DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

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Drivers are their own worst enemies, series choices coming | Daily 3-18-2025

We've got clarity today on at least one undecided dirt late model driver and their national tour choice, plus we'll talk rock screens on sprint cars, and a staple Australian sprint car team closing up shop. Let's go!

It's Tuesday, March 18th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.

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It looks today like we've got our first of the undecided dirt late model teams making their series choice. Coming up this weekend, we've got the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Atomic and Brownstown, and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series at Swainsboro in Georgia. So no more sitting on the fence, the eight or so teams that had been playing both sides will need to choose, especially since the weather looks like it might play nice in both locations. Some of the names we are waiting on decisions for include Tim McCreadie, Ricky Thornton Jr., Drake Troutman, Daulton Wilson, and Max Blair. And it's Blair who goes public first. Just about 30 minutes ago as I write this, Blair's team announced they are headed for Georgia to race with the Outlaws this coming weekend. This is inline with a lot of the chatter that was out there about Blair's plans for 2025, and he's in a better spot with the Outlaws at the moment. Fifth and 42 points back, versus ninth and 200 points back with Lucas. Depending on what RTJ decides, Blair could be elevated to fourth in the Outlaw standings. This will be a return to the Outlaws for Blair, who was last a full timer with the series in 2022. The past two seasons he went the other way and was a Lucas regular. Through six Outlaw races so far, Blair has been in every feature, and has one top five and four top tens. He'd been solid with Lucas too though, with six top tens in nine races, and all features made. I don't know that it's realistic to call Blair a championship contender, but I do think the Outlaws could be more gettable for him this season. That top of Lucas is just super tough. I think beyond Bobby Pierce and Nick Hoffman, and probably Ryan Gustin, there is opportunity available on the Outlaw side. Looking ahead the rest of the week, we'll see if we actually get announcements from the other teams. I think some will go public with their plans, and others will just show up one place or the other. Stay tuned.

We have obviously talked this week about Aaron Reutzel's injury from the High Limit show back over the weekend. He appeared to take a rock or a dirt clod to the face, and suffered a broken nose. We are waiting to see what his status will be for tomorrow's High Limit show at the Tulare Thunderbowl, and for the coming stops at Kern County and Perris. Reutzel was one of a handful of drivers who were not running a rock screen at Las Vegas, and looking back through a bunch of old photos, it doesn't appear as though he ever runs one. Since his injury, as you could have probably guessed, the rock screen conversation has popped up online, and I've seen a bunch of folks weigh in, including Mike Linder, Landon Crawley, Brad Doty, Shane Stewart, Thomas Kennedy, and Brian Smith among others. What's interesting to note about this specific situation, is the car ran without one with Reutzel, but when Justin Sanders got in it to fill in during the feature, it had one on it. You could see it on FloRacing and in a Cali Dirt Videos Facebook post. Sanders does run one regularly on his cars, and clearly they were able to get one on the car quickly between the dash and the main event. I heard as well there were other drivers who were hit with things, including Brian Brown. He posted to social that he had a rock knock his tearoffs completely off during the feature, and eventually had to pull in. There were images floating around of his car without a screen, and even Ricky Stenhouse Jr. replied to him telling him to run one, but he did have one on his car during that main event. Cali Dirt Videos also posted a reel yesterday that shows a rock hitting the screen of another car, that looks like it's maybe Corey Day. He didn't say who the driver was, but the blue K1 gloves match another short video he posted of Day. And when Day climbs out of the Meyers 14 in victory lane, it sure looks like that screen is wonky. In case you were curious, neither series mandate any sort of protection in that area of the car, and in the past when supposedly there were rules in place, teams did things to skirt them. My friend Paul Arch, who is a great photographer, sent me a photo of Steve Kinser's car from the Williams Grove National Open in 1992. Apparently at that point there was some sort of rock screen rule in place, and Kinser's team did have one on the car, but they just cut all the middle bars out of it. That way they were still classified as having one, but it did not impede Kinser's vision. And when we talk about rock screens and guys not running them, that is always the reason we hear. The drivers say they can't see with one in place. I think the Kinser situation though is a perfect example of drivers getting in their own way when it comes to safety and needing to be saved from themselves. Rock screens won't protect drivers from everything, as Brian Brown's night clearly illustrates, but they are better than nothing at all. I'll be curious to see if the RSR 87 has one on it going forward once Reutzel is back racing again. Like a lot of sprint car topics though, this becomes a talking point for a few days, everyone argues, and then you don't hear about it again until the next time someone high profile gets smoked by a rock or dirt clod without running one.

Down in Australia, we had some bummer news in recent days, with sprint car and midget team Dyson Motorsport announcing their exit from the sport. The team fielded cars both in Australia and in the US, and most recently had drivers like Carson and Cole Macedo, and Spencer Bayston drive for them. They always had distinct looking cars, with their gray paint schemes with blue accents. In a release, team owners Sean and Felicity Dyson shared that their priorities have shifted as their young family grows. They said quote "while motorsport will always be in our blood, we recognize the need for a more family-friendly environment - one where our kids can be more involved as we move forward" unquote. While this does mean the end of their sprint car and midget teams, they did share that the team will continue in a different form, one that aligns with their vision of the future. Beyond owning their own cars, the Dysons have supported drivers through sponsorships over the years, and have been with Carson Macedo since something like 2018. Complete Parts and Equipment appears on the JJR 41, and that is the Dysons' business. They supply mining and earthmoving equipment and components to the Australian mining industry, with locations in New South Wales and Queensland. There was no mention in the release if that support would change. But, definitely sucks to see them go, they were certainly one of the more iconic Australian teams. And they won their fair share of races.

Alright, that's the Daily for this Monday. Hope you guys have a great day out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow!