Fast Talk presented by MD3 and Five Star Bodies
Fast Talk: Recap and World format tweaks
After a weekend when the Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals spoiled by rain, our roundtable gathers to pick up the scraps in the weekly feature presented by MD3 and Five Star Race Cars Bodies (edited for clarity and length):
Discuss a winner from the mid-September weekend.
Kevin Kovac, DirtonDirt senior writer: With the World of Outlaws Late Model Series idle for the weekend and Tim McCreadie’s Briggs Transport team not having the (rain-doomed) Knoxville Nationals on their schedule, it meant a rare weekend of home-state racing for New York’s T-Mac. He made the most of it, scoring an $11,800 ULMS victory on Friday at Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, N.Y., and running big-block modified races at Outlaw (finished fifth) and Saturday at Land of Legends Raceway in Canandaigua, N.Y. (DNF). He was also honored at Canandaigua as the newest member of the track’s Wall of Fame. In the midst of his far-flung Dirt Late Model travels, it was refreshing for McCreadie to go back to his roots and see many familiar faces.
Todd Turner, DirtonDirt managing editor: Seeing Jesse Stovall’s name pop up as a winner in the 4 State event at Springfield (Mo.) Raceway was a surprise and a delight. Struggling with post-concussion issues since a crash nearly 10 years ago, he competed sporadically several seasons and rarely at all in Late Models in recent years. The likable Stovall’s career stats won’t be what they might’ve been, but he’s among Missouri's best driers of the era and I’m glad younger folks are getting a chance to watch him race.
Kyle McFadden, DirtonDirt staff reporter: How about Georgia native Cody Overton becoming the unlikeliest of WISSOTA 100 winners? The 29-year-old became the first driver outside Canada, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wisconsin to capture the longstanding event. It’s Overton’s eighth victory of a resurgent season as he closes in on his first double-digit win campaign since 2023. While Overton’s victory came in Scott Ward’s car, his partnership with Minnesota car owner James Trantina has provided welcome stability after Overton’s engine woes amid the attempt to field his own equipment forced him off the World of Outlaws tour earlier this year. It’s shaping up to be perhaps his most rewarding season yet. When I caught up with Overton last month at the USA Nationals, it was clear how much the opportunity had restored his confidence and enthusiasm. The WISSOTA 100 is a regional crown jewel he’ll undoubtedly cherish.
Mike Ruefer, contributing DirtonDirt photographer: I’m going to brag about Dylan Thornton and his win with MARS at the World Famous Highland Speedway. One year removed from his championship year on the Malvern Bank East Series tour where he won seven times, he has become a contender on the MARS circuit. Outrunning Jason Feger and Ryan Unzicker is no easy feat. Now with three victories and third in points, he’s have a great rookie season on the circuit. The California Kid in the Brenda and Ricky Kay Longhorn with Tyson Gheer turning the wrenches, the Iowa team is doing what others don’t often do: Crossing the Mississippi River to race in Illinois!
Detail a recent news item — or something you don’t think is getting enough attention.
McFadden: Nice to see up-and-comer Kaede Loudy land some races in the Billy Hicks Racing No. 79. Sure, Hicks has cycled through several drivers over the years, but his equipment is capable and Loudy is a worthy choice. I’ve seen Loudy on the road plenty this season crewing for Daulton Wilson’s Viper-Big Frog team and, most recently, Ashton Winger at the World 100, all for the sake of learning more and bettering himself as a racer. That’s a smart approach for any young, hungry driver. It’s no surprise opportunities are finding Loudy, who respects his competitors and equipment while producing results himself.
Ruefer: The rainouts this year throughout the country are impacting the ability to race and earn an income to support tracks, vendors and many racers. Cancellations of long anticipated big races hurt a lot of people. Seems easy to cancel early on a projected rainy forecast, but think of the fallout: What do T-shirt vendors do with event shirts already printed? What do tracks do with food ordered and delivered? What do the fans do with hotel reservations they might not be able to get refunded on? These are just a few of concerns I see and hear.
Kovac: A week-and-a-half ago Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout promoter Chris Kearns announced that January 2027’s six-race miniseries at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande will offer competitors a minimum of $1,000-to-start each feature, adding some more pop to an event that already boasts a $25,000-to-win opener and $50,000-to-win finale. With start money rising from a $600 minimum, it’s another enhancement to a miniseries that continues to grow. The Wild West Shootout’s financial incentives are turning it into more than preseason spring training for race teams.
Turner: This is nothing new from me, but never getting enough attention is the oversaturation of indistinguishable and conflicting regional series along with the mish-mash of rules among Limited and Crate Late Models that divides the sport instead of uniting it. Boo.
Preview Brownstown’s Jackson 100 or WoO’s trip to I-55.
Turner: The Jackson 100 was the first biggest Dirt Late Model race I attended back in the 1980s and still holds a special place in my heart. What I didn’t fully realize then was the unique layout and racing style of the Brownstown quarter-mile that essentially has no walls at all (yes, there’s a frontstretch wall, but flirting with that means you’re not going the right direction). Rick Aukland’s No. 12 going airborne into turn one? IYKYK. Brownstown old-timers will tell you the racing isn’t what it used to be — for me, the slower the lap times, the better the competition — but I’m glad at $50,000 this race is at least, if not among the crown jewels, a major national event.
Ruefer: I-55 has been often called a mini Eldora and that in itself just adds to hype for the weekend. With Nick Hoffman coming off his historic World 100 victory his confidence going into Pevely will be high. If Bobby Pierce proved anything with his Cotton Pickin’ win besides dominating, is he ready to seal up the WoO title and do that this weekend. Babb, Feger, Unzicker will be there and all the regional hot shoes. It’s going to be the last Midwest race for the Outlaws this year. Should be a good one.
McFadden: The Jackson 100 has a knack for late-race drama. Ricky Thornton Jr. (taking the lead on lap 86 in 2023 and 76 last season), Mike Marlar (lap 48 in 2024) and Tim McCreadie (lap 64 in 2022) each prevailed through a mid- or late-race charge. The Lucas Oil title battle adds another layer. Brandon Sheppard’s 55-point lead looks less comfy given his 13.3 average Jackson 100 finish and no top-eight finishes in the Brownstown 100-lapper since his fourth in 2015. Hudson O’Neal has also struggled recently at his home track. Could that open things up for Devin Moran at 105 points back? After all, Brownstown has historically suited Moran.
Kovac: The Knoxville rainout took away one of the seven remaining points races on the Lucas Oil Series schedule, so the Jackson 100 weekend gains more importance in the tour’s championship battle. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s a close one coming down the stretch with Brandon Sheppard leading Hudson O’Neal by 55 points and Devin Moran by 105 points. The tour’s return to a traditional, full-season points format is set to produce some organic late-season drama — right alongside the new season-ending bonus program that has Brandon Overton and Ricky Thornton Jr., who are fourth and fifth in the standings but need plenty of help to get back in title contention, competing for a separate, $100,000-to-win crown encompassing the now final four Saturday races of ’26. The Jackson 100 certainly has more intrigue than just the pursuit of Saturday’s $50,000 top prize.
Let’s rewind a bit and talk World 100. Give me your best tweak (or overhaul) of the three-day format for lineups, inversions, etc.
Kovac: I would like to see a change with time trials. It strikes me that having qualifying sessions of 40-50 cars (with the field of 100-or-so entries split in half for the prelims) is too much, especially with points from time trials a big factor in the event points. Can each qualifying group be cut in half to 20-25 cars each so there’s not as much fluctuation in track condition from start to finish? That would probably mean adding Shootout qualifying races, but it might make time trials more equitable. And the Wheel of Misfortune can stay, but I’d like the odds of a six-car inversion reduced and a straightup or two-car inversion increased so that competitors sandbagging to “hit the invert” is more of a gamble.
Turner: Two things nag me about the modern format: that it’s rooted in the long-gone days of 200-car fields rather than 100-car fields, and that amid two nights of points-system prelims without a clear definition of a driver’s standing, when the inversion wheel is spun, fans have little knowledge exactly what’s at stake (i.e., does my favorite driver benefit from an inversion or not?). I can live with with the current system, but throwing something at the wall, how about this: first prelim night based on time trials leading to eight heat races and four qualifying features, no inversions (for the drivers); second prelim night by pill draw with eight heats and four qualifying features (for the fans). Dump the points system and line up Saturday’s heats based on combined qualifying feature performances (Thursday’s time-trial as tiebreaker). I also miss going straight to heats at 7 p.m. Saturday, but I suppose that’s a lost cause.
McFadden: If we’re going to call it the Every Lap Matters format, prelim points should provide more than heat race positioning before the dreaded invert. I’d lock the top six in points directly into Saturday’s 100-lapper, guaranteeing them the first six starting spots, while everyone else races through heats. Think about it — the would-be highest point earner from each heat wouldn’t have to race a heat. I think they’d deserve that, right? The Wheel of Misfortune can stay, but I’d limit it to zeros, fours and sixes, with fewer chances for six and more chances for zero. That would set both the heat inversions and the order of the six locked-in drivers. The current format is set up to penalize the best prelim performers. Points should reward, not penalize.
Ruefer: The rain right before the heat races on Saturday left many racers grumbling. For me the track conditions weren't that far off from the old days when the first heat rolled out without hot-lapping onto the tacky high banks. In my opinion in this modern era, we hot-lap the track to death. Twice as many laps are put on the surface today vs. the old two day format with Friday qualifying and Saturday heats, B-mains and 100-lap feature. Don’t worry I did the math. Cut out hot laps Friday and Saturday. Do what we’re there for: racing and the history making World 100.
Any other final hangover thoughts from Eldora?
Ruefer: There were times I found myself daydreaming about many of the World 100s I’ve attended. It was my 40th consecutive year of going to Eldora and the World 100. I haven’t seen them all because of rain and rescheduling, but I’ve been there. I still remember my first like yesterday in 1986. Just a kid then compared to today. I was just mesmerized by it then and still am all these years later. Being in victory lane Saturday is still the most historic setting in Dirt Late Model racing. I like to say it’s the only race that makes grown men cry when they win. It did that again in 2026.
Kovac: I have much the same thoughts running through my head as Mike. Last weekend’s Eldora action — and writing a pre-race story on the famed 2006 World 100 — had me waxing nostalgic on the fact that I’ve now covered every World 100 for the last 20 years, dating back to that ’06 event. My first World 100 was in ’04, so that’s 21 of the last 22 I’ve attended. The trek to western Ohio the weekend after Labor Day has now become ingrained in me, almost to the point of my Columbus Day weekend tradition from 1987-2015 of attending big-block modified racing’s Super DIRT Week at the Syracuse Mile. It’s hitting me that I’m not too far from seeing more World 100s than DIRT Weeks at the Mile.
McFadden: I’m still reflecting on the World 100’s enormity, particularly its fan engagement and the buzz surrounding the overall event. I’ve attended NASCAR’s Southern 500 at Darlington, the Clash at the Coliseum when that was still a thing and the Indianapolis 500 twice. I’m not suggesting dirt racing compares directly with those events in scale or reach. But this year’s World 100 carried shades of those enormous spectacles. It felt truly consequential.
Turner: It’s remarkable to me how far the World 100 has come as an event, as a happening, as perhaps the biggest bucket-list event in dirt racing. What’s long been the sport’s biggest race seemingly happened in a western Ohio vacuum not so many years ago without the live streaming and media coverage that now shows people who’ve never crested the gentle rise on Ohio State Route 118 exactly what they’re missing. Yes, I loved Earl’s rustic Eldora and the feeling that we were partners in a best-kept secret, but I’m also thrilled at the modern era Tony ushered in to create a stage that has propelled the track, and Dirt Late Model racing itself, to ever greater heights.
