DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
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When bad race track news might actually be good | Daily 7-11-2023
Race tracks shutting down operations usually is bad news, but I've got an example for you today of where maybe this was just best for everyone. Plus we'll talk Brad Doty Classic, XR, Lucas, and a lot more. Let's go!
It's Tuesday, July 11th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily.
We'll start your Tuesday off with a little bit of race track news from Tennessee. We found out yesterday that the Proffitt family that has been running Volunteer Speedway this season weekly, has decided to end their promotion of the track effective immediately. Racer Vic Hill is the facility General Manager, but the Proffitts had been leasing it out for the weekly racing. Under normal circumstances, I think we would take an announcement of this kind as bad news, but with what the family decided to post on Facebook, maybe this is just the best way out. Things don't seem like they had gone well at the track this season, and the family had clearly had enough. In the Facebook post announcing the decision, they said quote "To all my fellow track promoters. We made the best decision we have ever made this morning pertaining to running a track.... Resignation!!! I feel like I have been let out of jail lol. Think about this.... Turns out we (promoters) really don't have to lose bunches of money and listen to constant whining from people with a smartphone that has zero idea of what this entails. It's as easy as turning it off and focusing on our happiness each weekend with family trips and relaxation. The weekly "thing" is dying faster than ever now, anyway. So let's step away and let the ones making the $$$ with television and huge shows provide us the entertainment. Thanks to Vic and Christa, staff, and all of our supporters (which is a good amount of people). You all had our back and we will not forget it. To the rest of ya, blank our blank!! And yes, comments are off because we get the last word this time" unquote. As you could have imagined, they didn't really get the last word, because that's not how the internet works, plus comments weren't really turned off. At any rate though, I think some people are just built to do this type of work, and others aren't, and this is probably a net positive for the sport of dirt racing in eastern Tennessee. It would be nice to see Bulls Gap continue to run regularly, but clearly this wasn't the right group to do it. Happy trials to the Proffitt family.
It's obviously a big week around sprint car racing, and things get rolling tonight in Ohio with the Brad Doty Classic at Attica. Tonight is a standard Outlaw show with the usual format and points on the line, so guys can't really afford to already be looking ahead to Eldora, the Million, and the Kings Royal. Kyle Larson is the defending race winner, and Donny Schatz won at Attica earlier this season. It sounds like Larson will be in attendance to defend, and I would not be shocked to see a sizeable field tonight. I know some will probably skip it to save their equipment for Eldora, but Attica drew 38 back in May, and this race had 44 a year ago. Besides Larson, we'll get the Outlaw regulars, a bunch of Ohio teams, and plenty of other travelers. Shane Stewart tweeted he'll be there with Bernie and the 71, and we know that Daryn Pittman is coming tonight with Alex Bowman Racing and the 55 before they head to Eldora. Jake Swanson has been running that Ally 55 some this season as well with Bowman out, and supposedly he'll be hanging around this week to learn as much as he can before getting back in that car in the future. And since we are talking about Alex Bowman Racing, today's show is sponsored by ABRInc.shop, the official online store of Alex Bowman and ABR. They've got awesome, comfortable merchandise with new racing and lifestyle designs, hats, ladies items and even a sprint car dog toy. The store lineup includes Bowman's NASCAR gear plus a bunch of sprint car team stuff. Use code TRACKR at checkout for free shipping on any order over $29.99 in the continental United States. That's T R A C K R at checkout for free shipping. See the full line of Alex Bowman Racing gear over at ABRinc.shop. Back to Donny Schatz, we know that team has struggled this season, and this could be a good night to get some confidence and momentum going before the Million and Kings Royal. Schatz leads all drivers in average finish at Attica over the past several seasons, and hasn't finished outside the top ten in eight straight races. That does include two wins. We are also still keeping a close eye on this championship battle between Brad Sweet, David Gravel, and Carson Macedo. If you can't get to Attica tonight, watch it live on DIRTVision.
Last night at Dubuque, the XR Super Series drew 40 super late models for their $20,000 to win show. That included a good number of Lucas competitors who were coming off the Deer Creek weekend, and who will head to Davenport tonight. It was a tough night for some, with flat tires an issue through the course of the feature. Both Ricky Thornton Jr. and Hudson O'Neal led laps, but were both victims of multiple flats before the race was over. Each bounced back to finish in the top five. Out front, Devin Moran led the most laps, but came up short at the end because Bobby Pierce slid by him with three laps to go and drove on to the win. It's obviously been a very good few days for Pierce, and we'll see if the momentum keeps rolling tonight at Davenport for the Outlaw points leader. Moran ended up second, with Brandon Sheppard third. BShepp was again in Kevin Rumley's R&D car, as he was at Deer Creek. Hudson O'Neal maintains the series points lead, and we'll see the XR Super Series again in a few weeks at Off Road Speedway in Nebraska. That one will be a two day show, culminating in another $100,000 to win main event.
So with XR's show complete, Davenport is up next tonight as the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series rolls through for a $10,000 to win program. Tonight, Tri-City on Friday, and Wheatland on Saturday are the final three chances for drivers to get into the top 12, as after Saturday's race, only that top 12 will still be eligible for the Lucas chase for the championship. It should be pretty quiet on that front though, as Garrett Alberson currently leads Tyler Bruening by 210 points for that final spot. Like we talked about last week, it seems like the only battle that will end up mattering here is for that final spot, which Tim McCreadie has, and Jonathan Davenport and Devin Moran want. There are currently 100 points separating those three drivers, so none of them can afford much in the way of bad nights. Of those three, McCreadie has been the best lately with an average finish of 4.4 over his last five races. Davenport has been known to put on a banger or two, so don't sleep on this show tonight. Hudson O'Neal won this race a year ago, while Tanner English won a pair of Outlaw shows at the Iowa track in 2022. Tonight's racing will be live on Flo if you can't get there.
Up at Big Diamond Speedway tonight, the Super DIRTcar Series continues their 2023 season. Matt Sheppard has won two of the last three races and has climbed to the top of the championship, leading Mat Williamson by 35 points. Tonight's race is $7500 to win, and will be followed up this weekend by a stop at Weedsport Speedway that will award another guaranteed feature starting spot at Super Dirt Week. So far this year, Williamson leads the way with four victories, Sheppard has two, and Max McLaughlin and Chris Hile have one each. 107 different drivers have attempted a Super DIRTcar Series race.
And speaking of Super Dirt Week, a few changes are coming to that event this year, with more announcements expected in the leadup. For this year, there is now no lap 100 fuel stop, and no mandated stop at all. Competition yellows will be thrown on laps 75 and 125 if teams want to use those as opportunities to pit. And outside of the regular radio communication with the officials in the tower, teams are no longer allowed to use two way radios to communicate with their teams about pit strategy. So that should throw a bit of a wrinkle in things this season. World Racing Group also announced the winner's share of the purse has been bumped up to $51,000 for the 51st running of the event. You can see more on all of this over at superdirtweek.com.
One schedule note today, the USAC National Midget show at Red Dirt Raceway has been cancelled for tonight because of weather. They will try again tomorrow at the Mitchell County Fairgrounds.
For you iRacing nerds like me, the World of Outlaws Late Model season kicked off last night with Volusia Speedway Park. 10 rounds again, a $25,000 prize pool, and $10 grand to the champion. And this new season started very similarly to how last season went, with Evan Seay dominating. He led flag to flag in the main event, topping Barrett Bishop, who just got by Kendal Tucker late. If you might remember from last October, Seay was the 2022 series champion, but he was suspended from the season finale for going after Tucker on track in the race before. His points lead was big enough that it didn't matter, but it was a weird situation. We'll see if Seay can keep his temper in check this year. You can watch these iRacing shows on Monday nights at 9PM eastern for free on DIRTVision and YouTube.
That's it for the show today. Make sure you check out the streaming schedule over at dirtrackr.com if you're trying to find something to watch.
Hope you guys have a good Tuesday out there, we'll see you right back here tomorrow.