Tyler Erb stayed hot with a win in Brownstown
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series completed the second of three nights at the Brownstown Speedway on Friday night with the ‘Night Before the Jackson’. It was Tyler Erb who came away as the victor from the Indiana track after a hard nosed, caution-filled night of racing in an event shown live by MavTV Plus. The Rocket Chassis driver from New Waverly, Texas earned $10,000 for his efforts after having won twice while at the Knoxville Raceway last week.
A total of 40 cars were signed in for competition.
Mike Marlar was fastest in Group A qualifying with a mark of 13.385 seconds around the quarter-mile clay oval beating out Hudson O’Neal, Ricky Thornton Jr., Billy Moyer Jr. and Scott James.
Josh Rice was quickest in Group B time-trials with a lap of 13.653 Jimmy Owens, Tyler Erb, Devin Gilpin and Stormy Scott.
Scott James earned the pole for the feature when he won the first heat race of the night over Tim McCreadie, Tanner English and Shane Clanton then Hudson O’Neal topped Brandon Sheppard, Billy Moyer Jr. and Ashton Winger in the second preliminary.
Josh Rice would start the main event from the outside of the front row after he bested Tyler Erb, Earl Pearson Jr. and Shelby Miles in the third heat just before Jimmy Owens outran Devin Gilpin, Johnny Scott and Devin Moran in the fourth and final heat.
Mike Marlar and Stormy Scott won the two B-main races of the night.
When the 40-lap feature took the green it was James and Rice who would go side-by-side for the first two laps with O’Neal, Owens and McCreadie trailing. However, a caution for the slowing car of Spence Hughes would slow the action after two circuits.
On the restart, McCreadie came up to fourth and Tyler Erb made his way to fifth but another caution would be displayed two laps later for the slowing car of Bronson. On that restart, contact with Erb sent O’Neal for a spin to bring out another yellow flag.
In a race that was having trouble finding a rhythm, a caution came out on lap 6 when Justin Ratliff lost a drive shaft. At the time, Rice led Erb, James, McCreadie and Owens. On the restart, Erb bolted to second while Owens moved around James for third one lap later. In the meantime, Gilpin had made his way into the top-5.
Erb and Rice began a fight for the lead on lap 11 and would carry on for two laps before Erb would assume the top spot. However, Rice would fight back on lap 17 as he moved to the outside of Erb. On lap 17, Rice went back to the lead.
Thursday night winner Sheppard moved up to challenge McCreadie for a top-5 spot on lap 22 while the lead machine of Rice began to encounter slower traffic. But a lap 26 yellow flag for James again slowed the action on lap 26.
After the action resumed, Erb and Rice again battled for the lead until Rice slowed with a flat tire on lap 29.
On the lap 29 restart, Gilpin and Owens came in contact with each other multiple times before the two finally crashed hard enough to end both of their nights. After that action, Erb led McCreadie, English, Sheppard and Pearson.
Caution flags continued to wave over the closing laps as drivers behind Erb jockeyed for position. But in the end, Tyler Erb sailed under the checkered flag to claim victory.
It was his first win at Brownstown and the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series leading seventh victory of 2021.
Feature Finish: 1. Tyler Erb, 2. Tim McCreadie, 3. Brandon Sheppard, 4. Devin Moran, 5. Tanner English, 6. Earl Pearson Jr., 7. Billy Moyer Jr., 8. Steve Casebolt, 9. Josh Rice, 10. Shane Clanton, 11. Dennis Erb Jr., 12. Josh Richards, 13. Stormy Scott, 14. Ricky Thornton Jr., 15. Hudson O’Neal, 16. Ashton Winger, 17. Jimmy Owens, 18. Devin Gilpin, 19. Scott James, 20. Skyller Lewis, 21. Johnny Scott, 22. Mike Marlar, 23. Jason Ratliff, 24. Kyle Bronson, 25. Matt Cosner, 26. Spencer Hughes
Please consider also reading “Here’s why Las Vegas may be the most important race in the NASCAR Playoffs“
