DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

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Everything we know RIGHT NOW about 2024 plans for the top 23 sprint car teams | Daily 11-22-2023

A 2024 sprint car status check today, as we run through a bunch of the top teams and talk about what we know about their plans for next season. Plus more midget racing for Kyle Larson, news from Tyler Courtney and Kyle Cummins, and last night's midget action at Merced. Let's go!

It's Wednesday, November 22nd, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily.

Things with the sprint car silly season seem like they've slowed a bit, so let's do a run through of where we stand right now for next season in terms of the big teams and drivers. We did have the Chris Windom to Vermeer news this week, which wasn't something I certainly expected to happen. So as we move forward, there could be other surprises. The big ride that remains open, at least publicly, is the Crouch Motorsports 11. They moved on from Cory Eliason at the end of the season, and have yet to name a new driver. Some things are settled, and others aren't, so I thought we could do a bit of a reset here heading into the Thanksgiving holiday. Going down through the Outlaw standings, obviously Brad Sweet is taking the NAPA 49 to High Limit. There will be some change there though, as tire guy Andrew Bowman announced he's leaving Kasey Kahne Racing to go work in NASCAR. I'm assuming Eric Prutzman and Tye Wolfgang will return. The other KKR machine, in bossman Kasey Kahne's 9 car will likely do a pick and choose schedule next year. Probably a lot of the High Limit schedule, but plenty of Outlaw shows as well because of his sponsorship commitments. We know David Gravel is back on tour with the Outlaws in the Big Game 2 car, and all signs are pointing towards a return to JJR and the Outlaws for Carson Macedo. That JJR 41 though will have some change to deal with as both Nate Repetz and Clyde Knipp have left their crew guy roles with the team. Gio Scelzi will remain with KCP for the future, but their tour plans have not yet been announced. If I was a betting man though, I'd say they probably stay Outlaws. On the Shark Racing front, no changes for Logan Schuchart, and the talk out there seems to indicate a full time return to the seat for Jacob Allen. He ran World Finals and the season finale at BAPS back in the 1A. There is some thought out there that maybe Shark would split their teams, one go Outlaws and the other go High Limit, but I don't have any new information there. And I've been asked a bunch about the future for Tanner Holmes, and I think things are still being worked on for him. A third Shark car could be a potential landing spot, but we'll have to wait and see what happens. We already knew Donny Schatz plans on being back in the TSR 15, he talked about that to Jeremy Elliot back around World Finals, although touring plans haven't been shared publicly. I'd be surprised if this car flipped to High Limit though. Going further down the order, the rumors have been rampant about Sheldon Haudenschild's future with the Stenhouse Jr Marshall 17. I've heard he's in, I've heard he's out, but my money is on him sticking around for another year. Struggles aside, he's a massive fan favorite, and does well with the NOS sponsorship. We know Spencer Bayston will return to the CJB five, but as I've talked about previously, I think they are a real candidate to go High Limit. That would be a solid pickup for Brad and Kyle as they look to fill out their roster. Brock Zearfoss is back with the Outlaws in 2024 driving his family car. We talked last week about his hopes for a stronger engine program next year. As we work down the Outlaw standings, next up is James McFadden. Over the winter he's heading home to run that NAPA Auto Parts 5D car that he raced a year ago, and his first race will be December 16th at Warrnambool. It sounds as though Roth Motorsports will run two cars again next season with help from Toyota, and I'd expect McFadden and Buddy Kofoid to be back in those two 83s. No word on their touring plans yet, but I'd be surprised if at least one car didn't go Outlaws. As for Robbie Price and Noah Gass, I don't know their situations. Price was on Race Time Radio here recently and told the guys there his plans were wide open. This comes after nearly two seasons on the road with the Outlaws in the Sides Motorsports 7S. And I haven't heard yet what Gass is going to do for 2024. Looking at some of the teams outside the Outlaws, Zeb Wise will be back in the Rudeen 26 with Ford power. This one feels like a clear High Limit team, with team owner Kevin Rudeen's big All Star event going High Limit and Skagit flipping from Outlaws to High Limit. Windom's touring plans with Vermeer weren't shared, so that's a question mark, and I don't know if that team would be prepared to make a west coast trip. I don't know that we've seen them do that before, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. And while Tyler Courtney was involved in a lot of rumors, my guess is a return to the NOS 7BC next year. Outlaws or High Limit though might be a coin toss. I feel like I could see that team going either direction. As for the owner/driver teams. I'd expect much of the same for Brian Brown and Anthony Macri, pick and choose schedules. But both Brent Marks and Rico Abreu could be candidates to go High Limit. If I'm Brad Sweet, I'm pushing those two hard to sign on, as they'd be both fan draws and serious competition. Supposedly Marks is considering it, and even though Rico already told Matt Weaver he will probably stay pick and choose, I could see a scenario where he does go full time. Drop me a comment below and let me know what other teams or drivers you might be curious about and we'll see what we can find out.

At Merced last night, the USAC National Midgets were in action, and we now officially have a champion. By just rolling out for the feature, Logan Seavey was guaranteed enough points to lock up his second career midget title. His first came back in 2018, and this year he grabbed not only the midget crown, but also the Silver Crown championship. According to USAC's Richie Murray, he's the first driver since Levi Jones in 2011 to earn two national championships in one season. Seavey got $30,000 for the midget championship, another $20k for the Silver Crown title, and thanks to USAC, he doubles the total amount to make it an even $100 grand for winning two of the three. When the deal was announced for Seavey to join Abacus, I don't know how many people really considered them a title threat, but since Indiana Midget Week, they have been on fire. A top five last night takes them to 20 straight top ten finishes, of which seven are wins, 16 are podiums, and 19 are top fives. Incredible stuff from that team, and a well deserved championship. As for the race itself, I don't want to say I told you so, but the two names I mentioned yesterday as guys to watch both ended up out front with Spencer Bayston leading all 30 laps for the win, and Buddy Kofoid finishing second. It was Bayston's first national midget win since 2018. He started on the pole and had a brief early battle with Gavin Miller, but the night ended quick for Miller with a massive flip down the backstretch after catching the outside wall. He was able to walk to the ambulance afterwards. Bayston was never challenged again out front. Tanner Carrick joined Bayston and Kofoid on the podium. Looking ahead to tonight, they will do it all over again at Merced, with 360 sprint cars joining the midgets. That sprint car show should be a fun one, and draw a lot of the California regulars. It will be live again on FloRacing.

Later this week when the USAC midgets head to Ventura for Turkey Night, Kyle Larson will be back in the field. He swept the Hangtown 100 weekend at Placerville, and will be back in his 1K machine to compete on Saturday night. I'd been asked if this was going to happen, and honestly didn't know. I figured it was a possibility though with he and Paul Silva rolling the midget back out. Friday at Ventura is just a practice night, and then Saturday will culminate in the 98 lap feature. A year ago, Larson was hard charger at Turkey Night, running through the field to finish second behind winner Justin Grant after starting 22nd. Yung Money also had a top five there in 2021, finishing fourth. At last check USAC had a prelim entry list for Turkey Night that is 54 cars strong. You'll get all the USAC regulars, plus the names we've seen so far out west, including Buddy Kofoid, Carson Macedo, Spencer Bayston, and Tanner Thorson. Corey Day will be back in the Willie Kahne midget as well, after they struggled a bit at Placerville. A 21st in the prelim Friday, and 25th in the 100 lapper after starting on the Sunday pole. I'll be curious to see too what Ricky Lewis can do in Cruz Pedregon's car. He's not a guy we see make a lot of midget starts, his last actual USAC appearance was at Turkey Night in 2021. But he was I believe the winningest non-wing sprint car driver this season with 17 victories in 67 races. Six BOSS wins, four with the Great Lakes series, plus others with MSCS, WAR, and the USAC/CRA.

In other midget news, we know that Tyler Courtney will return to the Chili Bowl in 2024. He missed the 2023 version, deciding to instead race a sprint car down under for Monte Motorsports. He'll return to Tulsa this year with a NOS Energy Drink sponsored midget out of the Abacus Racing stable. Abacus is the team that Logan Seavey has been running with all year in USAC competition. Seavey did win the 2023 Chili Bowl driving for Kevin and Jordan Swindell, and I would assume this means Seavey will be back in that car, leaving the Abacus ride open for someone else. Courtney has six career main event starts in his 11 Chili Bowl appearances, with a best finish of sixth, which he did twice, in 2017 and 2019. He was most recently 11th in the big show back in 2022 after finishing second on his prelim night. Sunshine will also race during the Tulsa Shootout in December, driving in winged and non-wing outlaw for Christopher Bell. CBell's dirt racing expoits remain locked up, so instead of driving himself, he's fielding cars for other guys. It's been a few years since we saw Courtney at the Shootout.

And we'll just keep this open wheel, non-wing news fest rolling. On Tuesday, regular sprint car competitor Kyle Cummins announced he was leaving the seat of the Rock Steady Racing 3R sprint car after seven years together. Cummins ended the USAC National Sprint Car season seventh in the standings, even though he didn't run all of the races. He had seven sprint car wins this year, including four with USAC and three with the MSCS. Over the past four years, only Justin Grant, Brady Bacon, and CJ Leary have more USAC national wins than does Cummins. There is no word yet on who could replace Cummins, and the release said that a quote "exciting opportunity awaits and that more details will be released soon" for Cummins himself.

If you want to check out some other dirt racing content this week while you do turkey day stuff, Passing Points has Johnny Kent, Dunewich on Dirt has Rod Tucker, the Turn 2 Terribles have Brett Strickler, Across the Groove has Corey Day, and there are new episodes of the Dirt Reporters, the Dirt Nerds, Dirt Tracks and Rib Racks, and Dirt Track Confessions. To see all the shows and episodes, head over to dirtrackr.com/podcasts.

That's it for the show today. You will get a Thursday episode this week, I've got something fun planned, barring any massive breaking news. So don't worry, we aren't taking the holiday off.

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