ROSSBURG, Ohio — Three times fighting back to take the lead Saturday at Eldora Speedway, Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., grabbed a dramatic victory Illinois fans had been waiting for seemingly forever.
The 43-year-old driver regained the lead for the final time with 11 laps remaining and survived a last-second yellow flag at the historic Tony Stewart-owned oval for a career-high $100,000 victory in the Dirt Late Model Dream presented by Ferris Mowers.
Erb’s victory was the first crown jewel triumph of his career and gave Illinois its first major-race Dirt Late Model victory in history of the legendary Ohio track that hosts the sport’s richest events.
“It’s been a long time,” Erb said in victory lane after waving an Illinois state flag while standing atop his familiar blue No. 28. “All’s I’ve got to say is, ‘How ‘bout that Illinois!?!’ ”
The outside front-row starter led the first three laps, but three times he fell from the lead and fought his way back, the final time in overtaking Josh Richards on the 90th lap and pulling away. Victory appeared to be in hand as Erb exiting turn four on lap 99, but a Richards-Jared Landers tangle exiting turn two drew the last of eight caution flags, setting up a green-white-checkered finish with Richards and charging Georgians Jonathan Davenport and Dale McDowell hot on Erb’s heels.
“My heart dropped coming to that checkered flag coming out of that corner. I didn’t know what was going to happen after that,” Erb said. “When you get out there and start getting in a rhythm and the car’s good … they got away from me and I started catching them. I just wanted to keep hitting my marks. I just knew we had a good car. Just fortunate there. We made the right decision and picked the right line at the end. We just got it done tonight.”
Erb, normally reserved and stoic even in victory lane, climbed atop his car to celebrate on the winner’s stage, then had a tender hug with long-time crew chief Heather Lyne in victory lane while not forgetting his late father, a former Illinois racer who would’ve been so proud of his son’s biggest victory.
“I was just worried about getting to that checkered flag. That last caution there, I was kind of worried about that. I just knew I had a good car. I just prayed and told my dad, ‘Let’s go and let’s get this done.’ ”
Erb took the checkers 1.120 seconds ahead of Richards, the Shinnston, W.Va., driver who led a race-high 41 laps. The 17th-starting McDowell, the 2014 Dirt Late Model Dream winner from Chickamauga, Ga., was third while last year’s Dirt Late Model Dream winner Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., who pitted to change a tire on lap 43, charged back to fourth. Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., improved 16 positions to round out the top five.
Richards, like Erb looking for his first Eldora victory, rode the high groove all race long but couldn’t hang with Erb in the race’s late stages.
“I had a blast out there. Congrats to Dennis and those guys. The best car won the race and he did a great job,” the Rocket Chassis house car driver said. “I was trying to do what I could, I was just a little too free to move to the bottom. I really don’t know what Landers was trying to do there, I guess he gave me another shot at the $100,000. We’ll take it, we just have to work a little harder next time.
“I knew it was going to be a long shot. We had a lot of damage. The left front corner was dragging the ground and I spun the tires on the start because the nose was dragging. I thought we might have a little bit of a shot there, I just needed another car length or two to get a run down into three. But what can I say? We’re a lot closer than what we were.”
McDowell wondered if he might have a shot at his second Dirt Late Model Dream after the late caution.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen there at the last,” he said. “I thought I might win from third. It didn’t happen. We’ll take it and come back for the World.
“It’s unfortunate, those double-file restarts right there with one lap, or two laps to go. It gets a little hairy. But it was fun. This tire management, as you go through the race, the racetrack changes complexion three or four different times. We’d fade and we’d go, we’d fade and we’d go, and I watched those guys do the same thing. I need to be a little bit better. We’re going to go to work on it and see if we can do better next time.”
Erb led at the outset from outside the front row with Mike Marlar, Davenport and Landers in pursuit. Landers moved up to second on the second lap as Davenport began to fade after brushing the backstretch wall on the third lap, and Landers moved past Erb to take command on the fourth lap to take command.
Landers began stretching his lead while ninth-starting Tim McCreadie moved into second with Erb, Steve Casebolt and Marlar in pursuit as Davenport fell from the top five.
On a lap-eight restart, McCreadie used the high groove to nose into the lead ahead of Landers with 25th-starting Shannon Babb charging into the top 10.
Erb moved back into second on lap 10 and began pressuring McCreadie while Landers, Richards and Casebolt gave chase.
The frontrunners spread out before entering slower traffic on lap 20 as Erb turned up the heat on McCreadie with Landers in third, Richards fourth and Davenport rolling again after returning to the top five two laps earlier.
On a lap-27 restart, Richards blasted off turn two to come alive in third while the leading McCreadie had his hands full with Erb. Richards briefly fell back after getting into the backstretch wall as Erb used the high side to regain command from McCreadie on lap 31.
A lap-34 restart kept Erb up front with Richards challenging on the high side as McCreadie slipped back to third. Richards dove under Erb in turn one to take command on lap 36 with Erb, McCreadie, Landers and Davenport trying to keep up.
With clear track on a lap-38 restart, Richards continued rolling in the high side as 17th-starting Dale McDowell moved into fourth behind Richards, Erb and Davenport as McCreadie slipped back to fifth.
Davenport rolled to a stop on the frontstretch on lap 43 to draw a yellow and as the field slowed, the fourth-running McCreadie’s car showed significant right-side damage that forced him to the pits at the officials’ behest to remove dangling bodywork.
Richards, Erb, McDowell, 21st-starting Don O’Neal and Eldora rookie Ricky Thornton Jr. held the top five spots on the lap-43 restart with Thornton briefly edging into third.
The Richards-Erb battle, stymied by a series of cautions, resumed before the halfway point as they pulled away from McDowell, O’Neal and Thornton as McCreadie went a lap down.
Richards kept rolling in the high side to lead at halfway while Erb, running the middle, stayed within striking distance as Davenport moved back into the top 10 after his pit stop.
Richards and Erb ran virtually side-by-side for several laps after halfway, and Erb snuck back past to lead on lap 57 with tail-starting Chris Simpson briefly moving into the top five.
Once Erb shook Richards, he built a half-straightaway lead by lap 60 with Richards, McDowell, O’Neal, Davenport, Thornton, Simpson, Landers, Chris Madden and Shane Clanton holding spots in the top 10. Davenport continued his rally by taking fourth from O’Neal on lap 65, but he was a full half-track margin behind Erb, who cruised out front, unhampered by traffic.
But debris in turn one brought out a lap-69 yellow and erased Erb’s substantial margin, putting the rallying Davenport in position to contend for the first time since he slowed and pitted on lap 43.
A revived Richards used the high side to go back around Erb with Davenport following Richards in the high side behind them. Davenport took second from Erb on lap 73 and began stalking Richards to set up a battle of high-side runners in the final 25 laps.
Erb turned up the wick and pulled back even with Davenport in a battle for second as they stayed within striking distance with the leading Richards. The top three continued to pull away with 20 laps remaining as Richards and Davenport stayed in the high side and Erb continued to hang tough in the middle groove. Richards began to inch away, leading by 1.117 seconds at lap 85 entering the event’s waning laps.
Erb regained second on lap 88 and quickly began another assault on Richards as Davenport tried to keep up. Erb blew back past Richards exiting turn four on lap 90 and had clear racetrack as Richards fell back and Davenport pounded the turn-one wall on lap 92, damaging the right-rear corner of his No. 6.
It appeared Erb had it wrapped up on the white-flag lap when a Richards-Landers tangle exiting turn two brought out a final caution on lap 99. Erb, who had fallen back on other restarts, chose the high line and kept everyone in check on the two-lap shootout to the checkers.
The feature was slowed by eight cautions and a red flag that appeared on a lap-38 restart when Jeep Van Wormer, Tim Manville, Darrell Lanigan and Bobby Pierce were part of scramble against the outside concrete wall in turn one.
Overall fast qualifier Brian Shirley slowed on the ninth lap to draw the first yellow and, on the restart, a backstretch scramble sent heat winner Jon Henry and Chris Brown to the pits with body damage.
A lap-27 caution appeared when Bobby Pierce slowed on the frontstretch and Devin Moran got caught up behind him. Debris brought out a lap-34 yellow and Mike Marlar slowed for another yellow four laps later. The final caution on lap 69 also came out for debris.
One of the biggest crowd reactions of the three-day weekend came before the green flag flew for the 100-lapper.
Six-time Dirt Late Model Dream winner Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., was leading a consolation race early, but he faded in the closing laps, losing spots to Jimmy Mars and Chris Simpson to finish fifth in a race where four drivers transferred.
After the cheering and jeering fans quieted, Bloomquist ran the post-consolation scramble then quickly ducked into his hauler to end a weekend that started out with him missing Thursday’s preliminary feature.
Editor's note: It was announced June 20 that five drivers (Scott Bloomquist, Brandon Sheppard, Jimmy Owens, Ricky Thornton Jr. and Gregg Satterlee were stripped of Dream weekend finishes and purses after tire samples failed to meet manufacturer benchmarks.
Dream XXII results
Pos. Driver (car no.), hometown, chassis, earnings
1. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., Black Diamond, $100,000
2. Josh Richards (1), Shinnston, W.Va., Rocket, $20,000
3. Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., Warrior, $12,500
4. Jonathan Davenport (6), Blairsville, Ga., Longhorn, $10,000
5. Don O’Neal (5), Martinsville, Ind., Club 29, $8,750
6. Chris Simpson (32), Oxford, Iowa, Longhorn, $7,500
7. Devin Moran (99m), Dresden, Ohio, Barry Wright, $6,500
8. Shane Clanton (25), Zebulon, Ga., Capital, $6,000
9. Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C., Longhorn, $5,500
10. Ricky Thornton Jr. (33x), Chandler, Ariz., Club 29, $5,000
11. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., Pierce, $4,000
12. Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., Rocket, $3,000
13. Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., Rocket, $2,950
14. Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., Longhorn, $2,900
15. Jared Landers (777), Batesville, Ark., Sweet-Bloomquist, $2,875
16. Steve Casebolt (c9), Richmond, Ind., Rocket, $2,850
17. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., Barry Wright, $2,825
18. Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., Capital, $2,800
19. Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., Moyer Victory, $2,775
20. Brandon Overton (76), Appling, Ga., Moyer Victory, $2,750
21. Chris Brown (21), Spring, Texas, Sweet-Bloomquist, $2,725
22. Jeep Van Wormer (55), Pinconning, Mich., BruceBilt, $2,700
23. Tim Manville (33), Highland, Ill., Rocket, $2,675
24. Darrell Lanigan (15), Union, Ky., Club 29, $2,650
25. Jimmy Mars (28), Menomonie, Wis., MB Customs, $2,625
26. Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., Moyer Victory, $2,600
27. Brian Shirley (3s) Chatham, Ill., Longhorn, $2,550
28. Jon Henry (15), Ada, Ohio, Club 29, $2,500
Fast qualifier (among 73 cars): Shirley, 15.310 seconds
Heat race winners: Henry, Pierce, Casebolt, Davenport, Erb, Marlar
Consolation winners: O’Neal, Feger
Scramble winners: Michael Chilton, Wallace
Provisional starters: Moyer, Shirley
Lap leaders: Erb 1-3, 31-35, 57-69, 90-100; Landers 4-8; McCreadie 9-30; Richards 36-56, 70-89.
Heat race results
First heat finish (top three transfer): Jon Henry, Jared Landers, Josh Richards, Don O'Neal, Gregg Satterlee, Devin Gilpin, Eddie Carrier Jr., Billy Moyer Jr., Rusty Schlenk, Austin Rettig, Nick Latham, Ryan King.
Second heat finish (top three transfer): Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton Jr., Chris Brown, Michael Chilton, Jeep Van Wormer, Shannon Babb, Billy Moyer, T.J. Reaid, Kent Robinson, Mike Benedum, Jay Johnson, Charlie LaPlant
Third heat finish (top three transfer): Steve Casebolt, Tim McCreadie, Brandon Overton, Tim Manville, Terry Phillips, Scott James, Mike Mataragas, Bryant Dickinson, Rodney Sanders, Chase Junghans, Brian Shirley.
Fourth heat finish (top three transfer): Jonathan Davenport, Darrell Lanigan, Chris Madden, Tyler Bruening, Chris Ferguson, Jeff Babcock, Mason Zeigler, Jason Nolls, Robby Hensley. Scratched: Frank Heckenast Jr., G.R. Smith
Fifth heat finish (top three transfer): Dennis Erb Jr., Brandon Sheppard, Dale McDowell, Austin Smith, Scott Bloomquist, Devin Moran, Wendell Wallace, Duane Chamberlain, Earl Pearson Jr., Dustin Nobbe, Doug Sanders, Casey Roberts.
Sixth heat finish (top three transfer): Mike Marlar, Shane Clanton, Jimmy Owens, Steve Francis, Jason Feger, Jason Jameson, Jimmy Mars, Chris Simpson, Jerry Bowersock, Tim Lance, Kody Evans, Brian Ligon
First consolation finish (top four transfer): Don O’Neal, Jeep Van Wormer, Shannon Babb, Tim Manville, Michael Chilton, Nick Latham, Devin Gilpin, Jay Johnson, Terry Phillips, Mike Mataragas, Chase Junghans, Austin Rettig, Ryan King, Rodney Sanders, Mike Benedum, T.J. Reaid, Charlie LaPlant, Bryant Dickinson, Rusty Schlenk, Gregg Satterlee, Billy Moyer Jr., Kent Robinson, Eddie Carrier Jr., Scott James. Scramble winner: Chilton.
Second consolation finish (top four transfer): Jason Feger, Devin Moran, Jimmy Mars, Chris Simpson, Scott Bloomquist, Austin Smith, Wendell Wallace, Earl Pearson Jr., Steve Francis, Jerry Bowersock, Jason Noll, Tim Lance, Dustin Nobbe, Doug Sanders, Jason Jameson, Tyler Bruening, Duane Chamberlain, Kody Evans, Brian Ligon, Shanon Buckingham. Scratched: Jeff Babcock, Mason Zeigler, Frank Heckenast Jr., G.R. Smith. Scramble winner: Wallace.
Preliminary results and notes:
10:29 p.m. | Main event starts
(Lap 100): Surviving a two-lap dash to the finish, Erb wins Dream XXII over Richards, McDowell, Davenport and O'Neal.
(Lap 99): A yellow flag flew when Jared Landers got into the turn two wall. Erb leads Richards, Davenport, O'Neal and Shane Clanton.
(Lap 88): Erb retakes second, closing in on Richards.
(Lap 75): Richards leads, as Davenport charges around the highside, reeling in the race leader.
(Lap 69): A yellow flag waves for debris. Erb leads Richards, McDowell, Davenport and O'Neal.
(Lap 56): After a close battle for the lead, Erb edges Richards at the line.
(Lap 50): At the halfway mark, Richards leads Erb, McDowell, O'Neal and Ricky Thornton Jr. Starting last, Chris Simpson runs sixth.
(Lap 43): Third-running Davenport slows on the track to draw a caution. Fourth-running McCreadie has suffered damage to his right-rear quarter panel, with officials calling him pitside to access the damage.
(Lap 38): A red flag falls for a multi-car pileup in turns one and two involving Lanigan, Bobby Pierce, Tim Manville and others.
(Lap 38): A yellow flag flew for debris. Richards leads Erb, McCreadie, Davenport and Landers. Polesitter Mike Marlar pits under the caution. Don O'Neal has advanced from the tail of the field to run seventh.
(Lap 36): Shooting past Erb, Richards takes the lead down the back straightaway.
(Lap 34): A yellow flag waves for debris on the racetrack. Erb leads McCreadie, Richards, Landers and Davenport.
(Lap 30): Erb retakes the lead from McCreadie.
(Lap 27): Bobby Pierce slows to draw a caution on lap 27. Darrell Lanigan, Jimmy Owens and Jimmy Mars are among drivers pitting under the yellow flag.
(Lap 25): As the race leaders work through lapped traffic, McCreadie leads Erb, Landers, Josh Richards and Jonathan Davenport.
(Lap 10): Using the restart to his advantage, McCreadie charges to the lead, with Shannon Babb advancing from the rear of the field to join the top 10.
(Lap eight): A yellow flag flew on the ensuing restart for a tangle on the backstretch involving Jon Henry and Chris Brown. Both drivers rejoin the tail of the field.
(Lap eight): The first yellow flag waves as Brian Shirley slows on the racetrack. Landers leads Tim McCreadie, Erb, Steve Casebolt and Mike Marlar. Dale McDowell has advanced from 17th to run seventh.
(Lap four): Working the bottom of the racetrack, Jared Landers overtakes Erb for the lead.
(Lap one): Outside polesitter Dennis Erb Jr. leads the opening lap.
10:20 | Feature cars on the track
Pre-race ceremonies conclude. Drivers are given the call to start their engines.
9:40 p.m. | Feature lineup
Dream XII lineup
Row 1: Mike Marlar, Steve Casebolt
Row 2: Dennis Erb Jr., Bobby Pierce
Row 3: Jonathan Davenport, Jon Henry
Row 4: Jared Landers, Darrell Lanigan
Row 5: Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandon Sheppard
Row 6: Tim McCreadie, Shane Clanton
Row 7: Josh Richards, Chris Madden
Row 8: Chris Brown, Dale McDowell
Row 9: Brandon Overton, Jimmy Owens
Row 10: Billy Moyer, Brian Shirley
Row 11: Don O’Neal, Jason Feger
Row 12: Jeep Van Wormer, Devin Moran
Row 13: Shannon Babb, Jimmy Mars
Row 14: Tim Manville, Chris Simpson
9:36 p.m. | Seven Illinois starters
Illinois, which has never had a Dream winner, leads the way among starters in the 28-car field with seven. Overall, sixteen states are represented. Georgia is second with four drivers while Tennessee, Ohio and Arkansas have two apiece. Single representatives are from West Virginia, Arizona, Texas, Indiana, New York, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa.
9:32 p.m. | Chassis count
Rocket Chassis and Longhorn Chassis each have five starters in the 28-car field with 12 manufacturers represented. Club 29 Race Cars had four cars and Billy Moyer Victory Race Cars has three entries. Two apiece go to Sweet-Bloomquist, Capital and Barry Wright Race Cars. One entry apiece for Bob Pierce Race Cars, Black Diamond, Warrior, BruceBilt and MB Customs.
9:26 p.m. | Three first-timers
One of the three first-time Dream starters was a heat winner, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., The other two first-timers are Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., and Tim Manville of Highland, Ill. (Corrects that Jon Henry started the race in 2013).
9:16 p.m. | Feger wins; Bloomquist fails to transfer
Jason Feger pulled away in the final laps to win over Devin Moran while Scott Bloomquist faded to fifth and failed to transfer. The key move came when Bloomquist washed off turn four with two laps remaining and Jimmy Mars dove between Bloomquist and Chris Simpson to take third. Simpson then took the final spot from Bloomquist, who changed a tire before the postrace scramble.
Second consolation finish (top four transfer): Jason Feger, Devin Moran, Jimmy Mars, Chris Simpson, Scott Bloomquist, Austin Smith, Wendell Wallace, Earl Pearson Jr., Steve Francis, Jerry Bowersock, Jason Noll, Tim Lance, Dustin Nobbe, Doug Sanders, Jason Jameson, Tyler Bruening, Duane Chamberlain, Kody Evans, Brian Ligon, Shanon Buckingham. Scratched: Jeff Babcock, Mason Zeigler, Frank Heckenast Jr., G.R. Smith. Scramble winner: Wallace.
9:14 p.m. | Biggest cheer of weekend
The crowd erupted when Devin Moran took second from Scott Bloomquist in the second consy. After 13 laps, Jason Feger leads Moran, Bloomquist, Jimmy Mars,, Austin Smith and Chris Simpson.
9:11 p.m. | Feger overtakes Bloomquist
Jason Feger overtook Scott Blomquist at halfway, just before Duane Chamberlain and Tyler Bruening got together in turn four to draw a caution.
9:07 p.m. | Smith-Bloomquist battle
Scott Bloomquist overtook Austin Smith on the second lap after a restart and the two swapped the position before Bloomquist went ahead and edged away on the sixth lap. Smith was second after seven laps followed by Jason Feger and Devin Moran.
9:05 p.m. | Early caution for Buckingham
Shanon Buckingham, starting outside the second row in the second consy, slid into the outside wall in turn three on the first lap, ending his race. Austin Smith is out front followed by Scott Bloomquist, Tyler Bruening, Steve Francis and Jason Feger after one lap scored. The top four advance.
9:03 p.m. | Second consy scratches
Jeff Babcock, Mason Zeigler, Frank Heckenast Jr. and G.R. Smith are scratches in the second consy, which is set to get rolling for 20 laps. Scott Bloomquist starts fifth and is looking to make the Dream starting field to go for his seventh victory in the $100,000-to-win event.
8:51 p.m. | O'Neal wins first consolation
Polesitter Don O’Neal charged to the lead on the opening lap, as a yellow flag waved for a tangle in turns three and four involving Austin Rettig and Rodney Sanders.With O’Neal continuing to lead third-starting Tim Manville, Scott James slowed on the frontstretch to draw a caution on lap five. Using the restart to his advantage, Jeep Van Wormer shot to the second-place spot, with a yellow flag flying on lap six when Charles LaPlant spun in turn four. LaPlant drew another caution on the ensuing restart. Charging around the high side, Shannon Babb moved into the third just past the halfway mark, taking the spot from Manville. Still working the top of the racetrack, Babb began reeling in O’Neal, challenging for the lead in the final laps. Running around the bottom, Van Wormer passed Babb with two laps remaining to take over second. O’Neal led the entire distance, with Van Wormer, Babb and Manville all transferring to the main event.
First consolation finish (top four transfer): Don O’Neal, Jeep Van Wormer, Shannon Babb, Tim Manville, Michael Chilton, Nick Latham, Devin Gilpin, Jay Johnson, Terry Phillips, Mike Mataragas, Chase Junghans, Austin Rettig, Ryan King, Rodney Sanders, Mike Benedum, T.J. Reaid, Charlie LaPlant, Bryant Dickinson, Rusty Schlenk, Gregg Satterlee, Billy Moyer Jr., Kent Robinson, Eddie Carrier Jr., Scott James. Scramble winner: Chilton.
8:51 p.m. | O'Neal at halfway in first consy
In a race with several early cautions, Don O'Neal leads at halfway over Jeep Van Wormer and eighth-starting Shannon Babb.
8:21 p.m. | Mushrooms for J.D.
Jonathan Davenport carefully pedaled his way to victory in the fourth heat. “We’re all out there feeling like we’re running on four mushrooms because we went with a little softer tire,” he said.
Davenport, who had some body damage to repair after catching the wall one lap, will start the Dream for the seventh time in the last eight years.
8:19 p.m. | Consolation lineups
First consolation
(20 laps; top four transfer)
Row 1: Don O'Neal, Michael Chilton
Row 2: Tim Manville, Gregg Satterlee
Row 3: Jeep Van Wormer, Terry Phillips
Row 4: Devin Gilpin, Shannon Babb
Row 5: Scott James, Eddie Carrier Jr.
Row 6: Mike Mataragas, Billy Moyer Jr.
Row 7: T.J. Reaid, Bryant Dickinson
Row 8: Rusty Schlenk, Kent Robinson
Row 9: Gavin Landers, Nick Latham
Row 10: Mike Benedum, Chase Junghans
Row 11: Ryan King, Jay Johnson
Row 12: Rodney Sanders, Austin Rettig
Row 13: Charles LaPlant
Second consolation
(20 laps; top four transfer)
Row 1: Tyler Bruening, Austin Smith
Row 2: Steve Francis, Shanon Buckingham
Row 3: Scott Bloomquist, Jason Feger
Row 4: Chris Ferguson, Devin Moran
Row 5: Jason Jameson, Jeff Babcock
Row 6: Wendell Wallace, Jimmy Mars
Row 7: Mason Zeigler, Duane Chamberlain
Row 8: Chris Simpson, Jason Noll
Row 9: Earl Pearson Jr., Jerry Bowersock
Row 10: Robby Hensley, Dustin Nobbe
Row 11: Tim Lance, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Row 12: Doug Sanders, Kody Evans
Row 13: G.R. Smith, Casey Roberts
Row 14: Brian Ligon
8:16 p.m. | Marlar praises Delk team
Mike Marlar raved about his Ronnie Delk-owned team after capturing the sixth heat, which put him on the pole position for the Dream. “This racing has really turned into a real team sport,” Marlar said, “and I have the best team.”
Marlar’s sixth career Dream start will mark the third straight year he’s in the starting field. His best finish is 13th, in 2014.
8:11 p.m. | Marlar starting on the pole
Polesitter Steve Francis jumped to the lead, with Mike Marlar fending off Jimmy Owens exiting turn two. Shane Clanton slid ahead of third-running Owens on the second lap to take over the third-place spot, with the two Capital drivers closing in on the race leader. Pulling ahead of Francis in turn four, Marlar charged to the lead on lap eight, with Clanton taking the second spot from Francis a lap later. Marlar picked up the heat race win, with Clanton finishing runner-up. Edging ahead of Francis in the final laps, Owens grabbed the third and final transfer spot.
Sixth heat finish (top three transfer): Mike Marlar, Shane Clanton, Jimmy Owens, Steve Francis, Jason Feger, Jason Jameson, Jimmy Mars, Chris Simpson, Jerry Bowersock, Tim Lance, Kody Evans, Brian Ligon
8:10 p.m. | Erb's strong run
Dennis Erb Jr. looked extremely strong en route to victory in the fifth heat — a triumph that put him on the outside pole for the 100-lapper — but he wasn’t completely satisfied.
“It feels pretty good,” said Erb, who finished second in a Friday-night preliminary feature. “I think it needs a few more small changes. It’s not quite where we want it to be.”
Erb will make his sixth career Dream start. His last two feature appearances have resulted in finishes of second (’13) and third (’15).
8:06 p.m. | The demise of Sanders
What forced Eldora rookie Rodney Sanders to retire early from the third heat? He placed the culprit on the roof of his car: a bent up air cleaner. The Texas driver surmised that the air cleaner was damaged “just from the speed.” The result was an engine that wouldn’t run up to par, prompting him to pull in.
8:05 p.m. | Trouble for Shirley
A first-lap scramble in heat three proved costly for Brian Shirley, who slid into the outside wall between turns one and two and limped into the pit area with significant damage.
While Shirley will move on to the Dream feature in the 20th starting spot thanks to a points provisional, he’s not sure how competitive he’ll be able to run.
“It’s beat up pretty bad,” Shirley said of his Bob Cullen Motorsports machine. “It looked like (Chase) Junghans and T.P. (Terry Phillips) got together and I got the worst of it. We should be able to patch it back together and get out there for the feature, but I don’t know how fast we’ll be.
“That’s just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. You have good days, and you have bad days.”
8:01 p.m. | Erb wins fifth heat
Polesitter Dennis Erb Jr. jumped into the lead and took the victory over fellow Illinois driver Brandon Sheppard, reversing the finishing order of Friday's preliminary feature. Sheppard began a charge past halfway but brushed the turn-one wall, costing him momentum. Outside front-row starter Dale McDowell cruised in the third spot the whole way to get the final transfer spot while young Georgian Austin Smith ran a solid fourth over ninth-starting Scott Bloomquist. Casey Roberts retired after two laps.
Fifth heat finish (top three transfer): Dennis Erb Jr., Brandon Sheppard, Dale McDowell, Austin Smith, Scott Bloomquist, Devin Moran, Wendell Wallace, Duane Chamberlain, Earl Pearson Jr., Dustin Nobbe, Doug Sanders, Casey Roberts.
7:57 p.m. | Bloomquist penalized
In the fifth heat, ninth-starting Scott Bloomquist was tabbed for jumping the initial start. Doug Sanders was happy to stay on the back row so Bloomquist actually didn't lose a position. He got a good jump on the next start and was up to fifth after one lap.
7:55 p.m. | Casebolt’s confident
Steve Casebolt sounds like a driver confident in his chances of duplicating his 2007 Dream victory after capturing the third heat.
“We had a great car out there,” said Casebolt, who will make just his fourth Dream feature start since his $100,000 triumph. “The car was just phenomenal.”
7:54 p.m. | Pierce runs hot, too
Bobby Pierce was pleased with everything about his heat two victory — except the temperature of his engine. He bypassed the post-race interview with the pay-per-view video crew to race back to his hauler in order to cool down his powerplant.
“The car was great, but it got a little hot,” said Pierce, who made the cut for the Dream feature for the first time in his career. “Everybody’s having problems with their motor getting hot tonight with the heat. We’re gonna put a new air cleaner on it (to try and help with the engine temperature), and hopefully it’ll cool down for the feature. If we still run hot, I’ll have to try and get down down low and find a spot on the racetrack where I can stay out of the dust and cool it down.”
7:53 p.m. | Davenport wins fourth heat
In a race with a wild finish, polesitter Jonathan Davenport took the lead on the opening lap, with Tyler Bruening and Mason Zeigler colliding on the backstretch on lap two. Both drivers continued on, as Davenport began distancing himself from second-running Chris Madden. Battling for the third-place spot, Darrell Lanigan slid ahead of Jeff Babcock in turn four on lap 11, the two crossing the line side-by-side, Babcock maintaining the position. A yellow flag flew on lap 13 for debris on the racetrack, setting up a two-lap shootout to the finish. Using the restart to his advantage, Chris Ferguson shot to second, colliding with Babcock down the backstretch on the final lap. Davenport won the heat, with Lanigan finishing second. Madden finished third to transfer to the feature.
Fourth heat finish (top three transfer): Jonathan Davenport, Darrell Lanigan, Chris Madden, Tyler Bruening, Chris Ferguson, Jeff Babcock, Mason Zeigler, Jason Nolls, Robby Hensley. Scratched: Frank Heckenast Jr., G.R. Smith
7:45 p.m. | Fourth-heat contact
Tyler Bruening got into the backstretch wall exiting turn two on the third lap and then Mason Zeigler slid up to make contact, shuffling the field in the fourth heat. All drivers were able to go on and no caution appeared while Jonathan Davenport dominated the heat. Zeigler's car had widespread body damage on the right side of his car, the right-rear quarterpanel dangling in the wind to draw a lap-14 caution.
7:40 p.m. | Casebolt wins third heat
Polesitter Steve Casebolt cruised to victory in the third heat without a challenge. Tim McCreadie survived a brush with the wall to finish second while Brandon Overton's first lap dive into turn one paid off with the third position. Ninth-starting Tim Manville rallied to finish fourth. Rodney Sanders pulled up lame on the seventh lap and Chase Junghans also retired early.
Third heat finish (top three transfer): Steve Casebolt, Tim McCreadie, Brandon Overton, Tim Manville, Terry Phillips, Scott James, Mike Mataragas, Bryant Dickinson, Rodney Sanders, Chase Junghans, Brian Shirley.
7:36 p.m. | Shirley into wall
Overall fast qualifier Brian Shirley got into the wall in turns one and two in the third heat. The bad news — the car suffered some damage. The good news — he's got a provisional starting spot for the main event.
7:33 p.m. | Pierce cruises in second heat
Polesitter Bobby Pierce charged to the front of the field at the drop of the green flag, with fourth-starting Chris Brown shooting to second in turn-two. With Pierce stretching his lead, Brown fought back early challenges from Ricky Thornton Jr. for the runner-up spot. Pierce won the second heat by nearly a straightaway, with Thornton sliding ahead of Brown with five laps remaining to run second. Fighting off a charging Michael Chilton, Brown ran third to transfer to the feature. Chilton ran fourth, with Jeep Van Wormer rounding out the top five.
Second heat finish (top three transfer): Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton Jr., Chris Brown, Michael Chilton, Jeep Van Wormer, Shannon Babb, Billy Moyer, T.J. Reaid, Kent Robinson, Mike Benedum, Jay Johnson, Charlie LaPlant
7:31 p.m. | Henry excited (and hot)
Jon Henry was ecstatic after leading the first heat from flag-to-flag to earn the sixth starting spot in the Dream.
“Oh my gosh, we just made the Dream, baby!” exclaimed Henry, whose only previous Dream A-Main start was a 13th-place finish in 2013.
Henry did have a slight concern, however — his Dargie engine ran a bit hot, prompting him to cut his post-race interview at the scales short.
7:25 p.m. | Henry wins first heat
Jon Henry edged away midway through the opening 15-lapper and cruised to victory. Jared Landers and Josh Richards ran second and third the whole way without a challenge as Don O'Neal was further back in fourth.
First heat finish (top three transfer): Jon Henry, Jared Landers, Josh Richards, Don O'Neal, Gregg Satterlee, Devin Gilpin, Eddie Carrier Jr., Billy Moyer Jr., Rusty Schlenk, Austin Rettig, Nick Latham, Ryan King.
7:20 p.m. | Henry leads early
Jon Henry leads early in the first heat with Jared Landers and Josh Richards giving chase.
7:17 p.m. | First heat rolls
The first heat is on the track as the final night of Dream XXII presented by Ferris Mowers officially gets under way. Jared Landers starts on the pole with Jon Henry alongside.
7 p.m. | Scramble for Owens
The momentum Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., picked up last night with a record-setting 24th-to-sixth run in the second preliminary feature could be in jeopardy after he experienced mechanical trouble during hot laps, forcing his R&W Motorsports team into scramble mode to fix the problems.
Shortly before the start of the evening’s opening ceremonies, Owens was flat on his back underneath his car deciphering the trouble. It was feared that Owens had broken an engine and would need to make a hasty swap to his backup, but it was found that his car had a broken flywheel. Fortunately for Owens, he is scheduled to start third in the sixth heat race, which should give him sufficient time to make the repairs.
6:57 p.m. | Delay for track prep
While heat races were scheduled for 7 p.m., it appears some last-minute track prep will push that back at least a few minutes. The first heat has yet to hit the lineup grid and now a spray of water is being put down in the high groove. Pre-race ceremonies are set for 7:17 p.m. with racing to follow.
6:51 p.m. | Reaid's broken finger
T.J. Reaid of Acworth, Ga., is racing hurt this evening after breaking the tip of his left middle finger while working on his car after Friday night’s racing action. An asphalt Late Model convert making his first-ever appearance at Eldora, the 26-year-old Reaid got his finger caught between the hub and caliper on his Capital Race Car.
“I passed out in the trailer,” Reaid said. “That was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced.”
Reaid visited a local hospital and doctors fitted his broken finger with a splint that he’s supposed to wear for two weeks. He took the splint off to compete tonight, however; he has the finger wrapped in a bandage.
“You don’t think about it when you’re out there going that fast,” said Reaid, who is scheduled to start 10th in the second heat.
6:35 p.m. | Lanigan looks for more 'ups'
Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., called his Dream weekend so far “up-and-down” — the “up” part being a respectable ninth-place finish in a Thursday preliminary feature, the “down” being a 24th-place run in Friday’s prelim A-Main due to damage his Clint Bowyer Racing machine sustained in an opening-lap bout with the turn-two wall.
“It knocked the spoiler off,” Lanigan said of his Friday incident. “I ran a few more laps but there was too much damage. It’s hard to believe how much the spoiler means here.”
Lanigan, who is scheduled to start fifth in the fourth heat, is shooting for his 17th career start in the Dream headliner. He won the $100,000 prize in 2003.
6:34 p.m. | How they line up
Here's how the 28-car field will be lined up:
Row 1: Sixth heat winner, fifth heat winner
Row 2: Fourth heat winner, third heat winner
Row 3: Second heat winner, first heat winner
Row 4: First heat runner-up, second heat runner-up
Row 5: Third heat runner-up, fourth heat runner-up
Row 6: Fifth heat runner-up, sixth heat runner-up
Row 7: First heat third place, second heat third place
Row 8: Third heat third place, fourth heat third place
Row 9: Fifth heat third place, sixth heat third place
Row 10: Provisional starters
Row 11: First consy winner, second consy winner
Row 12: First consy runner-up, second consy runner-up
Row 13: First consy third place, second consy third place
Row 14: First consy fourth place, second consy fourth place
6:30 p.m. | Berniece in the house
Berniece Baltes, whose late husband Earl Baltes founded Eldora and promoted the track until selling to Tony Stewart, returned to the VIP suite with her son Terry, the former Eldora announcer, on Saturday evening. She also came Thursday for #NationalEarlDay despite suffering from double pneumonia.
6:27 p.m. | Another rally for Pearson?
Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., is hoping he’ll save his best for last once again at the Dream.
Last year the former World 100 winner spent more time hitting the Eldora concrete and repairing damage to his Larry Moring-owned Black Diamond Race Car than racing in the weekend’s preliminary programs, but he rebounded to finish second in the 100-lap Dream after apparent winner Scott Bloomquist was disqualified for weighing in light. He hasn’t started this year’s Dream meet quite so badly, but he still needs a strong Saturday night with his Moring machine to make his trip to Ohio successful.
“The first night we had a problem and kept folding the nose under the car,” Pearson said. “We didn’t get a (complete) qualifying lap in, so that really hurt us. We rebounded pretty well last night for ninth (in a preliminary feature after placing 16th Thursday), so hopefully we’ll back on track.”
Pearson, who starts sixth in the fifth heat, said he is wondering how Saturday’s temperatures of over 90 degrees and a steady wind will affect the racing surface and tire wear.
6:09 p.m. | Moran needs turnaround
Devin Moran’s weekend turned bad when he broke his primary engine early Friday night, ending his evening without even a heat-race appearance. It became even worse shortly thereafter when the liftgate of his family-owned team’s trailer broke as Moran and Co. had their backup up engine dangling from it in preparation for a powerplant change.
Fortunately, the liftgate only dropped about 18 inches. The engine wasn’t damaged and no one standing underneath the liftgate was injured.
“We’re all short so we didn’t get our heads hit,” quipped Moran’s father Donnie, a former Dream winner.
Moran’s team eventually got the liftgate secured sufficiently to complete their engine swap for Saturday night’s program, though they also had to deal with their generator giving out while working on the liftgate.
“It’s been a train wreck for us,” said Donnie Moran, sweating in the Saturday heat while still working on the liftgate. “Hopefully things turn around tonight.”
6:06 p.m. | Hot laps rolling
The first round of hot laps is on a track surface that appears remarkably smooth in preparation for scores of laps coming up. The hot-lap groups are by heat race lineup.
5:48 p.m. | Chamberlain back in action
Duane Chamberlain of Richmond, Ind., is back in action after sitting out Friday night’s racing program because he sought medical attention for neck trouble and accompanying headaches that he developed two weeks ago. He wore a neck brace while competing Thursday evening and didn’t feel better, prompting him to look for answers.
Chamberlain’s wife, Stephanie, said he underwent an examination and testing and specialists found no concrete reason for his pain but did not uncover any serious problems either, so he decided he would return to the cockpit for the Dream finale. He does not plan to wear his neck brace, however, when he goes to the post from the last starting spot (12th) in the fifth heat.
5:42 p.m. | Ferguson's struggles
There’s no doubt that Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C., has struggled this weekend with his Rocket XR1. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have any answer for his failure to crack the starting lineup for a preliminary feature.
“All the fans were coming up to me during the autographs (Saturday afternoon) and asking me, ‘What’s going on?’” said Ferguson, who starts 10th in the fourth heat. “I was like, ‘Ah, I don’t know. Can you go work on my car for me?’ ”
Keeping a sense of humor about his frustrating performance, Fergy also joked that he doesn’t mind if DirtonDirt.com and other media outlets don’t mention him in any stories. “Then it’s like I wasn’t even here,” he quipped with a smile.
5:34 p.m. | Familiar faces
Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and Mike Marlar of Winfield, Ky., feel like they’ve seen a lot of each other during Thursday’s and Friday’s prelims at Eldora. They finished fifth and sixth on Thursday and then 14th and 16th on Friday during the 25-lappers.
So it’s fitting that Francis is on the pole of the sixth heat with Marlar alongside.
“Me and Mikey were just sitting here talking, we’ve been married to each other all weekend. Every race, every feature. … we had to start by each other in a heat race,” Francis said.
As with any heat, whoever gets the best start will be in position to bring home a victory. And in the sixth heat, that means the pole position for the 100-lapper.
“If the bottom’s good, then I’ve probably got an advantage. If the top’s good, he’s got one. At least we got ourself in the right spot to start with.”
5:18 p.m. | Light on experience
The top of the lineup for the second heat include drivers light on Dream experience. While former winner Billy Moyer (14 starts) and Shannon Babb (12) are Dream regulars, the other four drivers among the first three rows have exactly one Dream start among them: Texas Chris Brown finished 21st in 2011, but Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton Jr. and Michael Chilton have never started the Dream.
Pierce and Chilton have had World 100 success, but for Thornton, the Chandler Ariz., driver of the J.R. Haley-owned No. 33, he’ll be making his first start in a Dirt Late Model crown jewel at any track.
5:12 p.m. | Casebolt’s perspective
Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind., the 2007 Dream winner, is glad to be starting on the pole of the third heat, but like any driver, he realizes it’s a lot more important where you start than where you finish in Dream heats.
“It’s a tough heat. I’ve got (Brandon) Overton, (Brian) Shirley, (Tim) McCreadie and then (Terry) Phillips, these guys are all good,” Casebolt said. “It’s a good starting point, but by no means does that mean you’ve got it made. I’m going to have fight tooth and nail for everything we get and just see how it goes.”
5:07 p.m. | Watch every lap
If you're reading this, there's a decent chance you didn't make it to Eldora Speedway for the Dream. But you can still watch via pay-per-view at DirtonDirt.com. You'll see every lap with multiple cameras, multiple announcers, replays, on-screen scoring and more.
5:04 p.m. | Pierce as polesitter
Looking for his first Dream start, second-heat polesitter Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., can assure that by a top-three finish in his 15-lap prelim. “We ran into some troubles Thursday night with the blown motor and then the wreck in the feature, but we got the other car all put together, so it’s ready to go,” said Pierce, who has said he’s hoping for slick track conditions that will benefit his smaller surviving powerplant.
The key to a successful heat race? An uneventful start, Pierce told DirtonDirt.com, which can easy any nervousness.
“Yeah, there always is a little (of nerves), because you just really gotta pay attention to the track because you don’t have very many heat races before you to watch,” Pierce said. “Heading into turn one is going to play a big part of the whole deal. You know, if you get a good run down the backstretch and not get passed by any other cars heading to turn three, the rest of the way heat race kind of goes a little bit smooth."
4:52 p.m. | Pre-heat tidbits
Heat race polesitters are Jared Landers, Bobby Pierce, Steve Casebolt, Frank Heckenast Jr., Dennis Erb Jr. or Steve Francis; Heckenast is expected to scratch and the inside lane will all slide up, moving Jonathan Davenport to the pole. … Home-state drivers with the best heat starting spots are Jon Henry of Ada (outside the first row in the first heat) and Jeff Babcock of Wayne (outside the second row in the fourth heat). … If Georgia is going to win its fourth Dream in five years, it’s up to previous winners Dale McDowell, Jonathan Davenport and Shane Clanton or Brandon Overton, Austin Smith, Casey Roberts, T.J. Reaid or Brian Ligon.
4:46 p.m. | More coverage
Don’t miss our extensive Dream coverage from the busy weekend. Find all the links at our index page. …. Stories from last night are from Georgia youngster Austin Smith and Arkansas winner Jared Landers, along with a notebook featuring Frank Heckenast Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Gregg Satterlee, Tim McCreadie and Jimmy Owens. ... Also check out interviews with Saturday's heat race polesitters.
12:30 p.m. | Pre-heat notes
Saturday’s heat lineups were set up by total points accrued in Thursday-Friday prelims with a three-car invert. … Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., as the top points earner. … The only heat race polesitter who has won the Dream is Steve Casebolt. … While they’re listed in the lineups, Matt Miller (wreck), Duane Chamberlain (withdrawal) and Frank Heckenast Jr. (wreck) aren’t expected to compete. … Six-time Dream winner Scott Bloomquist, who tallied few points Thursday after missing qualifying and failing to make the preliminary feature, starts inside the fifth row in the fifth heat. … We’ll be back later in the afternoon with regular updates.
Heat race lineups
(15 laps; top three transfer)
First heat
Row 1: Jared Landers, Jon Henry
Row 2: Josh Richards, Don O'Neal
Row 3: Gregg Satterlee, Devin Gilpin
Row 4: Eddie Carrier Jr., Billy Moyer Jr.
Row 5: Nick Latham, Rusty Schlenk
Row 6: Ryan King, Austin Rettig
Second heat
Row 1: Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton Jr.
Row 2: Billy Moyer, Chris Brown
Row 3: Shannon Babb, Michael Chilton
Row 4: Kent Robinson, Jeep Van Wormer
Row 5: Mike Benedum, T.J. Reaid
Row 6: Jay Johnson, Charles LaPlant
Third heat
Row 1: Steve Casebolt, Tim McCreadie
Row 2: Brian Shirley, Brandon Overton
Row 3: Terry Phillips, Chase Junghans
Row 4: Rodney Sanders, Scott James
Row 5: Tim Manville, Mike Mataragas
Row 6: Gavin Landers, Bryant Dickinson
Fourth heat
Row 1: Frank Heckenast Jr., Chris Madden
Row 2: Jonathan Davenport,, Jeff Babcock
Row 3: Darrell Lanigan, Shanon Buckingham
Row 4: Tyler Bruening, Robby Hensley
Row 5: Mason Zeigler, Chris Ferguson
Row 6: Jason Noll, G.R. Smith
Fifth heat
Row 1: Dennis Erb Jr., Dale McDowell
Row 2: Brandon Sheppard, Wendell Wallace
Row 3: Austin Smith, Earl Pearson Jr.
Row 4: Casey Roberts, Devin Moran
Row 5: Scott Bloomquist, Dustin Nobbe
Row 6: Doug Sanders, Duane Chamberlain
Sixth heat
Row 1: Steve Francis, Mike Marlar
Row 2: Jimmy Owens, Shane Clanton
Row 3: Chris Simpson, Jason Feger
Row 4: Jimmy Mars, Jerry Bowersock
Row 5: Kody Evans, Jason Jameson
Row 6: Brian Ligon, Tim Lance
Saturday schedule
11 a.m.: Grandstand cleared and secured for grand opening
Noon: All admission gates/suites/concessions open
Noon: Turn-three pit gate open
Noon: All concessions open
3:30 p.m.: Autograph session in Fan Zone
4:30 p.m.: Drivers’ meeting in Fan Zone
6 p.m.: Hot laps by heat race lineups (at track discretion)
7 p.m.: Racing begins
• Six 15-lap heats (top three transfer)
• Two 20-lap consolations (top four transfer)
• Two five-lap scrambles (no transfers)
• 100-lap main event
