Dirt on Dirt - Carpenter rumbles to first Hell Tour victory

July 12

Wayne County Speedway,

Orrville, OH

Sanction: DIRTcar Summer Nationals (Don and Hans Gross Memorial) - $5,000

Information provided by: Kyle McFadden, series and track reports (last updated July 13, 2:05 am)

Carpenter rumbles to first Hell Tour victory

Don and Hans Gross Memorial

Tyler Carpenter
Eric Wilson
J.R. Gentry
Ryan Montgomery
Kyle Moore
Doug Drown
Ryan Markham
Mitch McGrath
Rich Bell
Nick Cox
Tyler Evans
Todd Brennan
Lincoln Smith
Corey Conley
Frank Heckenast Jr.
Delbert Crum
Tanner McLoughlin
Mark Voigt
Tanner English
Chad Roush
Logan Zarin

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Tyler Carpenter picks up the checkered flag at Wayne County.

What won the race: Inheriting the point when Ryan Montgomery slowed with flat right-rear tire on the 10th lap, fourth-starting Tyler Carpenter of Parkersburg, W.Va., led the rest of Sunday's 30-lap DIRTcar Summer Nationals season finale on a rough-and-tumble Wayne County Speedway surface. Carpenter beat polesitter Eric Wilson by 3.870 seconds for the $5,000 payday, his first career Summer Nationals victory and 11th overall feature win of the season.

Quotable: "I love a rough, get-up-on-the-wheel type of track and this was all that and then some," Carpenter said. "When you own your own stuff, you want just smooth and slick and be easy, take a blow drier and blow it off when you’re done, but hell with it man, it’s elbows up and put on a show for the fans and here we are baby."

Key notes: Series champ Tanner English and several other drivers loaded up or retired early in the feature instead of racing in the rugged conditions (officials opted to award only 50 show-up points to each entrant). ... Tyler Carpenter led the final 21 laps largely unchallenged to capture his 11th feature win of the season. ... Eric Wilson led the opening eight laps from the pole before giving way to Ryan Montgomery on the ninth lap; Wilson reclaimed the runner-up spot on a lap-15 restart. ... The third-starting Montgomery slowed with a flat right-rear on the 10th lap, triggering the race's third caution; he rallied to finish fourth. ... Tenth-starting Kyle Moore overcame a flat left-rear tire while running third on lap 28 and finished fifth. ... Doug Drown ran as high as second on the lap-10 restart before fading to sixth. ... Besides cautions for Montgomery and Moore's flat tires, the race was slowed three other times, first for first-lap stackup that eliminated Logan Zarin. ... Todd Brennan spun from eighth in turn one on the eighth lap. ... Ryan Markham and Lincoln Smith tangled in turn one battling for fifth on lap 15, sending Smith spinning. ... The event honored Don Gross, the former racer and longtime Wayne County promoter, along with his grandson, Hans Gross. ... The feature lasted 25 minutes with nine starters completing 30 laps and 11 running at the finish. ... Caiden Black suffered heavy right-front suspension damage during his heat race and scratched from the feature.

On the move: Rebounding from a barrel-rolling wreck in time trials, consolation race winner J.R. Gentry of Wooster, Ohio, started 16th and finished third.

Winner's sponsors: Carpenter’s Kryptonite Race Car is powered by an Isner Racing Engine and sponsored by Holdren Construction, Casey’s All-American Pool Company, Parkersburg Plumbing Supplies, Overhead Doors, Leonardtown Ford, AXIS Control Solutions, Whitt’s Mobile Home Movers, J&R Towing, Mike Meyers Plumbing, Dew Drop Inn, Dream Fastpitch, Poske’s Performance Parts, Feight’s Farm, Integra Racing Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Wehrs Machine, Octane Race Products, Velocita Suits and Graphics Creations.

Points chase: Week 5 final: 1. Tanner English (383); 2. Frank Heckenast Jr. (349); 3. Luke Morey (338); 4. Sam Seawright (312); 5. Travis Stemler (307). Overall 2026 final: 1. Tanner English (1,572); 2. Jason Feger (1,185); 3. Mitch McGrath (1,009); 4. Frank Heckenast Jr. (951); 5. Luke Morey (891).

Current weather: Clear, 70°F

Car count: 30

Fast qualifier: Frank Heckenast Jr.

Time: 17.003 seconds

Polesitter: Eric Wilson

Heat race winners: Ryan Montgomery, Lincoln Smith, Eric Wilson

Consolation race winners: J.R. Gentry

Provisional starters: Tanner English, Mark Voigt, Caiden Black, Chad Roush

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

From staff reports

ORRVILLE, Ohio — Updates from Sunday’s 23rd round of the 40th annual DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Wayne County Speedway, an event highlighted by a 30-lap, $5,000-to-win feature for DIRTcar Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Inheriting the point when Ryan Montgomery slowed with flat right-rear tire on the 10th lap, fourth-starting Tyler Carpenter of Parkersburg, W.Va., led the rest of Sunday's 30-lap DIRTcar Summer Nationals season finale on a rough-and-tumble Wayne County Speedway surface. Carpenter beat polesitter Eric Wilson by 3.870 seconds for the $5,000 payday, his first career Summer Nationals victory and 11th overall feature win of the season.

Feature lineup

(30 laps)

Row 1: Eric Wilson, Lincoln Smith
Row 2: Ryan Montgomery, Tyler Carpenter
Row 3: Frank Heckenast Jr., Todd Brennan
Row 4: Doug Drown, Ryan Markham
Row 5: Rich Bell, Kyle Moore
Row 6: Corey Conley, Delbert Crum
Row 7: Logan Zarin, Mitch McGrath
Row 8: Tyler Evans, J.R. Gentry
Row 9: Tanner McLoughlin, Nick Cox
Row 10: Tanner English, Mark Voigt
Row 11: Caiden Black, Chad Roush

Consolation results

(Eight laps; top three transfer)

Results: J.R. Gentry, Tanner McLoughlin, Nick Cox, Trace Settles, Larry Bellman, Cody Scott, Brandon Morrow, Billy Dawson, Chad Roush. Scratched: Tanner English, Sam Seawright, Luke Morey, Mark Voigt, Travis Stemler, Caiden Black.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top five transfer)

First heat: Ryan Montgomery, Tyler Carpenter, Doug Drown, Kyle Moore, Logan Zarin, J.R. Gentry, Trace Settles, Billy Dawson, Caiden Black, Tanner English.

Second heat: Lincoln Smith, Frank Heckenast Jr., Ryan Markham, Corey Conley, Mitch McGrath, Larry Bellman, Tanner McLoughlin, Nick Cox, Brandon Morrow. Scratched: Luke Morey.

Third heat: Eric Wilson, Todd Brennan, Rich Bell, Delbert Crum, Tyler Evans, Travis Stemler, Cody Scott, Chad Roush, Mark Voigt. Scratched: Sam Seawright.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Tyler Carpenter (28), Parkersburg, W.Va., 17.173
2. Ryan Montgomery (12), Fairmont, W.Va., 17.223
3. Logan Zarin (1z), Moon Township, Pa., 17.265
4. Tanner English (96), Benton, Ky., 17.326
5. Kyle Moore (1*), Mansfield, Ohio, 17.389
6. Caiden Black (57), New Concord, Ohio, 17.400
7. Doug Drown (79), Wooster, Ohio, 17.748
8. Trace Settles (151), Sunbury, Ohio, 19.269
9. Billy Dawson (one17c), Lakeville, Ohio, no time
10. J.R. Gentry (14), Wooster, Ohio, no time
Group B
1. Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 17.003
2. Lincoln Smith (31), Belmont, Ohio, 17.285
3. Ryan Markham (5m), Ashland, Ohio, 17.412
4. Tanner McLoughlin (59), Zanesville, Ohio, 17.569
5. Luke Morey (49), Zeeland, Mich., 17.767
6. Brandon Morrow (c9), Apple Creek, Ohio, 18.004
7. Corey Conley (14c), Wellsburg, W.Va., 18.125
8. Nick Cox (7), Mansfield, Ohio, 18.369
9. Mitch McGrath (74), Waukesha, Wis., 18.568
10. Larry Bellman (59B), Wooster, Ohio, 18.925
Group C
1. Eric Wilson (217), Vienna, Ohio, 17.673
2. Rich Bell (21B), Sheffield, Ill., 17.825
3. Sam Seawright (16s), Rainsville, Ala., 17.943
4. Todd Brennan (20B), Zanesville, Ohio, 18.066
5. Travis Stemler (4), Ionia, Mich., 18.290
6. Cody Scott (19), Ontario, Ohio, 18.477
7. Delbert Crum (B52), Cutler, Ohio, 18.517
8. Chad Roush (32), Reedsville, Ohio, 18.675
9. Mark Voigt (30), Marine, Ill., 19.285
10. Tyler Evans (17), Millersburg, Ohio, 19.376

Sunday’s schedule

(All times local)
2 p.m. - Pits open
3 p.m. - Grandstands open
4 p.m. - Tech and registration open
5:15 p.m. - Tech and registration close
5:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified group qualifying
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Super stock hot laps
- Sport compact hot laps
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Super stock heats (8 laps)
- Sport compact heats (8 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Late Model consolation (10 laps)
Feature events
- Super stocks (15 laps)
- Late Models (30 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
- Sport compacts (15 laps)