Rocket’s Brandon Sheppard(1) and Longhorn’s Tim McCreadie(39) have each won in 2022 for their respective brands
When Georgia-Florida SpeedWeeks first began it looked as if Longhorn Chassis was on its way to dominating the time Dirt Late Model competitors spend in the southeastern corner of the country at the start of the racing season. The North Carolina-based brand came roaring out of the gate claiming six of the first seven features contested during January and February. However, the last several nights of action have seen West Virginia-based Rocket Chassis come storming back to post six victories of its own.
As a result, the two top chassis manufacturers are tied with six wins each after the first thirteen events in this year’s version of SpeedWeeks.
When racers first came to this region of the country back in January, Dale McDowell scored a stirring victory in a World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Model Series event at Volusia Speedway Park. It was the veteran driver’s first race back after having surgery to remove a cancerous prostate last fall. That emotional win was achieved in a Team Zero Race Car prepared and maintained by Shane McDowell Racing.
Since McDowell’s triumph, every SpeedWeeks win registered in either the ‘Peach State’ or the ‘Sunshine State’ has been by a driver steering either a Longhorn or a Rocket.
As stated above, Longhorn went on an early roll. Devin Moran got things started for the company originally formed by the Labonte family of NASCAR fame when he captured the first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series feature of the season at Georgia’s Golden Isles Speedway. That was followed by two consecutive first place results on that same track by Longhorn pilot Brandon Overton.
After their time at Golden Isles, the LOLMDS moved to Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park to contest a pair of shows. Tim McCreadie scored the win on the first night when he beat fellow Longhorn driver Moran in a photo finish. Moran then continued the dominance of the “Horns Up” crowd by beating the field to the checkered flag on the second night at the track operated by radio host Bubba Clem.
But when the Lucas Oil-sanctioned racing action moved to All-Tech Raceway, Rocket began to make its presence known as Brandon Sheppard drove his Mark Richards Racing-prepared Rocket Chassis house car to its first triumph of the 2022 season.
Following a rainout on what had been planned as the second night at All-Tech, four-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion Jimmy Owens won for Rocket. Near the end of the 2021 campaign, the Ramirez Motorsports team has acquired a Longhorn which was employed for several races but the ‘Newport Nightmare’ was reported to be in a Rocket when he earned his first 2022 victory.
Longhorn answered back when Ross Bailes stepped up to claim the season-opener for the Southern All-Star Dirt Racing Series at Screven Motor Speedway in Georgia. The South Carolina native made an impressive three-wide pass that secured him the winner’s check valued at $10,000.
It has been at East Bay Raceway Park, however, where Rocket has really asserted itself. Dennis Erb Jr. claimed the winner’s trophy on Monday night to add to the win totals for the cars labeled as XR1. After a rainout on Tuesday, it has been all Sheppard as the blue No. 1 has earned three consecutive victories for his boss’s chassis brand.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will close out its time in Georgia-Florida SpeedWeeks on Saturday evening at East Bay. After that, the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Model Series and DIRTcar will take on the sanctioning chores as that tour returns to Volusia for the Gator Nationals.
Others have experienced early success. Black Diamond Race Cars won in the Wild West Shootout at New Mexico’s Vado Speedway Park with Garrett Alberson and the Cabin Fever at Georgia’s Boyd’s Speedway with Sam Seawright. Capital Race Cars won the Ice Bowl at Alabama’s Talladega Short Track with Christian Hanger and Pierce McCarter won at Tennessee’s 411 Motor Speedway in the Hangover while driving a MasterSbilt Race Car.
In 2021, the two dominate chassis brands in Dirt Late Model racing won virtually every big race held throughout the season with Rocket’s Sheppard taking the WoO Late Models title and Longhorn’s McCreadie earning the LOLMDs crown. And while this year’s campaign is still very much in its infancy, it certainly looks as if those two brands will certainly be in contention to accomplish those same kinds of feats as the schedule plays out.
Brandon Sheppard outruns Lucas Oil field for third straight East Bay victory
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