DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

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Wild West Shootout, Brandon Overton, Jonathan Davenport, Kyle Larson... Let's talk about all of it! | Daily 1-4-2024

The Wild West Shootout starts this weekend, and we'll tell you who'll be there plus talk favorites. We've also got updates on the future for Jonathan Davenport and Brandon Overton, plus a potential trip down under for Kyle Larson next year. Let's go!

It's Thursday, January 4th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily.

As of this weekend, you can basically say the dirt late model offseason is over, at least whatever few weeks of it there was. The Wild West Shootout kicks off down at Vado Speedway Park in New Mexico on Saturday. They're gonna run programs Saturday and Sunday, be off next Monday and Tuesday, race Wednesday again, off Thursday, then run Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the following weekend. So six race nights over a nine day period. All of the late model nights are $11,000 to win and $600 to start, except the finale, which is $26k to win and $1000 to start. Modifieds and X-Mods are also on the card all week. The bonus program is back as well, which will pay an additional $300,000 to any late model driver that sweeps the week, $100k for five of six wins, or $25k for four of six wins. I think all three scenarios will be difficult for anyone to achieve with the names that are coming in to compete. There is also a small point fund for the week, which is worth $3 grand on the late model side. These are all unsanctioned races, with the first national tour event starting on January 17th with the World of Outlaws at Volusia. I don't believe a full entry list has been posted anywhere, but Dirt Track Pools has a bunch of info for the event, and between that and social media we've got a pretty good idea of who will be in attendance. Big names expected include Kyle Larson, Brandon Sheppard, Bobby Pierce, Mike Marlar, Ricky Weiss, Tyler Erb, Shannon Babb, Garrett Alberson, Cade Dillard, Drake Troutman, Stormy Scott, and more. It looks like we'll get to at least 40 cars for the event. Right off hand, I'd say win favorites include Larson, Pierce, Marlar, and Sheppard. BShepp though only has plans to compete four of the six nights, which I think doesn't include this first weekend. And I've heard Larson has to miss next Wednesday night as well. Both Pierce and Marlar were winners at the event a year ago, with the Smooth Operator taking down the big money finale. We'll keep you updated all week on results, and if you want to watch it live and can't be there, FloRacing is the place to be. If you need a FloRacing subscription for 2024, and want to help out DIRTRACKR, click the link below in the video description, or the links at dirtrackr.com. That gets you everything on Flo and they throw me a little cash at no extra cost to you.

For my friends down under, it sounds like you can possibly expect a Kyle Larson appearance late in 2024 and into 2025 with the sprint cars. Michael Rigsby brought that up on the most recent Dirt on Dirt Videocast, saying that Larson probably won't do the Wild West Shootout in 2025, as instead an Australia trip is probable. It's been a couple of years since we saw Larson go to Australia or New Zealand in the offseason, and you have to think this could mean a third straight year of no Larson at the Chili Bowl. Since the Wild West Shootout and the Chili Bowl happen around the same time, if Yung Money can't race at Vado, you'd assume that means no Tulsa trip as well. Australia and New Zealand have long been a popular destination for American open wheel racers, as their season is hitting it's stride during the winter here. They can go down there, get in some vacation time, but also stay sharp and get some racing in. We've already seen Rico Abreu, Brad Sweet, Carson Macedo and others pick up wins this season.

A couple of names it sounds like you won't see at Vado this coming week include Jonathan Davenport and Brandon Overton. Davenport won several nights of the Wild West Shootout a year ago, but his website and Facebook page show the Super Bowl of Racing down at Golden Isles as their first event of 2024. That doesn't happen until January 25th through the 27th and is the official kick off for Lucas. Not that we expected him to go the other direction, but that would also confirm no Outlaw run in 2024. Again, that was not a rumor or expected. In the Facebook post, it was revealed that the team is still unsure of their plans for this coming season, but starting at Golden Isles would at least keep them in the hunt for Lucas if they did decide to return as a full time team. They were pick and choose in 2022, full time with Lucas a season ago to chase that championship with the playoff format, but are now in limbo. I think there is a good chance we won't know their plans until possibly after Speedweeks down south. If they were to stay with Lucas, they would again be at the top of the list of favorites to win the championship in 2024, up there with Ricky Thornton Jr., and Hudson O'Neal.

As for Brandon Overton, his 2024 plans remain unknown. He had talked previously with FloRacing's Kyle McFadden about wanting to be back with Lucas, but that they would need some extra sponsorship help to make it doable. As of this moment though, nothing has been announced, and no 2024 schedule is in place on his website. It's still the 2023 version. On top of that, rumors persist about possible changes coming for Overton, including maybe a different chassis manufacturer. I'd heard these rumors back in late October, and have been asked multiple times in recent days about them. I don't have any super solid information, so it could be just BS, but often where there is smoke, there is fire. If you remember back to the end of the Lucas season, Overton's chase bid was unraveled by a strange weekend that started off with a switch from his usual Longhorn by Wells, to a Team Zero chassis at Raceway 7. He was back in the Longhorn by the feature, and the next day at the Pittsburgher, but the damage was done and Devin Moran slipped by him for the fourth and final spot. The rumors got started after all that transpired. So at this moment, when it comes to Overton's future, your guess is as good as mine.

Shifting to some northeast modified driver news, Billy Pauch Jr. posted to his Facebook page yesterday that he's parted ways with longtime car owner Rick Holsten. Pauch had driven the RH Motorsports 96 car since 2014. This comes on the heels of Pauch telling Steve Post back at the PRI show that he was planning on running 50-60 races in his own car for 2024. That will be a smaller schedule than he's run in the past, but it will be more intentional, and he wants to control his own destiny. Pauch is currently doing some indoor racing, and we know we'll see him down at DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia in February. Hat tip to Jamie Weaknecht on Twitter for pointing out the news.

That's it for the Daily show this week. We'll be off and running with plenty of racing coming up, as the Wild West Shootout and the Chili Bowl ramp up next week. There is also some regional action, including the Ice Bowl at Talladega. Make sure to keep it locked here and dirtrackr.com for all the latest news and information.

Hope you guys have a great Thursday out there, we'll see you back here on Sunday!