ROSSBURG, Ohio — Updates and results from Thursday’s Dirt Late Model Dream XXXII first qualifying night at Eldora Speedway, highlighted by a 50-lap, $30,000-to-win main event for DIRTcar Super Late Models at (results unofficial):
Consolation race results
(12 laps; top three transfer)
First consolation: Dalton Cook, K.C. Burdette, Seth Daniels, Rod Conley, Ryan Johnson, Mario Gresham, Greg Williams, Tim Lance. Scratched: Chris Madden, Dustin Nobbe, Benji Hicks, Mike Spatola.
Second consolation: Dillon McCowan, Justin Duty, Dan Eberts, Carson Ferguson, Shannon Babb, Carson Hocevar, Lane Snook, Jerry Bowersock, Brody Smith, Jeff Roth, Ryan Payne. Scratched: Mike Hildebrand.
Heat race recap
Josh Rice led all the way in the first heat, finishing ahead 2.75 seconds ahead of Group A fast qualifier Sam Seawright in the nonstop heat. ... Eli Johnson got the first heat's fifth and final transfer spot by a hair over Chris Madden, who tangled with Johnson earlier in the heat. ... The second heat had a lap-second yellow when Tyler Erb spun in turn two battling for the point with Ethan Dotson (Dotson apologized for the contact after winning the heat). Two laps later, Erb tangled with Benji Hicks, who smashed the turn-two wall, collecting Greg Williams. ... Dotson won the second heat over Tim McCreadie while Erb salvaged a fourth-place finish (Dalton Cook was sixth after missing time trials because he got a hole in his radiator in hot laps). ... In the third heat, Eldora rookie Dallon Murty led all the way after the Skyline Motorsports team (with an assist from others) had to change the right-front suspension and put new headers on his car after hitting the wall in time trials. Devin Moran finished second with ninth-starting Ricky Thornton Jr. third. ... Carson Hocevar slowed on the eighth lap for the lone heat-three caution. ... In the final heat, Garrett Alberson led all the way after Hudson O'Neal and Mark Whitener touched on the first lap. O'Neal ended up second and Whitener slipped to fifth.
Heat race results
(10 ltops; top five transfer)
First heat: Josh Rice, Sam Seawright, Bobby Pierce, Dennis Erb Jr., Eli Johnson, Chris Madden, Mario Gresham, Seth Daniels, Tim Lance, Ryan Johnson. Scratched: Mike Spatola.
Second heat: Ethan Dotson, Tim McCreadie, Chris Ferguson, Tyler Erb, Jackson Hise, Dalton Cook, K.C. Burdette, Rod Conley, Dustin Nobbe, Benji Hicks, Greg Williams.
Third heat: Dallon Murty, Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton Jr., Jake O'Neil, Shane Clanton, Dillon McCowan, Carson Ferguson, Shannon Babb, Carson Hocevar, Dan Ebert, Ryan Payne.
Fourth heat: Garrett Alberson, Hudson O'Neal, Kyle Bronson, Michael Leach, Mark Whitener, Justin Duty, Brody Smith, Mike Hildebrand, Jerry Bowersock, Lane Snook, Jeff Roth.
Pre-qualifying notes
The first of two Dream XXXII preliminary programs is being run on another spectacular day with sunny skies and an afternoon high in the low 80s. The forecast remains promising for Friday’s second preliminary show but officials are watching the forecast for Saturday’s finale with a chance of rain entering the equation. … With only half the field in action tonight hot laps were pushed back roughly 15 minutes from the original start time of 6:30 p.m. … Dale McDowell makes his prelim run on Friday so he’s joining announcers James Essex and Dustin Jarrett in the booth as a color commentator for tonight’s FloRacing broadcast. … Coming off a DNQ in Wednesday’s FloRacing Night in America event because of a busted oil pump belt while leading the B-main, Bobby Pierce changed the engine in the new Longhorn machine he debuted last night. … Ricky Thornton Jr. has regrouped for this evening’s prelim competition after scratching from Wednesday’s consolation because he “really struggled to comfortable.” … Sam Seawright debuted a new Coltman Farms Racing Longhorn Chassis on Wednesday but had the machine sidelined for the rest of the weekend after being involved in a B-main accident that sent the rear end of the car into the outside wall between turns three and four. Damage to the car’s rear clip prompted him to pull out his backup vehicle, a car that was new at the beginning of the 2026 season. … Kyle Bronson led the first 16 laps of Wednesday’s 50-lap FloRacing tour feature before steadily fading through the remainder of the caution-free race and finishing one lap down in 11th place. What went wrong? He said he apparently “just went too hard early,” wearing out both of his car’s rear tires and causing him to tumble from contention. … After struggling on Wednesday and missing a transfer spot by seven positions in a B-main, Shannon Babb is getting a little help from a friend. Eldora dominator Jonathan Davenport makes his prelim start on Friday, so the Georgia superstar and his Double L Motorsport crew are turning wrenches on Babb’s Longhorn Chassis tonight. Babb’s hauler is parked in the upper pit area but he’s moved his car into the infield to work out of Davenport’s trailer. … Jackson Hise’s night started in frustrating fashion: as he was slowly rolling around the half-mile oval before taking the green flag for hot laps, his car’s left-front wheel came off on the backstretch. He limped into the pits and he crew quickly put a tire and wheel back on, allowing him to turn some practice circuits despite experiencing the mishap. ... A crewman for Mike Spatola handed in his scoring transponder in the media center following hot laps, withdrawing for further competition this weekend after the Illinois driver was unable to even get his car on the track for practice circuits. Spatola was plagued by pesky mechanical trouble from the start of Wednesday's action and decided to head home to decipher the problem before entering upcoming DIRTcar Summer Nationals events.
Time trials
Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
- Sam Seawright (16), Rainsville, Ala., 14.972
- Chris Ferguson (22), Mount Holly, N.C., 15.140
- Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 15.141
- Tyler Erb (51), New Waverly, Texas, 15.157
- Josh Rice (11), Crittenden, Ky., 15.179
- Tim McCreadie (9), Watertown, N.Y., 15.247
- Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 15.252
- Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 15.253
- Ryan Johnson (7j), Aurora, Mo., 15.296
- Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C., 15.299
- Jackson Hise (388), Ocala, Fla., 15.385
- Tim Lance (48), Brimfield, Ill., 15.401
- Dustin Nobbe (5N), Batesville, Ind., 15.501
- Eli Johnson (55), Clewiston, Fla., 15.525
- Benji Hicks (55), Mount Airy, N.C., 15.651
- Mario Gresham (21), Rome, Ga., 15.745
- K.C. Burdette (13), Parkersburg, W.Va., 15.773
- Seth Daniels (S21), Jackson, Ohio, 15.788
- Rod Conley (71r), Wheelersburg, Ohio, 15.869
- Greg Williams (17), Haubstadt, Ind., 16.087
- Mike Spatola (89), Manhattan, Ill., no time
- Dalton Cook (44D), Smiths Station, Ala., no time
Group B
- Dan Ebert (60), Lake Shore, Minn., 14.964
- Michael Leach (09), Sun River, Mont., 15.052
- Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 15.160
- Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 15.174
- Dallon Murty (13), Chelsea, Iowa, 15.191
- Jake O’Neil (0), Tucson, Ariz., 15.213
- Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 15.240
- Mark Whitener (5), Middleburg, Fla., 15.388
- Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 15.428
- Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 15.476
- Carson Ferguson (93), Lincolnton, N.C., 15.492
- Brody Smith (17sr), Dade City, Fla., 15.543
- Shane Clanton (25), Zebulon, Ga., 15.599
- Justin Duty (15), Molalla, Ore., 15.620
- Dillon McCowan (8), Urbana, Ill., 15.644
- Jerry Bowersock (95j), Wapakoneta, Ohio, 15.715
- Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 15.884
- Lane Snook (15L), Port Royal, Pa., 15.898
- Carson Hocevar (77), Portage, Mich., 15.965
- Mike Hildebrand (39), Goshen, Ohio, 16.059
- Ryan Payne (12r), Pennsboro, W.Va., 16.065
- Jeff Roth (14r), Bentonville, Ark., 17.232
Thursday’s schedule
(All times local)
11 a.m. - Ticket office opens (ticket and pit pass sales)
Noon - Pits open
1 p.m. - Grounds cleared and secured
2 p.m. - All gates, suites and concessions open
2 p.m. - Turn one camping opens
2 p.m. - Ballroom opens
2:30 p.m. - Tech and registration (new entrants)
3 p.m. - Ballroom dinner buffet begins
5:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting (infield)
6 p.m. - Ballroom dinner buffet ends
6:30 p.m. - Hot laps
8 p.m. - Ballroom closes
8 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
Competition
- Late Model time trials
- Late Model heats (10 laps)
- Late Model consolations (12 laps)
- Late Model feature (50 laps)
Following last checkered flag: Live music (fan zone)














































