Dirt on Dirt - Montgomery, Smith, Wilson win Hell Tour heats

July 12

Wayne County Speedway,

Orrville, OH

Sanction: DIRTcar Summer Nationals (Don and Hans Gross Memorial) - $5,000

Information provided by: Kyle McFadden, series and track reports (last updated July 12, 8:48 pm)

Montgomery, Smith, Wilson win Hell Tour heats

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Photo slideshow

Tim Hunt/Highside Race Shots

Tyler Carpenter is making his season's Hell Tour debut in Sunday's finale.

Key notes: Tanner English, the 2026 Summer Nationals champ on the strength of four wins and 19 top-five finishes in 22 series starts, pulled off early in the first heat race to save his equipment. ... Coltman Farms Racing teammates Sam Seawright and Luke Morey loaded up after time trials to save their equipment for another day. ... Caiden Black hit the turn-four wall at the end of the first heat race, suffering major right-front suspension damage. ... Frank Heckenast Jr. earned his fourth fast qualifier honors of the week, since July 7 at Montpelier (Ind.) Speedway. ... J.R. Gentry's right-side tires dug into the turn-one cushion on his opening qualifying lap, sending him flipping several times before landing on his wheels; he was OK and made the call for the first heat race. ... The DIRTcar Summer Nationals wraps up its 40th season with Sunday’s 30-lap, $5,000-to-win Don and Hans Gross Memorial at Wayne County Speedway. ... The event honors Don Gross, the former racer and longtime Wayne County promoter, along with his grandson, Hans Gross. ... A $150,000 points fund will be paid out weekly with $10,000 to each week’s champ and the overall champion receiving $10,000. ... Heckenast, of Frankfort, Ill., led all 50 laps of Saturday’s Birthday Race at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, for a $10,000 payday and his third Hell Tour win of the season. ... Kyle Moore of Mansfield, Ohio, has two major wins at Wayne County, including 2023’s Summer Nationals visit, combining for more than $10,000. ... Doug Drown of Wooster, Ohio, has five Wayne County specials dating back to July of 2014, earning more than $17,000 over that span. ... Modifieds, supers stocks and sport compacts are on the undercard. ... Watch live on DIRTVision.

Who to watch: Tanner English of Benton, Ky., seeks his fifth Summer Nationals win of the season as he wraps up the overall title.

Points chase: Week 5 before Wayne County: 1. Tanner English (333); 2. Frank Heckenast Jr. (299); 3. Luke Morey (288); 4. Sam Seawright (262); 5. Chad Finley (260). Overall before Wayne County: 1. Tanner English (1,522); 2. Jason Feger (1,185); 3. Mitch McGrath (959); 4. Frank Heckenast Jr. (901); 5. Luke Morey (841).

Current weather: Clear, 79°F

Car count: 30

Fast qualifier: Frank Heckenast Jr.

Time: 17.003 seconds

Heat race winners: Ryan Montgomery, Lincoln Smith, Eric Wilson

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

From staff reports

ORRVILLE, Ohio — Updates from Sunday’s 23rd round of the 40th annual DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Wayne County Speedway, an event highlighted by a 30-lap, $5,000-to-win feature for DIRTcar Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top five transfer)

First heat: Ryan Montgomery, Tyler Carpenter, Doug Drown, Kyle Moore, Logan Zarin, J.R. Gentry, Trace Settles, Billy Dawson, Caiden Black, Tanner English.

Second heat: Lincoln Smith, Frank Heckenast Jr., Ryan Markham, Corey Conley, Mitch McGrath, Larry Bellman, Tanner McLoughlin, Nick Cox, Brandon Morrow. Scratched: Luke Morey.

Third heat: Eric Wilson, Todd Brennan, Rich Bell, Delbert Crum Jr., Tyler Evans, Travis Stemler, Cody Scott, Chad Roush, Mark Voigt. Scratched: Sam Seawright.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Tyler Carpenter (28), Parkersburg, W.Va., 17.173
2. Ryan Montgomery (12), Fairmont, W.Va., 17.223
3. Logan Zarin (1z), Moon Township, Pa., 17.265
4. Tanner English (96), Benton, Ky., 17.326
5. Kyle Moore (1*), Mansfield, Ohio, 17.389
6. Caiden Black (57), New Concord, Ohio, 17.400
7. Doug Drown (79), Wooster, Ohio, 17.748
8. Trace Settles (151), Sunbury, Ohio, 19.269
9. Billy Dawson (one17c), Lakeville, Ohio, no time
10. J.R. Gentry (14), Wooster, Ohio, no time
Group B
1. Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 17.003
2. Lincoln Smith (31), Belmont, Ohio, 17.285
3. Ryan Markham (5m), Ashland, Ohio, 17.412
4. Tanner McLoughlin (59), Zanesville, Ohio, 17.569
5. Luke Morey (49), Zeeland, Mich., 17.767
6. Brandon Morrow (c9), Apple Creek, Ohio, 18.004
7. Corey Conley (14c), Wellsburg, W.Va., 18.125
8. Nick Cox (7), Mansfield, Ohio, 18.369
9. Mitch McGrath (74), Waukesha, Wis., 18.568
10. Larry Bellman (59B), Wooster, Ohio, 18.925
Group C
1. Eric Wilson (217), Vienna, Ohio, 17.673
2. Rich Bell (21B), Sheffield, Ill., 17.825
3. Sam Seawright (16s), Rainsville, Ala., 17.943
4. Todd Brennan (20B), Zanesville, Ohio, 18.066
5. Travis Stemler (4), Ionia, Mich., 18.290
6. Cody Scott (19), Ontario, Ohio, 18.477
7. Delbert Crum Jr. (B52), Cutler, Ohio, 18.517
8. Chad Roush (32), Reedsville, Ohio, 18.675
9. Mark Voigt (30), Marine, Ill., 19.285
10. Tyler Evans (17), Millersburg, Ohio, 19.376

Sunday’s schedule

(All times local)
2 p.m. - Pits open
3 p.m. - Grandstands open
4 p.m. - Tech and registration open
5:15 p.m. - Tech and registration close
5:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified group qualifying
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Super stock hot laps
- Sport compact hot laps
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Super stock heats (8 laps)
- Sport compact heats (8 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Modified consolation (8 laps)
- Late Model B-main (10 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (30 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
- Super stocks (15 laps)
- Sport compacts (15 laps)