DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
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What Hunt the Front's tire testing found, and what those chemicals do | Daily 10-12-2025
Today on the show, I use AI to understand better the chemicals needed to dope tires, we talk tightening championship battles, a weird driver-owner situation and social media, weekend racing and more. Let's go!
It's Sunday, October 12th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.
A busy show today, with a lot of things to talk about from this dirt racing weekend, but before we do, a brief message from today's show sponsor...
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So when I last talked to you guys on Thursday, we were getting ready for an epic final weekend showdown for the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series championship. Jimmy Owens had just two points on Zack Mitchell, who had won the last series race at Southern Raceway. Cory Hedgecock, Joseph Joiner, and Dalton cook were also in the mix, with those drivers 32, 54, and 72 points back. But before cars even hit the track on Friday, things were just about sewed up for Owens with Mitchell and his Coltman Farms team getting DQ'd from that Southern Raceway win for chemically altering tires. The Hunt the Front tour levied a 100 point penalty along with the DQ, and Dalton Cook was handed the $12,000 win. After word started to get around about the penalty, I'd heard rumblings that maybe the team wouldn't race at all at Cherokee for the Blue Gray 100, but they did end up competing both nights. On Friday afternoon, Coltman Farms Racing put out a statement on Facebook that read in part quote "Yesterday, our team was notified that a tire used on the No. 57 car driven by Zack Mitchell during the event on Sept. 27 at Southern Raceway didn't conform to the established benchmark. We are disappointed yet motivated to find out how and why this happened. Two of our core beliefs when it comes to racing is integrity and transparency, so I'm sure you will understand our disbelief and confusion. With this said, we totally deny any wrongdoing. We would much rather finish last in a race than do something as appalling as this. Our reputation is everything. We are concerned as well with the optics of this situation" unquote. The letter from Blue Ridge labs to the series with the testing results shows six samples all failing the test, and it gives a list of chemicals they found. In standard fashion, at the end, that letter reads quote "These chemicals are not detected in or used in the manufacturer of the Hoosier NLMT 3 tire compound and the presence of these chemicals leads to this tire not conforming to the submitted benchmark sample of the Hoosier NLMT 3" unquote. The six chemicals listed are things I'm not going to try and pronounce, but I'll show them here on the screen. Thanks to technology these days, it's easier to get an idea of what these things are, and I did a little research this morning with an AI chatbot for funsies. A quick run through ChatGPT shows these are solvents, plasticizers, an intermediate, and a polymer monomer. Take this all with an AI grain of salt, but after I asked what these chemicals were, I asked specifically about these being used in a racing tire and what they would do, the response I received was that this quote "overall blend behaves like a multi-phase softening system" unquote. Two of the chemicals would soften tread and open pores, two more would rebuild or modify surface polymer chains, and the last two would help maintain softness, flexibility and grip through heat cycles. None of these chemicals are found together in a single product on the market, so that would mean a custom blend. The chat also said quote "some commercial 'rubber rejuvenators' or 'tire conditioners' (especially older or industrial ones) contain similar ingredient classes — often listed vaguely as aromatic solvents, esters, and phosphate plasticizers" unquote. So if you want to know an example of the type of chemical cocktail that one might use to alter tires, here is at least something approaching a recipe. Although it's clear this will get you busted. And again, I'm not a chemical engineer or scientist, and I don't play one on the internet, but those are interesting responses from the AI chatbot. Unfortunately for Mitchell, had he not been DQ'd from the Southern win, he would have ended up with the championship. He ran well enough on Friday, and won the Blue Gray 100 last night from 19th, which would have seen him move ahead of Owens and take the $50,000 title. He was 102 points back after the penalty was assessed, and ended the weekend 74 back in fourth. Easily enough of a points gain to overhaul Owens. Winning the $35,000 finale is a solid consolation, but it's still not the championship. Carson Ferguson was the Friday night Hunt the Front winner at Cherokee, and if you want to see the Blue Ridge letter for yourself, it's available at htfseries.com/series-rules.
The big dirt late model money on the weekend was with the World of Outlaws late models at Boothill Speedway. The Saturday show there paid $50,000 to the winner. The Friday night victory went to Tim McCreadie, who got around Bobby Pierce late after a restart. A few laps before, McCreadie actually got into the rear of Pierce while battling for the top spot, and Pierce nearly went around. It wouldn't have been that hard for TMac just to continue that contact and sent Pierce around, but he backed out and let Pierce collect it. In the end though, TMac just better. That was win number six on the season for McCreadie, and he went back-to-back. Pierce settled for second with polesitter Cody Overton third. Last night, it was all Ryan Gustin out front, leading all 70 laps and holding off a charging Pierce at the finish. Pierce himself had contact with Shirley while fighting towards the front, and Shirley did end up going around. He still managed a top five run. With just World Finals now left on the Outlaw schedule, Pierce has extended his championship lead to 124 points. That is almost insurmountable for Nick Hoffman with only three features remaining. He'd basically need Pierce to DNF all three nights to have a shot. One other night, Mike Marlar was back racing, making his re-debut with the rebuilt Delk team. Back to a blue 157 Longhorn, and weekend finishes of 13th and 21st.
After two nights of High Limit sprint cars at Lakeside, the championship battle has again tightened there, with now just three races left. Two Brad Sweet podiums, including the win last night, sees him close within 30 points of Rico Abreu. And in the owner standings, a second and a fourth from Aaron Reutzel has the RSR 87 just 20 points back. Brent Marks the Friday night winner, and the victory for Sweet was his first anywhere in a sprint car since the High Limit score at Florence way back in July. He's been good lately after a bit of a rough stretch out west, with nine straight top tens and the win. He and Reutzel have just Lucas Oil Speedway on Wednesday, and two nights at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track to try and catch Rico. Even though he gave up ground, Rico was solid at Lakeside, finishing ninth on Friday and a seventh to third charge on Saturday. That was much better than the 15th place run previously at Path Valley.
Moving on, some interesting stuff this weekend with the World of Outlaws sprint cars at New Egypt and Lincoln Speedway. Anthony Macri was back in a car after a few weeks off following that back injury he suffered at Eldora. He admitted that he wasn't 100%, but was strong last night at Lincoln, picking up the win. He was able to outduel David Gravel early, and then hold off Chase Dietz to the finish. Dietz and Buddy Kofoid on the podium. That was Outlaw win number four on the year for Macri, and his 15th overall sprint car win. The Friday win at New Egypt was all Carson Macedo, with the 41 mixing it up with Logan Schuchart. It was Macedo's first Outlaw win since August 23rd. David Gravel DNF'd last night at Lincoln after mechanical issues, and with Kofoid's podium, the points lead is down to 106 points. I already had a message today about what's possible here for Kofoid, and at about 2 points per position, 106 points is still 53 spots. With eight features left, it's not impossible for Kofoid and that Roth 83 to close down more on Gravel, but it would likely take more Big Game issues for that to happen. 53 spots over eight races is more than 6.6 positions per night on average Kofoid needs to beat Gravel. Again, not impossible, but still difficult. Given Gravel's usual consistency, the chances aren't high for a tight battle headed to Charlotte, but they aren't zero either. Also, it was an odd week around series regular Zach Hampton. I had multiple messages coming out of Williams Grove about his status with Bill Rose and the six car. Hampton took to social media to complain about the Williams Grove fireworks, and then scratched after time trials on Saturday night. There were rumors flying around that Hampton was out of the car, but in the days leading up to this weekend, Hampton both apologized for criticizing the fireworks and for scratching on Saturday. The Bill Rose Racing accounts then shared Hampton's Saturday apology, saying quote "Winners never quit, quitters never win." But since that happened, all of the Bill Rose Racing social media accounts have disappeared. Hampton did race the six this weekend, finishing 13th and 17th. Rose himself competed at Williams Grove and last night at Lincoln. He was out in the C Main in all three races. Certainly an odd week of happenings.
At Oswego, it was Super Dirt Week win number four for Mat Williamson, who led 185 of 200 laps in the big block main event. He topped Justin Haers and Alex Yankowksi. It's always tough to get a temporary dirt track right, and there was rubber down last night unfortunately. Williamson also took the weeks' 358 modified win in the Salute to the Troops 150. Richard Murtaugh the sportsman modified winner, and Devon Camenga your Super Dirt Week pro stock winner.
Other weekend late model winners included Daniel Hilsabeck and Tony Jackson Jr. in unsanctioned action at Lucas Oil Speedway. Donald McIntosh won $10,000 at Dixie in a weekend away from Lucas, Logan Roberson was a limited winner at Natural Bridge, and Tyler Carpenter won the first race back on the newly reconfigured West Virginia Motor Speedway.
Other weekend open wheel winners included Logan Seavey and Kyle Cummins in USAC sprint car action at Lawrenceburg. Cummins officially clinched the USAC sprint car title with still four races to go. Big hat tip to Paul Nienhiser on his MOWA win on Friday at Jacksonville. That's got to feel good after returning to racing following that back injury. DJ Netto was a NARC winner at Antioch, which helps his bid for the NARC title. Cannon McIntosh, Michael Faccinto, and Brandon Carr were POWRi midget winners, and Whit Gastineau swept the ASCS wins at Salt City.
That is the Daily show for today. Appreciate you tuning in.
Hope you guys have a great Sunday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow!