luke Morey grabbed second from Tanner English with 10 laps to go for his second runner-up finish of the week. ... English, the series points leader and Week 4 champ, was third and notched his 15th top-five finish in 16 starts. ... Virginian Kyle Hardy ran as high as second on lap 89 before slipping to fourth. ... Polesitter Mike Spatola was a lap down in sixth. ... Clay Stuckey and Rusty Schlenk overcame mechanical trouble during prelims to finish ninth and 11th. ... Besides the last-lap caution for Miller, the race was slowed one other time for debris on lap 24. ... The 46th annual Herald & Review event lasted 29 minutes with five starters completing 101 laps and 14 running at the finish. ... Kyle Hammer retired before taking the green.

On the move: Clay Stuckey of Shreveport, La., started 19th and finished ninth.

Winner's sponsors: Sheppard’s family-owned Rocket Chassis is powered by a Pro Power Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Valvoline, Sheppard Auto Sales & Salvage, Realtee, Pee Wee’s Wrecker Service, Guse’s Pub & Eatery, Paulson Rock Products & Stussy Construction, Busch Light, Dennis G. Woodworth, attorney at law, American Racing Wheels, Fox Racing Shox, Sunoco, Corrigan Race FuelsNight Owl Design and BSheppGear.com.

Points chase: Week 4 before Macon: 1. Tanner English (443); 2. Sam Seawright (383); 3. Jason Feger (367); 4. Luke Morey (334); 5. Clay Stuckey (332). Overall before Macon: Tanner English (1,044); 2. Jason Feger (959); 3. Clay Stuckey (788); 4. Mitch McGrath (646); 5. Brody Smith (620).

Current weather: Clear, 73°F

Car count: 37

Fast qualifier: Brenden Smith

Time: 11.297 seconds

Polesitter: Mike Spatola

Heat race winners: Brenden Smith, Mike Spatola, Brandon Sheppard, Tanner English

Consolation race winners: Brandon Carpenter

Provisional starters: Clay Stuckey, Rusty Schlenk, Jake Little, Mark Voigt

Next series race: July 6, Kankakee County Speedway (Kankakee, IL) $5,000

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

From staff reports

MACON, Ill. — Updates from Sunday’s 16th round of the 40th annual DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Macon Speedway, an event highlighted by the 46th annual Pepsi Herald & Review 100, a $7,500-to-win feature for DIRTcar Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Getting redemption after losing last year's race by inches and overcoming a two-lap sprint to the finish, outside front-row starter Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., led all 101 laps Sunday at Macon Speedway, earning his second career Pepsi Herald & Review 100. Sheppard, who lost power steering with 18 laps remaining, beat Luke Morey by 0.729 of a second for the $7,500 paycheck, his 29th career DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory and first of the season.

Feature lineup

(100 laps)

Row 1: Mike Spatola, Brandon Sheppard
Row 2: Tanner English, Brenden Smith
Row 3: Kyle Hardy, Luke Morey
Row 4: Jason Feger, Sam Seawright
Row 5: Mitch McGrath, Tyler Millwood
Row 6: Brody Smith, Jack Franklin
Row 7: McKay Wenger, Rusty Griffaw
Row 8: Kyle Hammer, Ryan Miller
Row 9: Brandon Carpenter, Zach Taylor
Row 10: Clay Stuckey, Rusty Schlenk
Row 11: Jake Little, Mark Voigt

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top two transfer)

Results: Brandon Carpenter, Zach Taylor, Jake Little, Clay Stuckey, Carter Schlenk, Tony Wolf, Cody Maguire, Gregory Carrico, Shane Kelley, Ryan Little, Greg Kimmons, Claude Walker, Rich Kelley, Mark Voigt, Dean Carpenter. Scratched: Rusty Schlenk.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top four transfer)

First heat: Brenden Smith, Kyle Hardy, Mitch McGrath, McKay Wenger, Zach Taylor, Clay Stuckey, Gregory Carrico, Dean Carpenter, Myles Moos, Alex Wilson.

Second heat: Mike Spatola, Jason Feger, Brody Smith, Kyle Hammer, Jake Little, Carter Schlenk, Ryan Little, Claude Walker, Mike Winn.

Third heat: Brandon Sheppard, Luke Morey, Tyler Millwood, Rusty Griffaw, Brandon Carpenter, Cody Maguire, Mark Voigt, Greg Kimmons, Rich Kelley.

Fourth heat: Tanner English, Sam Seawright, Jack Franklin, Ryan Miller, Tony Wolf, Shane Kelley, Rusty Schlenk, Timmy Dick. Scratched: Tim Boomer.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 11.297
2. Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 11.472
3. Kyle Hardy (99), Stephens City, Va., 11.512
4. Mike Spatola (89), Manhattan, Ill., 11.520
5. Mitch McGrath (74), Waukesha, Wis., 11.588
6. Carter Schlenk (lil91), McClure, Ohio, 11.599
7. Zach Taylor (ZT1), Springfield, Ill., 11.760
8. Brody Smith (17sr), Dade City, Fla., 11.817
9. McKay Wenger (42w), Fairbury, Ill., 11.896
10. Ryan Little (38L), Springfield, Ill., 11.916
11. Gregory Carrico (67), Winchester, Va., 11.920
12. Kyle Hammer (45), Clinton, Ill., 11.947
13. Dean Carpenter (51), Coldwater, Miss., 12.031
14. Jake Little (38J), Springfield, Ill., 12.128
15. Alex Wilson (z61), Chenoa, Ill., 12.138
16. Claude Walker (35), Moro, Ill., 12.166
17. Myles Moos (84), Lincoln, Ill., 12.289
18. Mike Winn (729), Bourbonnais, Ill., 12.668
19. Clay Stuckey (15), Shreveport, La., 15.898
Group B
1. Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 11.775
2. Rusty Schlenk (91), McClure, Ohio, 11.811
3. Tyler Millwood (31m), Kingston, Ga., 11.855
4. Tanner English (96), Benton, Ky., 11.916
5. Luke Morey (49), Zeeland, Mich., 11.965
6. Timmy Dick (122), Monticello, Ill., 12.037
7. Rusty Griffaw (16), Festus, Mo., 12.229
8. Sam Seawright (16s), Rainsville, Ala., 12.234
9. Cody Maguire (32m), Carlinville, Ill., 12.281
10. Ryan Miller (11m), Lincoln, Ill., 12.307
11. Brandon Carpenter (51B), Coldwater, Miss., 12.316
12. Jack Franklin (12), Murfreesboro, Tenn., 12.391
13. Mark Voigt (30), Marine, Ill., 12.470
14. Tony Wolf (16w), Highland, Ill., 12.488
15. Greg Kimmons (27), Pleasant Plains, Ill., 12.567
16. Shane Kelley (14k), Pekin, Ill., 12.720
17. Rich Kelley (91k), Springfield, Ill., 12.852
18. Tim Boomer (T2), Bethany, Ill., no time

Sunday’s schedule

(All times local)
3 p.m. - Pits open
3:30 p.m. - Tech and registration open
5 p.m. - Grandstands open
5 p.m. - Tech and registration close
5:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified group qualifying
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Modified consolation (8 laps)
- Late Model B-main (10 laps)
Feature events
- Modifieds (25 laps)
- Late Models (100 laps)