Dirt on Dirt - Tyler Erb bounces to Hell Tour's $5,000 at Red Hill

June 28

Red Hill Raceway,

Sumner, IL

Sanction: DIRTcar Summer Nationals - $5,000

Information provided by: Todd Turner and series reports (last updated June 29, 8:53 am)

Tyler Erb bounces to Hell Tour's $5,000 at Red Hill

Tyler Erb
Brian Shirley
Payton Freeman
Shannon Babb
Jason Feger
Christian Hanger
Paul Stubber
Joe Godsey
Deshawn Gingerich
Mark Voigt
Lee Williams
Mick Quin
Bobby Pierce
Kyle Beard
Richard Frost
Devin McLean
Brent McKinnon
Jack Riggs
Shannon Kuhn
Jeff Roth
Doug Tye
Billy Moyer Jr.

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Tyler Erb flashes under the checkered flag to capture Red Hill Raceway's DIRTcar Summer Nationals feature.

What won the race: Making his first DIRTcar Summer Nationals start of 2022, Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, blasted to the lead at the initial green flag and never looked back en route to winning Tuesday night’s 30-lap feature at Red Hill Raceway. The 25-year-old Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regular survived a final-turn bounce through a rough spot to beat Brian Shirley by 0.812 of a second for the $5,000 top prize.

Quotable: I knew the start was gonna be really important,” Erb said. “When I finally got ahead (on the third attempt at an initial green flag) I just tried to make the smoothest line through there. I got to where I was bouncing really bad through three and four so then I had to move up, and then that got kind of rough. I don’t know exactly what was going on behind me, but I think with three to go I literally caught four lapped cars and they were four-wide.”

Key notes: Erb registered his fourth career Hell Tour triumph. His previous three all came in the state of Indiana — Tri-State in 2017, and Brownstown and Plymouth in ’20. … After polesitter Bobby Pierce was outgunned for the lead by Erb following two aborted initial starts, the Hell Tour points leader ran in second until slowing suddenly off turn four on lap 16. A red flag was thrown as Pierce’s car slid to a stop backwards with flames shooting from under its hood; the fire, caused by a leaking fuel line that ignited when the distributor cap came off, was quickly extinguished. … Shirley moved to second with Pierce’s departure and drew close to Erb racing through traffic in the final circuits. … Hell Tour rookie Payton Freeman reached third late in the distance to tally a career-best series finish. ... Eight drivers were on the lead lap at the finish. ... The DIRTcar Summer Nationals returned after a two-day break with a feature that spanned 30 laps instead of the scheduled 40 circuits due to rough track conditions. ... The 3/8-mile oval hosted its first event in 17 seasons. Jeremy Sneed, promoter of Wayne County Speedway in Wayne City, Ill., purchased and reopened the track for 2022. ... The Summer Nationals competed at Red Hill in 1998 (winner Rick Aukland) and 2000 (winner Bob Pierce). … The track’s last Super Late Model event was in June 2001 for a UMP Hoosier Series race won by Kevin Weaver.

On the move: Deshawn Gingerich of Dover, Pa., started 18th and finished ninth.

Winner's sponsors: Erb’s winning Best Performance Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by an Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Terbo Threads, First Class Septic, Roberts Bee Company, Bazell Race Fuels, M&W Transport, Central Coast Tire, Bulk Material Lift, Gaier’s Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, Sunoco Race Fuels, Keyser Mfg., Hoosier Racing Tire, Integra Racing Shocks, R&R Design, Day Motorsports and KBC Graphix.

Points chase: After Red Hill: 1. Bobby Pierce (798); 2. Brian Shirley (726); 3. Jason Feger (725); 4. Ryan Unzicker (669); 5. Dennis Erb Jr. (590); 6. Payton Freeman (56); 7. Joe Godsey (527); 8. Logan Martin (511); 9. Max Blair (481); 10. Mark Voigt (413).

Current weather: Clear, 66°F

Car count: 24

Fast qualifier: Payton Freeman

Time: 15.382 seconds

Polesitter: Bobby Pierce

Heat race winners: Bobby Pierce, Brian Shirley, Tyler Erb

Next series race: June 29, Benton Speedway (Benton, MO) $5,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff and series reports

SUMNER, Ill. — Updates from the 12th round of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Red Hill Raceway, an event highlighted by a $5,000-to-win feature for Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Making his first DIRTcar Summer Nationals start of 2022, Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, blasted to the lead at the initial green flag and never looked back en route to winning Tuesday night’s 30-lap feature at Red Hill Raceway. The 25-year-old Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regular survived a final-turn bounce through a rough spot to beat Brian Shirley by 0.812 of a second for the $5,000 top prize.

Feature lineup

Row 1: Bobby Pierce, Tyler Erb
Row 2: Brian Shirley, Jason Feger
Row 3: Shannon Babb, Kyle Beard
Row 4: Joe Godsey, Payton Freeman
Row 5: Christian Hanger, Brent McKinnon
Row 6: Richard Frost, Paul Stubber
Row 7: Jack Riggs, Mick Quin
Row 8: Ashton Winger, Mark Voigt
Row 9: Billy Moyer Jr., Deshawn Gingerich
Row 10: Lee Williams, Blaze Burwell
Row 11: Shannon Kuhn, Jeff Roth
Row 12: Doug Tye, Devin McLean

Pre-feature notes

Officials scrapped the consolation and will start all 24 eligible cars. … Blaze Burwell rolled over in turn two amidst a multi-car tangle in the second heat that began when contact between Shannon Babb and Brian Shirley sent Shirley sideways. Burwell’s car was sandwiched between Shirley, Billy Moyer Jr. and Doug Tye and landed upside down; he was helped from the cockpit and appeared to be uninjured, but his car suffered enough damage that it’s likely done for the week (though he might drive the backup car that Devin McLean is racing tonight later this week.) ... Ashton Winger’s G.R. Smith-owned car was towed off after he clipped the turn-four wall with his right-rear corner on the final lap of Heat 3. The impact sent him spinning backward to the finish line and left his machine with enough damage to keep him out of the feature. … Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regular Tyler Erb is the highest-profile driver to make his 2022 debut with the series. … Crate regular Jack Riggs of Nolensville, Tenn., made his Super Late Model debut. ... DIRTcar official Jonathan Clayton is away from the series after Sunday’s birth of his son, Henry Allen Clayton. He was 8 pounds, 12 ounces, and Henry and mom Desiree are home and doing well. … A healthy crowd filled much of the 5,000-seat grandstand at Red Hill. ... DIRTcar officials announced that July 5's Summer Nationals date at Charleston (Ill.) Speedway has been canceled bcause of health concerns for event promoter Tony Izzo Jr., who is suffering from Bell’s palsy, a type of facial paralysis, and does not expect to be 100 percent for several months.

Heat results

(Eight laps; all transfer)

First heat: Bobby Pierce, Jason Feger, Joe Godsey, Brent McKinnon, Jack Riggs, Mark Voigt, Lee Williams, Jeff Roth.

Second heat: Brian Shirley, Shannon Babb, Payton Freeman, Richard Frost, Mick Quin, Billy Moyer Jr., Blaze Burwell, Doug Tye.

Third heat: Tyler Erb, Kyle Beard, Christian Hanger, Paul Stubber, Ashton Winger, Deshawn Gingerich, Shannon Kuhn, Devin McLean.

Time trials

(Heat races start straightup by qualifying times)

Driver (car no.), hometown, time
First group
Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 15.899
Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 15.996
Jeff Roth (14R), Bentonville, Ark., 16.063
Joe Godsey (14G), Edinburgh, Ind., 16.157
Jack Riggs (81J), Nolensville, Tenn., 16.364
Mark Voigt (30), Marine, Ill., 16.894
Brent McKinnon (26M), Carlyle, Ill., 16.932
Lee Williams (17), Haubstadt, Ind., 17.443
Second group
Payton Freeman (F1), Commerce, Ga., 15.382
Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 15.462
Billy Moyer Jr. (21jr), Batesville, Ark., 15.472
Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 15.793
Blaze Burwell (44), Mount Vernon, Ill., 16.187
Richard Frost (15F), Clarksville, Tenn., 16.382
Doug Tye (4D), Collinsville, Ill., 17.231
Mick Quin (23NZ), Hawks Bay, N.Z., 18.287
Third group
Christian Hanger (29), Winchester, Tenn., 15.504
Kyle Beard (86), Trumann, Ark., 15.715
Ashton Winger (89), Hampton, Ga., 15.785
Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 15.805
Paul Stubber (31aus), Bunbury, Australia, 15.904
Devin McLean (44X), Mt. Vernon, Ill., 16.562
Shannon Kuhn (11k), Highland, Ill., 17.922
Deshawn Gingerich (0), Dover, Pa., did not time

Tuesday’s schedule

(All times local)

5:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified hot laps/time trials
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- B-mod hot laps
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heat races (8 laps)
- Modified heat races (8 laps)
- B-mod heat races (8 laps)
- Late Model C-main (8 laps if necessary)
- Modified consolation (10 laps if necessary)
- Late Model B-main (10 laps if necessary)
Feature races
- Late Models (40 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
- B-mods (15 laps)