DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

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High Limit adds sprint car veteran, Outlaws lose a full timer | Daily 11-26-2023

High Limit makes another key hire, plus we'll talk the ever fluid sprint car schedule situation. We've also got news on Gordy Gundaker's 2024 late model plans, Turkey Night results, and more. Let's go!

It's Sunday, November 26th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily.

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As we edge closer to the PRI Show and what is looking increasingly like it could be an announcement filled week, we are getting more and more details about High Limit for 2024. On the series staff front, we'd already covered the hire of Mike Hess and series and competition director, and Kendra Jacobs as head of events and marketing. Those two will be key in taking the series management load off Brad Sweet so he can focus on being a driver once the season gets rolling. And under Mike Hess, the series appears to have made another significant hire. Kevin Nouse was the All Star series director for all of 2023 following the late departure of previous boss man Eric Walls. Nouse was one of those let go though in the leadup to the High Limit acquistion of the All Stars, but now he's back. There is no official release from the series that I can find, but Nouse has changed his social media bio to include quote "Technical Director - High Limit Racing." Nouse was a long time sprint car driver, but flipped to officiating with the All Stars in 2022, serving as their main tech official. He'll now take on a similar role working now for Hess. This has been rumored in recent weeks, so no surprise to see it come to fruition. He should be able to jump right in and get started with his previous experience. High Limit also tried to hire announcer Blake Anderson from the All Star side, but were not successful there as Anderson moves over to the Rudeen organization. That announcer role remains open at this moment, and even though I've been sent several rumors about who it could be, I'm not sure I trust any of them just yet. I also think it's a distinct possibility the series ends up with two guys in the booth. That seemed to be their plan last year, and that could continue.

On the High Limit schedule front, still no full release yet, but we continue to get spoon fed individual dates thanks to tracks releasing their own 2024 schedules. We already knew that Utica-Rome and Fonda, under Brett Deyo's control, were getting High Limit dates for next season, and now we know when those will happen. High Limit will have a three race New York weekend in mid-May, with a Thursday May 16th stop at Outlaw Speedway, followed by Friday at Utica-Rome, and Saturday at Fonda. Those will all likely be $12,000 to win and $1200 to start races. Looking at the start of the season for High Limit down south, they will likely take over the two All Star nights that were originally for East Bay on February 12th and 13th. That would mean you'd have DIRTcar Nationals for the Outlaws the previous Tuesday through Saturday, then teams would get Sunday off, before the pick and choose and High Limit full timers would go to East Bay on Monday. What I can't seem to figure out though is the next races after East Bay. The rumors have pointed to a High Limit show at Golden Isles, and Jeremy Elliott mentioned a southern race with the Lucas late models following East Bay. Those don't really line up though historically, as Golden Isles has usually started the season for Lucas in late January. And at this moment the Super Bowl of Racing at Golden Isles is slated for January 24th through 27th. So either Lucas is shifting Golden Isles back, there is another southern race we don't know about, or High Limit is starting two weeks earlier then we thought. We'll have to see what plays out there.

We are also still waiting on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car schedule, and it sounds like things on that side are still fluid. Lines in the sand are being drawn, and tracks are being forced to choose a side, and there are rumors that a date we were previously told was happening might be off the schedule. Stay tuned for that. Also, according to Weedsport's Jimmy Phelps in a recent Area Auto piece, High Limit will not go to that New York track, and instead the facility will have a one day Outlaw show following the Summer Nationals at Williams Grove in July. For the Outlaw west coast swing, we've talked about the rumors of a big money show at the Tulare Thunderbowl, but you have to think the series is looking at a few other tracks as well. I'm not saying this will happen, but Perris Auto Speedway in southern California released their 2024 schedule, and there is curiously a September 14th TBA there. If that were to become an Outlaw race, it would make sense. The series will be at Huset's over Labor Day and then likely head west from there. Perris was last on the Outlaw schedule in 2022.

Back on Wednesday last week, Kevin Kovac posted a new column at Dirt on Dirt about late model driver Gordy Gundaker getting into race promoting next season, and in that piece it was revealed that Gundaker will not return to the Outlaws full time in 2024. He was a series regular in 2022, finishing seventh in the standings with 10 top tens in 41 races. With a significantly more difficult field though in 2023, Gordy dropped to 13th by season's end, with seven top tens in 35 races. Next year he still plans on 50 to 60 appearances, with a heavy midwest focus plus the crown jewels and maybe a bit of other traveling. On top of race promoting, he's also got an apparel business to run and a baby girl to look after. Gundaker had one late model win in 2023, a MARS show at Pevely in July.

The USAC Midget year wrapped up last night out in California with Turkey Night at Ventura. Unfortunately though, we didn't get the great racing we were hoping for down the stretch, as the track took rubber around half way. Kyle Larson went 10th to the lead in less than 30 laps, and by the time it took rubber, nobody could do anything with him. He led 72 of 98 laps to score his fourth career Turkey Night win. Behind Yung Money, Corey Day went 12th to second, and Carson Macedo 11th to third. Logan Seavey and Ryan Timms also led laps, but Seavey finishing his championship year down in eighth, and Timms had multiple issues and finished 23rd. It wasn't all bad for Timms though, as he was able to lead all 30 circuits in the night's sprint car feature, and win for the second year in a row. He topped Brody Fuson and Ricky Lewis in that one. So both national midget seasons are now complete, and the focus can shift towards some indoor action. The Junior Knepper 55 is coming up December 16th at Du Quoin, and then the Chili Bowl gets going January 7th.

In weekend late model action, Mark Whitener was a $10,000 crate winner at Cochran for the Gobbler, and Cody Overton also bagged $10 grand in crate action, winning the Turkey 100 at Swainsboro.

That's it for the show today. Hope you guys have a great Sunday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow.