DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

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After shock split, Anthony Macri returns to 39M sprint car | Daily 10-10-2023

Reunited and it feels so good. We'll talk about Anthony Macri back in the 39M, plus what's next for Lance Dewease, tonight's High Limit show and more. Let's go!

It's Tuesday, October 10th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily.

If you are new around here, we talk dirt racing five days a week, and you can find the episodes on YouTube and all the major podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any future shows. If you are curious who I am, I've worked around motorsports my entire professional career, including 16 seasons as a pit crew guy in NASCAR, plus a seven year run as the web developer for the World of Outlaws and World Racing Group. I started DIRTRACKR in 2019, and this show in 2020. Also, if you are ever curious about something I've said, I post full show transcripts to the website over at dirtrackr.com/daily. Those are also good if you or someone you know is hard of hearing and still wants to check out the shows. They get posted right when new eps drop each day.

The big news item to drop yesterday was the confirmation that Anthony Macri will return to the Macri Motorsports 39M sprint car starting this weekend. It's probably one of the least surprising moves we've gotten this season, while on the flip side Macri's original departure from the family team just hours before the Eldora Million back in July was one of the most surprising moves we've had in 2023. Rumors about Macri's return had picked up in recent weeks, and there had supposedly been meetings and conversations between Anthony and his father Nick, who owns the team, about repairing their split. And Nick confirmed that to Jeremy Elliott who broke the news yesterday at sprintcarunlimited.com. Hopefuly both sides have resolved their problems and they can move forward in a good place. Since Anthony decided to leave, neither he nor the team have had the type of success they'd come to be known for together. Anthony mentioned that he felt like he couldn't drive as aggressive in other cars, and it showed in his performances. The 39M was being split between Justin Sanders and Lance Dewease, and Sanders will drive it one more time tonight, with High Limit at Lincoln Park. Dewease picked up a pair of top five runs this past weekend at Port Royal against the Outlaws, including leading 18 laps on Saturday night. The last race with Anthony in the 39M was a win at Port during PA Speedweek, but Anthony hasn't won since then, and the 39M had just a single victory; with Dewease at the Grove on September 22nd. Macri split time between the Clauson Marshall 7BC as a fill-in for the injured Tyler Courtney, and with Bernie in the Indy Race Parts 71. Macri's best finishes were two second place runs, one at the Grove and one at Port driving the 71. Most recently, he was ninth at the Tusky 50, but they did not complete the Outlaw portion of the weekend. Macri spun on the final lap of the Friday night B-Main while in a transfer spot, collecting Donny Schatz, and the team did not return for Saturday night. The larger issue for Macri going forward was going to be where he was able to get a ride. Bernie's deal isn't realistic, as he can't run a full time, 70 or 80 race schedule while also running the parts business. And without significant funding, or a car owner who had serious belief in Anthony, it was going to be tough. Had Anthony continued to be super fast in other cars, his stock may have been strong enough to carry him, but away from the 39M he was not the same driver. I had heard rumblings that he probably put too much pressure on himself jumping into the All Star title fight in the 7BC, as that was not a position he had been in before. And four races outside the top ten in that stretch of races really put that car behind the eight ball when Sunshine returned. Looking ahead, we'll see how long it takes Anthony to get his confidence back. The 39M team hasn't changed since Anthony left with Joe Mooney still at the helm. Macri told Jeremy that winning a race this weekend isn't out of the question.

As a result of this move, Lance Dewease was then in need of a ride going forward, but his position is already secure as of this morning. He told Jeremy that he's pairing up with Barry and Brent Shearer for the rest of this season, and probably a 40 race slate for 2024. The Shearer 12 has had both Brent and Billy Dietrich in it this season, and Brent ended up fourth last week at the Tusky 50 after starting on the main event pole. Shearer will still drive some, including at World Finals in a few weeks, and Dewease's experience will be put to good use as he'll help them continue to build out the program and sort their race cars. As long as the weather cooperates, Dewease will be in the 12 starting this weekend.

Looking ahead to tonight, the first High Limit season will wrap up with the finale at Lincoln Park Speedway in Indiana. No matter what Rico Abreu does, if Kyle Larson finishes in the top six, the championship is his. If that doesn't happen, it will really depend on where each ends up. For Rico, the only thing he can really do is try and win, and hope things fall his way. The entry list released last night has 36 cars, and includes Tyler Courtney, last year's winner at this race Buddy Kofoid, Justin Peck, Chase Randall, Brady Bacon, Logan Seavey, Zeb Wise, Kerry Madsen, and a bunch more. Tonight is a single division show, with hot laps scheduled for 6. Things should roll pretty quickly from there with 36 cars. If you can't get there, it will stream live on FLo.

Super Dirt Week wrapped up yesterday up at Oswego with the three modified main events. The first win of the day went to Mat Williamson in the 358 modified feature. He led a bunch of laps from the pole, but had to battle Anthony Perrego down the stretch to earn the victory, which was his first at Super Dirt Week in the 358. Perrego and Marc Johnson rounded out the podium. The sportsman main event was dominated by Matt Janczuk. A regular at Super Dirt Week in recent years, this was Janczuk's first win, and he was followed to the finish by 15 year old pole sitter Nicholas Root and 11th starting Zach Sobotka. And then later in the day, Money Mat struck again in the big block 200 to become just the fourth driver in the event's history to win both the small block and big block features. It was also his third career win in the Super Dirt Week 200 lapper. After flipping on the first lap of the 358 race, Max McLaughlin bounced back to finish second with the big block, and Mike Mahaney went 13th to third. The big block competitors now have just a few days to get things ready, as another big pay day is coming up with the Short Track Super Series headed for Port Royal and the Speed Showcase. We won't see the Super DIRTcar Series again until World Finals at Charlotte in early November.

That's it for the show today. Make sure to hit up the streaming schedule at dirtrackr.com and you can follow DIRTRACKR across all the major social media platforms @dirtrackr.

Hope you guys have a great Tuesday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow.