DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

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Bringing back this lost speedway won't be easy | Daily 6-2-2025

There is hope for a return to glory for an Ohio track, but it's going to be a massive undertaking. We'll talk about the challenges today and the one big question that's floating around about it. Plus another dirt late model seat swap, drivers tuning up for Huset's, and a bent frame and leaking engine didn't stop this driver from winning his first 410 show. Let's go!

It's Monday, June 2nd, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.

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There was some race track news yesterday that seemed to catch the attention of a lot of folks. I had multiple messages about it, and was tagged in several social media posts. If you missed it, racer Matt Tifft, who previously ran in NASCAR, and has been making some dirt late model starts, revealed yesterday he has acquired the 180 acre property that is Mansfield Speedway in Ohio. The track sits sort of half way in between Cleveland and Columbus, and in it's most recent iteration was a dirt track that hosted the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, the All Stars, and the Dirt Million. That dirt version rose up and then ended quickly between 2017 and 2019. Before that, Mansfield was a paved track that held big time stock car events like the NASCAR Truck Series, ARCA, and regional racing. The only trip I ever made to the track was for the Truck Series show there in 2008. That one was famously won by Donny Lia on the last lap. Lia started 28th in that one. The big problem though for Tifft and Mansfield, is no racing has happened there since 2019, and in the meantime, the facility has been pretty much destroyed. Unlike what we see at a place like West Virginia Motor Speedway, where you could likely be racing there in a few weeks or months, Mansfield is nearly a blank slate. From photos that Tifft posted in April, all that remains is part of the main front stretch grandstands that includes the tower and suites, a little bit of concrete for walls, and you can see the track footprint. The rest of the grandstands and SAFER barriers were sold off, and a lot of the track and walls have been knocked down. There is a significant amount of work to be done here before any sort of racing can even be thought about. All those posting saying that Mansfield is quote unquote back need to probably take a beat. Bob Pockrass reported that Tifft hopes to have racing and non-racing events at the facility in 2026. Looking at the photos, 2026 even feels maybe a bit ambitious. As we follow the progress there, the big question everyone has is dirt or paved for the track's future. Tifft hasn't said yet, and he's obviously got both on his resume. There is certainy no lack of dirt track competition in Ohio, and clearly the paved route is no walk in the park either. Kudos to Tifft though for taking on a massive project like this though, and we'll be keeping an eye here to see what he decides and how quickly they can get the facility into any sort of usable condition. There are new social media accounts out there, and you can find Tifft himself to see more photos and videos. Thanks to my friend Paul Arch for the Mansfield photos so we can see the comparison between then and now.

In some dirt late model ride news from recent days, the Adam family 75 has another new driver in the seat. If you might remember back a few weeks, they decided to come off the World of Outlaws tour full time, Daniel Adam was moved into a modified, and Mike McKinney was brought in to run the late model. McKinney was going to run a bunch around his area, and things like the Summer Nationals. But the team rolled into La Salle to race against MARS this past weekend with Dillon McCowan in the seat. He ended up 17th in the first feature on Friday, and DNF'd on Saturday in the main event. McKinney shared yesterday he's out of the 75, and will return to his family owned 96M modifieds for the rest of the year. In what looks like 10 late model starts in the 75, McKinney made four features with a best finish of 11th, that came against MARS at Highland on May 17th. In his first modified races back, McKinney was 4th and 2nd at La Salle Friday and Saturday. McCowan also started the season as a World of Outlaws late model full timer, but fell off to go pick and choose in April. He's more experienced in the late model than McKinney, but I'd hoped this was going to be a good chance for McKinney to maybe start making a move up the ranks.

Sunday racing action was highlighted by Ryan Timms winning at Huset's. He topped World of Outlaws sprint car full timer Hunter Schuerenberg and Ayrton Gennetten. That main event also included Kerry Madsen, Anthony Macri, Emerson Axsom, Brady Bacon, and Cole Macedo. The big money High Bank Nationals at Huset's are coming up later this month, so some of these guys clearly trying to work on that notebook in advance. That's now four 410 wins on the year for Timms, including three in his last four races. He's won at Knoxville in back-to-back weeks, then gets it done at Huset's. I also thought it was cool seeing Kaleb Johnson mixing it up with Macri last night. He'd won three straight Sunday shows there coming into yesterday, and clearly the confidence is rising. He could be a sneaky one to watch this summer around the midwest.

In Pennsylvania, Steven Snyder Jr. wrapped up the rain-wrecked Western PA Speedweek with the victory at Tri-City. He topped Jeremy Weaver and Brock Hallett in that one. Weaver was named speedweek champion, in what only ended up being a two-race deal. Weaver second in both shows. Snyder's team owner, Curt Michael, shared some wild photos on social media afterwards of the 27 machine bent and mangled. After an incident early on, Snyder drove to the win with a bent frame, drag link and front axle, and with oil squirting from a damaged valve cover. It was career 410 sprint car start number six for him, with three of those coming this season. He was seventh in the other Western PA Speedweek show, and sandwiched in between was a top ten in the midget with the Xtreme series at Coles County.

We will shut it down there for today. If you like what we do here, hit that subscribe button on YouTube and the podcast places, and like and follow on Facebook. We are 54 subscribers shy of 43,000 on YouTube as I write this, and well on our way to 40k on Facebook. The goal for the year is 50,000 on both. Also, don't forget if you are in a quiet place and can't watch or listen, or you know someone who is hard of hearing, you can also read the show every day over at dirtrackr.com/daily. I post full show transcripts there of every episode. That way we can make the show as accessible as possible.

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