DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
Dirt racing news, results, discussion, analytics. Sprint cars, late models, modifieds, you name it. From national series, to top local shows. Brought to you five days a week. Email the show at info@dirtrackr.com.
Apparently I was wrong about Hunt the Front | Daily 3-10-2025
I was wrong about the Hunt the Front series, and we'll talk about it today. Plus Brandon Sheppard back in the B5, an Outlaw late model sponsor update, Sunday results, and more. Let's go!
It's Monday, March 10th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.
Right now at your local dealer, Kubota Orange Days are happening. It's the best time of the year to get Kubota equipment at unbeatable prices. And while you're there, make sure to ask about Kubota's K-Maintenance program for your newly purchased machine. K-Maintenance is the ultimate solution for proactive and preventive maintenance. Their expert technicians will work closely with you to identify and address potential issues before they become major problems, develop a customized maintenance plan tailored to your specific needs, utilize cutting-edge diagnostic tools to get your equipment back up and running quickly, and they'll do it all with Kubota Genuine Parts. With K-Maintenance, did you know you get price protection also? Don't worry about inflation, because your parts and labor prices are locked in when you purchase your plan. Don't let maintenance woes hold you back - choose K-Maintenance and experience the difference for yourself. You can find the closest dealer to you in the myKubota app or visit kubotausa.com.
I figured with the first race now done, that the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series was done bagging full time drivers for their roster, but apparently I was wrong. They added Trey Mills and Jimmy Owens in advance of the championship opener this past Saturday night at I-75, and now just this morning have announced Ricky Weiss as well. Weiss the winner of the $20,000 race at I-75, and he is part of what is a 21 team roster. Yes, you heard that right, 21 teams have declared for the tour. Now, obviously nobody expects all 21 to go the distance, but Joshua Joiner and his group have done a nice job putting together another strong field in the third full season of this series. I had said before that even though it was lacking the national level star power that they had in 2024 with Brandon Overton, that this series would still be tough. I think though adding Owens and Weiss late definitely closes that gap a bit. So who are the 21? Here we go, hold tight, because this is going to take a second to read. Ricky Weiss, Cory Hedgecock, Trey Mills, Dalton Cook, Zack Mitchell, Jimmy Owens, Jackson Hise, Michael Page, Sam Seawright, Oakley Johns, Joseph Joiner, Josh Putnam, Christian Hanger, Dillard Hatchett, Kaede Loudy, Luke Morey, Ross Bailes, Payton Freeman, Kale Green, Mario Gresham, and Caden Mullinax. Whew, that's a lot. If this indeed ends up being the final list, I still think the championship battles comes down to names like Zack Mitchell, Cory Hedgecock, Joseph Joiner, and Sam Seawright. We'll obviously now throw Weiss into the mix, because he's been resurgent in 2025. I'm curious as well about Trey Mills, and we'll see if Owens can bounce back. Love them or hate them, you gotta give the Hunt the Front guys some respect for what they are building here. Strong fields, good payouts, and they can use the might of their social media presence to promote these shows. Just look at some of the other names who raced on Saturday. Ryan Gustin, Daulton Wilson, Mike Marlar. Definitely doing something right. They've also got themselves integrated well with their own streaming service. I know they took a risk for example on that Needmore race, but I'd bet they did pretty well on streaming numbers, which would make up for it being a cold and damp night. I heard the crowd was good at I-75, and as long as the weather cooperates, that should continue to be a theme going forward. The worst to-win amount on this schedule is $8000, and that is only on the first of a two night show. The finale at the Blue Gray in October pays $35k to win, and that's along with a $50,000 check for the champion. I said before last year, that this was turning into one of the toughest series in America, and I think that holds true again in 2025.
Like a number of the other top dirt late model names, Brandon Sheppard hasn't raced since the Outlaw finale at DIRTcar Nationals. He is planning on racing this coming weekend though, when the World of Outlaws late models head to Smoky Mountain Speedway for two nights. Of note though, is BShepp won't be in the Rocket house car. He will instead return to the family owned B5. And over the next several weeks, we'll see the B5 out quite a bit, as Sheppard will also drive it at the Nippy 50 at Maquoketa, plus 34 Raceway for the Slocum 50 and at Cedar County. The Rocket house car is back for Lucas shows at Atomic and Brownstown, plus Outlaw races at Atomic and Farmer City, then back Lucas racing at Georgetown, Hagerstown, and Port Royal. Since returning to the Rocket chassis fold, Shepp has had more success in the B5, than the Rocket 1, winning the Gateway Dirt Nationals, plus several good finishes during the Wild West Shootout. It will be interesting to see how the comparison goes through the next two months between the two cars. It would be pretty wild if this trend continued. We have seen Rocket chassis win elsewhere finally in 2025, including in Australia, but the Rocket house car still winless since the Topless 100 with Tim McCreadie, and Shepp still hasn't won an outdoor race since last July. Sheppard is currently declared for both national tours, but there is really no reason to believe they won't be full time Lucas. They'll play both sides as long as possible, but don't count on them to flip. The first Lucas/Outlaw overlap is in two weeks, so unless weather screws things up, that will be decision time for any teams thinking of making the switch. If you go look at the drivers page on the Outlaw website right now, they do have all 30 listed. That includes RTJ, Owens, Shepp, and Brandon Overton. You don't get these series doing feature pieces on drivers that aren't signed with them, and the Outlaws taking full advantage right now, putting out recent stories on RTJ and Drake Troutman.
Side note on the World of Outlaws late models, just because I've been asked quite a bit about it. The series still does not have a title sponsor, and I've heard zero about any future updates. It is a bit surprising to see them without one, especially since it's been several years since they were sponsorless, going back to before Craftsman really. They went from no sponsor, to Craftsman, to Morton Buildings, to CASE, and now nothing again. I had seen a list of companies they were supposedly talking to, but nothing to report at the moment. It's obviously not what World Racing Group is hoping for, and not a super great look, but in this current era of streaming dollars, I don't think it's that big of a deal. The series can easily continue operating at current levels without the support, and that means also that WRG can afford to wait for the right deal.
In Sunday racing action, Danny Dietrich was the Lincoln Speedway winner, going third to the victory. He took the lead from Chase Dietz just after half way and handled business from there. It was Dietrich's first win at Lincoln in almost exactly a year. Dietz ended up second, and polesitter Troy Wagaman was third. Things did not go well for Jacob Allen, who flipped in his heat race. Freddie Rahmer also crashed, as did Justin Whittall. And Brock Zearfoss was out early after something broke. And Aaron Bollinger is plus 24 after two races. He went 15th to fifth in the Icebreaker, and 20th to sixth yesterday. Lincoln back at it again this coming Saturday, and Williams Grove opens up on Sunday.
That's the show for today. If you want more dirt racing content, make sure to stop by dirtrackr.com for all the latest news and releases from around the sport of dirt racing. The front page there updates every 15 minutes, so as stories happen, they will be there right away.
Hope you guys have a great Monday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow!