Fast Talk presented by MD3 and Five Star Bodies
Fast Talk: Six-figure review, preview
With Dream Week upon us, our roundtable reviews $100,000 victories for Tyler Erb and Nick Hoffman at Mansfield before looking to Eldora in the weekly feature presented by MD3 and Five Star Race Cars Bodies (edited for clarity and length):
Provide your hot takes on Mansfield’s big weekend (shelve the purse inflation, for now).
Kevin Kovac, DirtonDirt.com senior writer: The reborn track is by no means a finished product — owner and promoter Matt Tifft candidly admits that — but the weekend was a glimpse into what the place can be in the Dirt Late Model world. It’s a super facility, one certainly worthy of hosting huge events. Tifft turned out a crowd, though he also hit on sunny, dry weather. The track surface still needs a lot of work for the place to reach the speedway’s full potential, but Tifft’s young enthusiasm provides optimism that what needs to be done will be to ensure a bright future. We know he’ll go big and make spectacles at Mansfield just from this weekend. He just needs to figure out that surface.
Todd Turner, DirtonDirt managing editor: Ambitious track owner Matt Tifft had his challenges in hosting such a huge event with just a single race under his belt after the track’s $8 million overhaul and seven-year closure. Friday’s dusty start made that all the harder, but Saturday’s rebound — after extensive work on the surface, including with assistance from competing teams — provided hope, if not assurance, that Mansfield’s future is on firm footing. When someone is willing to make investments (like Tifft and his track benefactors, the Niss family), you hate to see them discouraged, so it’s great the weekend ended on a high note.
Kyle McFadden, DirtonDirt staff reporter: Mansfield's facility is already among the top 10 in the country, in my opinion, and I think some people are letting the track's flaws from the weekend overshadow the bigger picture. Matt Tifft and his team — with some valuable assistance from Mark Richards — are already hard at work improving the racing surface. Let's not act like some of the best tracks and facilities in the country haven't had surface issues before, especially when dealing with a newer batch of dirt and clay that needs time to settle. Besides, nobody would care this much if the place lacked potential. The reason expectations are so high is because the facility itself is so impressive. By Saturday, the dust issues had improved significantly and the racing surface trended in the right direction. That's progress, not failure, and it's a reason for Tifft and his team to be encouraged rather than discouraged.
Bryan Ault, DirtonDirt contributor: While I’m sure the other competitors would’ve loved to have the cash, I’m glad the big bucks went to a couple of drivers who haven’t won a major crown jewel. Tyler Erb has always been a road warrior, especially during his Fun Tour running the DIRTcar Summer Nationals in recent seasons. He’s a deserving winner to finally land a big paycheck. Then there’s Hoffman, who came up through the modified ranks and has taken the opportunity given by Tye Twarog and ran with it, currently running neck-and-neck with Bobby Pierce for the World of Outlaws series championship. Regardless of the boosted purse, the victories helped both drivers hit their stride at the right time with Eldora, and the chance to land another big check, looming large.
What’s your reaction to the Niss family’s unfathomable generosity that boosted purses to record back-to-back six-figure paydays?
McFadden: I didn't get the chance to chat much with the Niss family as I would've liked, but in my brief conversations with them, it was clear they're genuinely good people who want racers to leave Mansfield with lasting memories — and a whole lot of cash. What stuck with me most was watching Dan Niss in victory lane both nights. He wasn't looking for the spotlight. Instead, he seemed content taking in the emotion of the moment and watching how his family's generosity had changed the lives of Tyler Erb and Nick Hoffman. I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't the last time they're involved in helping Mansfield create something special. They seem all-in on helping Matt Tifft and his team succeed. Their generosity created a weekend that people in Dirt Late Model racing will remember for a long time.
Ault: Seeing mixed reactions on social media was perplexing to me. I love everything about it, especially the way they announced it on the first night as drivers were on the track and about to take the green flag. I just wish we could have had some cameras and mics rigged up in the cockpits to see the reactions of the drivers when they heard the news over their radios. I realize not everyone has that kind of money to do something of that magnitude on a regular basis, but our sport could use more of that spontaneity, even on a smaller scale. Why can’t a local business support local racing by giving, say, a couple hundred or more to the winner each night? With Eldora on our minds, I’m envisioning Tony Stewart getting on the one-way radio and informing the drivers of the 2032 Dirt Late Model Dream that they’re racing for a million bucks instead of advertising it six months ahead of time. Imagine the chaos and crowd reaction that would ensue!
Turner: Unbelievable. We’re accustomed to modest bonuses tossed into the fray, and even some five-figure prizes. But scaling up both events to $100,000 paydays — especially adding $88,000 on Friday — was unheard of. Clearly Dan and Brenda Niss have taken generous interest in various projects and developments in and around Mansfield, so it’s fantastic they see the reopened track’s future as something worth building on. Did the 11th-hour bonuses add intrigue? No doubt. Promotion-wise, I think the big question is this: Did the surprising purses add intrigue (and benefit) to the track more than if the track had known days or weeks ahead and been able to specifically promote a double six-figure weekend (and, perhaps, spread the money among multiple drivers)?
Kovac: My immediate reaction to the huge, last-minute boosts to the first-place payoffs was that, while it was a cool, unexpected moment injected into the weekend and undoubtedly generous of the Niss family, it was money that could have been better spent in other ways. Through a promotional prism, throwing so much extra on top at the last minute doesn’t do anything to build publicity that draws racers or fans to the event since it’s already happening. And while the six-figure winner’s purses definitely were a big deal to Tyler Erb and Nick Hoffman — the winners who were overjoyed with their career-high first-place earnings — wouldn’t spreading that cash throughout the field have made a bigger impact on a sport where everyone is constantly complaining about the high cost of competing? Heck, considering the struggles with the track surface, the Niss’s money might have been best used to help finance trucking in the absolute best clay in the country no matter how far away it was found. But ultimately, who can tell someone how to spend their money? The Niss family obviously was pumped to have Mansfield Speedway operating again in their hometown, and they obviously have the resources to write big checks to celebrate it.
Let’s cut to the chase: your Dream XXXII winner?
Turner: The list of candidates isn’t long for me, but I’m leaning toward Nick Hoffman. Not just because of Saturday’s career-richest victory at Mansfield, but because of his steady improvement at Eldora and his incredible consistency everywhere. He’s not a brash, swashbuckling driver who will roll into Eldora boasting he’s a favorite, but his workmanlike production will pay off at the Big E sooner than later.
McFadden: Like Todd, I'll take Nick Hoffman. After watching Hoffman at Mansfield, it feels like he's stepped up another level. His six-figure victory was the kind of breakthrough that can remove a mental hurdle for a driver who's spent the last few years trying to prove he belongs among the elite. His game looks more complete than ever right now. He's qualifying up front, racing smartly, making the right tire decisions and capitalizing when opportunities present themselves. Add in the confidence that comes from a career-defining $100,057 victory just days before Eldora, and it's hard not to like his chances. It won’t be easy, but if you’re looking for one guy who’s a surefire candidate to be in the mix come Saturday, give me the model of consistency — and now hot hand — in Hoffman.
Ault: It’s really hard to pick against Jonathan Davenport. With three consecutive Dream victories, he’s dominated the late-spring showdown. Last year’s victory was particularly definitive, half-tracking the field from his mid-pack starting spot. It isn’t that Davenport won the Dream last year that makes him the favorite — it’s how he dominated the race by such a huge margin. I’m sure Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton Jr., Dale McDowell and Nick Hoffman will give him all he can handle, but Eldora is a track that’s always on his mind each and every week, and with his trusty Eldora car not slowing down, it’s hard to go against him in Saturday’s 100-lapper.
Kovac: While the writer in me wouldn’t mind seeing Jonathan Davenport win a fourth straight Dream (incredible, historic achievements make for great stories and build the profile of a driver) or Bobby Pierce get his first Dream to go along with his other four crown jewel victories at Eldora (two Dreams, two DTWCs) to continue adding to his amazing resume, I have this feeling calling Brandon Sheppard’s name to me. He’s running very well in the Rocket1 machine and just last week finished second in the Show-Me 100. I see the Dream becoming his first crown jewel victory since his return last year to the Rocket house car team. Plus, he’ll be the first driver not named Davenport or Overton to capture the Dream since 2019 when the victor was … B-Shepp driving the Rocket1.
What weighs heavier: a driver’s career-long Eldora pedigree or carrying non-Eldora momentum to the Dream?
Kovac: I think it’s pretty clear from history that the drivers who know Eldora the best enjoy the most success. Of course, that group is also comprised of star drivers who, even if they might not be riding a hot streak coming into an Eldora weekend, are still likely viewed as contenders wherever they go. The racers who have proven themselves in the past at Eldora don’t need momentum to be good when they hit the track there. Their boost comes from their experience and comfort with rounding the famous half-mile oval.
Ault: Eldora is a different track compared to all the others around the country, and some drivers such as Dale McDowell succeed there more than other places, because of its size, shape and skill with tire management during its 100-lap distance. That said, I think momentum through recent wins and success matters more. If there’s any challenger to Davenport, my money would be on Hoffman. Recall last year’s Dream when Hoffman went a lap down early, but rallied to finish third. Fresh off his big Mansfield payday, Hoffman is riding high heading into the Big E, and momentum matters at a place like Eldora.
Turner: It’s obviously a combo, but I’d lean toward drivers who’ve proven themselves at one of the toughest tracks to master. It’s indeed a rarity for a random driver — even a driver having a spectacular season — to post a surprisingly strong Eldora performance, much less win. Momentum — what we’re really saying is confidence — is vital in this sport, so I’d definitely prefer coming to the Dream on a hot streak, too. In summary, I’ll be surprised if the four winners this week aren’t making a return trip to Eldora’s victory stage.
McFadden: Both matter, but I think Eldora pedigree carries a little more weight. Momentum can absolutely boost a driver's confidence and put a team in a good place mentally heading into a week like the Dream. But Eldora has a way of humbling even the fastest teams if they don't understand what it takes to get around that place when the stakes are highest. The drivers who consistently contend at the Dream tend to be the ones who know how to race the track throughout the weekend, how to manage the grueling 100-lapper and how to put themselves in position when the money is on the line. Nick Hoffman, however, has momentum and Eldora knowledge on his side, having finished on the podium in both the Dream and World 100 last year while also coming off the biggest victory of his career Saturday. But it takes a driver disciplined enough to navigate Eldora’s tricky half-mile and a car set up for success to run well come Saturday in the 100-lapper.
Does the Dream’s single-prelim format give lesser teams a better chance in June than the World’s three complete nights of action?
McFadden: I think it does because it levels the playing field more. The Dream gives everyone essentially one prelim night to put themselves in good standing for Saturday. If a smaller team unloads well and has a strong prelim, they’re right in the mix. At the same time, if something goes awry on a driver's prelim night, it makes Saturday that much tougher. The Dream's format creates more uncertainty and urgency for everyone, placing a greater premium on execution right out of the gate while opening the door for a more modest operation to catch lightning in a bottle, so to speak. At the World 100, the sport's powerhouse teams generally have more leeway to recover, adapt and work their resources to their advantage.
Ault: I think the World 100’s format gives drivers a better chance. In the Dream, a poor single qualifying night performance leaves you relegated to starting in the back of one of Saturday’s heat races, where your chances of making the crown jewel event are slim. With the World, a driver can redeem himself on his second outing with a mediocre first outing and still have a realistic chance to make the big show, or get lucky with the invert (can the Wheel of Misfortune please, go away?) and start on the front row.
Turner: I guess somewhat, but the days of a lower-budget team sneaking up and posting a noteworthy performance at Eldora are mostly over. The three-race World 100 weekends do clearly benefit teams with the time, resources and manpower. For the Dream — discounting Wednesday’s FloRacing Night in America night — an unheralded team can make one night count in Dream prelims to put themselves in position Saturday, but you still need to catch lightning in a bottle two nights. Not to be the “good ol’ days” guy, but the legacy format of time-trialing one night and straight to heats for the finale was much more suited to allowing surprising drivers to get into the mix.
Kovac: I’d say it certainly does. Three straight nights of racing — especially at a track as challenging and pressure-packed as Eldora — will always favor the most well-equipped teams, those that have the full-time crew and financial resources to handle the heavy workload and potential for problems that need to be overcome. One prelim night doesn’t inject quite the randomness that Eldora’s old crown jewel format with a single night of time trials setting Saturday’s heats, but it still leaves open the possibility of a lower-level driver and team positioning themselves well by having everything go their way once. It’s a little like the difference between a single-elimination tournament and a seven-game series in other sports — anything can happen one night, but the cream rises to the top over the longer haul.
