Fast Talk presented by Castrol Oil
Fast Talk: Fireworks, flag-waving and finishes
Auto racing is often part of the flags, fireworks and Fourth of July fun on the Independence Day weekend. Our roundtable wraps up a busy stretch of racing in our weekly feature presented by Castrol Motor Oil and Fluids (edited for clarity and length):
What lit your fuse on a busy Fourth of July weekend?
Kevin Kovac, DirtonDirt.com senior writer: On Sunday there was a rare Dirt Late Model event contested in my native state of New Jersey — an unsanctioned $5,000-to-win 40-lapper at Bridgeport (N.J.) Motorsports Park — which was noteworthy enough. But it was a pretty good race, too, with four different leaders and veteran Rick Eckert pulling off a last-lap pass of Tyler Hershey for the win. The 14-car field was modest, but most important was to me was just that Bridgeport had a full-fender race. I’ve been seeing video of great competition at Bridgeport’s shortened, banked 4/10-mile oval over the last couple years and I’ve wondered how Late Models would fare there. Well, they looked good at the place, and hopefully it will lead to more Mid-Atlantic Late Models knowing about the track and ultimately a national touring series event.
Todd Turner, DirtonDirt.com managing editor: A bunch of fun winners: Shannon Babb in becoming the all-time winningest DIRTcar Summer Nationals driver at Fayette County. … Home-track favorite Josh Rice doing amazing things with his car that leaves national touring drivers struggling to keep up in earning $15,000 at Florence. … Previously absent Georgian Donald McIntosh getting back up to speed in a big way with a Valvoline Iron-Man Racing Series victory at Boyd’s … And Pennsylvania’s Drake Troutman wandering the back roads of eastern Kentucky to find a $5,000 victory at Mudlick Valley Raceway.
Robert Holman, DirtonDirt.com weekend editor: I was out with the DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Fayette County, Paducah and Clarksville and I’ll admit I didn’t pay attention to much else. I did watch the Slocum 50 from 34 Raceway during Clarksville’s rain delay, but that’s about it. One thing that got me stoked was visiting Paducah for the very first time. I always like visiting new places and I’ve aways wanted to get to Paducah. I do wish the track conditions were a little better, but the facility there is really nice, especially considering the track was dormant for a few years. I look forward to going back, hopefully when conditions are better and the weather is a bit cooler.
Kyle McFadden, DirtonDirt.com staff reporter: Honestly nothing of true significance lit my fuse. I felt it was a pretty calm weekend considering Independence Day festivities. If I did have to choose something, it’d be overhearing some race-goers complain about fireworks. I did hear a few of those grumblings this weekend. Like, really? Guess it ties into a larger matter, that race fans are bound to gripe about something. Don’t get me wrong, most race fans I encounter are appreciative, I feel. It’s the small, prickly percentage that can make you roll your eyes. Appreciate your surroundings before giving into the urge to be critical.
Richard Allen, InsideDirtRacing.com: Maybe I wasn’t listening to the right interviews or conversations, but I've made it through the entire weekend without hearing anyone speak of tire shortages or fuel prices. All the racing talk I have heard over the past few days has actually been focused on racing. Both of these subjects have been very much at the heart of the dirt racing world during the first half of 2022, as they should have been. Obviously, there can’t be racing without tires or if the competitors can’t afford to come to the track. But at least for this weekend, it was refreshing to not hear about those things. I, for one, am happy to celebrate independence from the discussions of tire shortages and fuel prices.
Add another thought regarding the Lucas Oil Series, Summer Nationals (or, if you must, another tour).
Turner: Lincoln Speedway’s exciting late stages salvaged what was otherwise a tough week on the Summer Nationals. The Feger-Babb battle to the finish was a thrill. I do have a quibble with putting Pierce to the tail after he spun Unzicker (purely accidental, it appeared). I’ve seen plenty of drivers spin or wreck other drivers (Shannon Babb on Brian Shirley in the Red Hill heat race accident that saw Blaze Burwell’s car roll over, for one) without being penalized. Why this one? Because it’s for the lead? Hot take: attempts to compete at tracks that haven’t successfully run Super Late Model events (or any events?) for years is another argument for tightening up this series to three straight weeks of $10,000-to-win races at worthy tracks. There are plenty of options to create successful DIRTcar events for the second-tier tracks that don’t quite reach Summer Nationals status.
Holman: I know that the drivers, crew members and media chasing this year’s DIRTcar Summer Nationals were certainly thankful to finally get an extended break. The tour reached its halfway mark without a rainout, so when Tuesday’s race at Charleston and Wednesday's return to Fayette County were cancelled, they all probably rejoiced, at least secretively. Teams got July 4-6 away from the track, which is good as they prepare for the second half of the season. One neat nugget I found: Monday marked just the 12th time in 37 years that the tour didn’t race on Independence Day.
McFadden: The Lucas Oil Series is about what I expected heading into July. Brandon Sheppard with a narrow advantage over reigning champion Tim McCreadie, and both Sheppard and McCreadie scoring big victories on consecutive weekends. I do think McCreadie will be forced to play off his back foot — a disadvantaged position — in the coming weeks, as the series heads to Sheppard’s stomping grounds in and around Illinois. Ricky Thornton Jr., especially with how he’s running right now, could make a late push at the prize. But instances such as Sunday’s flat right-rear tire, which in turn handed him a ninth-place finish instead a likely runner-up, simply can’t happen if he wants to keep up with Sheppard and T-Mac.
Kovac: I’m still amazed that the Summer Nationals has ripped off 16 straight races without a rainout. I think there are a lot of series directors who are wondering how the Hell Tour has ordered up such dry weather. A few well-placed washouts often provide needed breaks in the Summer Nationals grind, though, and it seems that the series has reached its dog days as car counts have fallen in recent days. The circuit has also lost some momentum from last week’s frustrating back-to-back nights at tracks that reopened after long closures — Red Hill Raceway in Sumner, Ill., and Benton (Mo.) Speedway — and offered poor track conditions (Benton even had to be canceled after an unsuccessful attempt to start qualifying), so hopefully a break from racing from July 4-6 will help restore some energy to everyone on the trail.
Allen: The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has had its five most recent racing weekends to include features that paid $30,000-to-win or more (four actually paid $50,000). During that stretch, there hasn’t been a repeat winner. There’s more money available to Dirt Late Model racers than ever before and it’s good to see some of that wealth being spread around. With so many big money races in 2022, not only on the Lucas Oil tour but throughout the sport, we will likely see multiple drivers achieve career-high earnings.
As we hit the midseason, evaluate the Driver of the Year chase.
Holman: For the moment, I still think that it’s a two-man race between Jonathan Davenport and Chris Madden, with perhaps Tim McCreadie and Dennis Erb Jr. (yes I said Dennis Erb Jr.) lurking about half of a lap behind. It’s going to be difficult to upend either of the two drivers who have won the most money this season (J.D. or Madden). McCreadie or Erb could get it done, but they would need at least two crown jewel wins apiece before I can give either one of them any serious consideration.
McFadden: I give the nod to Jonathan Davenport, largely because of his Eldora Million triumph. Chris Madden, as most know, is the only other driver in this fight. Depending upon perception, Madden’s assembled the body of work (10 wins, four of which more than $50,000) that could earn him the midseason favor. As for Davenport, three of his eight wins have paid more than $50,000, topped off by $1,002,022 at the Big E last month. Both have six victories paying $20,000 or more, too. Yes, there’s a lot of money left, but Tim McCreadie, Brandon Overton and Brandon Sheppard have combined for a single $50,000 triumph this year. One of those three, or someone else, will need to get hot if this topic of conversation ever changes.
Allen: In my mind, two drivers have pretty clearly separated themselves from the pack as far as the discussion of Driver of the Year goes. Obviously, only one guy has earned a million bucks in a single race, but winning the Eldora Million isn't all Jonathan Davenport has done. The Blairsville, Ga., driver has amassed six victories that have paid $20,000 or more with two of those features worth $50,000 to go along with his seven-figure payday. Along with Davenport in this discussion is Chris Madden. The Gray Court, S.C., driver is in the midst of his best season ever (and he's had several great seasons) with a total of 10 victories including six that have paid $20,000 or more. Any other driver who wants to get into this conversation will have to do so by winning multiple big-money events over the second half of the season.
Turner: Just as they’ve been tied atop the DirtonDirt.com power rankings in recent weeks, I think it’s pretty accurate that it’s a tossup between Jonathan Davenport and Chris Madden. There still are tons of big money races left, so perhaps another driver can get into serious consideration, but they’ll have to get rolling soon and make the most of the richest purses. The Davenport-Madden decision could come down to, in part, how the paused Dream ends at Eldora, and whether Madden’s body of work will be enough if, as is likely, he’ll run somewhat fewer races than Davenport.
Kovac: It’s a pretty easy call: the two guys at the top of the earnings board, Jonathan Davenport and Chris Madden, are the Driver of the Year frontrunners. I’ll give Madden the nod at the moment even though Davenport is already in seven-figure territory thanks to winning the Eldora Million. While Davenport got off to a slightly slow start in the victory department, Madden won at Speedweeks, shined at the Bristol Dirt Nationals (collecting two 50-grand wins and the $100,000 miniseries points title), owns 10 victories overall and is just shy of $600,000 in total earnings. Madden also nearly stole the Eldora Million from Davenport before settling for second, so I can’t use that race to give J.D. a Driver of the Year boost. I do know that if any other driver is going to challenge Madden and Davenport, they’ll have to get red-hot this summer.
Name your midseason frontrunner for best newcomer and breakout driver.
Allen: Since I primarily focus on racing in the Southeast, I’m going to pick 18-year-old Eli Beets here. In his first full season driving a Super Late Model the Knoxville, Tenn., standout has won four Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series features so far in 2022. Although three of those wins have come at the same track (Lake Cumberland Speedway), he has shown an ability to adapt by also winning at Ponderosa Speedway. On Sunday night, Beets finished fourth in Iron-Man action in his first Super Late Model start at Tazewell Speedway, hanging in there with veteran drivers who had many more laps on that treacherous track.
Holman: For now I’d give a nod to Carson Ferguson as the breakout driver. He has really turned up the wick this season, like winning the Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals championship as well as picking up his first series victory. He had a great first half of the season. My best newcomer is Daulton Wilson, who has really shown good speed during his quest in the Lucas Oil Series Rookie of the Year chase. He may not meet all he criteria of true newcomer, but he’s relatively new to me.
McFadden: For best newcomer, I’ll say Carson Ferguson, although his one win in the Super Late Model to date doesn’t exactly go along with breakout repute. I stand corrected if I’m wrong, but I believe he was the first Super newbie to crack our rankings this year? He has a Spring Nationals victory in his rookie season and had been running fourth in the Dirt Late Model Dream before stormy weather postponed the finish to September. He also gave Chris Madden and Jonathan Davenport a run for their money in an eighth-place finish at Smoky Mountain with the Lucas Oil Series. Small sample size but impressive enough to earn recognition as best newcomer.
Kovac: As Kyle noted, the best newcomer has to be Carson Ferguson, whose first season as a Super Late Model driver has been very impressive. He’s won a regional touring series feature and points crown (Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals), and he’s turned heads on a national stage by running well at Eldora and Smoky Mountain in consecutive weeks. As for a breakout driver, I might stretch the definition a bit here, but I’ll single out Carson’s cousin, Chris Ferguson, who certainly has been a well-known contender for several years but in 2022 has finally broken through to reach another level with a pair of 50-grand wins, the first at the Bristol Dirt Nationals and then his initial long-distance, crown jewel victory in the Show-Me 100.
Turner: Tommy Sheppard Jr. of New Berlin, Ill., is my best newcomer with seven Super Late Model victories in one of the toughest parts of the country to win (although I like some of my fellow panelists choices, too). I struggle a little bit with breakout because of the crossover between newcomers and breakouts (is an accomplished Crate racer a newcomer or breakout, for instance?), so Eli Beets and Carson Ferguson might be that conversation for me. Don’t worry, I’ll have it all sorted out come December.
And pick your most improved driver for 2022 thus far.
Allen: It seems strange choosing a driver who was a regional series champion last season, but that’s what I am going to do. Payton Freeman was the 2021 XR Southern All-Star Series champ but I believe the 19-year-old from Commerce, Ga., has stepped up his game even more over the past few months. That’s mostly because of his willingness to step outside of his comfort zone to chase the Summer Nationals in the Midwest. He's been consistently fast in qualifying and preliminary races on tracks he'd never seen before. While there have been a few struggles in the features, Freeman has mostly been a solid contender as a Hell Tour interloper. I believe Freeman’s a driver who’s going to accomplish much in this sport.
McFadden: Maybe there’s another driver and team out there that’s upped the ante to greater degree, but Chris Ferguson makes a case for most improved driver. Yes, he was already a proven national touring winner entering the season. This year, however, he’s taken a considerable jump and has, more weekends than not, ran on-par with the sport’s absolute best in Jonathan Davenport and Chris Madden. A year after winning once, his three 2022 victories are the biggest of his career. Well, the Show-Me 100 hardware and Bristol Dirt Nationals payday are certainly his biggest to date, while the Eldora Million semifeature win further showcased Fergy’s step up.
Kovac: I’ve been keeping an eye on the progression of Garrett Alberson, who has taken the big step with car owner Ken Roberts to chase the Lucas Oil Series this season. He struggled during Speedweeks but has been steadily improving as he gains more confidence and experience — to the point where over the past week he recorded his first Lucas Oil Series podium finish (third at Florence Speedway) and tallied another third-place run in one of Muskingum County’s 20-lap semifeatures. He also climbed as high as fourth in Sunday’s 60-lap finale at Muskingum before a broken control arm caused him to slide to an 11th-place finish. Alberson has a couple wins this season (Wild West Shootout at Vado, N.M., Comp Cams at I-30 Speedway), and I could see him nabbing a Lucas Oil victory before year is over.
Holman: Is it crazy to suggest Dennis Erb Jr. as a most improved? I don’t think he fits the bill here, but the World of Outlaws points leader definitely has one of the nation’s most improved programs overall. How about Southern All Stars points leader Matt Dooley? The Fayetteville, Ga., driver not only leads the series points, but he got a breakthrough victory at Columbus (Miss.) Speedway as well.
Turner: I’ll go with Kolby Vandenbergh of Ashland, Ill., the leading Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association rookie driver and third on the Missouri-based tour’s points. His consistency has impressed me although I think we’ll need more — an MLRA victory would do it — to secure this award come season’s end. Honorable mention: James Rice.
