After the Checkers
Instant reaction, analysis after Cedar Lake opener
By Kyle McFadden
DirtonDirt staff reporter
Tyler Erb in victory lane. (photosbyboyd.smugmug.com)
Instant reaction and analysis from Thursday’s 30-lap USA Nationals prelim, a $30,000-to-win World of Outlaws Late Model Series event captured by Tyler Erb (RaceWire):
RENEWED BELIEF: Tyler Erb’s victory Thursday wasn’t only pivotal because it renewed his belief that he can truly contend in Saturday’s 100-lap USA Nationals — a race in which he’s finished inside the top 10 just twice in eight feature starts — but also because it enabled him to put an aggravating Prairie Dirt Classic week behind him. While some remain skeptical, Terbo has made a conscious effort this season to win more races with patience than aggression, making Thursday's composed performance especially significant. Just a week earlier at Fairbury, he tangled with Josh Rice while battling for second in Wednesday’s FloRacing Night in America feature, then spun after contact with Brandon Sheppard while racing for third in Saturday’s Prairie Dirt Classic finale. Rather than carrying that frustration into another crown jewel weekend, Erb left those emotions at Fairbury and pieced together a smooth, mistake-free drive to victory — over Brandon Sheppard, no less. I've now covered all three of Terbo's WoO victories this year — at Mansfield in May, West Virginia in June and now Cedar Lake Thursday — and each triumph has left me with the impression that he's intentionally racing wiser. If history is any indication, Thursday's triumph could prove even more meaningful. Six of the last 11 USA Nationals champions also won a preliminary feature during the week, giving Erb even more reason to believe Saturday could be his breakthrough.
ROCKET1 LURKING: Tyler Erb earned Thursday’s victory, but it was hard not to wonder what another 70 laps might have produced. Brandon Sheppard steadily reeled Erb in over the closing circuits, and much like last week’s Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury, the Rocket1 Racing driver appeared to get stronger as the race wore on. Sheppard was especially effective around the bottom groove while Erb needed to carry more momentum and arc farther off the corner to maintain his pace. The 30-lapper ultimately played to Erb’s advantage, but I also came away feeling Sheppard never truly had to show his full hand — or force the issue — knowing Saturday’s 100-lap finale is the race that matters most. Over his last 18 races, including the PDC semifeature, Sheppard’s won seven times and finished on the podium 10 times with average finished of 3.8. It might very well be the field versus Rocket1 come Saturday’s 100-lapper.
O’NEIL’S FLASH: For a moment, Jake O’Neil had the World of Outlaws field on upset alert. He won his heat race after a spirited battle with Cody Overton, then charged from third to second on the opening lap of the feature to slot in behind Tyler Erb. Unfortunately for the 34-year-old Arizonan, his Cinderella bid unraveled after the lap-seven caution. O’Neil slipped backward on each of the race’s three restarts and ultimately faded to 14th. He said afterward a blistered, glazed-over right-rear tire — likely the result of how he grooved it and pushing too hard too early — left him vulnerable on the trio of restarts down the stretch. Even so, O’Neil’s season deserves recognition. He’s won a heat race at the Wild West Shootout, qualified for Eldora’s Dream, won the Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals opener and, for a brief stretch Thursday, appeared capable of springing one of the biggest surprises of USA Nationals week. A top-10 — or perhaps something even better — in Saturday’s finale would be another milestone.
NOT THE SAME: Ryan Gustin and Tim McCreadie arrived at Cedar Lake as last season's USA Nationals winners, but neither believes that success offers much of an advantage this weekend. Both are driving different cars than the ones they won with a year ago — McCreadie in Thursday's prelim and Gustin in Saturday's $100,000 finale. Gustin had hoped to bring back the same Infinity car that carried him to last year's USA Nationals crown and this year's $40,000 victory at Deer Creek’s Gopher 50, but he "junked it" during the World of Outlaws weekend at Mansfield on May 29-30. As a result, he said virtually none of last year's notes have translated — at least on Thursday. McCreadie is in a similar position. His Longhorn from a year ago has simply been cycled out as part of the team's normal rotation, but that’s left him unable to recapture the same feel that carried him to victory in last year’s weekend opener. T-Mac’s been a back-end top-10 car of late, with occasional top-five runs. Both are in a quandary the rest of the weekend, chasing a feeling they know exists but struggling to recreate it with different cars.
HOPE FOR REBOUND: As is often the case at a crown jewel event, several drivers left Thursday with unmet expectations, beginning with Chris Madden. The Gray Court, S.C., veteran scratched for the night with engine trouble after qualifying second fastest in Group A. The setback was especially deflating considering Madden hasn’t won since April. Bobby Pierce, meanwhile, was a surprising non-factor. He finished 12th after never running higher than eighth, and apparently was the only driver to opt for a softer tire combination. Whether that decision was the detriment or not, Pierce was uncharacteristically ineffective — especially around the cushion. Dustin Sorensen's night, on the other hand, unraveled after he was swept into the lap-seven crash. Then, following his lap-21 exit, came another blow as the Rochester, Minn., driver learned he'd also need to change engines for Friday. That's a tough pill to swallow at one of his home tracks, where he was third in the 2024 USA Nationals finale, but Sorensen remains confident.
STAT OF THE NIGHT: Tyler Erb’s third national touring victory of the season (all with WoO) is the most since 2021, when he won seven times on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
