DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
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MAVTV expands Lucas TV schedule; new paint for Gravel; Xtreme adds Clouser, Boespflug | Daily 1-26-2022
On the show today we are talking Lucas and TV, Kyle Larson at Golden Isles, more Xtreme Outlaw drivers and more. Let's go!
Today is Wednesday, January 26th, two thousand and twenty two. Welcome into DIRTRACKR Daily. I'm Justin Fiedler.
With the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season set to get started this weekend, the series announced yesterday an expanded TV and broadcast schedule for the 2022 calendar. The full slate of races is again going to be livestreamed by MAVTV Plus if you are a subscriber. In addition, the MAVTV cable channel will show 18 events live, with two next day airings, and a total of 43 races on the schedule, either live or tape delayed. It's the biggest TV package they've had for the series to date. The first race on that live TV schedule is the season opener tomorrow at Golden Isles in Georgia. The Lucas late models are the only major dirt racing series with a broadcast TV package like this, but obviously it helps when the parent company of your series owns the TV network. Either way though, if having a streaming subscription isn't available to you, you can still get some live late model shows as part of your cable package. That's always a good thing. The weather forecast for this weekend's Lucas action wasn't looking too hot earlier in the week, but things are improving as we get closer. It's not going to be super warm, but the rain chances are going down. There is still some precipitation in the forecast for Friday, but it's much lower than it was. I think we have a very good chance of getting at least two of those three races in.
And before the racing gets going on Thursday, teams will be at the track tonight for open practice from 6PM to 9PM. If you're in the area, you can stop by and sit in the stands for free. Pit passes are $25. If the opening Outlaw weekend at Volusia was any indicator, we should have a strong field of cars this weekend. One car it sounds like we can expect is the Rumley six again, with Kyle Larson in the seat. He went 11th to third in the Outlaw opener last Friday, and that team will definitely be looking for more this weekend. Don't forget, Larson dominated the Lucas opener at All-Tech Raceway in 2021. On the show tomorrow, we'll dive into a full preview for the weekend, including my first ever Lucas win predictions.
It was just yesterday on the Daily that I went through a current list of the committed drivers and teams for the Xtreme Outlaw Series, and of course, without fail, there was a new driver announced yesterday afternoon. Coming off the 2021 POWRi WAR Sprint Car Championship, Mario Clouser joins the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car field for 2022. Clouser will continue to pilot the Eberhardt-Zirzow 6 with sponsorship from Yokohama Tire. Besides the WAR title, Clouser made 15 USAC National Sprint Car starts in 2021, with 28 total across the past two seasons. Over that span he's got an average finish of 12.4 and four top ten results. In that span, he's only missed making the feature on one occasion. Clouser is a nice addition to the sprint car field, and as a kid who grew up in the 80's with parents who liked rock music, I like that he has "Speedwagon" on his name plate on the car. You know, Mario Speedwagon. Okay, I'll stop. Also, just this morning as I was putting my show notes together, the series announced that Chad Boespflug will also go full time this year. He's teaming up with Scott Benic, who is resurrecting his 2B race team, to chase the series. Boespflug has USAC wins on his resume, and has done some winged racing in his career, but has been pretty quiet in recent years. He only made a single USAC sprint car start in 2021, at Eldora for Four Crown. He did participate in the Chili Bowl a few weeks ago in a midget, appearing in a Saturday F-Main. As for Benic, he's no stranger to winning, having crew chiefed Jeff Swindell with the Outlaws in 1994, and winning all three USAC division championships at various points in his career. The sprint car class now includes Clouser, Boespflug, Jason McDougal, Chase Stockon, Zach Daum, Shane Cockrum, and Landon Simon. If you want to know more about Boespflug, check out the past Conversations episode I did with him bacin late 2020. The Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car inaugural season kicks off February 14th and 15th at Volusia.
As we get closer to the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season opener at Volusia, we keep getting to see the new paint schemes on tap for the year. Yesterday it was Big Game Motorsports and David Gravel that dropped their 2022 livery, as the cool kids like to call it. It's another kickass Blackbeard design from Sean Cain and I really dig the added white this season. Super clean, and it will be easy to spot on track. The car is again splashed with Huset's Speedway and Jackson Motorplex logos, as Gravel's car owner Tod Quiring owns those facilities. So to date if I'm remembering correctly, we've seen cars for Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne, sort of James McFadden, Logan Schuchart, and Jacob Allen. Nothing yet from Donny Schatz, Carson Macedo, Sheldon Haudenschild, Kraig Kinser, Brock Zearfoss and others. I don't know about you, but I love this time of the year. There is so much excitement and anticipation, and everyone is always hyped to show off their new looks. The Outlaw season gets underway February 10th for DIRTcar Nationals.
If you're in the neighborhood of Boyd's Speedway in Georgia, this weekend's Cabin Fever Iron Man Late Model Series show has been postponed to February 5th because of cold weather. So don't go to Boyd's on Saturday, or get on FloRacing on Saturday, expecting to see late model racing there. You'll be the only one who shows up, and then you'll be mad. I warned you.
Last night I released a new episode of DIRTRACKR Conversations to get you ready for the dirt late model season. I'm joined on the show by past Dirt on Dirt contributor Joshua Joiner, who is also part of the Hunt the Front family. We talked Outlaws, Lucas, potential champions, rookies, what's up with Jonathan Davenport and Jimmy Owens, the new XR series, and whole lot more. You can find that episode in the podcast feed and on the DIRTRACKR YouTube channel.
If you're in the market for other dirt racing podcasts this week, Winged Nation has Tyler Street, LoudPedal has Chet Christner, there is a new Rigsby Report with Shannon Babb, Ohio Dirt has Charlie Vest, and Passing Points has Terry McCarl. To see the full list of shows and episodes, head over to dirtrackr.com/podcasts.
There are again two shows on the streaming schedule today, and again both of them on FloRacing. They've got another night of WinterNationals action from East Bay featuring modifieds, plus Flo 24/7. To see the full daily streaming schedule with links to watch, visit dirtrackr.com/watchtonight.
That's it for the show today, hope you have a good Wednesday. If you have thoughts about the topics on today's show, leave them in the comments below or tweet at me.
Thanks everybody for tuning in, I'll see you tomorrow for more DIRTRACKR Daily!