After the Checkers
Volusia's surface swings over to supersonic speed
By Kevin Kovac
DirtonDirt senior writer
The third semifeature's field barrels into the corner. (Josh James)
BARBERVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 11) — Instant reaction and analysis from Wednesday’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals action at Volusia Speedway Park featuring three 20-lap, $5,000-to-win semifeatures under DIRTcar Racing sanction won by Michael Leach, Nick Hoffman and Tyler Erb:
TOTAL OPPOSITE: After Tuesday’s program at Volusia was dulled by a drier, latched-down track, everyone pretty much expected a 180-degree turn in the half-mile oval’s surface for Wednesday’s triple 20s. “I posted that on Twitter — that you know we’ve seen rubber last night, and I figured a monsoon would hit overnight here and that's exactly what happened,” said second feature winner Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., referring to the likelihood of the track crew watering the speedway more heavily. “So you got two extremes: last night you saw a racetrack that we were literally three or four seconds off the pace to tonight we’re really running track record speeds all night.” It was a supersonic night at Volusia, one that tested both man and machine. “That was aggressive,” Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, remarked following his victory in the third 20-lapper. “I don’t get tired. I feel like I’m in good shape. I was definitely, like, tense driving, you know what I mean? Sometimes you can just cruise, but it was very demanding tonight.”
ON CLOUD NINE: The overwhelming feel-good story of Wednesday’s triple 20s was Michael Leach, the 22-year-old sophomore Super Late Model driver from Sun River, Mont., who rose up to shock the field with a victorious run in the first semifeature. He’s a dedicated, outgoing racer in his second year grinding away around the circuit to learn the ropes in the headline division, and after all the trials and tribulations everything fell his way as he led all but the race’s first lap to secure his first-ever Super Late Model triumph. Perhaps the juiced-up track surface played in his favor and the split-field races cut down some competition, but he still had to run flawlessly to defeat veteran national touring series regulars Daulton Wilson and Ryan Gustin. It was the type of performance on a big stage that left Leach feeling like he’s making headway with his career aspirations. “It’s awesome,” said Leach, the son of Longhorn Chassis co-owner Paul Leach. “I’m telling you, I really don’t know what to say. I’m just so happy right now. We keep saying, ‘You know, tomorrow’s a new day, tomorrow’s a new day, tomorrow’s a new day.’ Well, a new day finally came.”
TIMELY MOVE: Nick Hoffman understands the key to success when Volusia sports a hammer-down surface. “So, these restarts here, especially when the race starts (on a heavy track) like this, it’s so crucial for your entire race,” he said, pointing specifically to the green flag following a lap-12 caution period that proved to be the moment he seized control en route to winning the second 20-lapper. Running third, Hoffman found himself on the outside of second-place Brandon Overton for the Delaware double-file restart. He related that it was “kind of surprising that (Overton) chose the bottom there and gave me the outside, but there was a lot of moisture to leave off of four on the bottom so I guess he was just hoping that he could hook that and and beat me down the front straightaway.” But Hoffman rode the cushion off turn four, built momentum down the frontstretch to overtake Overton and then stuck his Tye Twarog-owned machine to the top lane rounding turns three and four and beat race-long pacesetter Austin Smith of Cedartown, Ga., back to the start-finish line at lap 13 to gain command for good. “I just kind of hammered it pretty hard hoping that it would stick and was able to sneak by him there off of four,” Hoffman, now a three-time DIRTcar Nationals winner in the Dirt Late Model division, said before adding: “If I don't get that aggressive on that restart I probably run third or fourth.”
FALLING IN LOVE: Can Volusia Speedway Park become Tyler Erb’s favorite track in Florida with East Bay Raceway Park gone? The 29-year-old driver is giving the sweeping D-shaped oval a chance to gain his favor — and if he continues ripping off victories like he did in Wednesday’s third 20-lapper, it will soon occupy a special place in his heart. Erb came close to his first-ever Volusia triumph last month when he finished second in a feature during the World of Outlaws Late Model Series-sanctioned Sunshine Nationals before busting through for his first checkered flag — and first DCN gator trophy — with a flag-to-flag conquest on Wednesday. He noted he’s “had a lot of bad, bad days here” over the years, but he’s reached the point where he doesn’t feel like he’s just “out there clueless.” While Erb acknowledged he felt fortunate to have an opening-lap caution flag wipe out his bad initial start that saw him outgunned for the lead by Cody Overton — he corrected his misstep on the race’s second start and never looked back — he made no apologies over finally hitting paydirt at Volusia. “I’m like, ‘Man, if I can ever win here, that would be awesome, ’” he said. “Obviously they split the field, so you know I had a third of the field, but I’ll take it. I’m not picky.”
STAT OF THE NIGHT: Michael Leach became the first driver to have their first-ever Super Late Model victory come in an event during Georgia-Florida Speedweeks since Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla., achieved the feat in February 2014 at Volusia. Bronson’s breakthrough Super Late Model triumph came in a WoO-sanctioned feature that closed the DIRTcar Nationals.
