DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
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They screwed up. They know it. And it can't happen again. | Daily 5-19-2024
The conspiracy theory crowd lights up over a High Limit mistake, we've had a championship shakeup with a late model national tour, Kaylee Bryson makes history, and much more today. Let's go!
It's Sunday, May 19th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.
I know it's been a few days now, back to Thursday night, but we'll start today off with the High Limit situation from Outlaw Speedway. I know the tech issue at the scales after Brad Sweet's win was a huge topic of conversation on Friday, and I had plenty of messages and comments about it. I haven't even weighed in on it yet, and people were somehow already attacking me for a position I have yet to take. I'm not sure what it is about my past on this show that makes some out there automatically assume that I would somehow defend what happened. In the last few months I've now been accused of being both a High Limit hater, and a High Limit homer. I guess never let the facts get in the way of a good narrative. These folks must have forgotten the show I did last year after Kyle Larson stopped on track to talk to Tommy Estes at Tri-City where I said that can't happen. Or, let's go back to last Tuesday after Kokomo. I said, right here on this show, that any little thing that happened that looked off with High Limit would set off the haters. And just two days later you saw it all first hand. Exactly like I said it would play out. Kevin Nouse makes a mistake, doesn't look at the scales, and suddenly the black helicopters crowd thinks they just saw the cheating happening in plain sight. I hate to tell the conspiracy crowd this, but if everyone was really in cahoots to help Brad cheat, this isn't how you would do it. I've spoken to people close to this situation since last Thursday night. Brad's car wasn't underweight. I've been told he still had something in the neighborhood of 15 gallons of fuel in the car. That's easily 100 pounds. The 7BC and the 26 were well clear, and this was a non-stop race with no tire wear. You don't need to screenshot the Flo broadcast and try and use the enhance feature in Microsoft paint to read the numbers. The car was legal. But for all the things I talked about last Tuesday, this is all a very graphic illustration of why High Limit and it's crew cannot make these mistakes. Brad Sweet and Kyle Larson know it. Mike Hess knows it. And Kevin Nouse knows he screwed up bad. Even if these guys do everything 1000% right, by the book, no mistakes, the speculation is already there. But one tiny slip up, and suddenly everyone's a cheater and High Limit is crooked. If you wouldn't have told me that Nouse never looked at the scale readout, I wouldn't have even noticed it on the Flo broadcast. But this is where we are right now. Internet sleuths are watching this stuff like hawks just hoping to spot some irregularity. And Thursday night, they got exactly what they were hoping for. I don't really understand the motivation for wanting High Limit to be dirty and maybe fail, but it's out there. Going forward, even without making it super apparent or even speaking about it, the teching process for the 57 and the 49 has to be bullet proof. Above reproach. It doesn't matter if it holds up the victory lane celebrations, or whatever. Those cars are not cleared until the checklist is done. Does that mean a public facing scale readout like Eldora has? Maybe. Be transparent and leave no doubt. It may be the only way to quiet the naysayers. In the beginning of the movie Top Gun, Maverick is told he needs to be doing it better and cleaner than the next guy. And that's where High Limit is. When it comes to Brad Sweet and Kyle Larson and the officiating around them, there can be no other way.
As for the racing, obviously Sweet the winner Thursday at Outlaw, it was a great battle with Zeb Wise and Tyler Courtney in the mix. Friday at Utica-Rome, Rico Abreu finally got into the win column this season, getting by Brent Marks early and driving on to the win over Justin Peck and James McFadden. Heading to Port Royal next weekend, Sweet still in command over Sunshine and Brent Marks. A bunch of High Limit teams did go to Port Royal last night, and it was Courtney winning the show over Spencer Bayston and Austin Bishop. Anthony Macri, surprisingly, didn't make the main event. It could be very interesting next week with $75k on the line.
Weekend Outlaw wins went to Buddy Kofoid at Attica and David Gravel at Sharon. Gravel still 54 points clear of Schatz, but Carson Macedo is now third as he continues to gain ground. Logan Schuchart still without a podium run. The Attica win was Kofoid's first of the season. Bill Balog had a nice bounceback weekend after a some tough recent nights, and Landon Crawley 25th to 10th at Attica. More signs he's learning fast this season on the road with the Outlaws. The Ohio swing continues next weekend at Atomic. We'll see if any Outlaw teams try and run to Port Royal on Sunday to burn a freebie.
With the World of Outlaws late model series, we've had a shakeup in the standings. Issues for Brandon Sheppard Thurdsay at Raceway 7, plus a top five for Nick Hoffman, means we have a new points leader. A podium last night as well sees Hoffman out front by 12 points, with Sheppard back to second and Chris Madden now third after sweeping the two nights between Raceway 7 and Marion Center. Friday at Bedford was rained out. The 17th on Thursday was Sheppard's first Outlaw finish outside the top ten this season, as they've stayed incredibly consistent. That B5 team though still missing that pace though to contend for wins. Sheppard hasn't led laps in an Outlaw race since he won at Mississippi Thunder last September. In the meantime, Hoffman has won three times already, and has been regularly near the front. For Bobby Pierce, no real progress made up the standings. He's still seventh, and was also a non-factor, finishing 10th at Raceway 7 and 13th at Marion Center. The Outlaws race today at Path Valley.
We did have history made last night with the USAC Silver Crown Series at Belleville. Kaylee Bryson became the first woman to win a pole in Silver Crown history, but she wasn't done there. When Brady Bacon's car had a mechanical failure while leading with 17 to go, Bryson took over the lead, and held off CJ Leary in the closing stages to then become the first ever woman to win a USAC national event of any kind. Leary ended up second and Mario Clouser third. Bryson had previously led laps at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in a Silver Crown car in 2022, and has plenty of top tens on her resume. She's also run well in midgets, including now having two main event appearances at the Chili Bowl. Big night for her, and a hat tip to her and her team for the win. Weekend midget victories went to Cannon McIntosh and Daison Pursley.
Other weekend open wheel winners included Shane Golobic with the NARC sprint cars at Tulare, Garet Williamson won his first 410 show at Knoxville, Lucas Wolfe won Friday at Williams Grove, and Ayrton Gennetten was a POWRi 410 winner at I-70.
Other weekend late model winners included Ricky Thornton Jr. and Tyler Erb with James Essex Northern All Stars, Colton Flinner won the weekly show at Port Royal, and Jason Feger and Dillon McCowan were weekend MARS winners.
Just a quick side note here before we close out, and I've said this before. Nobody has editorial control over this show. Not racing series, not show sponsors, not streaming services, race teams, nobody. My sponsorship deals are not tied to any other entity, and those deals don't include any sort of say over content. When I was at World Finals last year, I bought the four day pit pass. No free media credential. When I went to High Limit and Lucas at Golden Isles, I traveled on my own dime, and bought a three day pit pass. Again, no free credential. I pay full price for DIRTVision. I pay full price for FloRacing. I pay full price for Jeremy's website. The High Limit hat you've seen me wear, I bought it. Same with the Lucas hat. The Bobby Pierce merch, bought and paid for. The Rocket and Longhorn hats, Tanner Holmes lid, Sprint Car Hub, and on and on. I support the industry just as much as I absolutely can with my money, and I have receipts.
That's it for the daily show today. Even though it's Sunday, there is still a lot of racing going on, so make sure to hit up the streaming schedule at dirtrackr.com/watchtonight.
Hope you guys have a great Sunday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow!