DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
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Possible Outlaw run? Should there have been more changes? Another new driver?! | Daily 11-23-2025
The Lucas schedule is out, and it's not a whole lot different than 2025. Is that a bad thing? We'll discuss. Plus the All Stars pickup some national tour co-sanctions, there are several regional sprint car moves to get into, and weekend race results. Let's go!
It's Sunday, November 23rd, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.
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A ton of news items to pick through from the last few days and we'll start first with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series schedule. We saw it for the first time on Friday, with the series announcing 58 races at 26 tracks next year. Things start February 19th at All-Tech, and they wrap up October 17th at West Virginia Motor Speedway. Looking at the schedule, there really isn't a whole lot differnt from 2025. We've already talked about the re-worked speedweeks setup for Lucas that doesn't start now until after the Daytona 500. They'll hit All-Tech, Ocala, and Golden Isles into early May. Ocala sort of trying to take up that previous East Bay spot with five nights of racing. The rest of March and April is the same, except that BAPS replaces Port Royal during that swing east in late April. May and June are unchanged, with the other big adjustment happening in July. Atomic replaces Portsmouth at the beginning of the month, and as we talked about previously here on the show, Huset's is gone. After Wheatland, it's now Adams County, then three nights at Shelby County for the Silver Dollar Nationals. In August, the Hillbilly 100 at Lernerville is gone, September is the same, and October now goes Pittsburgher, Eldora for a sort of new event, and then the Dirt Track World Championship at the reconfigured WVMS. So really, outside of the speedweeks shift, the Silver Dollar Nationals, and the DTWC switching to WVMS, there aren't really any other major changes. I have seen some criticism because the schedule looks very similar, but as they say, if it ain't broke don't fix it. They've got good paying races that draw fans and teams, and a setup that works. It's hard to knock them for that. The only other thing we don't know about for Lucas is how the playoff slash chase will work next year. None of that is spelled out on this schedule. I'm sure there are a bunch of folks hoping for a return to the more traditional setup, but the playoffs do create drama. We'll see if we maybe get that announced at PRI.
The other schedule to note is the All Star Circuit of Champions slate for next year. Ohio Sprint Speedweek is Attica, Sharon, Millstream, Wayne County, Eldora, Waynesfield, Fremont, and Atomic. No Mansfield in there, which I heard was a possbility. There are also two co-sanctions here with High Limit. Those include May 8th and 9th at Kokomo, and May 29th at Lawrenceburg. I know chatter was going around about some possible co-sanctions, but the High Limit schedule release didn't mention it, and the All Star social post doesn't really mention it either. The dates are the same, but nothing to call out that these are also High Limit shows. Kokomo drew 33 cars last year, with a lot of All Star guys in the field, so it's not like that will be needed to pump the car count. Lawrenceburg on the other hand only had 23, so this will definitely help there. The Outlaws haven't co-sanctioned any races in at least a few years, so I'll be curious to see if this is something that continues with High Limit into the future.
We've also had a few sprint car rides change hands in recent days. In Central Pennsylvania, we found out several days ago that Brock Zearfoss was departing the Eichelberger eight car to take his own team back out on the road more often. And Friday, Jeremy Elliott reported that Lance Dewease will replace Zearfoss with Eichelberger. Dewease departs the Shearer ride after two years together. They had a pair of wins in 2024, and another pair this year, with two each at Port Royal and Williams Grove. The crew chief situation for this new deal is still up in the air, as is the schedule. Jeremy has been talking about a potential Central PA series popping up in 2026, and we are waiting to see if that materializes along with track schedules. Until all of that is worked out, I'm sure a bunch of teams won't know their plans for that area for next year. Dewease hoping with this move to recapture some of the speed and magic he had for all of those years with Don Kreitz and the 69K. Dewease hasn't had double digit wins in a season since 2022. From what I understand, that Shearer deal was a bit of a project when Dewease joined, but they made some big strides together. As Dewease gets nearer to the end of his career, he'll be looking to go out a bit closer to the top.
In the midwest, it was just a few days ago we were talking about Hank Davis departing the Beaver 12X after a late season run that saw several wins together. Davis is replacing Tim Shaffer in the Michael Dutcher 17GP, and Beaver has found their next guy. In the span of a few minutes on Friday, we learned that Landon Crawley was departing the Johnny Herrera-owned 45X and then taking over the Beaver ride. The new pairing will tackle the full POWRi winged 410 schedule in 2026, while mixing in starts with both the World of Outlaws and High Limit. They could run up to 70 races together. Crawley was an Outlaw rookie in 2024, running the full season with Jason Sides. In 2025 first with Dutcher, and then Herrera, Crawley made 73 total starts, with seven top fives and 16 top tens in mixed action between the Outlaws, High Limit, POWRi, MSTS, and midwest weekly action. His best run of the season was probably the eight to five charge agaist the World of Outlaws at Vado. The Crawley/Herrera deal was one I'd heard several weeks ago could be a candidate to join a national tour, but this obviously takes that off the table. I do think POWRi is a good schedule for Crawley, who is still only 17 years old. No word yet on who Herrera could hire. On the flip side, I have heard that Davis and Dutcher could be exploring a possible jump to the Outlaws full time. That would be a significant step up for both Dutcher and Davis, but with so many unknowns towards the bottom of the Outlaw full timer list, there will be opportunities to get in there. I do think Davis has talent, but with so few 410 starts under his belt, it's hard to know what he's capable of against the tougher competition. He's only appeared in four Outlaw events in his career, and has yet to make a feature.
One more for you, and this one breaking here just moments ago as I write this. TKS Motorsports is picking up Carson McCarl for the 2026 season. They're going to run weekly at Knoxville, with other midwest events filling in their slate. That car had a number of drivers in it during 2025, including Cory Eliason, Christopher Thram, Ian Madsen, and Jack Anderson. It's been a bit of a revolving door there since Chase Randall departed in 2024. At one point a few weeks ago, there were rumors that Danny Sams was a heavy favorite for this deal and that the car could go out on a national tour, but clearly that didn't end up working out. It sounds like Sams is staying in the family ride, and now TKS pulls back to mostly local action with McCarl. This past season, McCarl made the bulk of his 30 410 starts at Knoxville, with scattered races against POWRi, the Outlaws, High Limit, the MSTS, and the IRA. Four top fives and 13 top tens in those starts. He was the 360 track champion at Knoxville in 2020 and 2019.
In weekend racing action, Cannon McIntosh and Logan Seavey were USAC midget winners at Merced. The Friday win for McIntosh was the 200th USAC score for the Keith Kunz Motorsports operation. Cannon Mac got around fellow KKM driver Buddy Kofoid in lap traffic and picked up the win. Saturday night, Jacob Denney controlled much of the Chase Johnson Classic finale, leading 28 of 30 laps, but Logan Seavey got the top rolling late, and led the final two circuits for the $5000 win. Corey Day dominated last night's 360 sprint car feature. With McIntosh winning and finishing sixth, and Justin Grant leaving Merced with a pair of 13th place runs, McIntosh is in the driver's seat for the USAC midget title with two races left. His lead is now 63 points with just Kern and Turkey Night left.
Weekend late model winners included Jeremy Steele beating Wil Herrington for $10,000 in crate action at Needmore. Clay Stuckey won Friday at Pike County, but then got beat late by Spencer Hughes last night. Hunt the Front's Joseph Joiner on the podium there also.
And down at Volusia, Drake Troutman topped Ethan Dotson in the Reutimann Memorial UMP modified show.
I believe your only racing option today is the Carolina Clash late models at Lavonia for their season finale. Ben Watkins looking to wrap up that championship.
That's the show for today. Stick around this week, I know it's a holiday week with Thanksgiving coming up, but there won't be a lack of things to talk about. A number of interesting things percolating out there, we're still waiting on the Outlaw schedule, and more. We might throw in a an interview or two as well.
Hope you guys have a great Sunday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow!