DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

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2025 changes! Ricky Thornton Jr., top driver moves, Longhorn and Rocket house cars | Daily 8-28-2024

Today on the show I've got three bold late model silly season predictions for you, plus we'll talk High Limit in Washington, updates on injured sprint car drivers, and much more, let's go!

It's Wednesday, August 28th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.

We are into the downslope of the 2024 dirt late model season, and I can't believe it's already World 100 time next week. The Lucas playoffs start in almost exactly a month, and the World of Outlaws are running out of races to decide their championship. We've been hinting at a potentially wild silly season to come, and some of the rumblings are starting to get a little louder and a little more public. Some moves are likely to surprise people, and I think some probably won't. Today on the show, before this stuff really pops off, which I think could start to happen literally any day, I've got three bold predictions for you of what I think will likely happen for 2025. Looking into my crystal ball, prediction number one is that at least three drivers in the current Dirt on Dirt top 25 will be driving for different teams next season. It could be more than that, but I don't believe it will be less. So call three maybe the floor here. Some top guys will definitely be on the move, and when that happens, it always creates that domino effect. This has already been a wild year with the Hudson O'Neal, Ricky Thornton Jr. and Tim McCreadie stuff, but we aren't done yet. Along these same lines, bold prediction number two is a driver I don't think will be on the move, and that's Ricky Thornton Jr. That Koehler Motorsports team has been strong out of the gate, and even with all the turmoil, I still think RTJ is the guy to beat for the Lucas championship. Team owner Bobby Koehler has pulled out all the stops, hiring Chris Madden, picking up some new Longhorn equipment, and the restrictions are off RTJ's schedule. When not running the late model, he's free to do whatever he wants. This feels like the perfect situation for RTJ, and he may not find this type of support at most other teams that could potentially bring him in. So at least three top 25 driver changes, but Thornton not included there. My third and final prediction today is that between Rocket and Longhorn, the two dominant chassis players right now, we'll have changes to at least one of those house car programs for 2025, if not both. Tim McCreadie has been really consistent, and just did win the Topless 100, but that's his only victory and they are outside the playoffs at the moment. Mark Richards has introduced a new version XR1 chassis, but I think the jury is out on if TMac is the guy going forward. On the Longhorn side, Brandon Sheppard leads the Outlaw championship with that Sheppard Riggs Racing team, but they are under serious threat through this final stretch of races from Bobby Pierce, and potentially Nick Hoffman. Just three Outlaw wins on the season, none since July 5th, and not winning this Outlaw title would be a very big disappointment. They've been through some different crew guys, and at a point where Longhorn has really dominated the national conversation with Thornton and Pierce and Davenport, Sheppard has been out of the spotlight in what is the main car for the builder. I think one of the two house cars will change for sure, and potentially both. Drop me a comment, let me know what you think about my three bold predictions, and if you have any of your own.

In Washington tonight, the Kubota High Limit sprint cars begin a four-race swing through the state. They'll be at Grays Harbor tonight for $12,000 to win, and then action starts Thursday for the Skagit Nationals. Saturday night of that one is $100,000 to win. Brad Sweet leads Tyler Courtney by 126 points in the championship, with even bigger gaps down to Rico Abreu in third, Brent Marks in fourth, and Corey Day in fifth. This Grays/Skagit run up north was previously on the Outlaw schedule, and it will be the only time this year for these Pacific Northwest fans to see a sprint car national tour. The Outlaws head west to California after this weekend at Huset's, but they don't go further north than Stockton. No trip to Oregon or Washington. The previous six trips to Grays Harbor were won by Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, Daryn Pittman, Donny Schatz, and Shane Stewart. No current High Limit full timers have ever won at the track, so we will have a new winner. The closest High Limit connection we have is with Corey Day's car owner Jason Meyers. He won at Grays twice, sweeping a two night weekend there in 2003 with the Outlaws. Rico, Sweet, and Day did all finish top five in the Outlaw show in 2023. Things I'll be watching tonight will include whether or not Brad Sweet can end this winless streak. Also, can James McFadden stay hot, will Justin Sanders finally break through, and can Tanner Holmes back up his podium from Monday night. Things start a bit earlier tonight, with hot laps scheduled for 5PM Pacific. You can watch it live on FloRacing. If you need a Flo subscription, go to dirtrackr.com/floracing and sign up. There is a ton of stuff coming up on Flo, including this High Limit weekend, and the World 100 at Eldora next week. Make sure you don't miss out.

Sprint car driver Chase Johnson's long battle ahead continues, but we did get a bit of good news yesterday, as his family shared that the breathing tube was removed and that he has been able to communicate a bit. Doctors did discover that he also has a small C1 fracture, so the extent of the injuries continues to change. If you aren't aware, Johnson was injured during the Gold Cup finale at Silver Dollar this past Saturday night after a crash where his 24 car came down hard on all four wheels. Unfortunately, he's not the only California driver dealing with this type of injury. Following a crash during heat race action on Monday at Roseburg with High Limit, Justyn Cox has also discovered a compression fracture in his back. He shared to social media yesterday that he's got a fracture to his T3 vetebrae. He didn't race the rest of the night on Monday, and his Bates Hamilton team returned home after the event, instead of heading north like I believe they had originally planned. Definitely a tough week out west for sprint car drivers. Hopefully Cox heals up quick, and we get more good news from Johnson.

It was a really good show last night with the Short Track Super Series at Georgetown. Billy Pauch Jr. was in control for alot of the 35 lap main event, but there were just too many cautions at the end. Matt Sheppard kept getting chances to try and make the high side work, and on the final run to the checkered, he made it happen. He led by a small margin at the white, almost screwed it up in one and two by sliding high, but kept the momentum down the back, and beat BPJ back to the line in a drag race out of four. Sheppard the winner, Pauch second, and Alex Yankowski third. There have been no updates to the STSS website yet today, but I would expect Anthony Perrego to likely have lost the points lead in the south region. He DNF'd last night down in 23rd, while Mat Williamson was fifth. Things should be tight, as Yankowksi and Sheppard will have gained ground as well. The season continues Sunday when the north region hits up Utica-Rome for the New Yorker. That one is $10,000 to win.

If you are keeping up with the big money stock car show at 300 Raceway this week with XR, their first prelim night of racing is tonight. Ricky Thornton Jr. had a mechanical issue in qualifying, and didn't get in a good lap. He'll start deep in his heat race when things get going. MyRacePass showed 194 cars signed in yesterday, so no lack of cars on the property there. If you want to watch, action continues all week on XR+. Don't forget as well that the IMCA Super Nationals are coming up next week at Boone Speedway. Racing starts on Monday and runs through the following Saturday night.

In dirt racing podcast land this week, Winged Nation has Emerson Axsom, Passing Points has Hunter Schuerenberg, Quicktime has Jack Dover, Hoogie's Garage has Natalie Sather Silva and PJ Pederson, Getting up to Speed has Troy Morris, Caution Free has Rick Rarer, and there are new episodes of the Dirt Reporters, Dirt Track Confessions, the Dirt Nerds, Dirt Tracks and Rib Racks, Turn 2 Terribles, Racing Roundup, Plum Wild, and the Driver's Project. To see the full rundown of shows and their newest episodes, check out dirtrackr.com/podcasts.

That's all for the Daily today. I don't know where you are watching or listening right now, but don't forget there are lots of places to get the Daily show Sunday through Thursday. You can watch on YouTube and Facebook, full episodes are posted both places. You can also listen to the podcast version where you get pods like Apple or Spotify. And if you'd rather just read the Daily, you can do that at dirtrackr.com/daily, as full transcripts are available there. That's also good for those hard of hearing.

Hope you guys have a great Wednesday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow!