DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

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Plans come together after wild week for Ricky Thornton Jr., Hudson O'Neal | Daily 7-11-2024

The Ricky Thornton Jr., SSI, Hudson O'Neal situation is finally settled. Gio Scelzi gets a big win, Daison Pursley is rolling, and what's coming up this weekend. Let's go!

It's Thursday July 11th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.

Before we get into today's show, just a quick request from me to you. And that is if you enjoy the content we put out five days a week, please consider subscribing to the channel or the podcast. Both are free to do, and always will be. My 2024 goal is 40,000 subscribers on YouTube, and with still about half the year to go, we are at just shy 33,000. It's going to be close, but I think we can do it.

The final piece to the dirt late model puzzle we've been following this week fell into place yesterday afternoon. The split of Ricky Thornton Jr. and SSI Motorsports has been the P1 story all week, and as of yesterday RTJ has a new home. Starting with this week's Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events, Thornton will join Koehler Motorsports to pilot a Longhorn Chassis. And he's bringing sponsors Hoker Troking, Coltman Farms, plus his relationship with Longhorn and Bilstein with him. As this transition happens over the next few weeks, RTJ will drive a number 114 car, that is Jordan Koehler's number, before his new 20RT wraps are ready to go. The team had planned on racing with Jordan on the Southern Nationals tour, until this late change. I shared this photo to Facebook yesterday, which is Jordan's car. This should give us at least some idea of what Thornton's car will look like for the next little bit. Jordan and Evan Koehler will continue racing late models out of the team's shop, and this change does not affect Jimmy Owens, who has been with the Koehlers for a while now as well. It will be interesting though, as you'll have Jimmy in a Rocket and RTJ in a Longhorn. Thornton will continue to chase the Lucas and Flo series championships. RTJ will be joined by crew chief Kenny Payton who has been working with the Koehlers. As we talked about earlier this week, Thornton has a pretty big cushion in the Lucas standings, both in the lead, and down to fourth, so this team has time to get it's legs under it. I think there is way less pressure on this side versus SSI and O'Neal, and even though this is a family operation, I think the addition of Owens has brought them along quite a bit over the last year or two. As long as the weather plays nice, we'll see where things stack up tonight at 34 Raceway and Saturday at Wheatland. The Friday race at Tri-City has already been rained out. With so much racing coming up, I do think that will be a positive for RTJ and this Koehler team. A bunch of chances to get him comfortable. I definitely think these two situations are a bit opposite right now. Thornton with the big lead, he's got time to settle in, but O'Neal trying to get back in the fight and being the guy replacing the guy, he really needs to be fast out of the gate. It should be an intriguing next two weeks on tour with the Lucas late models. If you are curious as well, here is a look at O'Neal's wrap for SSI. This was shared to Huddy's Facebook page yesterday. The same blue and white, but definitely the addition of O'Neal's sponsors and number 71. You can tell also, that O'Neal and SSI have probably been taking some heat, as commenting was turned off the wrap Facebook post.

If you want even more late model racing coming up, the World of Outlaws have three stops this weekend, with tonight at Bedford, and Friday and Saturday at Sharon. Brandon Sheppard and Nick Hoffman clearly out front right now in the standings, but Bobby Pierce still trying to claw his way back into the fight. Also good stuff lately from Ryan Gustin and Brian Shirley. Max McLaughlin had been on a heater as well, but he struggled a bit at Deer Creek.

You've also got the Southern Nationals starting at Beckley and Wythe, both $10,000 to win shows, plus Volunteer on Sunday. Summer Nationals begins to wrap up, they've got Butler tonight, Crystal on Friday, Oakshade on Saturday, and Wayne County on Sunday. And yes, I know I had the days confused on yesterday's show. There is also plenty of other scattered regional action, including WISSOTA at Hibbing, Southern All Stars at Thunderhill, and more. And don't sleep on the USMTS Mod Wars at Ogilvie that start tonight. Saturday there is $11,000 to win, and everyone chasing Jake Timm right now in the championship.

On the sprint car side, the national tours are rolling again after the off week, and last night it was the World of Outlaws back to kick things off at Beaver Dam. We had a good early battle between Buddy Kofoid and Emerson Axsom, and then it was all Gio Scelzi from lap 15 on. Outlaw win number three on the year for Scelzi, and Kofoid and Axsom on the podium. That was a career best run for Axsom, and he's clearly just getting started figuring out winged sprint cars. Plenty more to come from him in the future. For Gio, we know he can be consistent, and that's kept him in the mix here with David Gravel, Carson Macedo, and Donny Schatz. But if he's really going to contend for the title come World Finals, he's got to find his way to the very front a bit more, and we saw that last night. This is his most Outlaw wins in a season so far, and I think he probably needs to get to six or seven wins, and get that average finish down into the fives to really start to apply some pressure here. I like what I'm seeing though, two wins in seven races, and maybe just a bit of momentum. Coming up this weekend is two nights at Wilmot in Wisconsin.

On Saturday, you will have the two series up against each other, with High Limit at Portsmouth for $25,000 to win. We haven't seen the Kubota High Limit sprint cars since that rain shortened weekend at Lucas Oil Speedway at the end of June. Brad Sweet has continued to stretch away from Tyler Courtney in the standings, but Sunshine is the most recent series winner. Sweet so far has 21 top fives and 25 top tens in 26 races, to go along with those six victories. Your five charter teams at the moment are the KKR49, Sunshine's 7BC, Brent Marks' 19, the Jason Meyers 14 for Corey Day, and Rico Abreu's 24. Justin Peck there still in the mix in sixth, but the gap widening to Spencer Bayston in seventh and on down. Portsmouth had been a staple of the All Star schedule, most recently being in a big spot during Ohio Sprint Speedweek. Brent Marks won those last two All Star features. Afer this weekend, we'll see the two series converge again next week, as I'd imagine you'll see at least some High Limit teams run Attica on Tuesday for the Brad Doty Classic, and then everyone will be togther for the four split nights of Kings Royal weekend. Plenty of drama and fireworks to come.

With the USAC midgets, we've now had three straight Daison Pursley victories, as he won again last night at the Mitchell County Fairgrounds. Logan Seavey had issues again, he finished 19th. Justin Grant led laps, also had problems late, he ended up 16th. Pursley led the final 10 laps, and topped Thomas Meseraull, who was an early leader, and Jerry Coons Jr. That's the first podium result in USAC competition for Coons in two years. He is down though to just a handful of starts a season. Pursley takes his growing championship advantage into Jefferson County Friday and Saturday.

We'll call it good there for today and for the week. Certainly appreciate everyone that tunes in on the regular.

Hope you guys have a great Thursday out there, we'll see you back here on Sunday!