Dirt on Dirt - Red-hot Overton wins fourth consecutive start

February 9

Volusia Speedway Park,

Barberville, FL

Sanction: DIRTcar Supers (Federated DIRTcar Nationals) - $7,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac and track reports (last updated February 10, 12:45 am)

Red-hot Overton wins fourth consecutive start

Federated DIRTcar Nationals

Brandon Overton
Cody Overton
Devin Moran
Max Blair
Nick Hoffman
Hudson O'Neal
Bobby Pierce
Tyler Bruening
Tyler Erb
Tim McCreadie
Dennis Erb Jr.
Ryan Gustin
Drake Troutman
Mark Whitener
Brandon Sheppard
Chris Madden
Trey Mills
Chase Junghans
Jackson Hise
Daulton Wilson
Sam Seawright
Dallon Murty
Ricky Thornton Jr.
Cade Dillard

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Photo slideshow Race history

Josh James/joshjamesartwork.com

Brandon Overton celebrates his fourth straight Speedweeks victory.

What won the race: Racing back past Cade Dillard at the completion of the second lap, polesitter Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., led the rest of Monday's 25-lap Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals opener at Volusia Speedway Park. Overton beat his younger brother, Cody, to the line by 3.098 seconds for the $7,000 DIRTcar Super Late Model victory and his fourth straight Georgia-Florida Speedweeks triumph.

Quotable: “I’m so glad I won, I’m so sick of hearing this s--- about I don’t race against nobody,” Overton said. “There’s no slouches anymore. You race a Super Late Model, no matter where we go in the country, there’s somebody there that’s fast. You couldn’t have scripted it any better. The only bad thing about winning is losing, you get a little taste and you want to win and when you lose, damn it sucks.”

Key notes: The elder Overton led the final 24 laps for his 19th career Speedweeks victory, moving him into sole possession of ninth on the all-time wins list. ... He's earned more than $52,000 in his last four starts. ... Cody Overton overcame transmission issues in time trials and held off 12th-starting Devin Moran on the final lap to take second. It's the second 1-2 Overton finish of the season (Brandon beat Cody on Jan. 30 at Needmore). ... Max Blair passed Nick Hoffman for fourth with three laps to go; Hoffman ran as high as second before slipping to fifth. ... Tyler Erb made a seventh-to-fourth move on a lap-13 restart before fading to finish ninth. ... Mark Whitener climbed five positions to finish 14th after winning the night's first consolation while trailing heavy smoke from a small fire caused by a fuel leak. ... Chris Madden slowed with a flat left-rear tire on the 13th lap to bring out the first caution; he rebounded to finish 16th after pitting. ... Second-starting Cade Dillard led the opening lap before eventually slipping to 11th and slowing for the race's final stoppage on lap 18. ... Ricky Thornton Jr. retired under green on the 24th lap. ... Brian Shirley scratched after losing an engine in hot laps; it's his second motor lost in four days including Feb. 6's Winter Freeze opener at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga. ... Blair Nothdurft scratched after a mechanical failure in time trials. ... The DIRTcar Nationals continues Tuesday with an identical 25-lap, $7,000-to-win DIRTcar-sanctioned program.

On the move: Hudson O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., started 17th and finished sixth.

Winner's sponsors: Overton’s Riggs Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is sponsored by Budweiser, Dude Wipes, Heartbeat Hot Sauce, Garnto Southern, Riggs Fiber, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Big Dog Stump & Tree Service, RW Powell Construction, ERG Roofing, Harco Construction, Supply Chain Management, Muscle Factory, VG Performance, Bilstein Shocks, VP Racing Fuels, Boswell Oil and Nightowl Design.

Points chase: DIRTcar Nationals after Monday: 1. Brandon Overton (80); 2. Cody Overton (75); 3. Devin Moran (70); 4. Max Blair (65); 5. Nick Hoffman (60); 6. Hudson O’Neal (55); 7. Bobby Pierce (53); 8. Tyler Bruening (51); 9. Tyler Erb (49); 10. Tim McCreadie (47).

Current weather: Few Clouds, 55°F

Car count: 56

Fast qualifier: Brandon Overton

Time: 15.853 seconds

Polesitter: Brandon Overton

Heat race winners: Brandon Overton, Cade Dillard, Cody Overton, Nick Hoffman, Tyler Erb, Drake Troutman

Consolation race winners: Mark Whitener, Sam Seawright, Chase Junghans

Next series race: February 10, Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, FL) $7,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Updates and results from Monday’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals opener, featuring a 25-lap, $7,000-to-win main event for DIRTcar-sanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Racing back past Cade Dillard at the completion of the second lap, polesitter Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., led the rest of Monday's 25-lap Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals opener at Volusia Speedway Park. Overton beat his younger brother, Cody, to the line by 3.098 seconds for the $7,000 DIRTcar Super Late Model victory and his fourth straight Georgia-Florida Speedweeks triumph.

Feature lineup

(25 laps)

Row 1: Brandon Overton, Cade Dillard
Row 2: Cody Overton, Nick Hoffman
Row 3: Tyler Erb, Drake Troutman
Row 4: Max Blair, Tyler Bruening
Row 5: Bobby Pierce, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 6: Chris Madden, Devin Moran
Row 7: Ryan Gustin, Dallon Murty
Row 8: Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandon Sheppard
Row 9: Hudson O'Neal, Tim McCreadie
Row 10: Mark Whitener, Sam Seawright
Row 11: Chase Junghans, Trey Mills
Row 12: Jackson Hise, Daulton Wilson

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top two transfer)

First consolation: Mark Whitener, Trey Mills, Jake Timm, Josh Rice, Tyler Wyant, Frank Heckenast Jr., Brent Larson, Evan Koehler, Stacy Boles, Eli Johnson, Glenn Styres, Reid Millard. Scratched: Brian Shirley

Second consolation: Sam Seawright, Jackson Hise, Luke Morey, Tyler Millwood, Kyle Bronson, Austin Smith, Jason Riggs, Kyle Strickler, Michael Leach, Boom Briggs, Brenden Smith. Scratched: Todd Morrow, Blair Nothdurft.

Third consolation: Chase Junghans, Daulton Wilson, Dustin Sorensen, Tristan Chamberlain, Preston Luckman, Dan Ebert, Ross Robinson, Logan Zarin, Jordan Koehler, Matthew Larson, John Garvin Jr. Scratched: Austin Howes.

Heat race recap

Brandon Overton led all eight laps from the pole in winning the night’s first heat race by 3.053 seconds ahead of second-starting Max Blair, who trailed him the entire distance. Ryan Gustin started and finished third for the third and final transfer spot into Monday’s 25-lap feature. … Cade Dillard cruised to a flag-to-flag victory in the second heat, winning by 2.632 seconds over Tyler Bruening, who trailed him all the way. Dallon Murty held third for all eight laps in securing his position in the $7,000-to-win DIRTcar Nationals opener. … Cody Overton dominated the third heat, leading largely unchallenged and beating Bobby Pierce by 2.434 seconds. Fourth-starting Ricky Thornton Jr. finished third after getting the early jump on third-starting Austin Smith, who slipped to finish seventh. Sam Seawright climbed from seventh to fourth, just missing a guaranteed spot in the night’s main event; he’ll need to qualify through a consolation race. … Nick Hoffman stormed to a flag-to-flag triumph in the night’s fourth heat, taking the checkers a distant 5.901 seconds ahead of fourth-starting Dennis Erb Jr., who held the runner-up spot all eight laps. Brandon Sheppard slipped as low as fourth on the first lap before grabbing the third and final transfer spot. … Tyler Erb sped to a commanding victory in the fifth heat, crossing the line 1.557 seconds ahead of second-starting Chris Madden, who trailed him all eight circuits. Sixth-starting Hudson O’Neal charged to grab the third and final transfer from Chase Junghans on the final lap, relegating Junghans to fourth. … Drake Troutman controlled all eight laps to win the sixth and final heat race, making polesitters 6-for-6 in the night’s prelims. Troutman took the checkers 1.537 seconds ahead of Devin Moran, who trailed him all the way, with fifth-starting Tim McCreadie joining them in punching his ticket into the main event. … All six heats were completed without incident and combined for 16 minutes of on-track time.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top three transfer)

First heat: Brandon Overton, Max Blair, Ryan Gustin, Jake Timm, Josh Rice, Stacy Boles, Eli Johnson, Glenn Styres, Reid Millard. Scratched: Brian Shirley.

Second heat: Cade Dillard, Tyler Bruening, Dallon Murty, Mark Whitener, Trey Mills, Frank Heckenast Jr., Brent Larson, Tyler Wyant, Evan Koehler.

Third heat: Cody Overton, Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton Jr., Sam Seawright, Jackson Hise, Michael Leach, Austin Smith, Brenden Smith. Scratched: Todd Morrow.

Fourth heat: Nick Hoffman, Dennis Erb Jr., Brandon Sheppard, Luke Morey, Jason Riggs, Tyler Millwood, Kyle Strickler, Kyle Bronson, Boom Briggs. Scratched: Blair Nothdurft.

Fifth heat: Tyler Erb, Chris Madden, Hudson O'Neal, Chase Junghans, Daulton Wilson, Jordan Koehler, Ross Robinson, Matthew Larson, John Garvin Jr.

Sixth heat: Drake Troutman, Devin Moran, Tim McCreadie, Dustin Sorensen, Preston Luckman, Dan Ebert, Logan Zarin, Tristan Chamberlain, Austin Howes.

Time trials

First group
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 15.853
2. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 15.980
3. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 16.091
4. Stacy Boles (11B), Clinton, Tenn., 16.332
5. Jake Timm (49), Winona, Minn., 16.364
6. Josh Rice (11R), Crittenden, Ky., 16.487
7. Glenn Styres (0), Ohsweken, Ontario, 16.825
8. Eli Johnson (55E), Clewiston, Fla., 17.147
9. Reid Millard (14R), Jefferson City, Mo., 18.340
10. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., no time
Second group
1. Cade Dillard (97D), Robeline, La., 16.003
2. Tyler Bruening (16), Decorah, Iowa, 16.239
3. Dallon Murty (13), Chelsea, Iowa, 16.256
4. Evan Koehler (114k), Mount Airy, N.C., 16.353
5. Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 16.370
6. Tyler Wyant (24), Oil City, Pa., 16.370
7. Mark Whitener (5), Middleburg, Fla., 16.377
8. Trey Mills (14), St. Augustine, Fla., 16.617
9. Brent Larson (B1), Lake Elmo, Minn., 16.617
Third group
1. Cody Overton (97), Evans, Ga., 16.006
2. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 16.136
3. Austin Smith (11), Cedartown, Ga., 16.256
4. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 16.280
5. Michael Leach (09), Sun River, Mont., 16.300
6. Brenden Smith (19m), Dade City, Fla., 16.455
7. Sam Seawright (16s), Rainsville, Ala., 16.578
8. Jackson Hise (388), Ocala, Fla., 16.673
9. Todd Morrow (T1), Penton, Ala., no time
Fourth group
1. Nick Hoffman (9), Mooresville, N.C., 15.990
2. Luke Morey (49m), Zeeland, Mich., 16.258
3. Brandon Sheppard (1s), New Berlin, Ill., 16.266
4. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 16.297
5. Kyle Strickler (8s), Mooresville, N.C., 16.439
6. Jason Riggs (81), College Grove, Tenn., 16.514
7. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 16.721
8. Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 16.843
9. Tyler Millwood (31), Kingston, Ga., 17.474
10. Blair Nothdurft (76n), Renner, S.D., 17.965
Fifth group
1. Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 16.089
2. Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C., 16.123
3. Daulton Wilson (58v), Fayetteville, N.C., 16.380
4. Chase Junghans (18), Manhattan, Kan., 16.390
5. Jordan Koehler (114), Mount Airy, N.C., 16.493
6. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 16.568
7. Matthew Larson (8), Lake Elmo, Minn., 16.763
8. John Garvin Jr. (J4), Sarver, Pa., 16.875
9. Ross Robinson (7), Georgetown, Del., 16.914
Sixth group
1. Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., 16.314
2. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 16.475
3. Dustin Sorensen (19), Rochester, Minn., 16.513
4. Tristan Chamberlain (20tc), Richmond, Ind., 16.549
5. Tim McCreadie (9m), Watertown, N.Y., 16.753
6. Logan Zarin (1z), Moon Township, Pa., 16.846
7. Preston Luckman (77), Coos Bay, Ore., 16.978
8. Dan Ebert (60), Lake Shore, Minn., 17.010
9. Austin Howes (17), Lewistown, Mo., no time

Monday’s schedule

(All times local)
8 a.m. - Pits open
10 a.m. - Hauler parking and load-in
1 p.m. - Ticket and pit pass sales open
3 p.m. - Pits closed and cleared
3:15 p.m. - Competitor registration opens
3:45 p.m. - Grandstands, midway closed and cleared
4 p.m. - Grandstands open
4:45 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting (WoO command center)
5:20 p.m. - Sprint car engine heat
5:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Sprint car hot laps
- Sprint car time trials (2 laps)
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Sprint car heats (8 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Consolation races
- Sprint cars (12 laps)
- Late Models (10 laps)
Feature events
- Sprint cars (25 laps)
- Late Models (25 laps)