DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
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Driver rumblings, a win streak at serious risk, what's next for two marquee events | Daily 9-21-2025
Big show today, a lot of ground to cover, including wild finishes, big crashes, one driver telling boo-birds to suck it, and we'll sprinkle in some silly season updates and a lot more. Let's go!
It's Sunday, September 21st, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.
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The closest finish of the weekend award definitely goes to the World of Outlaws sprint cars at Tulare for the Dennis Roth Classic. It seemed at one point in that feature that a Corey Day victory was inevitable, but a busted steering box ruined that. On a lap 19 restart, polesitter Kaleb Montgomery was able to get the lead back from Day, and then the two made contact down the backstretch, banging wheels. Day was out front into turn three, and Montgomery ended up running over the back of the car an coming to a stop, causing another caution. Montgomery was done for the night with damage, and Day ended up in the work area to fix that steering box, but they never returned. It seemed initially there like maybe things had gotten ugly between the two drivers, but the busted steering box explains a lot of what went down. Day shared to social media afterwards quote "Broke a steering box about 3 laps before that last caution tonight, could still turn right but nothing to the left. Was hoping I could limp it around the bottom for the rest of the race but was way worse when I took back off after the restart" unquote. It's clear now why things played out the way they did. With Day and Montgomery both done, that handed the race lead to David Gravel. Spencer Bayston though was right behind in the Tarlton 21, and he nearly stole the $83,000 right at the line. The two ended up in a drag race back to the checkered, and Gravel just nipped Bayston by 21 thousandths of a second. Buddy Kofoid ended up third, with Carson Macedo and Donny Schatz the rest of the top five. That top five for Schatz was his first with the series since August 1st, and just his ninth of the season. This was Schatz's final race in the Works Limited ride, and we found out late last week he'll finish the season in a new deal that is a parternship between Sides Motorsports and the JVI Group. The guys at the JVI Group also helping put together this Works Limited deal. This will ensure Schatz runs the rest of the Outlaw slate as we wait on his plans for 2026. He'll be in a good place to secure sixth in the Outlaw standings come World Finals. Unfortunately though, he leaves the west coast still winless on the season. The last time Donny Schatz was winless during an entire season with the Outlaws was his first year of 1997. Back to David Gravel, he continues to get boos wherever he goes, including in victory lane at Tulare while he's getting interviewed. His response to the reaction was quote "All these people booing, they can suck it for sure" unquote. As we've talked about a few times this season, Gravel has become a villain, and he's not trying to fight it. Spencer Bayston will now head home and try to figure out what's next for his career. I did hear a few weeks ago he could be back with Paul Silva for Trophy Cup. But his name hasn't been a prevalent one in silly season chatter. Since losing the Meyers 14 ride after the Knoxville Nationals, he's made nine 410 starts out west. That's included seven top seven finishes, and two second place runs, both at Tulare. He's definitely been driving like a guy with his career on the line, but I don't know where he goes next. The Outlaws trek back east now, with Sheldon Haudenschild's race at Millstream on Friday, and a trip to Sharon on Saturday.
Things were wild at Knoxville as well, with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in Iowa for the Late Model Knoxville Nationals. Thursday's feature was rain shortened, and wet weather meant a lightning fast track, and lots of attrition. That include flips for both Hudson O'Neal and Carson Ferguson. Huddy's car was absolutely destroyed in a gnarly crash, and not one you see often with a late model. Both drivers were okay though. Garrett Alberson and Devin Moran took the two prelim wins. Last night in the finale, we had eight lead changes among three drivers, and a hard charging Hudson O'Neal bouncing back from that ugly crash, and mechanical issues Friday, to win his first career Late Model Knoxville Nationals. He topped Ricky Thornton Jr. and Devin Moran at the end. O'Neal's charge from 15th was worth nearly $80,000. The driver that led the most laps was Jonathan Davenport, but he bowed out early with mechanical issues. He told FloRacing the engine was laying down. We didn't have any last minute heroics to get into the championship four, so headed for Brownstown on Friday, Ricky Thornton Jr., Davenport, Moran, and O'Neal will begin the fight for the Lucas 2025 championship. Two nights at Brownstown, two at PA Motor Speedway, and two at Eldora for the Dirt Track World Championship will decide it. RTJ leads JD by 70 points in the reset standings, while Moran and O'Neal are 10 behind Davenport, tied for third effectively. That 70 point lead could be key for RTJ's chances of a repeat. I have a bunch of notes on rumors and things that were going around at Knoxville, and we'll unpack some of that in the coming days. The chatter though about changes with the 18D was really loud. All the talk centered around Wilson being out and Josh Rice being in. We obviously talked about that all last week. Something else to keep on eye on for 2026, is what happens with the Dirt Track World Championship. Eldora back about 11 days ago announced their 2026 major event dates, with the Dream, Joker's Jackpot and Kings Royal, and World. Not included was the DTWC. That event, along with the Hillbilly 100, are controlled by Carl Short, and the future locations of both events are supposedly not yet decided. I've heard Lernerville wants the Hillbilly back, and that other tracks have inquired, included Mansfield. We'll see if Levi Jones and Eldora make a deal to bring the DTWC back.
Sticking with Eldora, we had the 4-Crown there this weekend. Hayden Reinbold grabbed his first career USAC midget win back on Thursday, going from sixth to the win. Impressive win with how wild the midgets are at Eldora. Briggs Danner also winning on Thursday, picking up his fourth USAC sprint car win of the season. He battled with Kevin Thomas Jr. for that one. I wanted to mention those two winners right away, because everything else, outside of the High Limit races, was all Daison Pursley. He took the Great Lakes Super Sprint win, and the sprint car, Silver Crown, and midget wins last night. The two sprint car scores and the midget win came with Chad Boat, and the Silver Crown win was with Dyson. Pursley joins Jack Hewitt, Kyle Larson, and Logan Seavey as the only drivers to win three USAC features on a single night at the 4-Crown. We did have a champion crowned as well, as a fourth place finish in the Silver Crown feature secured Justin Grant his second career series title. Not bad for a guy who still has a busted foot. As sprint car silly season continues, Pursley's name is starting to bubble up as a potential ride candidate. One interesting possibility for him could be the Stenhouse Jr. Marshall team that is looking for a replacement for Sheldon Haudenschild. We've certainly seen Pursley where the NOS colors before. If Chad Boat wanted to push for a full winged season, his organization could be a possibility as well.
In High Limit action, two of our championship contenders split wins, with Aaron Reutzel getting by Rico Abreu late on Friday, and Rico returning the favor to Reutzel on Saturday. Rico leads the series with 11 wins in 2025, and Reutzel is second with seven. Just seven races left to decide things, with Birdgeport and Path Valley up next. Rico leads the drivers standings by 72 points now over Brad Sweet, and its 28 between RAR and RSR in the owner standings. Since struggling in California, Rico has really come alive in recent weeks. In the last 12 High Limit races, he's got five wins, eight top fives, and 11 top tens. He's also led laps in seven races, including four straight. When it's mattered most here down the stretch, these guys have really risen to the occasion. I think Reutzel will remain right in the fight here as well, and Brad Sweet hasn't been bad as of late. He's got five straight top nines. One driver we didn't see on Saturday night was Anthony Macri. The Concrete Kid had a nasty crash on Friday where he got into the wall, and then was hit by Parker Price Miller. He told FloRacing's Kyle McFadden that he had back pain, and is going to get an MRI this week after sitting out Saturday night. His future schedule is TBD at the moment.
Other weekend sprint car winners included Clinton Boyles and Ryan Newton in POWRi action at the Hockett McMillin Memorial. How about Boyles, sprint car crew chief to race winner this season. The WAR wins went to Riley Kreisel and JJ Yeley. Freddie Rahmer took Williams Grove, Danny Dietrich won at BAPS, Jason Martin and Matt Covington split ASCS wins, and Trey Starks won the finale and the championship at Skagit. Starks actually took both the 360 and 410 titles. And massive heartbreak last night for Austin McCarl. He was leading the Jackson Nationals late with the IRA and NOSA, but lost a tire and faded to third at the checkered, while Ryan Timms went on to the win. Just a brutal way to lose it.
In other weekend dirt late model action, Trey Mills bagged the $20,000 with the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series at Magnolia. That was a strong field of cars for Mills to end up beating there. Tanner English was a MARS winner, Chris Ferguson won the Carolina Clash, Cory Hedgecock topped the Southern Thunder series, and Kyle Hardy and Tyler Carpenter were $10,000 winners.
And at Albany Saratoga, Matt Sheppard was a Super DIRTcar Series winner. He topped Jimmy Phelps, who grabbed the final locked in spot for the feature at Super Dirt Week.
That's all for today.
Hope you guys have a great Sunday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow!