2020-02-13

Four First Time Winners Highlight Night of Features at 49th DIRTcar Nationals

DIRTcar

Four First Time Winners Highlight Night of Features at 49th DIRTcar Nationals

Posted: 07 Feb 2020 09:09 PM PST

For the second year in a row, new winners emerge on Night of Features in the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds

by Matt Prieur

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 7, 2020 — One of the most popular nights of the 49th DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds is the Night of Features. Night #4 at Volusia Speedway Park (FL) set up every DIRTcar UMP Modified on the property to race in a Feature for a chance at a coveted Gator. The ironmen of the DIRTcar Nationals raced in their fourth of seven nights on the famed half-mile high-banked dirt oval, and all four Feature winners were first-ever winners in the DIRTcar Nationals.

The first of four Features was comprised of the top 20 in the current points standings coming into the night. With an inversion of 10, that placed Curt Spalding and David Stremme on the front row. Spalding jumped out to the early race lead with Stremme in tow. While the two front row starters battled, another war was waging behind them between Jason Hughes and Kyle Strickler.

With five laps to go, Strickler managed to get up to third to battle with Stremme, but by then Spalding was long gone, and the 48-year-old from Watervliet, MI in his #5 Lane Automotive / Lethal Chassis entry went on to win his first career DIRTcar Nationals Feature. Stremme was second as Strickler, Hughes and four-time defending DIRTcar Nationals Champion and current points leader Nick Hoffman completed the top five. Kenny Wallace finished sixth over Justin Allgaier, who started 14th, while Tyler Nicely from 17th, Ryan Cripe and Mike McKinney were the top 10.

The second Feature showcased the drivers in points positions 41-60. Christian Thomas and NASCAR Gander R.V. & Outdoors Truck Series competitor Sheldon Creed led the field to the green flag. Thomas paced the field in the opening laps with Creed trailing. Austin Holcombe joined the battle, but that was short-lived as he spun on lap six to bring out the caution. On the restart, Thomas pulled away, but this time Lucas Lee worked his way up to second trying to mount a challenge at the race leader.

Thomas wasn't to be denied though as the 24-year-old from Wake Forest, NC in his #7 Wakefield Automotive / Elite Chassis ride led all 15 laps to score his first career DIRTcar Nationals Feature win. Lee settled for second as Gary Bentley charged from starting 14th to finish on the podium in third, Steve Stevenson and Michael Tarlton, from 11th, were the top five. Stephen Pedulla was sixth over Brenden Rassel, and Scott Fritz from 12th, Tony Anderson from 16th and Holcombe finished off the top 10.

In the third Feature of the night, for drivers 61st in points on back, Larry Mott and Percy Gendreau started on the front row of their main event, and before a lap was completed a massive pileup occurred in turns one and two. Everyone was able to drive away and continue. On the restart, Gendreau took the race lead with Bryce Nichols in tow. As the two drivers battled, former NASCAR Cup Series driver David Reutimann, who started deep in the field in 15th and only competing in his second night this week, charged his way towards the front, and a three-way battle ensued.

Nichols took the lead away from Gendreau on lap seven only to lose it three laps later, with five to go, to Reutimann, who would keep his #00 Blue Gator Tiki Bar & Restaurant / Beak-Built Chassis ride out front en route to his first-ever Feature win in the DIRTcar Nationals. Nichols settled for second, with Jesse Rupe, Robert Poole from 16th and Jerry Foster completing the top five. Zac Oedewaldt was sixth after starting 11th, while John Baker, Gendreau, Eric Hill, who started 17th, and Ryan Fowler completed the top 10.

The final Feature of the night was for the drivers currently positioned in 21-40th in DIRTcar Nationals points. 2019 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Ohio State Champion Todd Sherman and Spencer Hughes started on the front row. Before a lap was completed, a massive pileup ensued in turn four. Just like in the previous feature, everyone was able to pull away. On the restart, Hughes beat Sherman to the first corner to grab the lead. Jason Beaulieu, who started sixth, charged his way up to third. After getting to second, he set his sights on Hughes. As the halfway point was reached, Beaulieu drove by Hughes to take the race lead.

From there, the 50-year-old who has travel to the DIRTcar Nationals 3,475 miles, one-way, from Campbell River, British Columbia would reach a milestone after coming to Volusia since 2011 and finally garnered that coveted first Gator Trophy aboard his #90 Coast Island Marine / Lethal Chassis ride. Hughes hung on for second over Ray Bollinger as three-time and defending NASCAR Gander R.V. & Outdoors Truck Series Champion Matt Crafton and 15-year-old Hunt Gossum, who started 13th, were the top five. Travis Dickson finished sixth, while Mike Mullen, Terry Phillips, Johnny Broking from 14th and Ryan Ayers, who started 17th, were the final top 10 of the night.

The first of two Gator Qualifier Nights is next for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds on Saturday, February 8, with half of the field racing on Saturday, while the second half of the field will race on Sunday, February 9 in the second and final Gator Qualifier. The next two nights will determine the guaranteed starters for the $5,000-to-win Big Gator Championship Feature on Monday, February 10.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series continue with Sprint Week for the rest of the weekend as the Greatest Show on Dirt kicks off its 42nd year with the second of three total shows of the new season as part of the DIRTcar Nationals.

OFFICIAL RESULTS FROM VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK, FEB. 7, 2020

Feature #1 (15 Laps) – 1. 5-Curt Spalding [1]; 2. 35-David Stremme [2]; 3. 8KS-Kyle Strickler [9]; 4. 12H-Jason Hughes [3]; 5. 2-Nick Hoffman [10]; 6. 36-Kenny Wallace [4]; 7. 7JA-Justin Allgaier [14]; 8. 25-Tyler Nicely [17]; 9. 23-Ryan Cripe [5]; 10. 96M-Mike McKinney [12]; 11. K19-Will Krup [18]; 12. 7A-Shane Sabraski [15]; 13. 49-Brian Ruhlman [6]; 14. 2A-Donnie Moran [13]; 15. 67-Garret Stewart [16]; 16. 17TE-Tyler Evans [19]; 17. 7-Drake Troutman [20]; 18. 18L-Michael Long [8]; 19. 95-Michael Altobelli [11]; 20. 24-Zeke McKenzie [7]

Feature #2 (15 Laps) – 1. 90-Jason Beaulieu [6]; 2. 11H-Spencer Hughes [2]; 3. 77-Ray Bollinger [3]; 4. 88-Matt Crafton [5]; 5. 99-Hunt Gossum [13]; 6. 24D-Travis Dickson [19]; 7. 99M-Mike Mullen [8]; 8. 75-Terry Phillips [10]; 9. 45J-Johnny Broking [14]; 10. 6A-Ryan Ayers [17]; 11. 52-Colin Green [18]; 12. 19-Chad Bauer [11]; 13. 65-Todd Sherman [1]; 14. 3L-Jeff Leka [9]; 15. 22-Dale Kelley [4]; 16. 21-Taylor Cook [15]; 17. 12-Jason Gross [20]; 18. 1M-Curt Myers [7]; 19. 2J-Troy Johnson [12]; 20. O5-Dave Wietholder [16]

Feature #3 (15 Laps) – 1. 7CT-Christian Thomas [1]; 2. 12L-Lucas Lee [5]; 3. A1-Gary Bentley [14]; 4. 8-Steve Stevenson [3]; 5. 17T-Michael Tarlton [11]; 6. 31G-Stephen Pedulla [9]; 7. 1-Brenden Rassel [8]; 8. 100-Scott Fritz [12]; 9. 22T-Tony Anderson [16]; 10. 8A-Austin Holcombe [7]; 11. 17-Rob Pitcher [19]; 12. 4UW-Bobby Regot [18]; 13. 71L-Dennis Lunger [17]; 14. 97-Mitch Thomas [4]; 15. OO-Buzzie Reutimann [15]; 16. 11Z-Zane Oedewaldt [20]; 17. 11N-Gene Nicholas [13]; 18. 7F-Bryan Foy [10]; 19. 11M-Mike McGee [6]; 20. 9-Sheldon Creed [2]

Feature #4 (15 Laps) – 1. OOD-David Reutimann [15]; 2. O1-Bryce Nichols [5]; 3. 11-Jesse Rupe [8]; 4. 25P-Robert Poole [16]; 5. 5F-Jerry Foster [7]; 6. Z1-Zac Oedewaldt [11]; 7. 14J-John Baker [9]; 8. 9PG-Percy Gendreau [2]; 9. 61-Eric Hill [17]; 10. 6-Ryan Fowler [12]; 11. 27-William Cevaal [18]; 12. O7-Curtis King [10]; 13. 32-Chad Roush [13]; 14. Z06-Larry Mott [1]; 15. 89W-Rick Weitekamp [4]; 16. 15-Rick Potter [14]; 17. 40-Shawn Reiss [19]; 18. 1S-Brian Shaw [6]; 19. 96-Cole Parker [3]

SEE GATOR POINTS


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 13.2.20 0 comments

Four-Time Defending DIRTcar Nationals Champion Scores Victory In Big Gator Qualifier

Four-Time Defending DIRTcar Nationals Champion Scores Victory In Big Gator Qualifier

Posted: 08 Feb 2020 09:48 PM PST

First of Two Gator Qualifiers begins setting the field for Monday's Gator Championship

by Matt Prieur

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 8, 2020 — Current DIRTcar Nationals UMP Modified points leader Nick Hoffman scored the win on the first of two Gator Qualifier Nights before one of the biggest crowds in DIRTcar Nationals and Volusia Speedway Park history. The fifth night of DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford competition for the Modified teams began the chase for a coveted starting spot in Monday's $5,000-to-win Big Gator Championship.

Starting on the pole and staying out front for all 20 laps in the caution-free event, the four-time defending DIRTcar Nationals champion staked his claim for an unprecedented fifth consecutive title. The 27-year-old standout and 2019 champion scored his second feature win of the week and his all-time career-leading 17th DIRTcar Nationals feature triumph.

"Being able to draw the pole and get out early and control the pace was really nice. Not having a caution during the race really helped as well," said the Mooresville, NC driver in victory lane after his win aboard his potent #2 Fox Shox / Elite Chassis machine. "Didn't have too many issues with the lapped traffic; that was about the only thing that worried me. I just stuck to my lane and took my time with them and it all worked out tonight."

By virtue of the redraw, Hoffman and Spencer Hughes started on the front row of the 20-lap Feature, and as the 28-car field dove into the first corner, Hoffman emerged out in front. As Hoffman slowly pulled away from the pack, a battle for second brewed between Jason Hughes and Brian Ruhlman with both slipping past S. Hughes to jump up into the podium. Before long, 2008 DIRTcar UMP Modified National Champion Jeff Leka joined Ruhlman and J. Hughes as the trio waged a war amongst themselves.

All the while, Hoffman continued to put real estate between himself and the rest of the pack. With seven laps to go, J. Hughes finally got past Ruhlman to take over second. But by then, Hoffman had hidden himself in lapped traffic and faced no pressure winning the Feature in front of the huge crowd on hand.

Hughes settled for second for his best finish of the DIRTcar Nationals over Ruhlman, who tied his best finish of the week in third and completed the podium finishers. Leka also scored his best feature finish of the week in fourth, and S. Hughes recorded his best finish of the week by completing the top five.

Fifteen-year-old Hunt Gossum grabbed his best finish of the week as well, in sixth after starting 13th. Kenny Wallace, Lucas Lee, Michael Long and Garret Stewart, who also recorded his best finish of the week in 10th after starting 17th, as the Top 10 have all earned a guaranteed starting spot in Monday's $5,000-to-win Big Gator Championship.

Earlier in the evening, J. Hughes won his first Fast Qualifier Award of the DIRTcar Nationals with an 18.212 = 98.841mph. Ruhlman, Lee, Hoffman and Hughes won the Heat Races. And Jason Gross and Johnny Broking grabbed the wins in the Last Chance Showdowns.

The second and final Gator Qualifier Night for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds is Sunday, February, as the second half of the driver roster returns to the track after taking the night off. The Gator Qualifiers will determine the guaranteed starters for the $5,000-to-win Big Gator Championship Feature on Monday, February 10. Meanwhile, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series complete the Sprint Week portion of the 49th DIRTcar Nationals with the Sprint Week Finale tomorrow, crowning the first 2020 DIRTcar Nationals Gator Champion.

OFFICIAL RESULTS FROM VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK, FEB 8, 2020

Feature (20 Laps) – 1. 2-Nick Hoffman [1][$1,000]; 2. 12H-Jason Hughes [5][$600]; 3. 49-Brian Ruhlman [3][$400]; 4. 3L-Jeff Leka [9][$350]; 5. 11H-Spencer Hughes [2][$300]; 6. 99-Hunt Gossum [13][$275]; 7. 36-Kenny Wallace [6][$250]; 8. 12L-Lucas Lee [4][$225]; 9. 18L-Michael Long [11][$200]; 10. 67-Garret Stewart [17][$200]; 11. 5-Curt Spalding [7][$175]; 12. 21-Taylor Cook [19][$140]; 13. OOD-David Reutimann [8][$130]; 14. 11M-Mike McGee [16][$125]; 15. 12-Jason Gross [21][$125]; 16. 22-Dale Kelley [18][$125]; 17. 45J-Johnny Broking [22][$125]; 18. 1S-Brian Shaw [23][$125]; 19. K19-Will Krup [15][$125]; 20. 17TE-Tyler Evans [10][$125]; 21. 1-Brenden Rassel [12][$125]; 22. 17T-Michael Tarlton [14][$125]; 23. 32-Chad Roush [25][$125]; 24. O1-Bryce Nichols [27][$125]; 25. 22T-Tony Anderson [26][$125]; 26. 100-Scott Fritz [20][$100]; 27. OO-Buzzie Reutimann [24][$100]; 28. 19-Chad Bauer [28][$100]; KSE Hard Charger Award: 99-Hunt Gossum[+7]

Qualifying Flight-A  – 1. 12H-Jason Hughes, 18.212; 2. 49-Brian Ruhlman, 18.315; 3. 67-Garret Stewart, 18.769; 4. 3L-Jeff Leka, 18.908; 5. 1S-Brian Shaw, 19.053; 6. 99-Hunt Gossum, 19.235; 7. 12-Jason Gross, 19.372; 8. 11N-Gene Nicholas, 19.385; 9. 9PG-Percy Gendreau, 19.503; 10. O1-Bryce Nichols, 19.733

Qualifying Flight-B – 1. 12L-Lucas Lee, 18.687; 2. 17T-Michael Tarlton, 19.113; 3. 31G-Stephen Pedulla, 19.125; 4. 17TE-Tyler Evans, 19.152; 5. 36-Kenny Wallace, 19.26; 6. 32-Chad Roush, 19.929; 7. 14J-John Baker, 20.413; 8. 22-Dale Kelley, 20.548; 9. 40-Shawn Reiss, NT

Qualifying Flight-C – 1. 2-Nick Hoffman, 18.627; 2. 5-Curt Spalding, 18.671; 3. 18L-Michael Long, 18.764; 4. 21-Taylor Cook, 18.858; 5. K19-Will Krup, 18.877; 6. 19-Chad Bauer, 19.199; 7. 45J-Johnny Broking, 19.245; 8. 22T-Tony Anderson, 19.487; 9. OO-Buzzie Reutimann, 19.545; 10. Z06-Larry Mott, 20.165

Qualifying Flight-D – 1. 11H-Spencer Hughes, 18.817; 2. OOD-David Reutimann, 19.104; 3. 1-Brenden Rassel, 19.29; 4. 11M-Mike McGee, 19.396; 5. 100-Scott Fritz, 19.52; 6. 65-Todd Sherman, 19.543; 7. 17-Rob Pitcher, 19.843; 8. 6-Ryan Fowler, 19.92; 9. 27-William Cevaal, 20.984; 10. 33-TJ Evans, NT

Heat #1 – Flight (A) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer – 1. 49-Brian Ruhlman [2]; 2. 12H-Jason Hughes [1]; 3. 3L-Jeff Leka [4]; 4. 99-Hunt Gossum [6]; 5. 67-Garret Stewart [3]; 6. 12-Jason Gross [7]; 7. 1S-Brian Shaw [5]; 8. 11N-Gene Nicholas [8]; 9. O1-Bryce Nichols [10]; 10. 9PG-Percy Gendreau [9]

Heat #2 – Flight (B) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer – 1. 12L-Lucas Lee [1]; 2. 36-Kenny Wallace [5]; 3. 17TE-Tyler Evans [4]; 4. 17T-Michael Tarlton [2]; 5. 22-Dale Kelley [8]; 6. 31G-Stephen Pedulla [3]; 7. 32-Chad Roush [6]; 8. 14J-John Baker [7]; 9. 40-Shawn Reiss [9]

Heat #3 – Flight (C) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer – 1. 2-Nick Hoffman [1]; 2. 5-Curt Spalding [2]; 3. 18L-Michael Long [3]; 4. K19-Will Krup [5]; 5. 21-Taylor Cook [4]; 6. 45J-Johnny Broking [7]; 7. OO-Buzzie Reutimann [9]; 8. 22T-Tony Anderson [8]; 9. 19-Chad Bauer [6]; 10. Z06-Larry Mott [10]

Heat #4 – Flight (D) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer – 1. 11H-Spencer Hughes [1]; 2. OOD-David Reutimann [2]; 3. 1-Brenden Rassel [3]; 4. 11M-Mike McGee [4]; 5. 100-Scott Fritz [5]; 6. 17-Rob Pitcher [7]; 7. 6-Ryan Fowler [8]; 8. 65-Todd Sherman [6]; 9. 27-William Cevaal [9]; 10. 33-TJ Evans [10]

Last Chance Showdown 1 (8 Laps) – Top 4 Transfer – 1. 12-Jason Gross [1][-]; 2. 1S-Brian Shaw [3][-]; 3. 32-Chad Roush [4][-]; 4. O1-Bryce Nichols [7][-]; 5. 14J-John Baker [6][$75]; 6. 9PG-Percy Gendreau [9][$75]; 7. 11N-Gene Nicholas [5][$75]; 8. 31G-Stephen Pedulla [2][$75]; 9. 40-Shawn Reiss [8][$75]

Last Chance Showdown 2 ( Laps) – 1. 45J-Johnny Broking [1][-]; 2. OO-Buzzie Reutimann [3][-]; 3. 22T-Tony Anderson [5][-]; 4. 19-Chad Bauer [7][-]; 5. 65-Todd Sherman [6][$75]; 6. 17-Rob Pitcher [2][$75]; 7. 6-Ryan Fowler [4][$75]; 8. 27-William Cevaal [8][$75]; 9. Z06-Larry Mott [9][$75]; 10. 33-TJ Evans [10][$75]

SEE GATOR POINT STANDINGS


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 13.2.20 0 comments

Kyle Strickler Scores Second Feature of the Week in Second Big Gator Qualifier

Kyle Strickler Scores Second Feature of the Week in Second Big Gator Qualifier

Posted: 09 Feb 2020 08:38 PM PST

Monday's $5,000-to-win Big Gator Championship field almost set

by Matt Prieur

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 9, 2020 — Night six of the 49th DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford featured the second of two Gator Qualifier Nights for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds at Volusia Speedway Park, setting the field for Monday's $5,000-to-win Big Gator Championship. After taking the lead from his outside front row starting spot, Kyle Strickler in his potent #8 Bilstein Shocks / Longhorn Chassis never wavered en route to picking up his second feature win of the week and eighth of his career

This win moves Strickler into a tie for fourth in all-time DIRTcar Nationals wins with 2009 DIRTcar Nationals Champion Jared Landers. Strickler and Landers are both now just a single victory behind two-time (2014 and 2012) DIRTcar Nationals Champion and current NASCAR Cup Series driver Ty Dillon.

"I wasn't really sure where to run, and I couldn't see my guys in the infield. They were right by a caution light, and I tried to get them to move around so I could see where I needed to move around," explained the 35-year-old driver, originally from Sinking Spring, PA, but residing in Mooresville, NC, while talking to DIRTVision's Dave Rieff on the winner's stage. "The track really didn't change much. I felt more comfortable at the top, but I was a little faster on the bottom, so I just tried to move around. We still have a chance at Nick (Hoffman), but man, I wish we could take that bad night back. But tomorrow is the big night for all the money. The Redraw is going to be really important."

With 30 cars on the property for the second Gator Qualifier Feature, it was determined that all 30 would start the 20-lap feature with the Heat Races determining the starting lineup. After the Heat Race winners participated in the Redraw to determine the first two rows, Nicely and Strickler led the massive field to Chief Starter Dave Farney's green flag, and as soon as the cloth waved, Strickler was on a mission. He rocketed out to the race lead as the rest of the field scrambled behind him.

A caution flew on lap five when a big pileup involving National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame driver Donnie Moran as well as Austin Holcombe, Curt Myers and Dave Weiteholder forced a red flag. After cleanup was completed, the green flew again with Strickler again jumping out to a big lead. Nicely tried to keep pace with the race-long leader — and a caution with just two to go gave Nicely one last chance — but on the final restart, Strickler again got away from Nicely and the rest of the field and sailed to Victory Lane

Nicely recorded his best finish of the week in second as NASCAR Xfinity Series star Justin Allgaier posted his best finish of the week completing the podium in third. Ryan Cripe was fourth over David Stremme, who finished off the top five. Mike McKinney charged from his 27th starting spot and advanced 21 positions to finish sixth, and Michael Altobelli Jr. grabbed his best finish of the week in seventh. Ray Bollinger also finished in his best spot of the week in eighth, while 14-year-old Drake Troutman and Christian Thomas were the top 10 and are all guaranteed a starting spot in Monday's Big Gator Championship

Nicely collected his first Fast Qualifier Award of the week to give the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds a final total of five different Fast Qualifiers on the week. He also won his Heat Race as Bollinger, Allgaier and Strickler also collected Heat Race triumphs.

The $5,000-to-win Big Gator Championship Feature for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds on Monday, February 10 will conclude the Ironmen of the DIRTcar Nationals portion of the 49th edition of the event. It's also the start of Late Model Week as the DIRTcar Late Models make their first appearance at Volusia in thier first of two nights of competition before the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series takes over on Wednesday. February 12. They'll finish up the 49th DIRTcar Nationals with the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modified, who kick off their DIRTcar Nationals on Tuesday, February 13 and race through the rest of the week.

OFFICIAL RESULTS FROM VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK, FEB 9, 2020

Feature (20 Laps)– 1. 8KS-Kyle Strickler [2][$1,000]; 2. 25-Tyler Nicely [1][$600]; 3. 7JA-Justin Allgaier [4][$400]; 4. 23-Ryan Cripe [9][$350]; 5. 35-David Stremme [7][$300]; 6. 96M-Mike McKinney [27][$275]; 7. 95-Michael Altobelli [5][$250]; 8. 77-Ray Bollinger [3][$225]; 9. 7-Drake Troutman [12][$200]; 10. 7CT-Christian Thomas [8][$200]; 11. 7A-Shane Sabraski [15][$175]; 12. 99M-Mike Mullen [22][$140]; 13. 75-Terry Phillips [26][$130]; 14. 52-Colin Green [14][$125]; 15. 24D-Travis Dickson [29][$125]; 16. A1-Gary Bentley [20][$125]; 17. 9-Sheldon Creed [23][$125]; 18. 4UW-Bobby Regot [24][$125]; 19. 5F-Jerry Foster [25][$125]; 20. O7-Curtis King [28][$125]; 21. 24-Zeke McKenzie [11][$125]; 22. 97-Mitch Thomas [17][$125]; 23. 8-Steve Stevenson [21][$125]; 24. 2A-Donnie Moran [16][$125]; 25. 11-Jesse Rupe [18][$125]; 26. 8A-Austin Holcombe [13][$100]; 27. 1M-Curt Myers [10][$100]; 28. O5-Dave Wietholder [19][$100]; 29. 90-Jason Beaulieu [6][$100]; 30. 88-Matt Crafton [30][$100]; KSE Hard Charger Award: 96M-Mike McKinney[+21]

Qualifying Flight-A – 1. 25-Tyler Nicely, 18.608; 2. 95-Michael Altobelli, 18.994; 3. 8-Steve Stevenson, 19.195; 4. 23-Ryan Cripe, 19.541; 5. 5F-Jerry Foster, 19.664; 6. 97-Mitch Thomas, 19.733; 7. 24D-Travis Dickson, 19.901; 8. 8A-Austin Holcombe, NT

Qualifying Flight-B – 1. 90-Jason Beaulieu, 19.113; 2. 77-Ray Bollinger, 19.129; 3. 1M-Curt Myers, 19.156; 4. 11-Jesse Rupe, 19.17; 5. 88-Matt Crafton, 19.225; 6. 52-Colin Green, 19.297; 7. 75-Terry Phillips, 19.457; 8. 99M-Mike Mullen, 19.544

Qualifying Flight-C – 1. 35-David Stremme, 19.203; 2. 7JA-Justin Allgaier, 19.275; 3. 24-Zeke McKenzie, 19.288; 4. 7A-Shane Sabraski, 19.341; 5. 96M-Mike McKinney, 19.414; 6. 9-Sheldon Creed, 19.75; 7. O5-Dave Wietholder, 19.881

Qualifying Flight-D – 1. 8KS-Kyle Strickler, 18.631; 2. 7CT-Christian Thomas, 19.15; 3. 7-Drake Troutman, 19.216; 4. A1-Gary Bentley, 19.242; 5. 2A-Donnie Moran, 19.274; 6. 4UW-Bobby Regot, 19.746; 7. O7-Curtis King, 19.931

Heat #1 – Flight (A) (8 Laps) – Top 8 Transfer – 1. 25-Tyler Nicely [1]; 2. 95-Michael Altobelli [2]; 3. 23-Ryan Cripe [4]; 4. 8A-Austin Holcombe [8]; 5. 97-Mitch Thomas [6]; 6. 8-Steve Stevenson [3]; 7. 5F-Jerry Foster [5]; 8. 24D-Travis Dickson [7]

Heat #2 – Flight (B) (8 Laps) – Top 8 Transfer – 1. 77-Ray Bollinger [2]; 2. 90-Jason Beaulieu [1]; 3. 1M-Curt Myers [3]; 4. 52-Colin Green [6]; 5. 11-Jesse Rupe [4]; 6. 99M-Mike Mullen [8]; 7. 75-Terry Phillips [7]; 8. 88-Matt Crafton [5]

Heat #3 – Flight (C) (8 Laps) – Top 8 Transfer – 1. 7JA-Justin Allgaier [2]; 2. 35-David Stremme [1]; 3. 24-Zeke McKenzie [3]; 4. 7A-Shane Sabraski [4]; 5. O5-Dave Wietholder [7]; 6. 9-Sheldon Creed [6]; 7. 96M-Mike McKinney [5]

Heat #4 – Flight (D) (8 Laps) – Top 8 Transfer – 1. 8KS-Kyle Strickler [1]; 2. 7CT-Christian Thomas [2]; 3. 7-Drake Troutman [3]; 4. 2A-Donnie Moran [5]; 5. A1-Gary Bentley [4]; 6. 4UW-Bobby Regot [6]; 7. O7-Curtis King [7]

SEE GATOR CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 13.2.20 0 comments

Sheppard Dominates to Continue His DIRTcar Nationals Mastery

DIRTcar

Sheppard Dominates to Continue His DIRTcar Nationals Mastery

Posted: 10 Feb 2020 11:10 PM PST

Defending Gator champ dominates Dirt Late Model opener for fifth consecutive Volusia win

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 10, 2020 – Picking up right where he left off in last year's DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford, Brandon Sheppard ran away with Monday night's DIRTcar Late Model Feature for his fifth consecutive victory at Volusia Speedway Park.

The defending Dirt Late Model Big Gator champion stole the lead from polesitter Tim McCreadie at the drop of the green and never looked back, leading all 30 laps en route to his sixth victory at Volusia in the past seven DIRTcar Nationals Late Model Features.

Joe Grabianowski Photo

If anyone thought it was the Rocket1 Racing show during last year's Florida-Georgia Speedweeks, it's looking like an even more concentrated go-around this year, as Sheppard now tallies four Late Model victories in the past seven days.

"It's been an incredible Speedweeks so far, our consistency has been through the roof all week," Sheppard said. "When you're as consistent as we are, the wins are going to come."

Sheppard led comfortably until the race's second caution on lap 14, when Scott Bloomquist Racing's Chris Madden gave him his strongest challenge of the race on the restart. Using the top side momentum to his advantage, Madden got a great run out of Turn 2 and dove into Turn 3 on the bottom. But The Rocket Shepp was just too strong in the middle and began to pull away again at the flagstand.

Another restart with nine laps remaining put Madden on the top side at the drop of the green, but he stumbled on the cushion as Brian Shirley and Dennis Erb Jr. drove by on the bottom. Madden fell back two spots further before the checkered, leaving the 2018 Big Gator champion with a sixth-place result.

Shirley had a great race going on the top side, using the speed to make several passes as he climbed up into the podium. He fended off Erb's fierce challenges on the bottom in the closing laps to secure the runner-up spot with a car he said was very comfortable to drive. To beat the Rocket1 car ahead of him, however, Shirley believes it's going to take more than just being good in the Feature.

Jim DenHamer Photo

"We've just got to make sure we qualify good and start up front," Shirley said. "I just felt like [Sheppard] was just a little bit better than me out there on the track and could do things that I just couldn't do, so we've just got to get a little better. Hopefully, one night, I can get lucky enough to start on the front row and have a shot."

Erb had a very strong car the whole race, rounding out an all-Illinois top-three from his eighth starting spot. He made his way up into the top-five just before halfway and capitalized on Madden's slip-up on the late restart to grab third and eventually challenge for second.

"On that last restart, Chris just went way high there and I just went right through the middle," Erb said. "Once everybody got settled in there, it was awful fast and hard to pass from there on."

Erb stayed around the bottom for the greater portion of the race, chomping at the bit on Shirley in the late stages.

"[Shirley] would go into the corner and slide from bottom to the top, I'd get a run on him and then he'd come back down. To try and get by him that way really wasn't going to work," Erb said.

Jim DenHamer Photo

Sheppard fended off the fellow Illinois drivers' pressure from behind with ease on the following restarts, leading the field back to the checkers for a $7,000 payday.

Overall, Sheppard said his continued success comes down to he and his crew's workflow in the pit area. Each day, they know exactly what it is they need to do to get the job done, and with car owner Mark Richards' years of experience racing at Volusia, it puts Sheppard at ease behind the wheel.

"It just makes my confidence maxed-out all the time. I know I can drive into Turn 1 however I feel I need to and nothing's going to fall off or break or anything like that because my guys just do such a great job. It's a lot easier to have a lot of confidence whenever you've got a great group of guys pumping you up, and you know your car's gonna be good," Sheppard said.

UP NEXT

The DIRTcar Nationals action continues Tuesday night with the second 30-lap, $7,000-to-win Feature for the Late Models alongside the stars and cars of the Big-Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision; Hot Laps are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET.

OFFICIAL RESULTS FROM VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK, FEB. 10, 2020

Feature (30 Laps) – 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard [2][]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley [5][]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb, [8][]; 4. 39-Tim McCreadie [1][]; 5. 5-Mark Whitener [11][]; 6. 0M-Chris Madden [4][]; 7. 72-Michael Norris [3][]; 8. 29V-Darrell Lanigan [14][]; 9. 7W-Ricky Weiss [6][]; 10. 76B-Brandon Overton [22][]; 11. 97-Cade Dillard [20][]; 12. 20-Jimmy Owens [17][]; 13. 12-Ashton Winger [9][]; 14. 15-Donny Schatz [7][]; 15. 17M-Dale McDowell [10][]; 16. 99B-Boom Briggs [16][]; 17. O-Rick Eckert [18][]; 18. 40B-Kyle Bronson [13][]; 19. 21-Ivedent Lloyd, [15][]; 20. 25Z-Mason Zeigler [23][]; 21. 16B-Tyler Bruening [12][]; 22. 6-Blake Spencer [24][]; 23. OOO-Kyle Lear [19][]; 24. 89-GR Smith [21][]; KSE Hard Charger Award: 76B-Brandon Overton[+12]

Qualifying Flight-A – 1. 72-Michael Norris, 16.575; 2. 12-Ashton Winger, 16.59; 3. 3S-Brian Shirley, 16.656; 4. 23-John Blankenship, 16.719; 5. 20-Jimmy Owens, 16.761; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson, 16.803; 7. 1-Vic Hill, 16.9; 8. 16-Justin Rattliff, 17.095; 9. 4G-Kody Evans, 17.223; 10. 25Z-Mason Zeigler, 17.655; 11. 76-Blair Nothdurft, 18.317

Qualifying Flight-B – 1. 7W-Ricky Weiss, 16.232; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard, 16.265; 3. 17M-Dale McDowell, 16.285; 4. 29V-Darrell Lanigan, 16.287; 5. 18-Chase Junghans, 16.432; 6. O-Rick Eckert, 16.478; 7. 31-Tyler Millwood, 16.499; 8. 7-Drake Troutman, 16.696; 9. 66C-Matt Cosner, 16.801; 10. 89-GR Smith, 16.867; 11. 2-Dan Stone, 17.39

Qualifying Flight-C – 1. 15-Donny Schatz, 16.267; 2. 21-Ivedent Lloyd,, 16.498; 3. 36-Logan Martin, 16.54; 4. 39-Tim McCreadie, 16.645; 5. 6-Blake Spencer, 16.706; 6. 0B-Scott Bloomquist, 16.722; 7. 5-Mark Whitener, 16.751; 8. 22-Gregg Satterlee, 16.839; 9. 33-Jeff Mathews, 16.84; 10. OOO-Kyle Lear, 17.158; 11. 16H-Mike Hammerle, NT

Qualifying Flight-D – 1. 16B-Tyler Bruening, 16.419; 2. 0M-Chris Madden, 16.498; 3. 97-Cade Dillard, 16.604; 4. 28-Dennis Erb,, 16.635; 5. 99B-Boom Briggs, 16.637; 6. 311-Ken Monahan, 16.671; 7. 25-Shane Clanton, 16.716; 8. 76B-Brandon Overton, 16.736; 9. 2W-Pearson Williams, 16.785; 10. 25W-Allen Weisser, 16.823; 11. 25DC-Donnie Chappell, 16.93

Heat #1 – Flight (A) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer – 1. 72-Michael Norris [1]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley [3]; 3. 12-Ashton Winger [2]; 4. 40B-Kyle Bronson [6]; 5. 20-Jimmy Owens [5]; 6. 25Z-Mason Zeigler [10]; 7. 16-Justin Rattliff [8]; 8. 1-Vic Hill [7]; 9. 76-Blair Nothdurft [11]; 10. 4G-Kody Evans [9]; 11. 23-John Blankenship [4]

Heat #2 – Flight (B) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer – 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard [2]; 2. 7W-Ricky Weiss [1]; 3. 17M-Dale McDowell [3]; 4. 29V-Darrell Lanigan [4]; 5. O-Rick Eckert [6]; 6. 89-GR Smith [10]; 7. 18-Chase Junghans [5]; 8. 2-Dan Stone [11]; 9. 7-Drake Troutman [8]; 10. 66C-Matt Cosner [9]; 11. 31-Tyler Millwood [7]

Heat #3 – Flight (C) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer – 1. 39-Tim McCreadie [4]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 3. 5-Mark Whitener [7]; 4. 21-Ivedent Lloyd, [2]; 5. OOO-Kyle Lear [10]; 6. 6-Blake Spencer [5]; 7. 36-Logan Martin [3]; 8. 22-Gregg Satterlee [8]; 9. 33-Jeff Mathews [9]; 10. 16H-Mike Hammerle [11]; 11. 0B-Scott Bloomquist [6]

Heat #4 – Flight (D) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer – 1. 0M-Chris Madden [2]; 2. 28-Dennis Erb, [4]; 3. 16B-Tyler Bruening [1]; 4. 99B-Boom Briggs [5]; 5. 97-Cade Dillard [3]; 6. 76B-Brandon Overton [8]; 7. 25W-Allen Weisser [10]; 8. 2W-Pearson Williams [9]; 9. 311-Ken Monahan [6]; 10. 25-Shane Clanton [7]; 11. 25DC-Donnie Chappell [11]

Last Chance Showdown 1 (10 Laps) – Top 2 Transfer – 1. 89-GR Smith [2][]; 2. 25Z-Mason Zeigler [1][]; 3. 18-Chase Junghans [4][]; 4. 2-Dan Stone [6][]; 5. 16-Justin Rattliff [3][]; 6. 1-Vic Hill [5][]; 7. 7-Drake Troutman [8][]; 8. 23-John Blankenship [11][]; 9. 76-Blair Nothdurft [7][]; 10. 4G-Kody Evans [9][]; 11. 66C-Matt Cosner [10][]; 12. 31-Tyler Millwood [12][]

Last Chance Showdown 2 (10 Laps) – 1. 76B-Brandon Overton [2][]; 2. 6-Blake Spencer [1][]; 3. 25W-Allen Weisser [4][]; 4. 2W-Pearson Williams [6][]; 5. 311-Ken Monahan [8][]; 6. 33-Jeff Mathews [7][]; 7. 16H-Mike Hammerle [9][]; 8. 36-Logan Martin [3][]; 9. 22-Gregg Satterlee [5][]; 10. 25-Shane Clanton [10][]; 11. 25DC-Donnie Chappell [12][]; 12. 0B-Scott Bloomquist [11][]

SEE GATOR CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS

19-Year-Old Spencer Hughes Bags $5,000 Payday in Big Gator Championship Upset Victory

Posted: 10 Feb 2020 09:00 PM PST

Nick Hoffman Secures 2020 DIRTcar Nationals Championship for Fifth straight title

by Matt Prieur

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 10, 2020 — The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds concluded their week-long battle at the 49th DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford with the $5,000-to-win Big Gator Championship, before crowning the 2020 DIRTcar Nationals Champion.  A thrilling last-lap pass for the win by Spencer Hughes, scored the 19-year-old his first-ever Big Gator, while Nick Hoffman took home his fifth straight DIRTcar Nationals championship.

In his #11 B&K Racing / Lethal Chassis machine, Spencer traded the lead with Jason Hughes (no relation) over the final three laps before making the winning final lap pass around the outside lane to take home the biggest win of his career and first-ever victory in the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia.

"I thought that last caution might've messed me up. I felt like I had a really good run on him (J. Hughes), and I guess we had just enough. I got by him in lapped traffic and darn near knocked the fence down," the elated Meridian, MS driver stated while talking to DIRTVision host Dave Rieff on the victory stage after his thrilling victory.

"I knew we were fast, but I didn't think we'd have enough time to get him on that last restart. He got a little better start than we did, but we were able to get up beside him. I might've pinched down a little bit, but I'm pretty sure he would've done the same to me," Hughes continued. "We came here a year ago, and we've always wanted a Gator ever since. Now we're going to strap it to the hood of the Peterbilt on the way home," he smiled.

Finishing fifth, Nick Hoffman added an unprecedented fifth DIRTcar Nationals Championship to his already staggering resume. The 27-year-old standout, originally from Belleville, IL, came into the 49th DIRTcar Nationals as the four-time defending Gator Champion and 2019 DIRTcar UMP Modified National Champion, as well as two-time and reigning DIRTcar Summit Modified Nationals Champion. The now Mooresville, NC resident leads the DIRTcar Nationals All-Time Feature Wins for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds with 17.

"We had a really good week. I think I jinxed myself today as we hadn't used our spare nose all week, and then we whipped it out on the last lap of the whole week. It was very eventful tonight though. Definitely not the way we wanted it to go. Starting 10th, I probably had the best car to win the race but wasn't able to show it. Then we bit the front end early running into Kyle (Strickler), and then it wasn't steering like I needed it to, so we just tried to stay out of trouble," the Mooresville NC resident explained in Victory Lane after climbing from his damaged #2 Fox Shox / Elite Chassis entry.

"I can't thank everyone enough — our really strong product sponsors. To not have a mechanical failure all week is a true testament to the crew and everybody on this team," Hoffman continued. "It was my fault 100 percent. The bottom wasn't quite run in, and the car just went straight, and I drove right into him," he explained regarding the incident on lap seven when Tyler Nicely slowed and the field behind him checked up. "The track conditions were tough tonight, but you can't complain about that. It's got to be different every night, and it's usually like that all week. We'll come back again next year and try for six titles," he smiled.

Going into the Big Gator Championship Feature, Hoffman carried a 16-point advantage over Kyle Strickler. So, Hoffman merely needed to finish fourth or better to secure his fifth consecutive DIRTcar Nationals title. The two started side-by-side in the fifth row, with Strickler at Hoffman's left elbow.

J. Hughes and S. Hughes started on the front row of the stellar 32-car field and took the green flag from Chief Starter, Dave Farney to start the 30-lap, $5,000-to-win main event for the Modifieds. J. Hughes beat S. Hughes to the first corner to take the early race lead as the rest of the field jockeyed for position behind the two Hughes . J. Hughes built up his lead while the two DIRTcar Nationals title contenders, Hoffman and Strickler, began working their way towards the front.

The biggest turning point of the race came on lap seven when Tyler Nicely suddenly slowed and Strickler, with nowhere to go, slammed into the back end of Nicely's machine resulting in heavy front-end damage to Strickler's ride. He was also tagged from behind by Hoffman, who suffered damage to his nose but was able to continue. After a quick pit stop for repairs, Strickler restarted at the rear of the field. The green came out again, but soon afterwards, Strickler steered his mount to pit road again, calling it a night, and handing Hoffman his fifth straight DIRTcar Nationals title.

In the meantime, J. Hughes continued to show the way with S. Hughes not letting J. Hughes, the four-time United States Modified Tour Series (USMTS) Champion, stray too far out in front. As the laps continued to click off, S. Hughes inched closer to the back bumper of the elder Hughes, who made the trip from Westville, OK and was in search of his first career DIRTcar Nationals victory.

S. Hughes overtook J. Hughes with just three laps to go only to lose the lead back to J. Hughes a lap later. With the crowd on their feet, the final caution flew, setting up a final shootout for the $5,000 payday. On the final restart, J. Hughes powered out to the lead, but S. Hughes kept pace and drove around the high side to retake the lead and hang on to score the upset victory and first at Volusia of his career.

Hughes settled for a disappointing runner-up showing, tying his best finish of the week, while reigning 2019 Renegades of Dirt Series Champion Michael Altobelli Jr., who started 14th, recorded his best finish of the week in third, completing the podium. Ryan Cripe completed an impressive week with a fourth-place effort as newly crowned five-time DIRTcar Nationals Champion Hoffman rounded out the top five.

Opening night Feature Winner Michael Long started 17th and worked his way up to sixth over David Stremme as Mike McKinney from 12th, NASCAR Xfinity Series star Justin Allgaier and Will Krup, who started 25th, advanced 15 positions to finish off the final top 10. Curt Spalding, Terry Phillips, former NASCAR driver David Reutimann and Colin Green won the Last Chance Showdowns.

The DIRTcar Late Models make their second and final appearance at Volusia Speedway Park on Tuesday, February 11 on Night #8 of the 49th DIRTcar Nationals before the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series take over starting on Wednesday. February 12. The Super DIRTcar Big Block Modified Series move in tomorrow, Tuesday, February 11, and will race through the rest of the week.

OFFICIAL RESULTS FROM VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK, FEB 10, 2020

Feature (30 Laps) – 1. 11H-Spencer Hughes [2][$5,000]; 2. 12H-Jason Hughes [1][$2,000]; 3. 95-Michael Altobelli [14][$1,250]; 4. 23-Ryan Cripe [8][$1,000]; 5. 2-Nick Hoffman [10][$800]; 6. 18L-Michael Long [17][$700]; 7. 35-David Stremme [5][$600]; 8. 96M-Mike McKinney [12][$575]; 9. 7JA-Justin Allgaier [3][$550]; 10. K19-Will Krup [25][$525]; 11. 77-Ray Bollinger [16][$500]; 12. 36-Kenny Wallace [13][$500]; 13. 5-Curt Spalding [21][$500]; 14. 3L-Jeff Leka [6][$500]; 15. 75-Terry Phillips [22][$450]; 16. OOD-David Reutimann [23][$425]; 17. 7-Drake Troutman [18][$400]; 18. 7CT-Christian Thomas [20][$375]; 19. 99M-Mike Mullen [28][$350]; 20. 99-Hunt Gossum [11][$300]; 21. 67-Garret Stewart [19][$300]; 22. 7A-Shane Sabraski [26][$300]; 23. 52-Colin Green [24][$300]; 24. 90-Jason Beaulieu [29][$300]; 25. 88-Matt Crafton [30][$300]; 26. 12L-Lucas Lee [15][$300]; 27. 22-Dale Kelley [31][$300]; 28. 8KS-Kyle Strickler [9][$300]; 29. 25-Tyler Nicely [4][]; 30. 45J-Johnny Broking [27][]; 31. 49-Brian Ruhlman [7][-]; 32. 65-Todd Sherman [32][-]; KSE Hard Charger Award: K19-Will Krup[+15]

Qualifying Feature 1 – Friday Night (8 Laps) – Top 10 Transfer – 1. 2-Nick Hoffman [1]; 2. 12H-Jason Hughes [2]; 3. 49-Brian Ruhlman [3]; 4. 3L-Jeff Leka [4]; 5. 11H-Spencer Hughes [5]; 6. 99-Hunt Gossum [6]; 7. 36-Kenny Wallace [7]; 8. 12L-Lucas Lee [8]; 9. 18L-Michael Long [9]; 10. 67-Garret Stewart [10]; 11. 5-Curt Spalding [11]; 12. 11M-Mike McGee [14]; 13. 12-Jason Gross [15]; 14. 22-Dale Kelley [16]; 15. 45J-Johnny Broking [17]; 16. K19-Will Krup [19]; 17. 17TE-Tyler Evans [20]; 18. 1-Brenden Rassel [21]; 19. 17T-Michael Tarlton [22]; 20. 32-Chad Roush [23]; 21. O1-Bryce Nichols [24]; 22. 22T-Tony Anderson [25]; 23. 100-Scott Fritz [26]; 24. OO-Buzzie Reutimann [27]; 25. 19-Chad Bauer [28]; 26. 65-Todd Sherman [30]; 27. 9PG-Percy Gendreau [31]; 28. 11N-Gene Nicholas [33]; 29. 27-William Cevaal [36]; 30. Z06-Larry Mott [38]; 31. 33-TJ Evans [39]

Qualifying Feature 2 – Saturday Night (8 Laps) – Top 10 Transfer – 1. 8KS-Kyle Strickler [1]; 2. 25-Tyler Nicely [2]; 3. 7JA-Justin Allgaier [3]; 4. 23-Ryan Cripe [4]; 5. 35-David Stremme [5]; 6. 96M-Mike McKinney [6]; 7. 95-Michael Altobelli [7]; 8. 77-Ray Bollinger [8]; 9. 7-Drake Troutman [9]; 10. 7CT-Christian Thomas [10]; 11. 7A-Shane Sabraski [11]; 12. 99M-Mike Mullen [12]; 13. 75-Terry Phillips [13]; 14. 52-Colin Green [14]; 15. 24D-Travis Dickson [15]; 16. A1-Gary Bentley [16]; 17. 9-Sheldon Creed [17]; 18. 4UW-Bobby Regot [18]; 19. 5F-Jerry Foster [19]; 20. O7-Curtis King [20]; 21. 97-Mitch Thomas [22]; 22. 8-Steve Stevenson [23]; 23. 90-Jason Beaulieu [29]; 24. 88-Matt Crafton [30]

Last Chance Showdown 1 (8 Laps) – Top 2 Transfer – 1. 5-Curt Spalding [1][-]; 2. K19-Will Krup [4][-]; 3. 11M-Mike McGee [2][$75]; 4. 22-Dale Kelley [3][$75]; 5. 22T-Tony Anderson [7][$75]; 6. 1-Brenden Rassel [5][$75]; 7. 32-Chad Roush [6][$75]; 8. OO-Buzzie Reutimann [8][$75]; 9. 11N-Gene Nicholas [9][$75]

Last Chance Showdown 2 (8 Laps) – 1. 75-Terry Phillips [2][-]; 2. 7A-Shane Sabraski [1][-]; 3. 9-Sheldon Creed [4][$75]; 4. 24D-Travis Dickson [3][$75]; 5. 90-Jason Beaulieu [7][$75]; 6. 5F-Jerry Foster [5][$75]; 7. 19-Chad Bauer [8][$75]; 8. 97-Mitch Thomas [6][$75]

Last Chance Showdown 3 (8 Laps) – 1. OOD-David Reutimann [1][-]; 2. 45J-Johnny Broking [3][-]; 3. 12-Jason Gross [2][$75]; 4. 17TE-Tyler Evans [4][$75]; 5. 17T-Michael Tarlton [5][$75]; 6. O1-Bryce Nichols [6][$75]; 7. 100-Scott Fritz [7][$75]; 8. Z06-Larry Mott [9][$75]; 9. 65-Todd Sherman [8][$75]

Last Chance Showdown 4 (8 Laps) – 1. 52-Colin Green [2][-]; 2. 99M-Mike Mullen [1][-]; 3. 8-Steve Stevenson [6][$75]; 4. 4UW-Bobby Regot [4][$75]; 5. A1-Gary Bentley [3][$75]; 6. O7-Curtis King [5][$75]; 7. 88-Matt Crafton [7][$75]; 8. 33-TJ Evans [9][$75]; 9. 9PG-Percy Gendreau [8][$75]

SEE GATOR CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 13.2.20 0 comments

T-MAC TOPPLES ROCKET: McCreadie Outruns Sheppard for DIRTcar Nationals Win

Posted: 12 Feb 2020 12:17 AM PST

Sheppard's 5-race win streak at Volusia snapped; McCreadie's new team reaping rewards

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 11, 2020 – When a new driver-owner partnership comes about for the beginning of a new season, there's normally a learning curve that each team member goes through before getting settled. In the case of Tim McCreadie, however, he and his new team at Paylor Motorsports made it look like they've been together for years as they scored a dominating victory in Tuesday night's DIRTcar Late Model Feature at Volusia Speedway Park as part of the 49th DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford.

"I owe a lot to [car owners] Gena and Donald Bradsher," McCreadie said. "They didn't have to do this, and we're reaping the benefits of it as a team. We've got a really, really good team, everybody gets along."

The Watertown, NY-native joined the Burlington, NC-based team this past December after more than 15 years behind the wheel of his well-known Sweetners Plus Racing ride. And on Tuesday night, he and the new team never missed a beat, besting the 48-car field by leading all 30 laps of the Feature for the $7,000 top prize.

From the pole, McCreadie jumped to the lead right away and began playing tough defense from a streaking Brandon Sheppard, who had won the previous five Late Model races contested at the DIRTcar Nationals. A late restart gave Sheppard a final chance at McCreadie, but he was ultimately unable to catch the leader and crossed the line in second. Kyle Bronson held off a hungry Dennis Erb Jr. for the final podium spot, and Jonathan Davenport raced his way up to complete the top five from 10th.

Jim DenHamer Photo

From the drop of the green, McCreadie seemed to have the answers to each of Sheppard's challenges. Sheppard tried to get by T-Mac on the low side, pulling up alongside his Mega Plumbing #39 several times, but was ultimately unable to complete the pass. McCreadie just seemed to have a better car right in the middle of the racetrack, and he said it was all about what he learned from watching Sheppard drive to victory on Monday night.

"I watched the night before, I ran the bottom, following Brandon for a little bit and he got away," McCreadie said. "I just saw what he was doing. He started arching really wide and clipping the track in half."

At multiple points during the race, Sheppard was good enough on the bottom to nose his way into the lead, but only for a turn or two. When done correctly, McCreadie would power back around to The Rocket-Shepp's outside, using that momentum in the high-middle groove.

The two battled back-and-forth for multiple laps at a time before getting spread out as they eclipsed the halfway point. Kyle Bronson had made significant efforts on the top side, battling with Erb Jr. for third, and the two soon began to catch the leaders before the race's only caution flag flew with 10 laps remaining.

"The high line was definitely good for me, I'm comfortable up there racing," Bronson said. "But when I moved down in the last couple of laps, I actually felt better on the bottom, really. It's good to know our car is maneuverable."

Jim DenHamer Photo

On the restart, McCreadie said he could feel the pressure to get separation from Sheppard.

"I've been around a long time, and there's like a 'money restart.' And with under 10 [laps to go], it's like, you better do something. Just something that gives you a little bit of room to breathe, and I feel like it happened, because the sticks were fairly wide when I went by."

He indeed get that separation, immediately opening up a few car-lengths lead. Again, using that middle groove, where most other drivers chose not to drive.

"My crew chief Phil, he gave me one signal right after the yellow where Brandon was back beside me. It was a move of like, 'hey, drive that thing right through the middle as hard as possible and roll to the cushion.' And I just did it and I never saw Brandon again," McCreadie said.

Leading the field back to the checkered flag, McCreadie snapped Sheppard's five-race win-streak at Volusia in style, doing something very rarely seen at Volusia, let alone at all – outrunning the Rocket1 Racing car.

Even though he couldn't catch McCreadie in the end, Sheppard said he was pleased with his car, just needed to get out in front early like he did the night before.

"We had a good car, and we put ourselves in the right position early in the night," Sheppard said. "[McCreadie] just got the jump on me at the start and it was pretty much over after that."

Much like some other teams do, Sheppard said he and the Rocket1 crew were testing out a few things to see the car's capability on the final DIRTcar night before the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series shows begin on Wednesday.

"I think our car was really good, and we tried a few things tonight, trying to make the car a little bit better. And that might have been some of it too, kinda got off-track from where we were last night, just trying some stuff before the Outlaws races," Sheppard said.

UP NEXT

The 49th annual DIRTcar Nationals action continues with the arrival of the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models on Wednesday night, as they run alongside the Super DIRTcar Series in the first of four 50-lap, $10,000-to-win shows.

Hot Laps are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. ET; catch all the action live on DIRTVision!

RESULTS

DIRTcar Feature (30 Laps) 1. 39-Tim McCreadie [1]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard [2]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson [3]; 4. 28-Dennis Erb [4]; 5. 49-Jonathan Davenport [10]; 6. 157-Mike Marlar [16]; 7. 17M-Dale McDowell [8]; 8. 29v-Darrell Lanigan [12]; 9. 7-Ricky Weiss [9]; 10. 72-Michael Norris [11]; 11. 20-Jimmy Owens [22]; 12. 76-Brandon Overton [5]; 13. 3s-Brian Shirley [6]; 14. 0M-Chris Madden [15]; 15. 97-Cade Dillard [13]; 16. 2s-Stormy Scott [14]; 17. 18-Chase Junghans [26]; 18. 0e-Rick Eckert [18]; 19. 14-Josh Richards [23]; 20. 8-Kyle Strickler [19]; 21. 25-Shane Clanton [20]; 22. 15-Donny Schatz [21]; 23. 31-Tyler Millwood [24]; 24. 36-Logan Martin [7]; 25. 5-Mark Whitener [17]; 26. 25w-Allen Weisser [25] Hard Charger: 20-Jimmy Owens[+11]

Qualifying Flight-A 1. 20-Jimmy Owens, 16.965; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie, 17.216; 3. 36-Logan Martin, 17.305; 4. 66c-Matt Cosner, 17.345; 5. 8-Kyle Strickler, 17.501; 6. 1st-Johnny Scott, 17.51; 7. 16-Justin Rattliff, 17.726; 8. 97-Cade Dillard, 17.741

Qualifying Flight-B 1. 17M-Dale McDowell, 16.755; 2. 76-Brandon Overton, 17.017; 3. 0-Scott Bloomquist, 17.106; 4. 2s-Stormy Scott, 17.167; 5. 76n-Blair Northdurft, 17.208; 6. 99B-Boom Briggs, 17.229; 7. 18-Chase Junghans, 17.519; 8. 22-Gregg Satterlee, 18.06

Qualifying Flight-C 1. 7-Ricky Weiss, 16.889; 2. 3s-Brian Shirley, 16.995; 3. 2w-Pearson Williams, 17.242; 4. 0M-Chris Madden, 17.298; 5. 33-Jeff Mathews, 17.409; 6. 21-Ivedent Lloyd, 17.442; 7. 12-Ashton Winger, 17.596; 8. 311-Ken Monahan, 17.666

Qualifying Flight-D 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport, 16.7; 2. 28-Dennis Erb, 16.837; 3. 157-Mike Marlar, 16.943; 4. 25-Shane Clanton, 16.996; 5. 4G-Kody Evans, 17.049; 6. 6jr-Parker Martin, 17.143; 7. 23-John Blankenship, 17.295; 8. 14-Josh Richards, 17.577

Qualifying Flight-E 1. 72-Michael Norris, 16.826; 2. 31-Tyler Millwood, 16.889; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson, 17.089; 4. 25DC-Donnie Chappell, 17.163; 5. 5-Mark Whitener, 17.347; 6. 89-G.R. Smith, 17.582; 7. 2-Dan Stone, 17.699; DNS. 16H-Mike Hammerle, NT

Qualifying Flight-F 1. 0e-Rick Eckert, 16.823; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard, 17.014; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 17.263; 4. 29v-Darrell Lanigan, 17.339; 5. 25w-Allen Weisser, 17.432; 6. OOO-Kyle Lear, 17.488; 7. 6-Blake Spencer, 17.667; 8. B1-Brent Larson, 17.786

Heat #1 – Flight (A) (8 Laps) – Top 3 Transfer 1. 39-Tim McCreadie [2]; 2. 36-Logan Martin [3]; 3. 97-Cade Dillard [8]; 4. 8-Kyle Strickler [5]; 5. 20-Jimmy Owens [1]; 6. 16-Justin Rattliff [7]; 7. 66c-Matt Cosner [4]; 8. 1st-Johnny Scott [6]

Heat #2 – Flight (B) (8 Laps) – Top 3 Transfer 1. 76-Brandon Overton [2]; 2. 17M-Dale McDowell [1]; 3. 2s-Stormy Scott [4]; 4. 0-Scott Bloomquist [3]; 5. 99B-Boom Briggs [6]; 6. 18-Chase Junghans [7]; 7. 76n-Blair Northdurft [5]; 8. 22-Gregg Satterlee [8]

Heat #3 – Flight (C) (8 Laps) – Top 3 Transfer 1. 3s-Brian Shirley [2]; 2. 7-Ricky Weiss [1]; 3. 0M-Chris Madden [4]; 4. 2w-Pearson Williams [3]; 5. 21-Ivedent Lloyd [6]; 6. 12-Ashton Winger [7]; 7. 33-Jeff Mathews [5]; 8. 311-Ken Monahan [8]

Heat #4 – Flight (D) (8 Laps) – Top 3 Transfer 1. 28-Dennis Erb [2]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport [1]; 3. 157-Mike Marlar [3]; 4. 14-Josh Richards [8]; 5. 25-Shane Clanton [4]; 6. 6jr-Parker Martin [6]; 7. 23-John Blankenship [7]; 8. 4G-Kody Evans [5]

Heat #5 – Flight (E) (8 Laps) – Top 3 Transfer 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson [3]; 2. 72-Michael Norris [1]; 3. 5-Mark Whitener [5]; 4. 89-G.R. Smith [6]; 5. 31-Tyler Millwood [2]; 6. 2-Dan Stone [7]; 7. 25DC-Donnie Chappell [4]; 8. 16H-Mike Hammerle [8]

Heat #6 – Flight (F) (8 Laps) – Top 3 Transfer 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard [2]; 2. 29v-Darrell Lanigan [4]; 3. 0e-Rick Eckert [1]; 4. 25w-Allen Weisser [5]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 6. B1-Brent Larson [8]; 7. 6-Blake Spencer [7]; 8. OOO-Kyle Lear [6]

Last Chance Showdown 1 (10 Laps) – Top 2 Transfer 1. 8-Kyle Strickler [1]; 2. 20-Jimmy Owens [3]; 3. 18-Chase Junghans [6]; 4. 99B-Boom Briggs [4]; 5. 16-Justin Rattliff [5]; 6. 76n-Blair Northdurft [8]; 7. 1st-Johnny Scott [9]; 8. 22-Gregg Satterlee [10]; 9. 66c-Matt Cosner [7]; 10. 0-Scott Bloomquist [2]

Last Chance Showdown 2 (10 Laps) – Top 2 Transfer 1. 25-Shane Clanton [4]; 2. 14-Josh Richards [2]; 3. 2w-Pearson Williams [1]; 4. 12-Ashton Winger [5]; 5. 21-Ivedent Lloyd [3]; 6. 4G-Kody Evans [10]; 7. 23-John Blankenship [8]; 8. 6jr-Parker Martin [6]; 9. 33-Jeff Mathews [7]; 10. 6-Blake Spencer [11]; 11. 311-Ken Monahan [9]

Last Chance Showdown 3 (10 Laps) – Top 2 Transfer 1. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 2. 31-Tyler Millwood [3]; 3. 89-G.R. Smith [1]; 4. 2-Dan Stone [5]; 5. 25w-Allen Weisser [2]; 6. B1-Brent Larson [6]; 7. 16H-Mike Hammerle [9]; 8. 25DC-Donnie Chappell [7]; 9. OOO-Kyle Lear [8]


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Tyler Bouillon Heads Into the 2020 Schedule With a Renewed Sense of Confidence

Tyler Bouillon Heads Into the 2020 Schedule With a Renewed Sense of Confidence

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

 

"I think it'll be a great year and I can't wait to get back to the track."

 

Tyler Bouillon is finding it hard to hide his enthusiasm for Peterborough Speedway's upcoming season. With the Saturday, May 16th arrival of the new season, the 19-year-old racer from Burketon, Ontario will be starting his 4th year in the highly competitive KOD Disposal Super Stock division and after finishing 10th in the final 2019 point standings, he's counting the days until the calendar's initial green flag.

 

"Going to the track every weekend is like a vacation," said the driver who was named the Super Stock division's Most Improved Driver in 2017. "I can't thank my family enough for all their support. My Mom Tracey and my sister Sydney are always great at encouraging me and putting-up with racecar talk almost 24 hours a day around the house. I've made some good friends through every stage of my racing career and without them, I wouldn't be anywhere even close to where I am today."

 

While he has yet to add a stock car racing main event checkered flag to his resume, Tyler Bouillon's career karting statistics indicate he's quite familiar with the process. In Briggs & Stratton Junior ranks, he was 1st at the 2013 Wasaga Grand Prix, won the Mosport championship and netted 2nd and 3rd place during the 2014 Florida Winter Tour. It was the performance of another successful racer that eventually led to the young hard charger's choice of numbers for his own equipment.

 

"When I was younger, my Dad took me to Mosport Speedway every Saturday night to watch our friend Darren Kearnan," said Bouillon, who works as a millwright apprentice. "Darren's Open Wheel Modified always carried #46 and I was his biggest fan. A couple of years later, I started my career in karting and the rest is history."

 

Tyler Bouillon says that without the tireless effort, unwavering support, dedication and commitment of his father fueling his passion for the sport, the young team wouldn't have already scored more than a handful of heat race wins and be in position to contend for an initial feature race checkered flag and the overall season title. Jamey Bouillon and family friend Jeff Fenton put in some long hours behind the scenes and at the track, doing their best to keep the car in the heart of Peterborough Speedway's weekly wars.

 

Sponsorship support comes from Tysyd Lawn Care, Goreski Roofing, Homestead Furniture & Appliances, DSF Services, Evergreen Farm & Garden, Gus Brown Buick GMC - Port Perry, Signworks Graphics – Canada and Carl's Racing Engines. With some tough competition expected in this year's Super Stock field, the #46 crew is looking to add some additional marketing partners to the program.

 

The team is very active


 on social media and invites friends, fans and potential backers to like the www.facebook.com/Tysyd-Motorsports page and catch them in action at Peterborough Speedway throughout the 2020 season. Contact the driver tylerbouillon@gmail.com to explore exciting opportunities with Tysyd Motorsports.

 

Photo attachment: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

 

Tyler Bouillon (#46) will be looking to turn some heads in the KOD Disposal Super Stock division when the 2020 season gets underway – Saturday, May 16th – at Peterborough Speedway.

 

Prepared by Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 13.2.20 0 comments

2020-02-11

NASCAR And U.S. Census Bureau Announce Official PartnershipTo Encourage Nation-Wide Participation in 2020 Census

NASCAR And U.S. Census Bureau Announce Official Partnership

To Encourage Nation-Wide Participation in 2020 Census

New Agreement Includes Race Entitlement Rights for NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 12, 2020) – NASCAR® and the U.S. Census Bureau announced today, during DAYTONA 500 Media Day, an Official Partnership designed to spread awareness and encourage participation in the once-a-decade national census. The 2020 Census counts every person living in the U.S., across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories. Beginning in mid-March, most homes will receive an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire – online, by phone, or by mail.

                                                                    

As part of the strategic partnership, the Census Bureau will become the race entitlement partner of the NASCAR Xfinity Series™ race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race is scheduled to run on Saturday, March 21 and will be broadcast nationally on FS1.

 

"The 2020 Census is here, and we are excited to partner with NASCAR to help spread the word about the importance of the census to shaping the future of communities across the country," said Dr. Steven Dillingham, Director of the Census Bureau. "To ensure a complete and accurate count, we need everyone. NASCAR provides us with an excellent platform to educate the public and encourage them to respond this spring."

 

The 2020 Census, which is mandated by the U.S. Constitution, is conducted by the Census Bureau, the federal government's largest statistical agency. The statistics can be used to inform more than hundreds of billions of dollars to states and communities for services like fire stations, schools, and clinics every year for the next 10 years. It also determines how many seats in Congress each state receives. 

 

"We are honored to partner with the Census Bureau to educate our fans about the importance and benefits of participating in the U.S. Census," said Jill Gregory, NASCAR executive vice president and chief marketing and content officer. "NASCAR is a highly effective marketing platform that reaches millions of fans residing in communities across the country. We look forward to informing our fans how they will be invited to respond to the 2020 Census online, in addition to by phone or by mail, for the first time in history."

 

In addition to its race entitlement sponsorship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the Census Bureau will have at-track activation at Phoenix Raceway, Auto Club Speedway and Richmond Raceway. Additionally, an educational campaign will run across NASCAR's Digital platforms and air across NASCAR programming on MRN.

 

"Partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau for our NASCAR Xfinity Series race gives Homestead-Miami Speedway another tremendous opportunity for our 25th anniversary," said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Al Garcia. "We're honored to serve as a host track for such an important initiative that affects our entire country. We also look forward to our fans experiencing all the amenities our facility has to offer, as well the exciting racing, which will feature Dale Earnhardt Jr."

 

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off with the 62nd annual DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. 

 

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation's major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series™), three regional series, one local grassroots series, three international series and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, Americrown Service and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat ('NASCAR').

 

Contact:

Chris Tropeano

NASCAR Communications


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 11.2.20 0 comments

Trip Down Memory Lane

BRANDON JONES

Trip Down Memory Lane

 

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Feb. 12, 2020) – As the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series kicks off this weekend at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Brandon Jones will be taking a trip back in time for Saturday's Xfinity Series season-opening NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

 

Jones, driver of the No. 19 Interstate Batteries Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), will have a familiar scheme and partner on board to honor newly minted NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Joe Gibbs and former JGR and Interstate Batteries driver Bobby Labonte. Jones will have the honor of sporting the Interstate Batteries scheme Labonte ran during the 1995 season while scoring his first win for the team in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedwaythat season, besting his brother Terry Labonte for the win that day.

 

Jones and his Interstate Batteries team are poised to keep up the Xfinity Series momentum they gained late in the 2019 season. Entering his third season driving for JGR, Jones is coming off a career year with six top-five finishes and, more importantly, his first career Xfinity Series win at Kansas last October.

 

Jones will throw it back to May 1995 when Labonte scored his first ever NASCAR Cup Series win. Labonte had been close to victory before, finishing second earlier in the 1995 season at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham and at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

 

But in the longest of all NASCAR races, and just like Jeff Gordon had done one year earlier, Labonte was able to capture his first Cup Series victory in one of the biggest races of the season.

 

"That was a 'leading-up to' win," Labonte said. "We had finished second to Jeff Gordon at Atlanta and Rockingham, so we were leading up to being a contender. We got to Charlotte and we qualified well and ran well. I remember following Kenny Schrader with about 50 laps to go and I was on him and catching him and catching him and I thought, 'I don't know, it's going to be tough to pass him here, but we'll give it our best shot.'"

 

"He broke a motor with about 40 laps left and I remember thinking, 'Oh my gosh, what am I going to do?' Because I had been running second in race after race after race and now I'm leading."

 

His crew chief, Jimmy Makar, who is now the senior vice president of racing operations at JGR, knew exactly what to do. Get to the end of the 400-lap, 600-mile marathon race. 

 

"You always know that anything can happen and it's not over until it's over," Makar said. "But, when Schrader blew up, you realized that you're inheriting the lead and other than Schrader, there was no one that was as strong as us at that point in the race. So, I knew that unless something happened to us, and anything can happen and you just never know, but you just knew we had a shot at winning it. And it was an 'oh-my-gosh' moment that was 'Hey, we could win this thing.'"

 

"It was a real knot-in-the stomach moment when we took the lead and knew it was our race to lose. You just started counting laps."

 

And the thought of beating his brother was not lost on Labonte in the closing laps.

 

"It was really cool because Terry ended up finishing second," Labonte said. "We ended up pulling away from Terry and we had a big lead. It was just one of those things – you never forget your first win. I've always said that. It was just such a big event. Everyone was just on cloud nine and was happy to see it happen. We'd finished second a couple of times before that and had come so close. We knew a win was around the corner. We just didn't know it was going to be in a big race like that."

 

The victory came in Labonte's 11th race with Joe Gibbs Racing and Interstate Batteries after he took over for Dale Jarrett at the end of the 1994 season. And the win was huge in validating JGR's decision to hire Labonte when Jarrett left for Robert Yates Racing.

 

"I think it validated everything we did," Makar said. "It was a huge confidence builder. We knew Bobby was a good racecar driver and had the potential to win, but a lot of guys have potential and never win. So for him to close the deal was a huge confidence boost for everybody. You just didn't worry because you went in to races from that point on, knowing you had a chance to win. That was a big deal to all of us that year."

 

For Labonte, it was a chance to give back to Norm Miller, chairman of Interstate Batteries, who had welcomed him with open arms.

 

"Norm was the type of guy – it was never like 'Hey, we had Dale Jarrett, now we have you, you better step up to the plate." Labonte said. "There was none of that. To be honest with you, what I remember was that it was instantly like family. You just had a feel of that with Norm and everybody at Interstate. I was excited to have that kind of feeling." 

 

So as Jones heads back to Daytona to start his fifth full season of Xfinity Series competition, he'll try and channel the Gibbs and Labonte Hall of Fame magic and get them to victory lane some 25 years later.

BRANDON JONES, Driver of the No. 19 Interstate Batteries NASCAR XFINITY Series Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing: 

How does it feel to have your name added to the list of drivers who have driven the Interstate Batteries brand?

 

"We are proud of Coach (Joe Gibbs) for his recent induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Our 19 team is excited to be able to drive the same Interstate Batteries scheme that brought home Coach and Bobby Labonte's first win together in 1995.  It's a real honor.  One of the things you learn quickly at JGR is how important Interstate Batteries is to Coach and all of us at JGR.  I think everyone knows the name Norm Miller and how special he is. Our goal is to put this Interstate Batteries paint scheme back in victory lane for Coach, Norm and everyone who's had a hand in getting JGR to where it is today."

Meet the No. 19 Interstate Batteries/Joe Gibbs Racing Team

Car No.: 19 – Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry  

Road Crew Members:
 

Driver: Brandon Jones

 

Crew Chief: Jeff Meendering

 

Car Chief: Eddie D'Hondt Jr.

 

Spotter: Stevie Reeves

 

Engine Builder: Mark Cronquist

 

Engineers: Chris Minogue

 

Shock Specialist: Scott Meyers

 

Mechanics: Joey Elliott, Matt Petrea

 

Tire Specialist: Lee Herendeen

 

Engine Tuner: Drue Parsons

 

Truck Driver: David Hicks

Pit Crew Members:

 

Front Tire Changer: Mike Hicks

 

Rear Tire Changer: Jeff Cordero

 

Tire Carrier: Joe Crossen

 

Jackman: T.J. Ford

 

Gas Man: Matt Tyrell

 

Brandon Jones Career Highlights at Daytona International Speedway:

● This is Jones' third full season at Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) coming off a 2019 campaign in which he scored his first career Xfinity Series victory in Kansas last October.

● Jones made his first career start at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 20, 2016. He started seventh and finished seventh.

● Jones earned his first Daytona pole for the February 2017 Xfinity Series season opener.

● In eight career starts at Daytona, Jones has earned one top-five finish and three top-10s. His average start is 12.2 and average finish is 17.4.

-TSC-


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