DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

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Sprint car loopholes, fuel stops, and Wells back in the game | Daily 3-3-2025

Today on the show we're talking seat belt cheating, fuel stops in 25 lap races, plus some late model stuff, including the return of a team and driver. Let's go!

It's Monday, March 3rd, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.

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If you look at the boxscore this morning for last night's World of Outlaws sprint car show at Volusia, you'd see a flag-to-flag win for David Gravel and maybe think not much went on. For those of you who are locked in though, you know different. Behind Gravel's convincing win, his first of 2025, we had a seat belt controversy, a fuel controversy, and I've seen discussions again about completely eliminating the work area. So, just your typical Monday after a national touring dirt race. The seat belt controversy was early in the main event. On the initial start, polesitter Jacob Allen lost a handful of positions, then just about as the field was crossing to make the first lap official, Allen rolled to a stop and ducked into the opening in turn one. Under the caution, it was reported his belts had come loose, and by rule, he was given his position back since it was a safety issue. Since no laps had been completed, that meant he was back on the pole for a second try at the start. The interwebs were immediately abuzz, with a lot of folks assuming Allen had taken advantage of the seat belt rule to make up for a poor start. There is obviously no way to know the truth, but many were making a lot of assumptions. Some even claimed Allen was guilty of this before. I have no idea how they would even know that, and I don't remember this being a thing in the past. Feel free to enlighten me in the comments for those past situations, because they are not in my memory. If drivers are indeed using this as a loophole, I don't know how you close it. If you don't give drivers their positions back, and we really do have safety issues, and belts coming loose, drivers won't roll to a stop to fix it. They will just keep racing so as to not lose their track position. Race car drivers don't exactly have a great track record when it comes to being responsible for their own safety. They usually need to be saved from themselves. If you have ideas for solutions here, feel free to share. I saw some mentions of some sort of blend rule, but I don't know how you have a blend situation with a car coming to a stop. As for the fuel issue, it was a typical Volusia night early in the year, where cars were fast, and engines were chugging fuel. In the closing laps we had Emerson Axsom run out, then Anthony Macri. And on a final restart, it was Logan Schuchart, with the 1S stacking up the field behind, and then narrowly getting missed at the checkered by a charging Conner Morrell. A lot of folks then wondering why an open red for a fuel stop wasn't thrown. Just for context, it was a 25 lap feature, and the lap count was 60, which was shared during the driver's meeting. We heard on DIRTVision one of Gravel's crew members tell him they were right on that 60 number at the checkered. So if they weren't going over the lap count, and cars were running out, is that the series' fault, or the teams'? We had six DNFs, and Schuchart running out, so 18 other cars managed to go the distance. And saying this without judgement or opinion, it was interesting to see folks not concerned over safety with Jacob Allen at the start of the race with his belts assuming some sort of misconduct, but then concerned with safety over guys running out of fuel. Behind Gravel's win, Aaron Reutzel looked strong in his first race of the season finishing second, and Allen was third. Allen with Lee Stauffer on the wrenches. That could be a benefit to his season. Sheldon Haudenschild with his first top five of the year in fourth, which he needed after a tough DCN, and Cole Macedo hard charging to fifth, after only making a single main event a few weeks ago. I was surprised to see Justin Peck not make the show last night as well. Headed to night two, David Gravel your points leader by 38 over Carson Macedo, with Logan Schuchart, Buddy Kofoid, and Donny Schatz the rest of the top five. Action again live on DIRTVision if you aren't going.

In Sunday late model action, Zack Mitchell led all 50 circuits at Cherokee Speedway for a $15,000 payday. I really think he's going to be a handful for the Hunt the Front competitors when that season gets going. Behind Mitchell, Joseph Joiner went fifth to second, and Chris Ferguson was third. We'll see a lot of these same guys when the Hunt the Front season gets rolling again this coming Saturday at I-75.

At East Alabama, Wil Herrington went fifth to the win, topping Ethan Dotson and Tanner English for $10,000. Jimmy Owens finished fifth after starting on the pole and leading laps driving not in his usual Koehler Motorsports ride, but instead the number 27 for Larry Harrod. I believe Herrington's win was the first super late model score of the year for a Rocket chassis, just in case you are keeping up with that. Interesting to note that Clay Stuckey's Springfield win on Saturday night and Ricky Weiss' Toilet Bowl mean Black Diamond and Sniper scored 2025 wins before Rocket.

One other dirt late model news bit before we close out today, it looks as though Wells Motorsports will be fielding a car again soon. Their team has been in question since the departure of Brandon Overton at the end of 2024, and it felt like Ryan Gustin and the Todd Cooney team had become maybe a bit of a defacto house car operation for Wells and their Infinity Chassi brand. Last night though, Wells posted photos of a stickered up 18 car, with Wells Motorsports on the rear quarters, and Infinity Chassis stickers on the doors and spoiler. In the Facebook post, they asked for guesses on who the driver could be, and the comment section seems to think Eric Wells will be back in the seat. 18 obviously the number that Wells campaigned previously, but we haven't seen him race at all in what, five or six years. It seems as though Eric's wife may have let the cat out of the bag a few days ago on a different Wells Motorsports post though, where someone asked about the 18 being for Eric. Wells' wife Brandi seemed to confirm it, but that reply looks to have since been deleted. So do with that what you will. Eric Wells himself also sharing the post to his account, but without any comment.

Alright, that's the Daily show for today. Thank you, by the way, for 41,000 YouTube subscribers and 30,000 followers on Facebook. The support is much appreciated.

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