*Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideDirtRacing.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the dirt racing topics of the day from east Tennessee and beyond.
The latest edition of the Turn 2 Blog is presented by the American All-Star Pro Late Models Presented by PPM Racing Products
What are your takeaways from the past few weeks in the Dirt Late Model world?
Richard: My first takeaway is that there has been a lot of racing going on over the past few weeks on the usual days(Friday & Saturday) as well all throughout the week. It’s almost like the sport has been moving at a Summer Nationals pace despite the fact that the Summer Nationals have not yet begun.
Secondly, apart from one or two guys at the top of the national heap, no one seems to be really emerging as a clear front runner. Over the past decade we have come to expect a driver such as Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton or Brandon Sheppard to turn in one of those seasons in which he seemingly wins everything in sight. But with the exception, potentially, of Ricky Thornton Jr., it does not appear as if anyone is really taking the bull be the horns on a national level. But as we enter the big money stretch of Dirt Late Model racing, that could change quickly.
There have been times in which Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal and Chris Madden have looked like they might be that driver, but they failed to maintain their dominance for any length of time. Perhaps Thornton will be that driver.
And lastly, on a regional level, Cory Hedgecock is piecing together a fantastic season. Whether it be in a Super Late Model or a Crate Late Model, the Loudon, Tennessee racer seems to be winning every event he enters including a pair of Crate Racing USA features at I-75 and Talladega Short Track held this past weekend. Where we are still waiting on a national star to emerge in 2023, a regional star has clearly emerged in the east Tennessee area.
Michael: There has been a lot of racing the last few weeks. It wasn’t that long ago we talked about the lack of racing because of the weather and how we’d see a lot of action crammed into a short period of time once the weather allowed.
The World of Outlaws has been very interesting to this point. A number of drivers have wins and the points battle is tight among several drivers. If this continues through the summer, the title chase will be interesting to the final checkered flag.
Another thing I have noticed is how there have been a lot of dust-ups in some of the regional series. Most have been in the Southern All-Stars. I don’t know if it’s lack of respect for the other drivers or just tempers getting the best of people.
Cory Hedgecock has had a great season so far
What do you foresee taking place this weekend at Eldora?
Richard: This Dirt Late Model Dream weekend could be the weekend in which someone does emerge as the big money winner for 2023 or it could produce a surprise victor that will further leave us wondering who, if anyone, will dominate.
You can’t have a conversation about potential winners at Eldora without bringing up the names Jonathan Davenport and Brandon Overton. Both have had some of their greatest racing moments at the Rossburg, Ohio track and will almost certainly be in the hunt to do so again this time around.
Ricky Thornton Jr. almost had a crown jewel win already when he took the checkered flag at the Lucas Oil Speedway in the Show-me 100 but that apparent victory was negated during the post-race tech inspection. If I had to pick a favorite going in, the driver of the SSI Motorsports No. 20RT would be it.
But I believe this is the year in which the obvious won’t happen. Two names of drivers who haven’t necessarily had the seasons we have come to expect but are trending in the right direction come to mind. Two-time and defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion Tim McCreadie has recorded five consecutive top-5 finishes and seems to always be at his best later in the race. Since the Dream is 100 laps, there will be plenty of time for him to gain momentum as the race plays out.
McCreadie has had success in the past at Eldora so don’t be surprised when he is in the mix late in the going on Saturday night.
Another name that keeps popping into my head is that of another guy who has had his share of success at Eldora and that is Jimmy Owens. While the finishes over the last few feature races may not seem that way, the ‘Newport Nightmare’ has been much faster since switching back to Rocket Chassis a few weeks ago. This could be the time when the No. 20 Koehler Motorsports team puts it all together and scores a big payday.
Michael: Jonathan Davenport and Brandon Overton have been the dominant drivers at Eldora over the last several years. While neither one is duplicating earlier years of dominance, both will be factors because they have the knack to get around that place.
I’m like you in that I can see a surprise driver getting that first huge win. But it could be time for Bobby Pierce, Chris Madden, or Mike Marlar to put it together Saturday night.
I’m looking at Hudson O’Neal, Dennis Erb Jr., or someone like them who may not be the first names people pick as a winner but I won’t be really surprised if one of them goes to victory lane.
If you could make one change in dirt racing, what would it be?
Richard: Easily the one thing I would change is something we have discussed on here multiple times before. This sport, if it is to grow beyond where it is now, has to get better at time management.
Yes, there are some tracks and series that do a great job in this aspect of putting on a good show, but as a whole, the sport needs to improve. One of the most frustrating things to me is to be at a track in which the stated starting time for hot laps is 6:30 or 7:00 or whatever and a look at the racing surface at that time reveals that the track is nowhere near ready. If you say you are starting at a particular time, then be ready to start at that time or don’t say that’s when you’re starting.
Again, some are good at this but many are not.
And more, be aware of the situation in terms of moving the show along. Please stop allowing the class running in front of the main event to keep holding everything up because their race has turned into a caution-fest. Time limits are not a bad thing.
Furthermore, be aware of circumstances that might cause frustration among fans. If it is obvious that weather could interrupt the show, be willing to shift the order of events so that the main event gets started before the rain arrives. I have been to and watched races in which it was known that weather could be a factor yet the track still insists on holding up the show for track prep.
People nowadays won’t tolerate their time being wasted. This is not the 1970s when racing shows were almost expected to drag into the wee hours of the morning. Fans will just leave and not come back if the sport continues to ignore time management.
Michael: I don’t know if I can narrow it down to one thing. Time management is up there for me too. But if I have to narrow it down to one it would be too many Late Model classes. There could be as many as six Late Model classes in one area of the country. When a person brings a new potential fan to the track for the first time and they see 3 or 4 similar looking divisions at one time, they start asking what’s the difference. Then the next question will then be why don’t they combine some of those for bigger fields. The answer to that can get quite complicated.
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