Dirt on Dirt - Unzicker lands Hell Tour pole at Crystal

July 10

Crystal Motor Speedway,

Crystal, MI

Sanction: DIRTcar Summer Nationals - $10,000

Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated July 10, 9:43 pm)

Unzicker lands Hell Tour pole at Crystal

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Jim DenHamer

Tanner English was the lone driver under 14 seconds in time trials.

Key notes: The feature was set to roll at about 9:50 p.m. ... The track surface was reworked after time trials and after the Late Model consolation. ... Tanner English was the lone driver under the 14-second mark in time trials for his third fast time of the series. ... Track conditions were rugged with English joking he needed a trip to the dentist after his heat race. ... Chad Bauer spun running second in the second heat after contact from Chad Finley. ... Chase Burda led the first half of the final heat but slipped back to finish fourth. ... The hardest hit of the night came in the consolation race when a spun Jacob Stuhr collected Chris Nethers in turn three (no one was hurt, but Stuhr flung his helmet at Brenten DeYoung as he rolled by under caution). ... Twenty-three of 34 entrants hail from Michigan, most of them Crystal regulars (21 home-staters entered last season's Hell Tour event). ... Michigan native Rusty Schlenk elected to skip the event to prepare for Saturday's Oakshade Raceway action. ... Four-time winner this season Tanner English of Benton, Ky., has all but clinched the series title with Jason Feger electing to abandon the tour. ... English led all but one lap in winning $5,000 Thursday at Butler Motor Speedway in Quincy, Mich., for his 18th top-five finish in 20 series starts thus far. … It’s the third-ever series event at Crystal after Tyler Erb (2024) and Zack Mitchell (2025) won the first two visits. … Home-stater Eric Spangler topped June 20’s Dan Salay Memorial at Crystal, earning $11,000. … Travis Stemler and Brandon Thirlby have won two Crystal races apiece in 2026. ... Modifieds ($1,500-to-win) on the undercard. ... Watch live on DIRTVision.

Who to watch: Tanner English of Benton, Ky., chases his fifth Summer Nationals victory of the season as he closes out the overall title.

Points chase: Week 5 before Crystal: 1. Tanner English (203); 2. Chad Finley (173); 3. Luke Morey (168); 4. Travis Stemler (153); 5. Frank Heckenast Jr. (149). Overall before Crystal: 1. Tanner English (1,392); 2. Jason Feger (1,185); 3. Mitch McGrath (867); 4. Clay Stuckey (837); 5. Mark Voigt (754).

Current weather: Clear, 72°F

Car count: 34

Fast qualifier: Tanner English

Time: 13.979 seconds

Polesitter: Ryan Unzicker

Heat race winners: Tanner English, Ryan Unzicker, Devin Shiels, Brandon Thirlby

Consolation race winners: Mason VanderVeen

Provisional starters: Mark Voigt, Chad Roush, Mike VanderMark Jr., Jake Rendel

Next series race: July 11, Oakshade Raceway (Wauseon, OH) $10,000

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

From staff reports

CRYSTAL, Mich. — Updates from Friday’s 21st round of the 40th annual DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Crystal Motor Speedway, an event highlighted by a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win feature for DIRTcar Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature lineup

(40 laps)
Row 1: Ryan Unzicker, Devin Shiels
Row 2: Tanner English, Brandon Thirlby
Row 3: Frank Heckenast Jr., Luke Morey
Row 4: Chad Finley, Mitch McGrath
Row 5: Sam Seawright, Logan Nickerson
Row 6: Travis Stemler, Eric Spangler
Row 7: Rylee Knoll, Rich Bell
Row 8: Dona Marcoullier, Chase Burda
Row 9: Mason VanderVeen, Brenden DeYoung
Row 10: Mark Voigt, Chad Roush
Row 11: Mike VanderMark Jr., Jake Rendel

B-main results

(10 laps; top two transfer)

Results: Mason VanderVeen, Brenden DeYoung, Dillon Kohn, Jake Rendel, Kody Johnson, Austin Harnick, Chad Roush, Cody Bauer, Brayden Shiels, Jamie Grochowski, Luke Anstett, Kyle Hunt, Mike VanderMark Jr., Chris Nethers, Jacob Stuhr, Carter Murday. Scratched: Mark Voigt, Garrett Wiles.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top four transfer)

First heat: Tanner English, Frank Heckenast Jr., Sam Seawright, Rylee Knoll, Mason VanderVeen, Chad Roush, Dillon Kohn, Brayden Shiels. Scratched: Mike VanderMark Jr.

Second heat: Ryan Unzicker, Chad Finley, Travis Stemler, Dona Marocullier, Brenden DeYoung, Austin Harnick, Chris Nethers, Cody Bauer.

Third heat: Devin Shiels, Luke Morey, Logan Nickerson, Rich Bell, Jacob Stuhr, Jake Rendel, Jamie Grochowski, Luke Anstett, Garrett Wiles.

Fourth heat: Brandon Thirlby, Mitch McGrath, Eric Spangler, Chase Burda, Carter Murday, Kyle Hunt, Mark Voigt, Kody Johnson.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)

Tanner English (96), Benton, Ky., 13.979
Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill., 14.116
Sam Seawright (16), Rainsville, Ala., 14.201
Cody Bauer (19x), Farwell, Mich., 14.333
Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 14.369
Travis Stemler (4), Ionia, Mich., 14.441
Mike VanderMark Jr. (41), Cedar Springs, Mich., 14.524
Chad Finley (42), St. Johns, Mich., 14.639
Rylee Knoll (07), Lake, Mich., 14.661
Dona Marcoullier (6m), Houghton Lake, Mich., 14.715
Mason VanderVeen (57v), Six Lakes, Mich., 14.986
Austin Harnick (15), Clare, Mich., 14.989
Chad Roush (32), Reedsville, Ohio, 15.080
Brenten DeYoung (18), Crystal, Mich., 15.470
Brayden Shiels (51B), Britton, Mich., 15.558
Chris Nethers (41N), Watertown, N.Y., 15.603
Dillon Kohn (26), Sheridan, Mich., 15.608

Group B

Luke Morey (49), Denver, N.C., 14.325
Brandon Thirlby (M14), Buckley, Mich., 14.434
Devin Shiels (51), Britton, Mich., 14.743
Chase Burda (18B), Lapeer, Mich., 14.812
Garrett Wiles (16), Hubbardson, Mich., 14.908
Mitch McGrath (74), Waukesha, Wis., 14.976
Logan Nickerson (21), Vestaburg, Mich., 15.037
Eric Spangler (27), Lake City, Mich., 15.045
Rich Bell (21B), Sheffield, Ill., 15.053
Carter Murday (19m), Adrian, Mich., 15.309
Jacob Stuhr (18s), Harrison, Mich., 15.345
Mark Voigt (30), Marine, Ill., 15.389
Jake Rendel (06), Adrian, Mich., 15.402
Kyle Hunt (55), Bannister, Mich., 15.540
Jamie Grochowski (45G), Toledo, Ohio, 15.611
Kody Johnson (55j), Vestaburg, Mich., 15.735
Luke Anstett (64), Greenville, Mich., 16.001

Friday’s schedule

(All times local; updates with removal of Late Model C-main)
2 p.m. - Pits open
3:45 p.m. - Tech and registration open
4 p.m. - Grandstands open
5:15 p.m. - Tech and registration close
5:45 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:15 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 consolation (10 laps)
Feature events
- Modifieds (25 laps)
- Late Models (40 laps)