DirtonDirt.com Dispatches
Dispatches: Giving dirt a rest, winning a car
Joseph Joiner and his winnings. (Joshua Joiner)
Among latest notes and quotes from Dirt Late Model special and sanctioned events over the Labor Day weekend, including Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series and Ultimate Heart of America Series action:
Joiner’s unique victory
Joseph Joiner and his Hunt the Front gang didn’t end their Labor Day weekend action after running two Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series events in Georgia. They topped it off by, oh, winning a race at … Bristol Motor Speedway.
After making an overnight drive to Bristol, Tenn., following his runner-up finish in Saturday’s HTF-sanctioned Rome Boss 50 at Rome Speedway, Joiner entered Sunday’s Cleetus and Cars 1000 presented by Pennzoil on the famed high-banked, half-mile oval known as the Last Great Coliseum. This wasn’t a typical racing event, though, but rather a novelty affair organized by 28-year-old YouTuber and racing enthusiast Cleetus McFarland in which 29 competitors — most looking to create interesting content for their social media channels — drive nitrous-powered Ford Crown Victorias provided by McFarland’s company in an 80-lap race around BMS.
With Joiner, 29, of Milton, Fla., piloting a a black car carrying his familiar No. 10 and the logo of his family’s well-known Hunt the Front website and vlog, he emerged victorious in the feature event. He paced himself until taking the lead with three laps to go and then holding off Texas racer John Parker Mitchell over the remaining circuits.
“It’s such a fast pace out there so we wanted to keep the tires on it,” Joiner said in a story published by the Johnson City (Tenn.) Press. “We waited until about 20 laps to go to push it. We got in position, the restart played right to us, and we got it done.”
Joiner’s reward for winning on Bristol’s concrete surface? There was no purse for the race — the event, after all, is primarily about gaining exposure and “buzz” for the YouTube channels of content creators like Hunt the Front — but he did receive a nifty-looking trophy and, more notably, the event’s 1999 Chevrolet Camaro pace car.
When Joiner was handed the keys to the bright yellow Camaro, he happily jumped behind the wheel to pose for pictures. His brothers Jonathan and Joshua and the rest of the HTF crew joined in the fun as well.
The car, which has 175,000 miles on its odometer but a fresh LS1 engine under the hood, wasn’t driven back to HTF headquarters in Florida. Instead, with Joiner and Co. all heading from Bristol to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, to compete in this weekend’s World 100, their new vehicle had to go there too.
“We’re bringing the car with us to Eldora,” Joshua Joiner reported. “We have no one to take it home."
Joshua initially expected that the crew would take turns driving the car to Eldora, but, after realizing it needs to be registered, they rented a Uhaul trailer and will tow it behind Joshua's RV.
Exactly what the Camaro will be used for once the team gets its home remains up for debate among the HTF clan. Will it become Joseph’s car? Will it be a machine that stays at the shop and the HTF team members drive around town?
Joshua Joiner offered one idea that he’s pushing.
“I’m trying to convince the rest of the guys to make it the Hunt the Front Series pace car,” said Joshua, who directs his family’s first-year regional tour for Super Late Models. “No luck just yet.” — Kevin Kovac
McDowell an agitated winner
Dale McDowell didn’t sound like a driver who had just won $15,000 upon climbing out of his car after Saturday night’s 50-lap Rome Boss feature at Rome (Ga.) Speedway.
As soon as the 57-year-old veteran from Chickamauga, Ga., began speaking during his post-race winner’s interview, there was an unmistakable tinge of anger in his voice. He wasn’t pleased with the events of lap 25 that dropped him from first to third in the running order and, if not for leader Ashton Winger’s deflating tire coming to the white flag, would have likely cost him the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series-sanctioned race.
“I’m not happy with the unprofessionalism of the series,” McDowell said with clear agitation. “I’ve never in 42 years … I’ve never seen anything like that happen. That is a first for me.”
McDowell had led from the start of the feature when, on lap 25, the race’s third caution flag was displayed. HTF officials charged the caution to McDowell, who briefly slowed at the exit of turn two. By the time McDowell came back up to speed he had been passed by Winger and Zack Mitchell, so he was placed third for the restart using the “blend” rule for instances when cautions are called inadvertently.
A Hall of Famer making his first start since capturing the $50,000 Topless 100 on Aug. 19 at Batesville Motor Speedway in Locust Grove, Ark., McDowell strongly disagreed with the ruling. It took several caution circuits to sort out the situation; McDowell even stopped on the track and removed his helmet to better communicate with HTF officials before finally restarting in third place.
“I’m just aggravated as hell right now,” McDowell said. “To win the race (was good), but I don’t know what the (lap-25) call was for. I’m not happy with it. I’ve done this s--- 42 years and that’s the first time I’ve ever seen anything like that.
“They called the caution getting into turn three and I slowed down, but the (scorer’s headset) button (initially) keyed over here … the Raceceiver button keyed here (pointing to turns one and two). (They) called a caution or something there, (I) slowed down and then that went.”
McDowell added that he was “glad to get it done” with a stroke of good luck thanks to Winger slowing to hand him the lead for the final two laps. The victory, after all, came at a track near his home with a large contingent of family and friends looking on, though being greeted by all the familiar faces afterward didn’t soothe McDowell’s initial ire.
From the HTF side, series director Joshua Joiner said that on lap 25 “a car running at the tail of the field slowed in turn two just in front of leader Dale McDowell. The series race director briefly keyed up the Raceceiver, but with no contact and with the slowed car exiting the track safely, no caution was called and the green light remained on.”
Joiner continued: “On the next lap, McDowell slowed in turn two. Assuming McDowell had a flat tire or a mechanical problem, the series race director then called a caution. By the time the caution was called, both Ashton Winger and Zack Mitchell had passed McDowell. Using the blend rule, McDowell was scored third for the ensuing restart.”
“While it is unfortunate that McDowell apparently perceived the keyed Raceceiver as a caution being called,” he added, “nothing was said over the Raceceiver to indicate that this was the case, and the Raceceiver being inadvertently keyed does not automatically indicate a caution.”
Joiner said the incident was addressed with McDowell and his team.
“Series officials spoke with Dale McDowell, his car owner Shane McDowell, and multiple other drivers after the race to explain the situation and hear their complaints, concerns and suggestions for improvement,” Joiner stated. “Steps will be taken by the series to improve the use of the Raceceiver and other in-race communications with drivers in an effort to avoid any similar incidents in the future.” — Staff reports
Eller's richest victory
John Eller had no idea his wife and kids were coming to Saturday’s I-95 Late Model Challenge event at County Line Raceway, the Elm City, N.C., track where the Eller family’s 4 Boys Racing Supply sponsors the Late Model division and operates the parts trailer.
“I just happened to turn around and see ‘em pulling in,” the 31-year-old Eller said when he spotted wife Lydia drive up in the family SUV with 10-year-old Adalynn and 5-year-old Branch. “My jaw hit the ground.”
Eller, who was scheduled to start outside the front row in the 40-lap feature set to take the green about a half-hour later, joked that his young son probably “whined enough that she brought him down” to the track that’s more than an hour from their Oxford, N.C., residence.
With his immediate family on hand along with his parents (who operate the parts trailer), his crew and other supporters, Eller didn’t disappoint. Chasing polesitter Russell Erwin early in the race, Eller made the winning pass amid traffic on the 10th lap and led the rest of the way for his first career I-95 Challenge victory and a career-high $4,000 payday.
“It was definitely a special night,” said Eller, the general manager of the Granville County Landfill in Oxford whose younger brother Mark is a crew member for Koehler Motorsports and four-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion Jimmy Owens.
John Eller’s been a successful local racer the past dozen years or so, and he’s a two-time winner on the Blue Ridge Outlaw circuit. He had a pair of Crate Late Model victories last season paying $2,500-to-win at Halifax County Motor Speedway in Brinkleyville, N.C., previously his richest victories. But the $4,000 payday is satisfying.
“That’ll definitely help with the fuel and tire bill,” said Eller, who notched his first County Line Raceway victory.
The night had its challenges, including a power steering hose leak, concerns over tire wear for the main event and slick track conditions that are “not normally in my wheelhouse,” Eller said.
Lapped traffic helped Eller overtake Erwin, who came upon slower cars and that “opened the door and I was close enough to be able to make a move,” the winner said in a Sunday afternoon telephone interview. “We got the lead off of turn two and we were able to hold on the rest of the night.” — Todd Turner
Arp honors late competitior
Hall of Fame racer Skip Arp turned plenty of laps with late Tennessee racer Mark Martin, and the Georgetown, Tenn., racer got to pay special tribute to him Saturday with a Topless Outlaw Series victory at Crossville (Tenn.) Speedway in the inaugural Mark Martin Memorial.
“I think Mark was riding along with me," Arp said of the former Baxter, Tenn., driver who died last September at age 61. "You know I worked with Mark and I was actually with him when he died. It was terrible. but I’m glad we get to honor him tonight."
The 60-year-old Arp's third career Topless Outlaw victory came when Jadon Frame of Decherd, Tenn., lost a cylinder and his motor went flat after comfortably leading the first 21 of 30 laps. The departure of Frame's No. J8 handed Arp the lead and he controlled the final nine laps, taking the checkers ahead of Andy Picklesimer.
"We wasn’t the fastest car for sure, I don’t know what happened to Frame but he definitely had the best car tonight," said Arp, who drove a Stanley Best-owned car. "I’m telling you, if it wasn’t for ol' Beaver (Best), I couldn’t do this and all these younger guys that do all the work. I’m getting a little too old to work on it and a special thanks to all of them for keeping us going."
Picklesimer survived lap-15 contact with a slower car that sent him for a spin and into an infield wall, but he was able to continue for a runner-up finish.
“I had a decent qualifying time and had a little trouble there and slipped back a little bit," Picklesimer said, " but finishing second to one of my heroes is not a bad night.”
Jordon Horton of Tazewell, Tenn., entered the event as the series points leader, but he retired at halfway with an overheating engine. — Series reports
Wilson still waiting
For the fifth time this season, Daulton Wilson led laps in a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series feature. And for the fifth time, he wasn’t leading at the finish as the sophomore series racer from Fayetteville, N.C., is still looking for his first national touring victory.
The 25-year-old Wilson led laps 17-31 of Saturday’s River Days Rumble at Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park, but he settled for third at the finish of the event won by series points leader Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., who went under Wilson for the top spot en route to a $15,000 payday.
Wilson ended up winless at Portsmouth on the weekend — Thornton won Friday's Boone Coleman Memorial Gator 50 after Wilson's engine expired while leading with eight laps remaining.
“We had a really good car for two days in a row, really,” Wilson said after landing on the podium in Saturday’s race. “Our guys busted their butts today to get this motor changed, and we took off right back to the same spot. I felt like I had a car good enough to win there and just kind of screwed up there (for) a few laps. But, you know, you’’l have that. We’ll keep learning, we’ll keep working and maybe we’ll be standing up there (as a winner) before long.”
Thornton, who raced to his 13th full-field Lucas Oil victory of the season, took advantage of Wilson’s slipup.
“I feel like Daulton pretty much had it, then he got over the cushion that one time, and I figured that was my shot and it all worked out,” Thornton said.
Wilson’s not giving up. He credited his Rattliff Motorsports crew who “had this thing completely tore apart today and everything’s right on it” and appreciates his Campbellsville, Ky.-based team for “giving us everything we need to run up and down the road with the best equipment that you can ask for.”
What the team, and Wilson, is asking for is a checkered flag on the circuit after leading laps this season in Lucas Oil events at Portsmouth; West Virginia Motor Speedway in Minerals Wells, W.Va.; Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio; Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn.; and Florence Speedway in Union, Ky.
“Maybe we'll finish the deal here before too long,” he said. — Staff reports
Prepared Winger triumphs
In the whirlwind of Dirt Late Model racing, teams are often running behind heading for the racetrack. But entering a busy Labor Day weekend, Ashton Winger of Hampton, Ga., was glad his crew was on point in getting his Jeff Mathews Motorsports Rocket Chassis ready with time to spare.
“I think this week was the first time we got to load up a day early all year,” the 23-year-old Winger said.
The team made the most of its preparation in Friday’s Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series event at Lavonia (Ga.) Speedway as the third-starting Winger overtook race-long leader Cla Knight on the 22nd lap and led the rest of the 50-lapper. Winger earned $10,000 with his first victory on the first-year tour.
Making an outside pass for the lead before halfway proved to be the difference.
“I went soft on tire there. I didn’t really know where to be. And man, honestly, when I got to Cla, I didn’t really think I had much for him,” Winger said. “And then I was like, ‘Man, we’re getting choked down so much on the bottom, he ain’t giving it up.’ So I kind of just moved out my entry a little bit and I was actually able to — I felt like I was going 100 mph faster — and then my stick guy was showing me that they were close the whole time.
“I seen (the track surface) got really, really dirty out there in (turn) two, so I’m glad I went out when I did, because I don’t know if I would have been able to do that if I would have waited any longer.”
Winger notched his ninth Super Late Model victory of the season and first since July 20. He was winless in his previous five starts, his longest such streak since winning his first DIRTcar Summer Nationals on June 21 at Davenport (Iowa) Speedway en route to the series title. — Staff reports
First-time MLRA winner
Tyler Stevens of Paragould, Ark., beat one of the best on the Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association on Friday in capturing his first series victory. Stevens took the lead midway through the 30-lapper and went on to beat Chad Simpson on the opening night of the Ron Jenkins Memorial presented by Rugged Radios, earning $5,000 in dry-slick conditions.
Stevens, a series rookie who came in ninth in points, chased down and passed Simpson on lap 16 as the leader got pinched in lapped traffic. Stevens called his win a much-needed boost to his team.
"We have had the worst luck this year," Stevens said. "New car, new motor, new shocks, new everything. It feels good. I knew we had a heck of a hot rod, we just needed to put it all together.”
Simpson had a comfortable advantage early in the feature, but Stevens closes in amid traffic and was able to pull alongside on lap 15 before taking the lead on lap 16 after Simpson had trouble navigating through turn two.
"I was worried I was gonna wear the right rear (tire) out, but the car was so good I could steer around there and didn't have to really slide," Stevens said. "I was pretty patient there, running up behind Chad. He was committed pretty much to the bottom and when he got into that lapped traffic, I knew if he didn't work his way up and find that clean area of the racetrack, I thought I could roll by him here.
"The MLRA has some awesome racers. It feels good to be on top of the podium."
Simpson, of Mount Vernon, Iowa, said the lapped traffic did him in but it was a good points night as he continued pursuit of his fourth MLRA championship.
"We had a good night, the car's good, we just didn't quite get tight enough for the main," Simpson said. "I got beat in lapped traffic. I got one back home in lapped traffic a couple of weeks ago, so maybe that's mine back."
The new leader drove away to a 1.3-second lead with 10 to go as the race’s long green-flag run continued all the way to the finish. — Lyndal Scranton
Staying hot
Josh Rice of Verona, Ky., spent months anxiously awaiting the arrival of Friday night’s Ultimate Heart of America-sanctioned C.J. Rayburn Memorial at Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis, Ind., an event that was rained out on its original May 19 date.
“This place is awesome,” the 25-year-old driver said. “I had this one circled on the calendar all year. I couldn’t wait to get here. I’m normally pretty decent on these little bullrings.”
Rice actually was virtually flawless navigating the 3/8-mile oval as he romped to a flag-to-flag victory worth $10,000 in the 50-lap feature. He grabbed the lead from the outside pole at the initial green flag and dominated the action to beat Christian Hanger of Winchester, Tenn., by 1.956 seconds in a race that his older brother, James, won last year when it was contested for the first time to honor late Hall of Fame chassis builder C.J. Rayburn.
Duplicating his sibling’s triumph was right on Rice’s mind when he reached victory lane.
“How bad ass is that,” he said, “me and James winning it back-to-back?”
While James’s bid for a second straight Rayburn Memorial score fell short with a seventh-place finish after he briefly ran as high as fourth, Josh has his Rick Jones-owned Rocket Chassis on a rail. Once he migrated to the low side of the track and turned some green-flag laps to fire his hard-compound right-rear tire, he was on his way.
“I knew that bottom was gonna come in there and dad (former driver Jerry Rice) did a helluva job moving me down when he did,” Rice said. “I was a little bit harder on tire than everybody and I think that’s what won us the race. I just needed it to stay green. The bottom kept getting easier and easier to hit when that 40 (compound tire) came in.”
The checkered flag was Rice’s 11th overall of the 2023 season but, more notably, his third in as many weekends. He recorded a $5,000 victory on Aug. 19 at Atomic Speedway in Alma, Ohio, and a career-high $15,021 success on Aug. 26 at Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, Ky.
“We’re on a heck of a streak right, and these wins, I need ‘em right now with my house and everything,” said Rice, who credited his father and Uncle Joe for preparing his car — a machine he last ran in Aug. 12’s North-South 100 — while he spent much of the week “dealing with house stuff” at his new residence.
Rice was on such a high after his victory that he intimated he might add a race to his holiday weekend schedule before heading to Sunday’s Baltes Classic at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, for a World 100 tune-up.
“I said if I won tonight I was going to Red Hill (Raceway in Sumner, Ill.) tomorrow (for a $10,000-to-win Ultimate Heart of America race),” he remarked, “so we’ll see there.” — Staff reports
Massingill’s last-lap victory
Jeff Massingill of Keewatin, Minn., hasn’t been leading a lot of laps in recent Structural Buildings WISSOTA Challenge Series competition, but he’s been leading them when it counts.
Massingill made a last-lap pass Friday at Grand Rapids (Minn.) Speedway for a $2,000 series victory just six days after a $5,000 WCS triumph at Granite City Motor Park in Sauk Rapids, Minn. Both victories came with Massingill leading merely three laps.
While he started seventh at Grand Rapids and worked his way into contention in a 30-lapper dominated most of the way by polesitter Kevin Burdick, Massingill almost blew his chance amid traffic late in the race while battling Ryan Mikkelson for the second spot.
“(Burdick) got caught up in lapped traffic and Ryan actually got by me,” the 36-year-old Massingill said. “I should thank Ryan for the win because he showed me where I needed to be. I was up screwing around on the top and middle and Ryan was doing my thing actually, so I had to get back down there and it got really hairy.
“Kevin was fast. I didn’t have anything for him. It was all dependent on lapped traffic and it was just getting really bad down there and he kind of slid and I just was able to get a run. It was one hell of a race.”
Massingill won by less than five-hundredths of a second and knew he caught a break in his battle with Mikkelson.
“I saw him, and I was like, ‘Oh, man, I just let a spot go,’” he said. “But, you know what, you ain’t gonna be good in this game without a little bit of luck. And I got a little bit of lucky there.” — Staff reports
Weekend notes
A couple of national touring drivers debuted new cars at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis., with Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla., in a Longhorn Chassis and Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, in an MB Customs car. Both have primarily driven Rocket Chassis in recent seasons. Erb, who made a guest appearance in an MB Customs house car last month at Red Cedar Speedway in Menomonie, Wis., tested his new machine at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., before unloading it at Mississippi Thunder; he faced a long overnight to Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park for Saturday’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event. … Kody Evans of Camden, Ohio, announced this week that he’ll compete in the upcoming Baltes Classic and World 100 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, in a Benji Hicks Racing Double Nickel Chassis. … Friday’s Coors Light I-5 Silver Bullet Series event at the Douglas County Dirt Track in Roseburg, Ore., was cancelled for factors including air quality because of wildfires northwest of the track.
