DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
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More on High Limit's 2024 plans, another dirt late model driver loses seat | Daily 10-3-2023
On the show today we are talking High Limit at Bridgeport, plus an update on their ongoing expansion saga and 2024 plans. We've also got the details on a Lucas regular losing his seat, and news about Stewart Friesen's Super Dirt Week status. Let's go!
It's Tuesday, October 3rd, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily.
The High Limit Sprint Car Series is back to racing tonight with just two shows left. After today at Bridgeport, they'll head to Lincoln Park next Tuesday night for the season finale. Kyle Larson continues to lead the championship, but Rico Abreu has closed to within 20 points. The points breakdown for High Limit is a little different than what we see with the Outlaws and All Stars. A win is worth 100, second 95, third 92, then two points per spot down to ninth, then just a single point per position from there. On average through the field, it's just shy a point and a half per spot. So based on that average, Rico trails Larson by about 14 feature spots with two features left to run. Not impossible, but it will be tough. I think like we saw last week at Lernerville, Larson will need to have some trouble or make some mistakes down the stretch here for Rico to make a charge. The season champion will earn $30,000. As of last night, they've got 30 cars on the pre-entry list. Larson, Rico, Anthony Macri, Justin Peck, Brent Marks, Justin Sanders, Tyler Courtney and others will be joined by several PA regulars like Danny Dietrich, Freddie Rahmer, and Devon Borden. With some quick research, it looks like we have had six drivers attempt every High Limit show in 2023. They are Larson, Rico, Cory Eliason, Chase Randall, Ryan Timms, and Dusty Zomer. Larson, Rico, and Eliason are the only ones to run all nine features. The only national touring sprint car show at Bridgeport this year was the All Stars way back in May. Tyler Courtney picked up that win over Kyle Reinhardt and Macri. That was the night Justin Peck ended up crashed into the front stretch wall opening right at the start. I would expect both Sunshine and Macri to be good tonight, and don't forget Larson had a fantastic battle back in 2022 with Sheldon Haudenschild at an Outlaw show there. Larson is the only driver to have finished in the top ten in every High Limit feature to this point, and you will continue to hear about how the series is yet to have a front row starter win a race. Six of nine wins in 2023 have come from row two. Curiously, we have yet to see a repeat dash winner as well. 10 dashes and 10 different winners. Tonight's High Limit program also includes a modified invitational and if you can't get there, everything is live on FloRacing. If you need a Flo subscription, and want to support what I do here, click the link below in this video description to purchase. That gets you Flo and helps me out at no extra cost to you.
Obviously underlying all of this too is the ongoing saga of what High Limit becomes in 2024. We covered this some last week on the show with the All Star rumors and the Mike Hess departure from World Racing Group. Check those episodes out if you want more details. We'll see if Hess is indeed in attendance tonight at Bridgeport running the show as he did last week at Lernerville. If you are at Bridgeport tonight and spot him, let me know via DM or email. According to some friends, things at Williams Grove over the weekend seemed to go as usual with Don Grabey in the tower for the World of Outlaws. It had been a while since he worked an event, but he is an experienced hand. There is also chatter that Brad Sweet is already working on tracks to line up dates for an expanded High Limit slate next season, including some spots on the schedule that have traditionally been with other series. I still think though, that we won't get anything official until after the Outlaw season has concluded. That fifth title will be important to Brad and KKR, and I'd guess he'll avoid any of this publicly until after that has been sewed up at World Finals.
We talked last week on the show about how quiet the dirt late model silly season has been, with only a scattered move here and there. We know that Max Blair and Boom Briggs are parting ways for 2024, and yesterday we got the announcement of another driver and team splitting up. Lucas regular Spencer Hughes revealed that he and PCC Motorsports and car owner Craig Sims will go their separate ways for next year. The pairing will run the Dirt Track World Championship and the Fall Classic at Whynot, and then that's it. In a release, Sims said the rising costs to compete have forced him to scale back his operation. Before their two seasons together, PCC had previously fielded cars for Kyle Strickler and Hudson O'Neal on the national stage. Out with Lucas full time, Hughes was ninth in the standings a year ago, but a deeper field this season has made it tougher. Even with some improvement in performance, Hughes heads to Eldora just 12th. I do think it's important to point out that in his second full year on the road, Hughes did make strides as a driver. His average finish was a spot and a half better, and he had more top fives and more top tens. Unfortunately though, no wins in his two seasons, and just a single lap led with Lucas in 2023. That was the opening circuit of the North South 100 at Florence. Overall, just two victories this season, both at Whynot, one in a modified and the other in a 604 late model. I've got Hughes at $116k in winnings for the year, and even with some of the Lucas benefits and sponsorship, it's tough to make ends meet that far down the order for a team owner. No word yet on plans for either side for the future.
As for other dirt late model changes, I'm sure more are coming. I know there continue to be rumors about Shane Clanton's future with the Skyline team, but nothing official to this point. And we'll see what else pops up in the coming weeks and months.
A quick Super Dirt Week update for you. I mentioned on the Monday show that Stewart Friesen had a nasty crash in the truck series race at Talladega and there was some question about his status for Oswego. This morning he announced that he's going to give it a shot and see how the week progresses. Supposedly he is dealing with some pain in his lower back and will work with his doctors through the week to see how things go. His wife Jessica could be a fill in driver if needed. If you are in the area and want some racing tonight, Weedsport has 358 modifieds, sportsman, and the Empire Super Sprints. Official Super Dirt Week racing begins tomorrow with a full afternoon of practice, plus Brewerton.
Elsewhere tonight, the USRA Nationals get going at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri. Racing continues through Saturday for the modifieds, stock cars, B-Mods, hobby stocks and tuners. The grandstands are open all week, and you can watch live over on RacinDirt.
That's it for the show today. Make sure to stop by dirtrackr.com to check out the streaming schedule, and hit up the analytics section to get your fantasy picks research done.
Hope you guys have a great Tuesday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow.