DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
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He's got the following, he's got the speed... Now he's got the shot. | Daily 10-29-2025
We're reacting to breaking sprint car news today with Buch Motorsports hiring their next driver. We'll share the details, plus talk about why this is a good move for everyone involved, including the High Limit sprint car series. Plus a schedule update, regional late model news, and more. Let's go!
It's Wednesday, October 29th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.
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Breaking sprint car news here just a little bit ago, with another ride off the market. Just a few days after Kasey Kahne Racing confirmed the hire of Daison Pursley for the NAPA nine next year, Buch Motorsports has Pursley's replacement. Tanner Holmes will run World Finals in the Buch 13, and in a social post he said quote "The plan is to follow up with a full time run with High Limit Racing in 2026" unquote. We've talked here lately about Buch wanting a younger driver, and Holmes' name was mixed in as a candidate here. Some others who we heard were considered included Kalib Henry, Steven Snyder Jr., and Danny Sams. I think Henry has done enough to deserve a shot somewhere, and we watched Sams win a High Limit show this season. Snyder is more unproven, but a young guy a lot of people are high on. Going back to earlier this month, I'd heard rumors of Holmes being connected to a few different national level rides, and it seemed it was only a matter of time before he got a serious chance at a bigger deal. Holmes will finish the NARC season this coming Saturday at Stockton out in California with Tarlton, then head to Charltote to drive for Buch. 2025 has been Holmes' best sprint car season to date, with a pair of NARC wins, plus a trio of 360 sprint car wins. He earned four top fives and six top tens in 19 appearances with High Limit, and two top tens in eight starts against the World of Outlaws. That High Limit top five count is the same or more than Brenham Crouch, Sye Lynch, and Chase Randall had this year who all ran the series full time. It's only three less than Pursley had with Buch. Jumping to High Limit full time time in 2026 won't be the first time Holmes has lived the touring life. Remember he replaced Jacob Allen in the Shark Racing 1A for the latter part of the 2023 World of Outlaws schedule. The late Bobby Allen did try and hire Holmes this year to get back in the 1A after Jacob Allen retired. Holmes had to turn it down though given his existing commitments between the family car and Tarlton. We know that Shark initially went with Cale Thomas, before later settling on Ashton Torgerson. I think this is a solid move for both driver and team, and a good pickup for High Limit. Given his social following, Holmes can be additive to High Limit and Buch, and something that is very underrated about Holmes' following is the kids. He's a favorite of the kids at any track, and bringing the next generation to the dirt track is a big deal. Adding the power of Holmes' following will elevate Buch's marekting partners, and be a significant force in pushing High Limit's awareness. For example, Holmes has double the Facebook followers that High Limit has. When you're trying to fill grandstands, that kind of reach doesn't hurt. On the negative side, there will be all of the usual trolls in the comments trying to diminish Holmes and this opportunity, but what they fail to recognize is he's grown well beyond YouTube videos and social media posts. Holmes has become a serious contender in a sprint car. He's rated higher over at sprintcarratings.com then a number of drivers who were full time on national tours this year. He's 31st on the money list, and one of 43 drivers to earn at least $100,000 in winnings in 2025. It's hard to argue with those numbers, and the ones I shared earlier. Like the Tarlton deal with crew chief Drew Warner, Holmes will benefit by sliding into the Buch seat with an established crew chief on the wrenches. Sean Strausbaugh isn't new to the game, and has won with a number of drivers, more recently Justin Peck and Pursley. I wouldn't expect this team to contend for the title against the heavy hitters, but there's no reason to think wins are out of the question. Holmes just recently outdueled Spencer Bayston on the final night of the Trophy Cup. He's busted his butt for nearly ten years building a successful social following. He's won races and performed well against the best, and it's earned him a full time spot on a national tour. Assuming Lynch and Randall are back, Tyler Courtney is healthy, and when Gio Scelzi's deal gets announced, Buch and Holmes confirmed shores up the top 12 drivers and teams in the High Limit standings. Between this side and the Outlaws, I think we'll have a very solid picture of next year's rosters by the end of World Finals next weekend.
Before we move on, one schedule note for you. Bridgeport Motorsports Park is condensing the two-day Dirty Jersey finale down to one day, with everything being run on Saturday now. The release says cold temperatures and high winds are the reason. The event features unsanctioned winged 410 sprint cars racing for $12,000 to win, plus the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars, 305s, and 4-cylinders.
A couple of dirt late model silly season things to mention. First, it sounds like Christian Hanger is working his way towards a national touring late model schedule for 2026. The Tennessee driver ran most of the Summer Nationals in 2025, before pretty much going quiet the rest of the season. They posted this week they will be back to racing in December for the Gateway Dirt Nationals, and in that post mentioned looking for partners for next year for a quote "national level touring team." On the Hell Tour, Hanger did pick up some top five and top ten finishes, and has a pair of dirt late model wins this year, both at Duck River. In recent seasons, he's won at various tracks around the southeast in both super and crate and limited late models. It sounds like they won't make any announcements until the PRI show, but a jump to a national tour would be significant step up for Hanger. In the analytics section at dirtrackr.com, I've got him with seven Outlaw appearances since 2019 with a best finish of 12th, that came at Duck River in 2020. Add in another six Lucas starts since 2020, with his best finish of 14th coming at Dixie Speedway in 2021. We'll see what he's able to put together.
Also, Comp Cams Super Dirt Series regular BJ Robinson is on the hunt for a new ride. He announced in a social media post earlier today that the DP Motorsports team he'd been driving for is shuttering. Robinson finished third in the Comp Cams championship this season behind Billy Moyer Sr and Morgan Bagley. He had a win, four top fives, and 10 top tens in 21 starts. The Louisiana scattered in a few national touring starts this season as well. In his post, he said quote "I am looking at what's next and exploring new opportunities for the future. This isn't goodbye - just a pause before the next race" umquote. In a story posted over at FloRacing and Dirt on Dirt, Kevin Kovac mentioned that Robinson is a long time employee of Stuckey Enterprises. Stuckey the builder of the Black Diamond chassis, and they announced earlier this year a partnership and merger with Longhorn Chassis.
That's the Daily for today. If you've gotten all the way to this point in the episode, and you don't already subscribe to the show, maybe consider hitting that button. You can subscribe for free on YouTube and the podcast places, and like and follow on Facebook. New shows are posted five days a week to those platforms, plus dirtrackr.com.
Hope you guys have a great Wednesday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow!