DirtonDirt.com exclusive
Dirt Late Model Silly Season roundup
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com managing editor
Brandon Overton joined Wells Motorsports. (heathlawsonphotos.com)
A roundup of offseason news and changes among drivers and teams heading into the 2020 season along with a tentative look at national tour driver rosters (will be updated through the PRI Trade Show and remainder of December):
Teams/drivers
Anklam Racing: American Ethanol Late Model Tour runner-up Travis Stemler of Ionia, Mich., will drive a Rocket Chassis for Chad and Kayla Anklam of Freeland, Mich., in 2020. Stemler ended a three-year run with Phillips Motorsports.
Barry Wright Race Cars: Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., takes the seat of the Viper Motorsports-backed BWRC house car in 2020 to follow the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series championship and run other major events. Lanigan shutters his Club 29 Race Cars operation with plans to continue servicing previous customers.
Scott Bloomquist Racing: Adding sponsorship from Drydene Performance Products, Scott Bloomquist ended an 11-season stretch of Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series loyalty by switching to the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series. Teammate Chris Madden will join Bloomquist, who last ran on the WoO full time during his 2004 championship season.
Irvin Brown Racing: The Jacksonburg, W.Va., team has added veteran racer Shawn Jett of Salem, W.Va., to pilot the team's No. 11 Super Late Model. Four-year Super Late Model driver Travis Brown will continue action in the No. 31 car for the team that primarily competes at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va.
Matt Cosner Racing: The 29-year-old Ridgeley, W.Va., driver, a winner of 17 Super Late Model features over six seasons, plans to enter winter events on World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series in considering full-season rookie run.
Crow Racing: With the retirement of Doug Glessner, Tom and Karen Crow of Greensburg, Pa., tapped Crate Late Model standout Brent Trimble of Morgantown, W.Va., to pilot the team's No. 40 Rocket Chassis in Super Late Model action. Trimble will continue piloting the No. 32 Crate for WG Motorsports.
Dunn Benson Motorsports: After Ohio transplant Devin Moran's one-year stint with the team ended in the fall, the North Carolina-based team hasn't announced plans for 2020.
Longhorn Chassis: Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., announced he will compete in 2020 in a Longhorn house car backed by a new team owned by Donald and Gena Bradsher of Burlington, N.C. McCreadie had spent 17 full seasons and the entirety of his Dirt Late Model career driving for Avon, N.Y.-based Sweeteners Plus Racing.
MasterSbilt Race Cars: Tader Masters revives the Crothersville, Ind., chassis builder's house car program for the first time since 2014, tapping Hudson O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., following the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in the seat occupied by his father Don from 2009-13. Two weeks after Hudson joins the team, Don ends a six-year run with Clint Bowyer Racing and returns to the MasterSbilt program to run select events.
Phillips Motorsports: The Marlette, Mich.-based team of Scott and Pam Phillips hopes to announce a new driver soon for the seat vacated by Travis Stemler. The team plans to continue on the American Ethanol Late Model Tour.
Skyline Motorsports: The Iowa-based team owned by Greg Bruening that ran the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series plans a switch to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2020, adding Bruening's son Tyler Bruening as a national touring driver along with Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., the 2015 WoO champ.
SSI Motorsports: After fielding Super Late Models for Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regular Hudson O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., along with other drivers in weekly action, Todd Burns of Morgantown, Ind., shuts down his racing operations at the conclusion of the 2019 season.
Riggs Motorsports: The revived Harrisburg, Ill.-based team hires Tanner English of Benton, Ky., as its main driver with plans to run DIRTcar Summer Nationals and other special events, including at least some Florida Speedweeks action. English will be joined by fellow drivers Jason Riggs, Jack Riggs and occasionally Jake Little.
Rum Runner Racing: After Brandon Overton's November departure following a single season, Joey Coulter taps former crew member Pearson Lee Williams of Dublin, Ga., to pilot the team's car beginning late in 2019 and continuing with a regional schedule in 2020.
Kyle Strickler Motorsports: After spending most of the 2019 season with Kentucky's Wells Motorsports, the Pennsylvanian-turned-North Carolinian modified ace shifts to his own Late Model program in a Cornett-powered Longhorn Chassis.
Tye Twarog Racing: Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, reunites with his Coshocton, Ohio-based car owner on a full-time basis in 2020 after his 2019 stint with Dunn Benson. Moran, who fielded cars for Twarog on the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series in 20017-18, is a candidate to follow that tour in 2020.
Wells Motorsports: Upon Kyle Strickler's departure, the Hazard, Ky.-based lands Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., to begin driving in November 2019. The team's 2020 considerations include the possibility of a national tour run.
Tentative 2020 national tour rosters
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Driver, hometown (2019 points finish; national tour wins)
Kyle Bronson, Brandon, Fla. (9th Lucas Oil; 2)
Tyler Bruening, Decorah, Iowa (none; 0)
Shanon Buckingham, Morristown, Tenn. (10th Lucas Oil; 1)
Shane Clanton, Zebulon, Ga. (2nd WoO; 5)
Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga. (1st Lucas Oil; 12)
Tyler Erb, New Waverly, Texas (4th Lucas Oil; 6)
Tim McCreadie, Watertown, S.D. (2nd Lucas Oil; 2)
Billy Moyer Jr., Batesville, Ark. (12th Lucas Oil; 0)
Hudson O'Neal, Martinsville, Ind. (7th Lucas Oil; 4)
Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn. (5th Lucas Oil; 7)
Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville, Fla. (8th Lucas Oil; 1)
Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va. (3rd Lucas Oil; 3)
Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. (none; 0)
Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. (11th Lucas Oil; 0)
Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill. (none; 0)
Mason Zeigler, Chalk Hill, Pa. (none; 1)
World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series
Driver, hometown (2019 points finish; national tour wins)
Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, Tenn (14th Lucas Oil; 1)
Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, Pa. (8th WoO; 0)
Matt Cosner, Ridgeley, W.Va. (none; 0)
Cade Dillard, Robeline, La. (7th WoO; 0)
Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, Ill. (6th WoO; 0)
Kody Evans, Camden, Ohio (none; 0)
Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan. (4th WoO; 1)
Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky. (5th WoO; 1)
Chris Madden, Gray Court, S.C. (none; 7)
Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill. (1st WoO; 21)
Blake Spencer, St. Augustine, Fla. (10th WoO; 0)
Ricky Weiss, Headingley, Manitoba (3rd WoO; 1)
Ashton Winger, Hampton, Ga. (none; 0)
Other national touring candidates
Driver, hometown (2019 points finish; national tour wins)
Rick Eckert, York, Pa. (none; 0)
Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, Minn. (9th WoO; 0)
Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio (6th Lucas Oil; 0)
Brandon Overton, Evans, Ga. (none; 4)
