Fast Talk presented by MD3 and Five Star Bodies
Fast Talk: Big Purse on the Prairie for B-Shepp
Our roundtable discusses Brandon Sheppard’s Prairie Dirt Classic victory and more in our weekly feature presented by MD3 and Five Star Race Cars Bodies (edited for clarity and length):
Evaluate Brandon Sheppard’s home-state windfall at Fairbury.
Kevin Kovac, DirtonDirt senior writer: Sheppard has clearly been on the cusp of winning his first crown jewel event with the Rocket1 team since 2022’s PDC. He’d been a serious contender in all four of the majors this season and it’s no surprise that Fairbury was where he broke through. He knows the place so well and the people there love him. What was especially striking about his victory is that, after struggling last season in his return to the Rocket house after a two-year foray in Longhorns, he really seems to be returning to his 2017-22 heyday with Mark Richards and the Rocket1 gang. And how about this — both Sheppard and Richards noted that their car this year has been getting better when the racetrack turns slicker, not traditionally Rocket’s hallmark. They’re in a good place and Fairbury, of course, accentuated those good vibes.
Kyle McFadden, DirtonDirt staff reporter: He entered the weekend as the favorite and left no doubt why. I liked the Rocket1 team over Bobby Pierce during Prairie Dirt Classic week, and when Sheppard started from the front row while the other heavy hitters lined up deeper in the field, those odds only improved. When I covered his Lucas Oil victory at Fairbury in May, Mark Richards made it clear the team still had holes to clean up despite winning. They weren't satisfied, and those improvements showed Saturday. Even as Sheppard trailed Trey Mills more than 60 laps, it never felt like he had lost control of the race. He stayed patient, letting the race come to him, and once he got to the lead, never looked back. When he pounced on Mills with one decisive move moments before reaching lapped traffic, it felt like that had been the plan all along. With the USA Nationals, North-South 100 and Topless 100 up next, there's no major event where the Rocket1 team won't be among the top three contenders. And, perhaps most ominously for the competition, Rocket1 may not have reached its peak yet.
Spence Smithback, World of Outlaws publicist: Like I wrote in the press release, it’s starting to feel like old times again at Rocket1 Racing. Sheppard had already done plenty of winning since rejoining the team last season, especially in recent weeks. But he and Mark Richards both expect to win crown jewels on the regular, and the first one in this chapter of their partnership is now in the books. It came as no surprise to see it happen at Fairbury, where Sheppard feels as comfortable as anywhere. Can he maintain that edge over the field at places like Cedar Lake, Florence and Eldora in the coming weeks? That could be the real test to determine whether Sheppard and Rocket1 are officially “back.”
Bryan Ault, DirtonDirt contributing writer: Heading into the weekend and fresh off a FloRacing tour victory Tuesday at Lincoln Speedway, I think a fair argument could have been made that Brandon Sheppard was the favorite. In some ways, the $68,500 payday isn’t surprising. As dominant as Bobby Pierce has been all year, Sheppard has emerged as the most consistent driver on the Lucas Oil tour and he knows what it takes to win. He took home the checkered flag during the FALS Spring Shootout on May 9, and is now a four-time winner of the PDC. Sheppard was raised on those little tracks in the Land of Lincoln. Momentum is all in his favor. With a 135-point series lead on the Lucas tour, Sheppard and the Rocket1 group definitely has the wind at their backs heading into two upcoming crown jewels: Cedar Lake’s USA Nationals and Lucas Oil’s Sunoco North-South 100 at Florence.
Fairbury draws a huge car count, but is there a format tweak that would keep drivers around all weekend?
McFadden: This probably won’t be popular with those who enjoy Thursday’s social night, but what if the Prairie Dirt Classic borrowed a page from the Knoxville Nationals? Run split-field preliminary programs on Thursday, with the top 16 drivers locking into Saturday’s feature. Then turn Friday into a "Hard Knox"-style last-chance night, where everyone else races for the remaining spots. The next nine drivers in line — the first two non-transfer finishers from each of the four semifeatures plus the fastest non-transfer from qualifying — would have a choice: take a guaranteed starting spot (1-3) in one of Saturday’s three B-mains that transfer two, or gamble by entering Friday’s complete program, perhaps paying $10,000-to-win and $1,000-to-start. The top four finishers Friday would lock into Saturday’s Prairie Dirt Classic feature in positions 17-20. Unlike Knoxville, there'd be no need for passing points. Maybe it would work. Maybe it would be a complete flop. Either way, it’s an idea worth kicking around.
Smithback: I wouldn’t be opposed to taking a page out of the open-wheel playbook and running one or more C-mains to limit the field sizes in the B-mains. It’s hard to blame a race team, particularly one with limited equipment and a small budget, for looking at the task of driving from 23rd to second in 15 laps and deciding it isn’t worth it to stick around and risk wrecking a car. A C-main could put the spotlight on more drivers, and limiting the number of cars on track at once prior to the main event could potentially help the preliminary action go smoother than it did Saturday.
Ault: I’d like to see a more lucrative non-qualifiers' race. In today's Dirt Late Model world, $3,500 isn’t what it used to be. Boost the winner’s prize for more incentive. That sounds more appealing than paying $500 for each lap led because it would give the fans more on-track action. It was unfortunate to see a few drivers load up after being buried in a B-main, but at the same time, you can’t blame them for saving their equipment instead of opting to race in a consy they have little chance of transferring through. A higher-paying non-qualifiers' event strikes me as the most logical and logistical choice. Maybe a local business or two could put up some money to keep all drivers in the cockpits instead of the bleachers.
Kovac: When there’s an 86-car field, I really don’t know if there’s anything you can do to make drivers buried in B-main lineups come back on Saturday. Saturday’s Prairie Dirt Shootout non-qualifiers’ race is there to give entrants one final shot at making the PDC (the winner chooses a $3,500 prize or the last starting spot in the 100-lapper) as well as extra track time and a purse payout (it’s $300 to start), but it has 20 starters so a good three-dozen racers are done after the B-mains when the turnout is as big as it was for this year’s PDC. I feel like it just is what it is when a show with heats/semifeatures on Friday and the consolations on Saturday attracts a supersized field. You’ll always have drivers who experience bad luck the first night weigh their chances of making the cut in a B-main and then scratch if they think pushing on isn’t worth it.
Pick another Prairie Dirt Classic topic
Smithback: Everyone had Sam Seawright winning a semifeature in his Prairie Dirt Classic debut, right? The Alabama native became an adopted member of the Illinois faithful Friday by riding the FALS cushion like a natural and bringing the crowd to their feet in the process. Between his pace this weekend and his DIRTcar Summer Nationals wins despite his lack of experience in the Midwest, Seawright has proven his ability to go anywhere in the country and quickly get up to speed. That’s a skill that could come in handy in the future considering Seawright and his Coltman Farms Racing teammate Luke Morey have their eyes on a potential national tour Rookie of the Year run in 2027.
Ault: Give me more bullrings, please. The racing at Fairbury always delivers, and proves my belief that bullrings provide the best racing. I get it: the big, massive ovals like Port Royal, Eldora and Knoxville certainly have a place in our sport and I hope they don’t go away, but how they race isn’t my preferred style with the aerodependency of the modern machines. The half-milers get notoriety because of their speed, but bullrings and short tracks can be equalizers, and Sheppard is one of the best at taming them. The passes some of these guys threw were wild to watch and can’t be replicated at many other places. Give me bent fenders and hurt feelings over speed any day.
McFadden: Let's use the Prairie Dirt Classic to spotlight a few of the sport's emerging talents. Outside of Brandon Sheppard's victory, Trey Mills was the biggest story. To do what he did in his second-ever trip to Fairbury showcases his potential. … Sam Seawright keeps adding to his game, too. The Alabamian outdueled Midwest veterans Chris Simpson and Dennis Erb Jr. in Friday's semifeature, another sign he's developing into a legitimate national touring-caliber driver. … Dallon Murty continues to flash his upside. He climbed from sixth to third and looked like a top-five contender until fading to 16th. Once he gets the hang of long-distance races, he'll be a serious threat one day in crown-jewel events. … And hat tip to Kaede Loudy. The Tennessean qualified for his first PDC, showcasing the smooth, bottom-feeding style that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Kovac: Trey Mills wasn’t the first teenager to flirt with victory in the PDC. Bobby Pierce was 16 when he was in the mix up front all the way to the end in 2013, the year the event became a high-paying, mid-summer blockbuster on the World of Outlaws tour. But Mills, at 18, doesn’t have Pierce’s level of Fairbury experience, and yet there he was, winning a Friday semifeature and leading the first 63 laps of the finale off the pole. It would’ve been incredibly difficult for him to hold Brandon Sheppard even if his right-rear tire didn’t go down from a cut and ultimately knock him from contention on lap 81, but man, was he ever impressive leading the way for over half the distance. Starting on the pole and leading laps in the Dream and PDC over a two-month span sure has earned Mills well-deserved attention and cemented him as among the sport’s top prospects.
What should we be looking for at Cedar Lake’s USA Nationals?
Ault: Lately, I feel like we’ve been constantly talking about Nick Hoffman, yet the Mooresville, N.C. driver has struggled to reach victory lane at our sport’s crown jewel events. Don't get me wrong, he’s undoubtedly one of our sport’s best drivers, but often facing a dominating Bobby Pierce, Hoffman hasn’t collected the big trophies. Maybe this weekend could be when Hoffman finally takes that extra step and takes home the winner’s check with the best of both national tours in action. Hoffman captured a six-figure payday at Mansfield in June, and with Saturday’s race at Cedar Lake paying $100,000 to the winner, Hoffman has a chance to boost the bank account again.
Kovac: With Brandon Sheppard rolling, could we see him win Cedar Lake’s crown jewel for the first time since 2018 and give the Rocket Chassis house car team back-to-back victories in the PDC and USA Nationals exactly one decade after Josh Richards did it in ’16? The midsummer double is very much in play for B-Shepp, who has plenty of laps around Cedar Lake. He has entered every USA Nationals since 2011 — when he was 18 — except the ’16 edition, and he’s almost always a contender when he’s behind the wheel of the Rocket1 with one triumph among five top-five finishes in his seven career starts with the team. I’d say keep an eye on B-Shepp’s bid to become the fourth driver to follow a PDC victory with a USA Nationals success, joining Richards, Jonathan Davenport (2015) and Bobby Pierce (’24).
McFadden: As Kevin notes, all eyes are on Brandon Sheppard and Rocket1 Racing. The team is scorching hot, winning seven of 16 races with 12 top-five finishes over that span. Cedar Lake's absence of Ricky Thornton Jr. and Jonathan Davenport is a bummer, but it also creates an opportunity for someone new to break through — much like Ryan Gustin did a year ago. Dustin Sorensen catches my eye. Before his 23rd at the PDC, the Rochester, Minn., driver had a four-race WoO top-10 streak and posted six top-10 finishes over his previous seven series starts. Add in last year's third-place finish in the 100-lap USA Nationals at Cedar Lake, and Sorensen feels like the one driver who could break through this weekend.
Smithback: This feels like a week where drivers outside of the usual suspects could be in contention. Ryan Gustin filled that role last year with his first crown jewel victory and the career-high $100,000 check that came with it, but he wasn’t the only one in that category. Jake Timm was in position to win the pole of the 100-lapper until his frontstretch run-in with Garrett Alberson while leading the dash. And two years ago, Dustin Sorensen earned a spot on the podium. After working through plenty of hard luck in his third year as a full-time Outlaw, he’s someone in dire need of a solid weekend at a track he knows well and where he won the recent Duane Mahder Memorial.
Discuss another piece of news, result or driver that hasn’t been mentioned.
Smithback: By the time you’re reading this, four more dates on the 2027 World of Outlaws schedule will be public. Farmer City’s Illini 100 is back as the unofficial kickoff to racing season in Illinois, and the huge crowds we saw this season at Magnolia, Volunteer and Smoky Mountain suggest those tracks could all become staples of the schedule moving forward. One thing you may notice is the absence of a practice night at Magnolia and Farmer City. The plan as of now is to have a single practice night in 2027 on Wednesday, Jan. 27, prior to the season opener at Volusia. The others are being cut to reduce unnecessary expenses and time on the road for the race teams.
McFadden: Devin Moran's guest appearance in the Chili's-backed Spire Motorsports entry at the Prairie Dirt Classic has me wondering if there could be more opportunities with the NASCAR-connected team down the road — perhaps something similar to Hudson O'Neal's hit-and-miss arrangement with Kevin Rumley. I do know Spire is taking its Dirt Late Model program seriously. Steve Dixon oversees it, and his résumé includes crewing on Brandon Overton's 31-victory season in 2021. Speaking of Spire, it's worth recognizing how invested Carson Hocevar is in becoming a respected Dirt Late Model racer. I don’t think he’s just making cameo appearances because it gives him a merch bump. He's racing often, taking his lumps, tearing up some equipment and, at times, frustrating competitors. But that's part of learning. More importantly, he's garnering fresh attention, new fans and an added spotlight to the sport. In the long run, Dirt Late Model racing benefits far more from Hocevar's desire than it suffers from his growing pains.
Ault: Dustin Nobbe on Friday grabbed a Slingin’ Dirt tour victory at Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis. Nobbe’s victory is notable since it was just the second triumph of his career and his first Super Late Model win. Nobbe loves fast tracks, and with the North-South 100 looming large, I’m sure the win gives him a big boost of confidence heading into his home track at Florence. Recall Nobbe made some noise at last year’s North-South when he picked up a Saturday heat race win over Hudson O’Neal and Carson Ferguson.
Kovac: It was unusual to have Jonathan Davenport’s name missing from the PDC roster (since 2013 he’s skipped it only in ’13, ’17 and ’23). It’ll be even stranger to see him not enter this weekend’s USA Nationals, an event he won in 2015, 2021 and ’22 and has skipped just three times in the last 16 years. But J.D. is bypassing both the PDC and USA Nationals this year — the first time since 2017 that he’ll be absent from both races in the same year — so he can spend the stretch watching his son Blane compete in Bassmaster Junior National Championship tournaments. Yes, he’s giving up a shot at two big payoffs, but Davenport said he decided to pick-and-choose his races this season so he could enjoy more time with his family even if it would almost certainly cut into his earnings potential. Here’s a hat tip to the 42-year-old Davenport allowing himself to smell the roses a bit amid all his racing success.
