Kevin Kovac's Take Five
Take Five: Pomp and Circumstance for Mills
In a new feature appearing regularly on DirtonDirt, senior writer Kevin Kovac will offer readers five things worth mentioning from around the Dirt Late Model landscape (index to previous Take Fives):
No. 1: While World of Outlaws Late Model Series rookie Trey Mills of St. Augustine, Fla., won’t climb in his family-owned No. 14 this weekend because the national tour’s doubleheader scheduled for Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala., rained out, the 17-year-old had a memorable week. On Wednesday he completed his online coursework for his senior year of high school, putting him in line to graduate May 21. He plans to be in attendance for his graduation ceremonies, but that Thursday leading into the Memorial Day weekend will likely be his only visit home for more than two months. On Sunday Mills and his team will leave Florida for next week’s WoO events — Tuesday at Independence (Iowa) Motor Speedway and April 30-May 2 at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis. — and expect to stay on the road with the hauler until mid-July. Mills will fly back for his graduation.
No. 2: Speaking of Talladega Short Track, the speedway is hosting a local racing program this evening — headlined by CRUSA-sanctioned 602 and 604 Crate Late Models — following the cancellation of the WoO weekend. Friday’s forecast always appeared more promising than Saturday’s, but WoO and Talladega officials agreed to call off the tour’s entire twinbill rather than face the prospect of the teams making the long trip for only one night of competition.
No. 3: Talladega’s WoO cancellation was good news for the MARS Championship Series, which, of course, could use some positive vibes after its first five scheduled events of 2026 were lost to inclement weather. With their weekends now open, WoO regulars Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., and Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., plan to join the field for Friday’s season-opening MARS show at the Brownstown (Ill.) Bullring.
No. 4: Have you noticed the news reports of those wildfires this week across many parts of Georgia that have burned over 35,000 acres and destroyed nearly 100 homes? One of the bigger outbreaks has been n around Waynesville in Brantley County, not far at all from Golden Isles Speedway. I found a photo on Facebook showing giant plumes of smoke rising in the distance — apparently about 8 miles away — behind the track’s grandstand.
No. 5: Condolences to the family and friends of Mario “Moe” Defino, the longtime car owner, crew chief and speed shop operator from Oak Hill, W.Va., who died Thursday at the age of 64 after battling health issues in recent years. The proprietor of Pro Fabrications got his start working on cars owned by the late Bobby Allen; one of the drivers Defino wrenched for during his years with Allen was Hall of Famer Larry Moore, who also passed away on Thursday at the age of 83. The long list of Dirt Late Model racers whom Defino either fielded cars for or worked with over the years included Ronnie McBee, Jim McBee, C.S. Fitzgerald, Ronnie Miles, Gary Stuhler, Butch McGill, Les Hare, Kyle Lear, Paul Crowl, Rick Hulson, Steve Axtell, Jr., Chaz Walls, Jeremy Miller and Alan Sagi (who provided this information to me).
