Weekly Notebook presented by FK Rod Ends

Notes: Georgian breaks out with two-win weekend

September 3, 2026, 7:17 am

By Todd Turner

DirtonDirt managing editor

Tate McCollum (Deango Motorsports Photography)

It took Tate McCollum 10 seasons to capture his first Limited Late Model victory. The 28-year-old Ball Ground, Ga., racer's wait for his next victory was dramatically shorter — about 24 hours.

And McCollum hopes there are more victories to come after his Aug. 14-15 success at Sugar Creek Raceway in Blue Ridge, Ga., and North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, Ga. The two-victory weekend ended a long winless stretch for the driver who was accustomed to winning in gokarts as a youngster, but hadn’t found victory lane in full-sized race cars.

“There was plenty of times where I'm like, ‘Man, I don't know if I'm cut out for this.’ I mean, a lot of long nights driving home from the racetrack at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning and wondering what you could have done different and a lot of sleepless nights,” McCollum said. “I never gave up and that's kind of how my parents taught me to be with a lot of things in my life. I just kept at it.”

McCollum can’t point to a single reason for his success, but says its a combination of consulting support from Jeff Smith Racing of Chatsworth, the camaraderie of racing buddy Tucker Anderson who competes mostly in Super Late Models and a switch to a Vic Hill powerplant for 2026.

The Georgia racer realizes there are “a million different ways you can set these things up,” but his association with Smith and Anderson has helped him dial in a better suspension.

“We've been kind of fine tuning on our shock and spring package this year,” McCollum said. “I've been learning a little bit more about all this. I’m not an engineer by any means, but I've just been asking a bunch of questions and learning stuff and getting the right people in place.

“And I've been working hard on that all year as far as just getting what fits me. It's been a lot of trial and error, especially the last two years, but we just tried some different stuff and put together a new combination and it just seemed to work well for us that weekend.”

McCollum remembers that Anderson “always used to tell me, he was like, ‘You're the best race car driver that's never won a race,’ and that just ate me up.”

But that’s something Anderson, a two-time Southern All Star winner this season, won’t have to say any more during the frequent discussions between Georgians.

“He and I are pretty good friends. We hang out a good bit, do stuff other than racing. I help him out a little bit with his Super car, sponsoring it. We're just friends. I mean, we'll call and talk every day and I asked him how his weekend went and he asked me how mine went,” McCollum said. "We've just been learning a lot this year and me and him both have kind of benefitted, I guess you could say, from notes we've both gotten at different tracks and stuff. It's a good relationship to have. He’s my buddy first and foremost, but he’s helped me out a lot this year, not just with setup stuff, but mainly just giving me driving tips, more than anything. I've not really thought about things the way he's explained it to me, but it's helped me out a lot.”

McCollum is glad to find racing success, but he realizes he’s a hobby racer who has to squeeze in his time at the racetrack among long hours at the family’s roll-off dumpster, truck, grading and excavation businesses.

“I wear a lot of hats,” he said. “It’s just a lot of bouncing around and just doing whatever needs done and doing stuff in the office now, too. If we go to a race, we gotta plan it out and stay late (at work) and if we're too tired to go, we just don't go. It just kind of depends on how the week goes.”

McCollum’s two-victory weekend came on a relatively rare weekend of racing more than once. Most of his career, single nights at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga., Senoia (Ga.) Raceway and now Sugar Creek or North Georgia are the norm, but a rainout at Sugar Creek set up a Friday-Saturday doubleheader.

“We'd already planned on going to North Georgia that following Saturday anyway and my dad was joking because we were playing around with the shocks and everything all week and he said, ‘We'll see how Friday night goes, and if you do good enough, maybe we'll go Saturday.’ ”

Turns out the Capital Race Car was plenty good Friday and nearly as good Saturday. McCollum won by 4.3 seconds over veteran racer Shawn Chastain at Sugar Creek and by less than a second over Dante Curtis at North Georgia.

“It kind of took me by surprise how good the car was,” McCollum said. “It was just like it was meant to be.”

McCollum dabbled in Super Late Model racing three years ago, but the Limited ranks suit him better.

“I tried the whole Super deal there for a while and went and found out that I'm not that kind of caliber of a driver just yet,” he said. “It just wasn't really where I needed to be. I mean, I had no business being out there with those guys. I’m not a Dale McDowell or Michael Page or anybody like that by no means. So I just kind of pulled the plug on that deal and just went back to local Limited racing and hitting the (Topless Outlaws) stuff here and there.”

In competing at Georgia tracks in proximity to home, “I feel like I'm in the niche that I need to be in as far as what class and the level of racing I'm doing," McCollum said. "I love racing, but I'm not gonna let it dictate my life either. I've got other stuff I enjoy doing, too, but right now I’m ate up with racing, and we're gonna keep racing as much as we can.

"I mean at the end of the day it's a hobby and it's something me and my family really enjoy doing together. We've done it almost my whole life, and we just keep on doing it.”

And hopefully adding to his victory total, as well.

“It's a confidence boost for sure. I don't have to doubt myself anymore. I mean, especially when I've been trying that long and not been successful,” McCollum said, adding that “I just knew deep in my heart I was plenty capable of doing it.”

Weekly highlights

• Securing his third weekly championship at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, Casey Noonan of Sylvania, Ohio, won the track’s Aug. 29 points finale. Noonan also won track titles in 2009 and ’22.

• Tom Corcoran, 71, of East Grand Forks, Minn., won Aug. 28's Late Model feature at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., for his first win since Jun 26, 2020. His first career victory came in 1974.

• On Aug. 28-29 Yankee Dirt Track Classic weekend at 300 Raceway in Farley, Iowa, Chad Holladay of Muscatine, Iowa ($2,000) and Chad Simpson of Mount Vernon, Iowa ($3,000) scored feature victories.

• Mike Spatola of Manhattan, Ill., scored Aug. 28-29 Late Model victories at Kankakee County Speedway in Kankakee, Ill., and Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway.

• Making the winning pass on the last corner, Doug Drown of Wooster, Ohio, captured Aug. 28’s Super Late Model feature at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park, overtaking Todd Brennan by two-hundredths of a second for his 30th career victory at the track.

First things first

Recent first-time occurrences at the dirt track:

• Avery McMullen, 15, of Hagerstown, Md., scored his first Crate Late Model feature victory Aug. 29 at Latrobe (Pa.) Speedway.

• Winning for the first time in the Limited Late Model division, Davin Kaiser won Aug. 29 at his hometown Winchester (Va.) Speedway.

• Marshall O’Brian, 19, of Addison, N.Y., won Aug. 29 at Woodhull (N.Y.) Speedway for his first career Crate Late Model victory.

Weekly news briefs

• Reggie Frazier on Aug. 31 announced he’s stepping down from his role as promoter after two seasons at Laurens County Speedway in Laurens, S.C. “It takes a lot of people behind the scenes to make the race happen and I sincerely thank everyone who helped support me along the way,” Frazier said. The announcement tentatively ends the season at the Michael Cogsdill-owned track.

• The former North Central Arkansas Speedway in Yellville, Ark., has been purchased by Sarah and Caleb Gilley and renamed 247 Motorsports Park. The couple plans a few late-season events for the track, which has been closed since last fall.

• ABC Raceway in Ashland, Wis., announced Oct. 2-3's Red Clay Classic will pay $8,000-to-win for the Late Model division out of a total weekend purse of $140,000.

• Hartwell (Ga.) Motor Speedway has scheduled a vintage-style Late Model event for Sept. 25.

• Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Ky., on Aug. 31 cancelled its Labor Day weekend racing and hinted the track may be closed for the rest of the season.

• Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway cancelled Aug. 29’s event to handle maintenance issues ahead of Sept. 6’s Buddy Rogers Memorial for the Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series.

• East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City is mourning the passing of former Late Model racer Brand Lewis, a winner at EAMS and Senoia (Ga.) Raceway. The Hamilton, Ga., resident died Aug. 26 at Piedmont Northside Hospital in Columbus, Ga., at age 37. Survivors include wife Nickey and two sons, Levi and Lane.

• Sponsorship from Kapella Machine Electronics has boosted the Late Model purse for Sept. 18-19’s Legendary 100 to $12,000-to-win and provides free entry fees for Late Model drivers, Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., announced the event was originally $10,000-to-win. The format is A-B time trials with 10-lap heat races and a heat-winner dash on opening night. The second night of action includes consolation races, a last-chance race and 50-lap main event.

• Atomic Speedway near Chillicothe, Ohio, inducted Randy Ford, Joe Teeters and Dick Watts as the track's Class of 2026 Hall of Fame. Additionally Bob Crace Jr. received the Legacy Award and Dave Rawlins received the Ambassador Award.

• Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, Okla., announced plans to add a weekly Limited Late Model division in 2027 following rules of the Ozark Series. Twenty events for the division are planned for next season’s schedule.

• Adding twice-monthly Sunday race programs in 2027, Eagle (Neb.) Raceway next season plans to award a track championship for a regular IMCA Late Model division. The Sunday events, with IMCA Late Models and sport compacts in competition along with a rotating other divisions, will run twice monthly in four-division programs. The Racine Thompson-promoted oval, which hasn’t hosted a regular Late Model division for more than 25 years, hosted IMCA Late Models on Memorial Day weekend, drawing 21 cars with Jon Plowman winning the night’s feature. The track plans to run eight shows to meet IMCA track title requirements, using rain dates if necessary to hit the eight-race count. Eagle makes the fifth Nebraska track hosting a regular IMCA Late Model division.

• One season after reopening, Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D., is making plans for improvements in 2027 including a new racing surface, new scoreboard and the addition of other new equipment. The track had 22 competitors in its WISSOTA Late Model division in 2026 with champion Josh Skorczewski of Aberdeen, S.D., winning three of eight starts.

Weekly points

DIRTcar (Supers): Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., has 2,273 points to lead Tanner English (2,180) and Mike Spatola (1,996).

IMCA (Limiteds): Zach Zeitner of Bellevue, Neb., has 791 points to lead Tommy Elston (788) and Drew Baker (768).

WISSOTA (Limiteds): Tyler Peterson of Hickson, N.D., has 1,583 points to lead Kevin Burdick (1,580) and Shane Sabraski (1,566).

American All-Stars (Crates): Brandon Fouts of Kite, Ky., has 596 points to lead Logan Walls (566) and Corey Almond (512).

Crate Racin’ USA (602 Crates): Chace Pennington of Steens, Miss., has 600 points to lead Landon Mathews (592) and Joey Tucker (582).

Crate Racin’ USA (604 Crates): Brady Walton of Greenwell Springs, La., has 595 points to lead Shannon Lee (588) and division rookie Waylon Vining (587).

DIRTcar (Crates): Braden Johnson of Taylorville, Ill., has 945 points to lead Chase Wilson (838) and Ryan Miller (763).

Gen X (Crates): Trevor Walsh of Watertown, S.D., has 1,490 points to lead Parker Gilbertson (1,480) and Blake Swenson (1,434).

RUSH (Crates): Devin Brannon of Winchester, Va., has 1,338 points to lead Jeremy Wonderling (1,335) and Kurt Stebbins (1,312).

Ultimate (Crates): T.J. Salango of Glen Daniel, W.Va., has 289 points to lead T.J. Hicks (249) and Brandon Adkins (233).

USRA (Crates): Lucas Peterson of Stockholm, Wis., has 5,438 points to lead Jason McFadden (5,238) and Josh Wahlstrom (4,882).

Upcoming weekly specials

Among non-touring and independent special events coming up for Late Models at dirt tracks around the country:

Bedford (Pa.) Speedway (Sept. 4): The 39th annual Labor Day 55 pays $12,055-to-win for Super Late Models (with Limited Late Models in action Sept. 6).

Mount Pleasant (Mich.) Speedway (Sept. 4): The fifth annual Katie Hutson Memorial pays $3,000-to-win for Super Late Models.

Ohsweken (Ontario) Speedway (Sept. 4): The makeup of the Late Model Open Miniseries event paying $2,500-to-win highlights the holiday weekend.

Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park (Sept. 4-5): The newly reopened track’s PRP Dirt Classic highlights holiday weekend with $5,000- and $20,000-to-win Super Late Model programs.

West Virginia Motor Speedway, Mineral Wells, W.Va. (Sept. 4-6): Sunday’s Carl Short-founded Hillbilly 100 pays $25,000-to-win with the Hillbilly 50 and All-Star Crates on Friday along Saturday's twin $6,000-to-win Super Late Model features.

Gillette (Wyo.) Speedway (Sept. 4-6): The East-West Clash includes three consecutive nights of Super Late Model competition (purses not publicized).

Raceway 7, Conneaut, Ohio (Sept. 4-5): The September Shootout features $3,000- and $5,000-to-win Super Late Model programs.

Winston Speedway, Rothbury, Mich. (Sept. 4-5): The Fall Fury pays $3,500-to-win for Super Late Models with $300-to-win heats on opening night.

Penton (Ala.) Raceway (Sept. 4-5): The third annual Sweet Home Alabama Classic includes a $4,000-to-win Limited Late Model feature and $2,500-to-win 602 Crate Late Model feature. The best finishing 604 Crate in Limiteds receives $500.

Brown County Speedway, Aberdeen, S.D. (Sept. 4-5): The Big Buck Nationals includes a regular Late Model program on opening night and a $3,000-to-win program for the finale.

Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway (Sept. 5): The Butch Renninger Memorial includes a $7,333-to-win Super Late Model feature and $3,333-to-win Limited Late Model main event.

Shawano (Wis.) Speedway (Sept. 5): The final Late Model points event of the season pays $2,500 thanks to sponsorship from Galloping Ghost Motorsports & Transportation and an anonymous donor.

Electric City Speedway, Great Falls, Mont. (Sept. 5-6): The Montana Roundup includes a pair of programs for WISSOTA Late Models.

Wartburg (Tenn.) Speedway (Sept. 6): The makeup of the 10th annual Dylan Kennedy Memorial pays $13,037-to-win for Limited Late Models.

Selinsgrove (Pa.) Speedway (Sept. 6): The final Paul Long Memorial pays $10,063-to-win for Super Late Models and $2,563-to-win for Limited Late Models.

Moberly (Mo.) Motorsports Park (Sept. 6): Along with a hot dog eating contest, the sixth annual Weiner Nationals pays $10,000-to-win for the Super Late Model division.

Mudlick Valley Raceway, Wallingford, Ky. (Sept. 6): The Larry Toller Memorial caps the track’s season with a $3,500-to-win Super Late Model program.

Potomac Speedway, Budds Creek, Md. (Sept. 6): A $3,000-to-win Limited Late Model special is sponsored by Lexington Park Chevrolet-Buick-GMC.

Bradford Speedway, Rew, Pa. (Sept. 6): Super Late Models chase a $3,000-to-win payday during the holiday weekend.

Spoon River Speedway, Banner, Ill. (Sept. 6): The modified-focused Plowboy Nationals include a $3,000-to-win DIRTcar Super Late Model feature.

Boone (Iowa) Speedway (Sept. 7): The IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals put Late Models at center stage for the $3,000-to-win Labor Day event.