DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
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Hunt the Front's schedule, should High Limit worry, Mopar vs. TRD power | Daily 12-2-2025
Hunt the Front grows their series again, should High Limit worry about the NASCAR lawsuit, why did Central PA need a sprint car series, how does an old Mopar midget engine compare, and can race teams actually be profitable. We'll talk about all of that today, let's go.
It's Tuesday, December 2nd, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.
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Earlier today the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series announced their 2026 schedule, and they continue to push things further as they look towards year four of the southeastern-based late model tour. A year ago it was 23 races at 15 tracks, and next year it will be 26 races at 17 tracks. Things will get started early in the year, with late January stops at Needmore, followed a few days later by two nights at Swainsboro. From there, it's 22 more races through to the finale at I-75 in October. The other tracks with dates are Talladega, North Georgia, Whynot, Elkins, Tyler County, West Virginia, Magnolia, Cochran, Senoia, Lavonia, Cherokee, Duck River, Sugar Creek, and Smoky Mountain. All races pay at least $8000 to win, with some as high as $15,000 to win. They champion will again earn $50,000, and there is additional money available for rookie of the year contenders, through contingencies, and they'll pay $500 travel money to each of the top 10 in the loyalty program. I like as well that they adjusted their mulligan situation, where drivers can drop their worst two races, or use those as missed races. I like that this keeps options open for drivers, especially when a lot of them aren't professional racers. That part of the announcement reads quote "The series will expand its mulligan rule in 2026, allowing drivers to drop two races from their season totals — including races they do not attend. This approach is designed to give teams more flexibility to navigate the long season, handle weather disruptions, and manage resources without falling out of the championship hunt. The mulligan rule also gives teams flexibility around the Speedweeks opener, as only one finish from the four races will count toward points and non-attendance will only count as a single drop" unquote. Through the first few seasons, the Hunt the Front tour has been able to put together really strong fields of full timers, and that will be Joshua Joiner's next job for 2026. Brandon Overton and Jimmy Owens being the last two series champs might be hard to top, but I would again expect a solid group. You can see all the details over at htfseries.com.
With that bit of news out of the way, I want to pick through a bunch of questions and topics submitted this week by Patreon and YouTube channel members. Some really good stuff, and a few that are timely. I will say off the top, there is one in here about Gateway/Dome wraps. I'm not going to cover that here, because we'll talk wraps later in the week as we get closer.
Given recent events in both dirt racing and NASCAR, I'll start first with Ryan's submission. He says quote "With the NASCAR lawsuit starting this week, curious on how the results of that lawsuit can/will impact the High Limit High Roller Club payout structure. It's rebranded from a franchise/charter, but the core concept behind the place/position value remains. Likely too early to really know but it's really how HL has been building a differentiating factor from the World of Outlaws, at least from a membership stance" unquote. If you aren't aware, or aren't following, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are currently challenging NASCAR in court over anti-trust issues regarding the NASCAR charter system. I will say right off, I'm not a lawyer, and I don't play one on the internet. What I will say though, is I don't know that I think this will have any affect on High Limit and it's franchise system. Anti-trust is really about monopolies and anti-competitive practices, and with so many other sprint car series out there, including the World of Outlaws, that's not something anyone can really go at High Limit for. Yes, their franchise system is similar to NASCAR's with the charter, but this suit isn't about the charters themselves, and more about NASCAR alledgedly trying to stop or harm competition from other series or entities. I have no insight into the language of the High Limit franchise contracts, so it's absolutely possible there could be other issues in there, but I don't think I'd be too concerned over anti-trust.
Next, Barry asks quote "Why does pa think they need a series? Woo and high limit, all stars are in the state or close by" unquote. It's definitely a fair question, and one I think could probably garner different answers depending on who you ask. Outside of thinking their schedule is problematic, I do like the idea of them starting a series. The cooperation is great, and hopefully it will lead to more teams taking the risk and getting out to some of these other tracks. If promoted properly, I think it could be a fun draw for area fans as well. When we look around the country at the main sprint car areas, PA is really the only one without a serious 410 series of it's own. We've got NARC out west, things like AFCS and FAST in and around Ohio, and midwest tours like MOWA, the IRA, and POWRi. These are the types of series that are in place for up and comers, and non-professional racers. They can be a fantastic gateway for drivers trying to move up, or an easier alternative to larger tours or even the national scene. Could PA have continued along without a series, yes. But this might be a way to strengthen racing in the area and provide fans something to follow all season long.
The next question comes from Lee, he asks quote "What is the difference in Horsepower from Corey Day's Vintage Mopar to today's Toyota/Stanton/Esslingers" unquote. Lee referring to the Mopar engine that's under the hood of the Willie Kahne-owned midget that Day has been racing in recent years. We've seen that car compete in the USAC west coast events, and at the Chili Bowl. It's now won Turkey Night two years in a row, plus a Chili Bowl prelim feature. Going back to 2024, Brian Walker tweeted that the engine was built by Bob Wirth and at the time it was 19 years old. So we are now somewhere in the range of it being 20 or 21 years old. It's actually older than Corey Day. If my research is correct, it's a Mopar W9, and these used to be fairly common in midget racing. These days, the TRDs really rule the sport, with Stanton SR-11s and a few Esslingers still floating around. There are other randoms as well, including Ethan Mitchell's Hondas. I asked a friend who knows about these types of things, and he says that Kahne's Mopar is within 10HP of the modern TRDs. So don't think that just because it's an older block and head that Day has a massive horsepower disadvantage. There's plenty of speed still left in that thing, as evidenced by how well it runs every time Day races. I do like though that Kahne has his own chassis and setup ideas always going, and he's using a different engine then the rest.
And finally, Ed asks quote "Can any race team really make any money? As we know purses are up but so are costs. I have heard it said that if you want to make a million in dirt racing you need to spend 3 million" unquote. I think the answer to this question is yes, but I don't know that it can come from just the racing alone. Purses, points funds, and tow money can help offset costs, but a real profitable racing entity has to do more. That means good sponsors, robust merch sales, and a strong social media presence. We know for example that Hunt the Front is profitable, as they don't have some rich car owner footing the bills. They hustle though to make it work. And I'm obviously not intimately familiar with Rico Abreu's finances, but I'd bet he does pretty well also. He's worked hard to build that team, and does a good job with the ancillary activities like merch and social. Someone in the comments will no doubt bring up the fact that he's joining TSR as a reason why maybe he isn't profitable, but that's not necessarily true. If he can get extra support from Stewart and his team, why not. I would say that most teams you see racing every week at the highest levels are not money making entities, but I do think it's possible. As Ed alluded to though, if you want to make a small fortune in racing, start with a big one.
In the future, if you'd like to submit your questions or topics and parcipate in episodes like this, join up as a YouTube channel member or premium Patreon member. This is one of the perks of those programs. There are links in the video description below if you'd like to check them out.
We'll call it good there for today.
Hope you guys have a great Tuesday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow!