Dirt on Dirt - Feger ends Shirley's Sycamore dominance

July 18

Sycamore Speedway,

Maple Park, IL

Sanction: DIRTcar Summer Nationals - $6,000

Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated July 19, 12:23 pm)

Feger ends Shirley's Sycamore dominance

Jason Feger
Dennis Erb Jr.
Frank Heckenast Jr.
Brian Shirley
Shannon Babb
Bob Gardner
Spencer Diercks
Rich Bell
Mike Provenzano
Jaden Fryer
Mark Voigt
Dale Markham
Jeremy Spoonmore
Mike Lofgren
Doug Tye
Sean Mattingly
Titus Sneed
Cody Overton
Jeff Riddell
Mike Spatola
Mike Mataragas
John Provenzano

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Jason Feger celebrates his 30th career series vicotry.

What won the race: Leading all the way from outside the front row, Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., captured his fourth DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory in Thursday's $6,000 tour finale at Sycamore Speedway, ending Brian Shirley's three-year winning streak at the quarter-mile oval. Dennis Erb Jr. finished 1.586 seconds behind at the checkers with Frank Heckenast Jr. nipping Shirley for third. Polesitter Shannon Babb finished fifth.

Quotable: The final caution "coming to get the checker, that was definitely frustrating. But that's part of racing," Feger said. "Dennis (Erb Jr.) is good and (Brian Shirley is) good back there, so anything can happen, you know? You can have a tire go down and you can just mess up that one time. It's definitely frustrating, but I knew the car was really good. I could go anywhere I needed and I just needed to make sure I hit my marks and not to just give it away, make them earn it the hard way."

Key notes: Feger captured his 30th career Summer Nationals victory. ... Brian Shirley won 2021-23 Summer Nationals races at Sycamore. ... The 31-lap race (one extra because a late caution caused a green-white-checkered finish finish) was slowed three times, the last being a lap-29 red flag when Sycamore points leader Titus Sneed tangled with another car and had a pirouetting roll into turn three near the track exit; he was shaken up but not seriously injured. ... Third-running Cody Overton broke on the 14th lap and drew a yellow. ... Mike Spatola slowed on the fourth lap and retired. ... A dozen drivers finished on the lead lap. ... Series champ and 11-race winner Tyler Erb was a no-show for the finale. ... The race was a makeup of a June 16 rainout at Sycamore, which has had a series race every season since 2017.

On the move: Frank Heckenast Jr. of Frankfort, Ill., started eighth and finished third.

Winner's sponsors: Feger’s Longhorn Chassis has a Clements Racing Engine with sponsorship from Titan Industries, Digital Copy Systems, Hoker Trucking, The Big Cheese MM, CorrosionX, Remtek Enterprises, RLM Enterprises, Cheap Cars, FK Rod Ends, Keyser Manufacturing, Schaeffer’s Racing Oil, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, VP Racing Fuels and Griffin Signs.

Points chase: Final points: 1. Tyler Erb (1,366); 2. Dillon McCowan (1,259); 3. Jason Feger (1,082); 4. Tanner English (922); 5. Clay Stuckey (912).

Current weather: Clear, 66°F

Car count: 27

Fast qualifier: Brian Shirley

Time: 14.224 seconds

Polesitter: Shannon Babb

Heat race winners: Brian Shirley, Jason Feger, Shannon Babb

Consolation race winners: Jaden Fryer

Provisional starters: Doug Tye, Titus Sneed, John Provenzano, Mike Lofgren

Editor's note: Corrects feature lap count to 30 sted 35.

From staff reports

MAPLE PARK, Ill. (July 18) — Updates from Thursday’s 24th and final round of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Sycamore Speedway, an event highlighted by a 30-lap, $6,000-to-win feature for Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Leading all the way from outside the front row, Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., captured his fourth DIRTcar Summer Nationals in Thursday's $6,000 tour finale at Sycamore Speedway, ending Brian Shirley's three-year winning streak at the quarter-mile oval. Dennis Erb Jr. finished 1.586 seconds behind at the checkers with Frank Heckenast Jr. nipping Shirley for third. Polesitter Shannon Babb finished fifth.

Feature lineup

(30 laps)

Row 1: Shannon Babb, Jason Feger
Row 2: Brian Shirley, Cody Overton
Row 3: Dennis Erb Jr., Bob Gardner
Row 4: Mike Spatola, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Row 5: Sean Mattingly, Jeremy Spoonmore
Row 6: Mike Mataragas, Spencer Diercks
Row 7: Jeff Riddell, Mark Voigt
Row 8: Rich Bell, Jaden Fryer
Row 9: Dale Markham, Mike Provenzano
Row 10: Doug Tye, Titus Sneed
Row 11: John Provenzano, Mike Lofgren

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top three transfer)

Consolation: Jaden Fryer, Dale Markham, Mike Provenzano, John Provenzano, Titus Sneed, Doug Tye, Mike Lofgren, Greg Cantrell, Randy Manos. Scratched: Dan White, Corey Trump, Turk Letizia.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top five transfer)

First heat: Brian Shirley, Cody Overton, Mike Spatola, Jeremy Spoonmore, Jeff Riddell, John Provenzano, Doug Tye, Dan White, Greg Cantrell.

Second heat: Jason Feger, Dennis Erb Jr., Frank Heckenast Jr., Mike Mataragas, Mark Voigt, Jaden Fryer, Mike Lofgren, Randy Manos. Scratched: Corey Trump.

Third heat: Shannon Babb, Bob Gardner, Sean Mattingly, Spencer Diercks, Rich Bell, Dale Markham, Mike Provenzano, Titus Sneed, Turk Letizia.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 14.224
2. Cody Overton (97), Evans, Ga., 14.394
3. Mike Spatola (89), Manhattan, Ill., 14.465
4. Dan White (03), Elgin, Ill., 14.892
5. Jeremy Spoonmore (22), Leland, Ill., 15.191
6. Jeff Riddell (09), Steward, Ill., 15.246
7. Doug Tye (4D), Troy, Ill., 15.356
8. Greg Cantrell (01jr), DeKalb, Ill., 15.360
9. John Provenzano (18c), Princeton, Ill., 15.935
Group B
1. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 14.397
2. Jason Feger (25F), Bloomington, Ill., 14.498
3. Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 14.533
4. Mike Mataragas (7), DeKalb, Ill., 14.540
5. Mark Voigt (30), Marine, Ill., 14.874
6. Jaden Fryer (8), Freeport, Ill., 15.087
7. Corey Trump (4T), Clare, Ill., 15.701
8. Randy Manos (R1), Rockford, Ill., 15.819
9. Mike Lofgren (55x), Glen Ellyn, Ill., 15.863
Group C
1. Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 14.524
2. Bob Gardner (26m), East Peoria, Ill., 14.587
3. Sean Mattingly (22m), Cortland, Ill., 14.641
4. Rich Bell (21B), Sheffield, Ill., 14.838
5. Dale Markham (3), Maple Park, Ill., 15.022
6. Spencer Diercks (29), Davenport, Iowa, 15.370
7. Mike Provenzano (m27), Marseilles, Ill., 15.399
8. Titus Sneed (76), Justice, Ill., 15.405
9. Turk Letizia (D1), Milwaukee, Wis., 15.676

Thursday’s schedule

(All times local)
2:30 p.m. - Pits open
4:45 p.m. - Grandstands open
6 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Street stock hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Vintage hot laps
Opening ceremonies
- Street stock heats (8 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Vintage heats (8 laps)
- Late Model consolation (10 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Late Model feature (30 laps)
- Street stock feature (25 laps)
- Vintage feature (15 laps)