Dirt on Dirt - La Salle upset gives Georgian first Hell Tour win

July 3

La Salle Speedway,

La Salle, IL

Sanction: DIRTcar Summer Nationals (Freedom 40) - $5,000

Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated July 4, 8:22 am)

La Salle upset gives Georgian first Hell Tour win

Freedom 40

Tyler Millwood
Jason Feger
Shannon Babb
Dillon McCowan
Kyle Hammer
Christian Hanger
Rodney Melvin
Mark Whitener
Carson Brown
Mike Harrison
Jackson Hise
Thomas Hunziker
Clay Stuckey
Brenden Smith
Rich Bell
Mike Lofgren
Haiden Cowan
Trey Mills
Eli Johnson
Tyler Erb
Dale Markham
Jadon Frame

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Tyler Millwood of Kingston, Ga., takes the checkers for his first DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory.

What won the race: Powering around leader Jason Feger as he was mired in lapped traffic, 10th-starting Tyler Millwood of Kingston, Ga., paced the final five laps to win Thursday's $5,000 Freedom 40 feature at La Salle Speedway. Millwood beat Feger to the checkers by 1.422 seconds for his first career DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory

Quotable: “I don't know about y'all, but this is a bad-ass race from where I was watching," Millwood said. "I gotta thank everybody at the track here for putting on a good show.”

Key notes: Millwood secured his first special event victory since Aug. 19, 2023, a $5,000 Ultimate Southeast Series payday at Rome (Ga.) Speedway (his previous victory came in a Limited Late Model1 event April 6, 2024, at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga.). ... Jason Feger led twice for 34 laps (1-11, 13-35) before making contact with Haiden Cowan on lap 34, allowing Millwood to get a nose outside; Millwood took control a couple laps later and pulled away in the closing laps. ... Cowan retired after the contact with Feger. ... Sixth-starting Shannon Babb briefly held second on lap 19 before Millwood overtook him on a lap-20 restart; Babb settled for third. ... Polesitter Dillon McCowan slipped to fourth. ... Kyle Hammer climbed nine spots and completed the top five aboard Steve Sheppard's No. 5s Rocket. ... Mark Whitener gained 10 spots and finished eighth. ... Tyler Erb charged by Feger momentarily to lead lap 12 before relinquishing the top spot in turn one of the 13th lap; Erb, gunning for his third straight series victory, retired from third on a lap-20 restart attempt after apparent engine failure. He was credited with 20th. ... Trey Mills slowed from sixth to trigger the initial lap-20 yellow. ... Seventh-running Eli Johnson slowed with heavy left front damage for the first slowdown on lap 17. He and Mills both retired on the 28th lap. ... The Freedom 40 lasted just shy of 20 minutes, with 14 starters completing the distance.

On the move: Christian Hanger of Winchester, Tenn., started 19th and finished sixth.

Winner's sponsors: Millwood’s Rocket Chassis is powered by an Andy Durham Racing Engine and sponsored by Millwood Plumbing, Amcon Industrial Contractors, Machine Construction Company, One Source Paint & Body, Tarpon Solutions, Competition Racing Equipment, Penske Racing Shocks and TylerMillwood.com.

Points chase: Week 4 after La Salle: 1. Jason Feger (200); 2. Tyler Millwood (197); 3. Tyler Erb (196); 4. Mark Whitener (186); 5. Christian Hanger (159). Overall after La Salle: 1. Jason Feger (1,135); 2. Tyler Erb (1,073); 3. Dillon McCowan (896); 4. Mark Whitener (842); 5. Tyler Millwood (798).

Current weather: Clear, 81°F

Car count: 35

Fast qualifier: Carson Brown

Time: 13.276 seconds

Polesitter: Dillon McCowan

Heat race winners: Trey Mills, Tyler Erb, Dillon McCowan, Jason Feger

Consolation race winners: Rich Bell

Provisional starters: Christian Hanger, Thomas Hunziker, Dale Markham, Brenden Smith

Next series race: July 4, Red Hill Raceway (Sumner, IL) $10,000

Editor's note: Corrects feature length to 40 laps (sted 30).

From staff reports

La SALLE, Ill. — Updates from Thursday’s 19th round of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals at La Salle Speedway, an event highlighted by a 40-lap, $5,000-to-win feature for DIRTcar Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Powering around leader Jason Feger as he was mired in lapped traffic, 10th-starting Tyler Millwood of Kingston, Ga., led the final five laps to win Thursday's $5,000 Freedom 40 feature at La Salle Speedway. Millwood beat Feger to the checkers by 1.422 seconds for his first career DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory and his first win of any kind since April 6, 2024, topping a local Limited Late Model field at Dixie (Ga.) Speedway.

Feature lineup

(40 laps)

Row 1: Dillon McCowan, Jason Feger
Row 2: Trey Mills, Tyler Erb
Row 3: Haiden Cowan, Shannon Babb
Row 4: Jackson Hise, Jadon Frame
Row 5: Carson Brown, Tyler Millwood
Row 6: Mike Harrison, Rodney Melvin
Row 7: Eli Johnson, Kyle Hammer
Row 8: Clay Stuckey, Mike Lofgren
Row 9: Rich Bell, Mark Whitener
Row 10: Christian Hanger, Thomas Hunziker
Row 11: Dale Markham, Brenden Smith

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top two transfer)

B-main: Rich Bell, Mark Whitener, Neil Baggett, Thomas Hunziker, Brenden Smith, Dale Markham, Andy Clark, Jacob Kolwcyk, Brody Smith, Dylan Thornton, Lyle Zanker, Sean Mattingly, Jeremy Spoonmore, Collin Rutledge, Greg Wagner, Brian Rickman. Scratched: Cam Harris, Mike Provenzano, Christian Hanger.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top four transfer)

First heat: Trey Mills, Haiden Cowan, Carson Brown, Eli Johnson, Neil Baggett, Dale Markham, Mark Whitener, Lyle Zanker, Mike Provenzano.

Second heat: Tyler Erb, Jackson Hise, Mike Harrison, Clay Stuckey, Brian Rickman, Dylan Thornton, Brenden Smith, Jacob Kolwyck, Christian Hanger.

Third heat: Dillon McCowan, Shannon Babb, Tyler Millwood, Kyle Hammer, Rich Bell, Thomas Hunziker, Brody Smith, Collin Rutledge, Greg Wagner.

Fourth heat: Jason Feger, Jadon Frame, Rodney Melvin, Mike Lofgren, Cam Harris, Andy Clark, Sean Mattingly, Jeremy Spoonmore.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Carson Brown (28B), New London, N.C, 13.276
2. Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 13.432
3. Haiden Cowan (14), Rincon, Ga., 13.457
4. Jackson Hise (388), Ocala, Fla., 13.544
5. Trey Mills (14jr), St. Augustine, Fla., 13.692
6. Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 13.743
7. Eli Johnson (55), Clewiston, Fla., 13.780
8. Christian Hanger (29), Winchester, Tenn., 13.853
9. Dale Markham (3), Maple Park, Ill., 13.859
10. Clay Stuckey (15), Shreveport, La., 13.897
11. Mike Provenzano (m27), Marseilles, Ill., 13.963
12. Dylan Thornton (13), Orcutt, Calif., 14.007
13. Neil Baggett (21xxx), Columbus, Miss., 14.008
14. Mike Harrison (33), Highland, Ill., 14.031
15. Mark Whitener (5), Middleburg, Fla., 14.041
16. Brian Rickman (90), Columbus, Miss., 14.109
17. Lyle Zanker (9), Rockford, Ill., 14.344
18. Jacob Kolwyck (21k), Griffith, Ind., 14.705
Group B
1. Dillon McCowan (75), Urbana, Mo., 13.593
2. Jason Feger (25F), Bloomington, Ill., 13.665
3. Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 13.691
4. Rodney Melvin (27m), Benton, Ill., 13.736
5. Tyler Millwood (31m), Kingston, Ga., 13.815
6. Jadon Frame (81F), Winchester, Tenn., 14.100
7. Kyle Hammer (5s), Clinton, Ill., 14.182
8. Sean Mattingly (22m), Cortland, Ill., 14.190
9. Thomas Hunziker (38), Bend, Ore., 14.201
10. Andy Clark (17), Mackinaw, Ill., 14.263
11. Rich Bell (21B), Sheffield, Ill., 14.292
12. Cam Harris (32xxx), Columbus, Miss., 14.342
13. Brody Smith (17sr), Dade City, Fla., 14.419
14. Jeremy Spoonmore (22), Leland, Ill., 14.445
15. Collin Rutledge (33R), Princeton, Ill., 14.830
16. Mike Lofgren (55x), Lombard, Ill., 14.858
17. Greg Wagner (79w), Polo, Ill., 15.206

Thursday’s schedule

(All times local)
Noon - Pits open
4 p.m. - Grandstands open
6 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified group qualifying
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Late Model B-main (10 laps)
- Modified consolation (8 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Late Model feature (40 laps)
- Modified feature (25 laps)