Dirt on Dirt - $100,000 surprise: Terbo grabs Mansfield windfall

May 29

Mansfield Speedway,

Mansfield, OH

Sanction: World of Outlaws Late Model Series (Blaster 57 Special prelim) - $100,000

Information provided by: Kyle McFadden, series and track reports (last updated May 29, 11:40 pm)

$100,000 surprise: Terbo grabs Mansfield windfall

Blaster 57 Special prelim

Tyler Erb
Brandon Overton
Bobby Pierce
Josh Rice
Hudson O'Neal
Devin Moran
Nick Hoffman
Garrett Alberson
Ethan Dotson
Brandon Sheppard
Tim McCreadie
Drake Troutman
Trey Mills
Dennis Erb Jr.
Chris Madden
Rod Conley
Ryan Gustin
Daulton Wilson
Tristan Chamberlain
Ricky Thornton Jr.
Chris Ferguson
Dale McDowell
Dustin Sorensen
Dallon Murty
Kyle Moore
Max Blair

presented by

Photo slideshow Related story

Kyle McFadden/DirtonDirt

Tyler Erb in victory lane with Brenda and Dan Niss, who boosted the race purse to $100,000-to-win.

What won the race: After an unexpected pre-race announcement revealed that a local benefactor was pushing the feature winner’s purse to a blockbuster $100,000, Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, seized control at the start and paced the entire distance to capture Friday’s 40-lap Blaster 57 Special preliminary at Mansfield Speedway. The outside front-row starter turned back a late challenge from Brandon Overton to beat the Evans, Ga., driver by 0.551 of a second for his first World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory of the season and a career-high payday.

Key notes: The feature was slated to pay $12,000-to-win, but, with the starting field in the staging area, Mansfield announcer Robbie Devore told the crowd that the Niss family of Mansfield was pumping up the first-place prize to $100,000 “in celebration” of the track’s reopening after seven years. The increase pushed the prelim show’s payoff much higher than Saturday’s 75-lap, $57,000-to-win finale. … Erb fought off polesitter Ricky Thornton Jr. for the lead at the initial green flag and maintained a short but largely steady edge for the remainder of the distance en route to his fifth career WoO triumph. … Overton chased Erb from second for virtually the entire race; the only time he drew very close was on lap 37 exiting turn four, but he pushed and lost ground that he wasn’t able to regain. ...Bobby Pierce hustled forward from 10th to control third place by lap 22 and finished there. … Josh Rice broke into the top-five on lap 20 and finished fourth after changing an engine prior to the start of Friday's action when water was found in the oil. ... Hudson O'Neal briefly climbed as high as third at the halfway mark before settling for fifth. ... Thornton fell from third to fifth on lap 13 when he bounced in turn two and later pitted on lap 18. ... Five caution flags dotted the race contested on a choppy, dusty track surface that Mansfield officials reworked extensively after time trials. … Debris caused cautions on lap 17 and a lap-27 restart. … Tristan Chamberlain slowed his overheating car on lap 18 and again on lap 21. … Ryan Gustin triggered a lap-27 caution with right-rear tire trouble.

On the move: Trey Mills of St. Augustine, Fla., started 25th and finished 13th.

Winner's sponsors: Erb’s winning Best Performance Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by a Scott Bailey Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Langenfelder Mechanical Contractors, First Class Septic, Roberts Bee Company, Anthony’s Pizza, JRR Trucking, Paul Construction, Curtis & Son Companies, Coles County Speedway, Sani-Weld, Inc., Keyser Manufacturing, Integra Racing Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Behrent’s Performance, Midwest Sheet Metal, Race Ranch and KBC Graphix.

Points chase: After Mansfield Friday: 1. Bobby Pierce (3,637); 2. Nick Hoffman (3,615); 3. Tyler Erb (3,404); 4. Tim McCreadie (3,381); 5. Drake Troutman (3,376); 6. Ryan Gustin (3,345); 7. Ethan Dotson (3,300); 8. Daulton Wilson (3,286); 9. Dustin Sorensen (3,214); 10. Dennis Erb Jr. (3,151); 11. Trey Mills (3,143); 12. Tristan Chamberlain (2,950).

Current weather: Clear, 64°F

Car count: 46

Fast qualifier: Ethan Dotson

Time: 16.468 seconds

Polesitter: Ricky Thornton Jr.

Heat race winners: Ethan Dotson, Brandon Overton, Tyler Erb, Ricky Thornton Jr.

Consolation race winners: Daulton Wilson, Dallon Murty

Provisional starters: Ryan Gustin, Dustin Sorensen, Trey Mills, Tristan Chamberlain

Next series race: May 30, Mansfield Speedway (Mansfield, OH) $57,000

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

From staff reports

MANSFIELD, Ohio — Live updates and results from Friday’s Blaster 57 Special preliminary night, highlighted by a 40-lap, $100,000-to-win feature for World of Outlaws Series-sanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

After an unexpected pre-race announcement revealed that a local benefactor was pushing the feature winner’s purse to a blockbuster $100,000, Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, seized control at the start and paced the entire distance to capture Friday’s 40-lap Blaster 57 Special preliminary at Mansfield Speedway. The A-main’s outside polesitter turned back a late challenge from Brandon Overton to beat the Evans, Ga., driver by 0.551 of a second for his first World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory of the season and a career-high payday.

Feature lineup

(40 laps)

Row 1: Ricky Thornton Jr., Tyler Erb
Row 2: Ethan Dotson, Brandon Overton
Row 3: Chris Madden, Nick Hoffman
Row 4: Garrett Alberson, Drake Troutman
Row 5: Josh Rice, Bobby Pierce
Row 6: Hudson O'Neal, Chris Ferguson
Row 7: Devin Moran, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 8: Tim McCreadie, Dale McDowell
Row 9: Daulton Wilson, Dallon Murty
Row 10: Brandon Sheppard, Kyle Moore
Row 11: Max Blair, Rod Conley
Row 12: Ryan Gustin, Dustin Sorensen
Row 13: Trey Mills, Tristan Chamberlain

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top three transfer)

First consolation: Daulton Wilson, Brandon Sheppard, Max Blair, Eric Wilson, Michael Norris, Ryan Gustin, Logan Zarin, Trey Mills, Dustin Sorensen, Mason Zeigler. Scratched: Mike Marlar, Corey Conley, R.J. Conley, Steve Banal, Ron Hamlin.

Second consolation: Dallon Murty, Kyle Moore, Rod Conley, Tyler Wyant, Jon Lee, Matt Irey, Ryan Markham, Ryan Montgomery, Eli Johnson, Lincoln Smith, Larry Bellman, Tristan Chamberlain, Brock Pinkerous. Scratched: Matt Tifft, Brent Larson.

Heat race recap

Ethan Dotson fought off early challenges from Chris Madden and led the final seven laps in winning the first heat race by 1.633 seconds over Madden. Josh Rice started and finished third while fifth-starting Devin Moran claimed the fourth and final transfer spot into the night’s 40-lap main event. … Brandon Overton fired off from the outside front row and led all eight laps, winning the second heat by 1.280 seconds over polesitter Drake Troutman. Fourth-starting Hudson O’Neal finished third with Tim McCreadie hanging on for the final transfer position into the $12,000-to-win Blaster 57 Special preliminary feature. … Tyler Erb earned a flag-to-flag victory in winning the night’s third heat race, taking the checkers 0.873 of a second ahead of Garrett Alberson, who trailed Erb all eight laps. Bobby Pierce and Dennis Erb Jr. both held serve in finishing third and fourth. … Second-starting Ricky Thornton Jr. controlled all eight laps in winning the fourth and final heat race by 1.269 seconds over polesitter Nick Hoffman, who remained hot on Thornton’s heels the entire way. Chris Ferguson and Dale McDowell rounded out the top-four finishers.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top four transfer)

First heat: Ethan Dotson, Chris Madden, Josh Rice, Devin Moran, Daulton Wilson, Brandon Sheppard, Michael Norris, Dustin Sorensen, Mason Zeigler, Logan Zarin, R.J. Conley. Scratched: Ron Hamlin.

Second heat: Brandon Overton, Drake Troutman, Hudson O'Neal, Tim McCreaadie, Eric Wilson, Max Blair, Mike Marlar, Ryan Gustin, Trey Mills, Corey Conley. Scratched: Steve Banal.

Third heat: Tyler Erb, Garrett Alberson, Bobby Pierce, Dennis Erb Jr., Dallon Murty, Eli Johnson, Kyle Moore, Lincoln Smith, Matt Irey, Tyler Wyant, Ryan Montgomery, Larry Bellman.

Fourth heat: Ricky Thornton Jr., Nick Hoffman, Chris Ferguson, Dale McDowell, Tristan Chamberlain, Brock Pinkerous, Jon Lee, Rod Conley, Ryan Markham, Matt Tifft, Brent Larson.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 16.468
2. Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., 16.558
3. Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C., 16.647
4. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 16.709
5. Josh Rice (11), Crittenden, Ky., 16.712
6. Tim McCreadie (9m), Watertown, N.Y., 16.742
7. Daulton Wilson (58v), Fayetteville, N.C., 16.769
8. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 16.838
9. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 16.864
10. Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 16.885
11. Brandon Sheppard (1s), New Berlin, Ill., 16.889
12. Eric Wilson (27w), Cortland, Ohio, 16.890
13. Mason Zeigler (25z), Chalk Hill, Pa., 16.920
14. Trey Mills (14), St. Augustine, Fla., 16.950
15. Michael Norris (1n), Sarver, Pa., 16.958
16. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 16.967
17. Dustin Sorensen (19), Rochester, Minn., 16.970
18. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 17.017
19. R.J. Conley (71c), Wheelersburg, Ohio, 17.108
20. Steve Banal (8B), Lincolnton, N.C., 17.114
21. Logan Zarin (1z), Moon Township, Pa., 17.166
22. Corey Conley (14c), Wellsburg, W.Va., 17.312
23. Ron Hamlin (33), Lakeville, Ohio, no time
Group B
1. Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 16.570
2. Nick Hoffman (9), Mooresville, N.C., 16.614
3. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 16.652
4. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 16.678
5. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 16.711
6. Chris Ferguson (22), Mount Holly, N.C., 16.952
7. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 16.989
8. Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 16.992
9. Kyle Moore (1*), Mansfield, Ohio, 17.001
10. Brock Pinkerous (555), Ellenville, N.Y., 17.014
11. Dallon Murty (13), Chelsea, Iowa, 17.101
12. Tristan Chamberlain (20tc), Richmond, Ind., 17.110
13. Lincoln Smith (31), Belmont, Ohio, 17.206
14. Brent Larson (B1), Lake Elmo, Minn., 17.246
15. Eli Johnson (55E), Clewiston, Fla., 17.318
16. Jon Lee (5L), Summerville, Pa., 17.383
17. Matt Irey (36), Ashland, Ohio, 17.393
18. Rod Conley (71R), Wheelersburg, Ohio, 17.452
19. Tyler Wyant (24), Oil City, Pa., 17.707
20. Ryan Markham (5m), Ashland, Ohio, 17.757
21. Larry Bellman (59), Wooster, Ohio, 17.832
22. Matt Tifft (5mt), Cleveland, Ohio, no time
23. Ryan Montgomery (12), Fairmont, W.Va., no time

Friday’s schedule

(All times local)
1 p.m. - Pits open
2 p.m. - Grandstands open (presale ticketholders)
3 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)
Intermission/WoO redraw
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (40 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)