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.
TSR changes helping Madsen, rumors picking up, RTJ's head start | Daily 9-25-2025
The Lucas championship chase starts and one driver has a significant advantage, I've got some dirt late model rumblings to share, we'll talk Kerry Madsen and changes at Tony Stewart Racing that have him going pretty well, plus a silly season update on Justin Peck, weekend racing, and more. Let's go!
It's Thursday, September 25th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.
We might be starting to creep towards the end of the dirt racing season, but that doesn't mean that things are slowing down over on FloRacing. Coming up this weekend they've got a packed content schedule, including the Lucas late models at Brownstown, High Limit at Bridgeport and Path Valley, USAC sprint cars, Short Track Super Series, and IMCA action. They also just dropped their first new DIRT series video as they shift focus towards late models, and we just found out this week that Trophy Cup will be on Flo in October. If you need a FloRacing subscription, you can sign up and help out DIRTRACKR at no additional cost to you, by heading over to dirtrackr.com/floracing. Getting in now will make sure you don't miss these races, plus your yearly subscription will take you through the rest of the Lucas, USAC, and High Limit seasons, secure the Gateway Dirt Nationals, and you'll have access to Chili Bowl and the Wild West Shootout early in 2026. Grab a pass at dirtrackr.com/floracing, or you can click the link below in the video description, or the FloRacing links at dirtrackr.com.
It's championship time for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, as their chase begins this weekend at Brownstown. We'll have two races this weekend, plus two at PA Motor Speedway, and two days at Eldora for the Dirt Track World Championship to decide it. After things were reset following Knoxville, Ricky Thornton Jr. leads the standings by 70 points over Jonathan Davenport. JD then has ten points on both Devin Moran and Hudson O'Neal, who are tied for third. That 70 point advantage over JD, and 80 point lead over the other two gives RTJ a significant step-up as the chase begins. The Lucas points breakdown shows that there is 20 point gap between first and second, a ten point gap between second and third, and third and fourth, and then five points from there down to 21st. For a full field average, that's about 6 points per spot, so RTJ is looking at a buffer of somewhere between about 12 and as many as 14 positions. That's a not insignificant amount of feature spots he's ahead with so few race nights to decide it. That gap alone has to make him the betting favorite to secure the title. Of the four, Devin Moran has the best recent record at Brownstown, winning two of the last four Lucas races there, including back in March of this year. Moran also with the best average finish. Davenport has a better Brownstown average finish since 2020 than RTJ and O'Neal, but he is winless. Thornton won there in 2024 and 2023, and O'Neal has a 2022 score. I'd give the edge this weekend to Moran, but I think it will be a tight battle. It's interesting to note, over the last 10 series races, Garrett Alberson and Brandon Sheppard are the only non-playoff drivers to win. I do think RTJ is the title favorite though, but I wouldn't be shocked to see someone get hot, like Moran, win a few races, someone has trouble, and he steals it. Moran just an example here. Friday's CJ Rayburn Memorial is $10,000 to win, and Saturday's Jackson 100 is $50,000 to win. Who are you picking for the Lucas championship?
A couple of random dirt late model notes for you. These are some things I heard coming out of Knoxville. First, it's sounding more and more likely that Joseph Joiner will be full time in the JCM ride next season, and on tour with Lucas. We first talked about that here a few weeks ago, and it was something being discussed at Knoxville. Joiner won't be in that car this weekend, as the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series is at Southern Raceway this weekend, but he will race the car at Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway, and Eldora to finish the season. Next, I know it's insanely early to be talking about dirt late model series choices, but there are rumors that the GR Smith-owned car could flip from Outlaws to Lucas for 2026. It sounds like Drake Troutman is likely to return to that seat next year, and a series change could be in the cards. Troutman is currently seventh in the Outlaw standings, with a win and 20 top ten finishes. If he can run well, a top five points finish isn't out of the question. My last note for you involves Skyline Motorsports and their future. We know Mike Marlar departed the team and that the internet wants them to hire Dallon Murty for the second car. Nothing is confirmed for the second car though, but I have heard a chassis swap could be coming, and that the swap may have played a role in Marlar's departure. This would be a hard pivot for Skyline, towards a smaller, up and coming builder. We've seen them campaign both Longhorns and Infinitys this season, but I've been told that it's possible Marlar didn't want to follow them down this new direction.
Other weekend late model races include the aforementioned Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series at Southern Raceway. We haven't seen the HTF tour since early August at Duck River. They've got just four races left to decide a tight championship battle themselves. Jimmy Owens currently has 14 points over Zack Mitchell, with Cory Hedgecock, Joseph Joiner, and Dalton Cook all still in the mix too. $8000 and $12,000 to win there. Other options include the Red Clay Classic at ABC Raceway, Fall Clash at Potomac, and the Carolina Clash race at Fayetteville that we talked about yesterday.
In Ohio, the World of Outlaws sprint cars roll through for races at Millstream and Sharon. The Outlaws coming off their couple of weeks out west, and they begin the stretch run towards World Finals. Just 14 races left in the season. This will be the first Outlaw trip to Millstream in 31 years, while Sharon is a regular stop. One of that stats that I track over at dirtrackr.com/analytics is which drivers have current top ten streaks, and the longest with the series right now is Logan Schuchart at 15. Behind him, Buddy Kofoid has the next longest streak at 10. And then, it's Kerry Madsen. Madsen obviously in this fill-in role to finish the 2025 season at Tony Stewart Racing after Donny Schatz was let go. Madsen showing a little speed as of late, leading laps at Vado with a podium, then he was sixth and eighth at Kern and Perris, and he went 15th to tenth at Tulare. It's five straight top tens for TSR and the Mad Man. A couple of notes on this situation. We obviously know they are partnering up with Rico Abreu next season, and Rico is bringing his whole crew, including Ricky Warner, Zach Middlebrooks, and Brady Forbrook. Current TSR crew chief Todd Devnich will transition in 2026 to a shop foreman role, but unfortunately Gary Patellaro, who everyone knows as Woodman, and tire specialist Ian Lyon were informed they are out at season's end. If any sprint car teams are looking for crew guys, these could be a couple of candidates. Also, we know it's been on odd year for TSR with all of the equipment changes. That's included an engine swap and different shocks. I said way back in February that I'd also heard this team was testing some different chassis over the offseason, and I was told they had one at the ready if they were ever to decide the J&Js weren't working to their liking. Schatz and TSR long time customers of J&J. That chassis swap moment though, apparently came not long after Madsen was brought in. In recent races, the TSR 15 is actually a Spike chassis, even though it still has J&J stickers on the body work. If you look closely at some photos, they are good ones available on the Outlaw social media channels, you can spot some Spike logos if you look closely at the car. What maybe wasn't working for Schatz, now appears to be a little bit better for Madsen. Even though Madsen won't return to TSR for 2026, there are rumblings he could be full time Outlaws next season.
As for High Limit, they've got Saturday and Sunday shows at Bridgeport Speedway and Path Valley. This title fight coming down to the final seven races. Rico Abreu is out front, but Aaron Reutzel and the RSR 87, and Brad Sweet and the KKR 49 are in tow. Earlier this week, I did an episode about who could be full time on which sprint car tour next season, and Justin Peck and the Rudeen 26 were one pairing we mentioned. I said that I didn't think Peck was going anywhere this offseason, and that Rudeen would be back with High Limit. Jeremy Elliott confirmed those two things this morning, reporting that Peck is confirmed back in the 26 and Rudeen will return to High Limit. Neither should be surprising, but Peck's name was mentioned as a possible candidate a few places. None of those rumors though seemed like they had any legs. High Limit has never been to Path Valley previously, and Rico Abreu won the only series trip to Bridgeport back in 2023.
Other sprint car options this weekend include the USAC sprint cars at Paragon and Butler. We last saw these guys just this past weekend during the 4-Crown at Eldora. We have seen a recent driver change with the series. Back on September 17th, Kale Drake announced that he was no longer driving the Scott Benic-owned 2B. It's unclear from the post who's idea it was for the two sides to go their separate ways. Unfortunately for Drake, he was injured at Eldora in a midget crash and is currently recovering from quote "a pulmonary and abdominal contusion" unquote. Mario Clouser drove the 2B at Eldora, and Ricky Lewis will be in the seat Friday at Paragon. He won't drive it Saturday though, as he's flying straight California to run the CRA show at Perris. Kyle Cummins still well clear in the championship standings.
There is also IRA at Plymouth, Blake Nimee headed for that title. MOWA at Red Hill, weekly action in Central PA, the Fall Nationals at Chico, and more.
If you want some modified action, check out the Short Track Super Series at Fonda Speedway this weekend, and the USMTS modifieds are headed for Deer Creek and the Fall Jamboree. Drop me a comment, let me know what your dirt racing plans are for the coming days.
That's all for the show this week. Thanks as always for tuning in and spending a little bit of your day with me talking dirt racing.
Hope you guys have a great Thursday out there, enjoy the weekend action, and we'll see you back here on Sunday!