DirtonDirt.com Dispatches
Dispatches: New Yorkers turn back clock
Andy Boozel (woahnellie.productions)
Check this frequently updated story throughout the May 30-June 2 weekend with the latest notes and quotes from Late Model races and events, including a listing of live-streamed events:
Odds and ends
A few weekend notes from dirt track around the country:
• In a strange twist with connections to the year 2011 at Busti, N.Y.'s Stateline Speedway, two New York drivers broke long droughts in Saturday events. Andy Boozel of Clymer, N.Y., won Stateline's Super Late Model feature, his first at the track since Sept. 2, 2011. Meanwhile at Genessee Speedway in Batavia, N.Y., Ed Carley of Freedom, N.Y. — coming out of retirement because his son Zack is sidelined by a hand injury — won his first Crate Late Model feature since 2011 at, you guessed it, Stateline Speedway. Carley's previous victory came a week before Boozel's on Aug. 27, 2011.
• Monett (Mo.) Motor Speedway added a $3,000-to-win event for unsanctioned Super Late Models on Sun., June 9. The track is hoping to lure Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association competitors who will run June 7-8 at Callaway Raceway in Fulton, Mo., and Springfield (Mo.) Raceway.
• Friday's impressive 36-driver Northern LateModel Racing Association field at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., including the fourth female driver in the tour's history. Laela Eisenschenk of West Fargo, N.D., failed to make the feature lineup (she finished fifth in a consolation race), but she joined her sister Amelia Eisenschenk, Victoria Stutsky and Morgan Ward Grosz as NLRA's female competitors.
• With Joel Callahan's IMCA Late Model victory Friday at Davenport (Iowa) Speedway, he became the fifth winner in five weekly events at the quarter-mile oval this season. It's the longest stretch without a repeat winner at the track since the track had a stretch of six weekly winners from Aug. 9, 2019-May 29, 2020 (winners Matt Ryan, Tyler Bruening, Andy Nezworski, Nick Marolf, Jeff Aikey and Justin Kay).
• Thursday's upcoming Repairable Vehicles.com Tri-State Series event at Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D., comes with an inexpensive ticket price as $5 will get fans into the gates for the $3,000-to-win event. The tour shifts to Brown County in Aberdeen, S.D., for a $3,000-to-win event Friday then back to Huron on Saturday for a $5,000-to-win weekend finale.
• Have experience in the flagstand? Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park is looking for a flagger. Email jknittel54@gmail.com.
Dillard’s Big Deal
Cade Dillard of Robeline, La., made the most of an off weekend for the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series.
Returning to his roots in the open-wheel modified division, the 33-year-old driver traveled to Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis., and authored an absolutely dominating performance in The Big Deal. His victory in Saturday’s 100-lap feature was worth a blockbuster $100,001 — not only the richest triumph of his career, but also over three times as much money as he’s earned over the first 12 races of the 2024 WoO campaign ($31,200).
“Man, this is unreal,” Dillard said in victory lane after his command performance. “Who’d have ever thought you could win this kind of money with a modified?”
Driving a modified produced in his own CDR Race Cars shop, won a qualifying feature on Thursday night and came right back to claim ownership of Saturday’s century grind. His only real blemish was when he failed to grab the lead from his pole starting spot at the initial green flag; he followed Jake Timm of Winona, Minn., for the first four circuits before seizing the top spot and then scrawling his name all over the race.
Dillard ran away from the field, lapping all the way up to ninth place and crossing the finish line 6.474 seconds in front of Osage, Iowa’s Jim Chisholm. He seemed to never miss a beat despite racing much of the distance with a nagging suspension problem.
“We broke something in the left rear about lap 20,” Dillard said. “I kept hearing something moving around everywhere, and I was like, 'S---, please just stay together.’ (Crew chief) Donnie (Pederson) was telling me I had a lead, but with the stuff that was broke, it was just bottoming out really, really bad on the right front, so I couldn’t really slack up. A couple times I did slack up and I almost got in the fence over there."
Dillard, who sits third in the WoO points standings, was very emotional after his six-figure score. His voice cracked several times during his post-race interview and he thanked everyone who has helped his racing career, most notably his car owners Shane and Shelly Sprinkle of Andrews, Texas.
“There’s been a lot of points in my career that I didn’t think we’d be still doing this,” Dillard said. “It’s just, Shane and Shelly Sprinkle, they’ve been … nothing I have in life, I wouldn’t have without them two people.”
While Dillard’s wife and two young children were not at the track, his mother, Pam, was in attendance and met him with a joyous hug in victory lane. Dillard noted that his absent family was watching back home and was undoubtedly excited about his triumph.
“I might be in trouble,” Dillard said with a smile. “I promised my kids if I won this I’d buy ‘em a pool. I might be in a bind when I get home.”
Dillard was among a half-dozen Dirt Late Model regulars in the event’s 145-car field who cracked the 24-car starting field. The group included Dillard’s fellow WoO regulars Dustin Sorensen of Rochester, Minn. (finished fifth) and Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill. (eighth) as well as Ethan Dotson of Bakersville, Calif. (15th), Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz. (16th) and Mason Zeigler of Chalk Hill, Pa. (24th).
Cook's richest victory
Dalton Cook of Smith Station, Ala., captured Saturday's Southern Showcase at Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway to pocket a career-high $20,000 on the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series. He led all 50 laps at the 3/8-mile oval, but he felt the pressure of Friday's preliminary winner Brandon Overton and eventual runner-up Michael Page nearly every lap.
"I knew they were like sharks sitting there waiting," said Cook, who ended up winning by 0.241 of a second over Page. "I was just like, I didn't know what to do. You know what I'm saying? I'm just listening. I just (took it) one lap at a time. Just keep breathing and don't blink too much and just keep riding."
The pressure ramped up on the final lap amid traffic with Page hot on Cook's heels and Sam Seawright — Page's teammate in another Baird Motorsports car — directly in front of Cook on the backstretch, slowing the leader's program. But Cook went to the outside of Seawright and won the race to the checkers.
"I really don't know what to say. This wasn't really on my radar this weekend," Cook said in victory lane, adding that he could "quit tomorrow" and be happy after such a big victory.
"I know I was blocking pretty hard there," he said. "I ran the same tires I've run all weekend, because I didn't have (other tires). That made tire choice easy. They cut me a lot of slack because I felt 'em. I'm glad I cleaned my earwax out cause I was listening and bobbing and weaving."
There is good news for Cook's wife, Taylor. They're celebrating an anniversary on Monday and "we're going to the beach now," he said. "It's gonna be a good week."
Page, racing only occasionally, didn't mind finishing second to a longtime racing friend.
"I'm proud for Dalton. You know, we need, this sport needs the little guy to win more and have a chance. I was proud for him following him — I was still trying to win — but it just took me some laps to get going," Page said. "I never knew how many laps we had left. So I didn't know how hard to charge until I seen the white flag and I went for it. But, I mean, he's a friend of mine. We've always been friends and I'd like to keep it that way."— From series reports
Opening night victory
Leading the field to the green flag in Friday night’s 30-lap Southern Showcase opener at Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway didn’t give Brandon Overton the edge he would have liked.
“Starting on the bottom on that start (following track prep),” Overton said, “I don’t think any of us knew what to do.”
The 33-year-old star from Evans, Ga., lit up his tires in the slick inside lane when he fired off, allowing outside polesitter Ashton Winger of Hampton, Ga., to surge into the lead and put himself in position for the $5,000 top prize in the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series event.
But Overton didn’t overreact when he slipped to second. Keeping his cool, he was right where he needed to be to assume command on lap seven when the 24-year-old Winger slipped high in turn three and caught a piece of the outside wall.
The remainder of the distance belonged to Overton, who was “driving the hell” out of his Infinity by Wells Chassis en route to beating Sam Seawright of Fort Payne, Ala., to the finish line by 2.125 seconds.
“(Winger) just got a good run (at the start),” Overton said. “I had to chase him for a little bit and wait till we got into traffic and just took advantage of his mistake.”
Overton was shocked when he was effectively handed the lead by Winger, who regained control of his car after hitting the wall and managed to run second with his machine's spoiler flapping in the wind until lap 21 when Seawright overtook him. Winger’s spoiler came off less than two laps later — drawing the race’s lone caution flag — and he faded to seventh in the finishing order.
“That was pretty wild,” Overton said. “I didn’t know where he went. We went into three and he disappeared and I said, ’S---, I don’t know if he hit something or he just went too high or what.’”
The victory was Overton’s second of the season on the HTF tour and fifth checkered flag overall. He extended his points lead on the regional series heading into Saturday’s $20,000-to-win finale at the 3/8-mile oval. — Series reports
Finally a winner
Kyle Moore’s victory in the 25-lap DIRTcar Super Late Model feature Friday at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park was a moment that seemed like it might never arrive.
“This is the longest it’s ever took me to win a race at a place,” Moore said following his first-ever triumph at the third-mile oval. “Usually we go to a place a couple of times and we knock a win off. I’ve done everything here but win. I’ve been kicked out, flipped, wrecked, blown motors …”
The driver from Mansfield, Ohio, paused, and then added with a bright smile, “We finally got out here on the horse track.”
The cinder track ringing the Attica oval is, of course, where victory lane is located — the place Moore could just never reach. He couldn’t have drawn up a better way to get there as he outdueled Rusty Schlenk of McClure, Ohio, a three-time winner already this year at Attica, in a tense late-race battle for the top spot.
Moore grabbed the lead from race-long pacesetter J.R. Gentry on lap 12, but Schlenk surged by to gain command the following circuit and the duel was on. They swapped the top spot three more times with Moore leading laps 15-16, Schlenk pacing laps 17-19 and Moore seizing the spot for good on lap 20.
“I was out there searching,” said Moore, who drives a Kepling Flooring-sponsored Longhorn Chassis. “I love racing with Rusty. There’s very few people who race like him.” — Brian Liskai
Drags to dirt
Veteran drag racer Allan Middendorf of Columbia, Ill., is embarking on an exciting new chapter in his motorsport career by transitioning from the 300-plus mph funny car to a Dirt Late Model. Middendorf, who has been a fan of Dirt Late Model racing for more than a decade, felt the time was right to dive into this thrilling sport as both an owner and driver.
“I’ve been watching Late Model racing for 10 years or more and I knew when the time was right, I wanted to experience this myself. Like with the funny car, I wanted to be an owner-driver," the 46-year-old Middendorf said in a team press release. "What intrigued me is they are 2,300-pound cars with 950 horsepowere engines that reach speeds of 100-plus mph on the straightaway and go into the corners at speeds of 80-plus mph, inches away from other cars.”
Over the winter, the opportunity presented itself, and Middendorf seized it. With the guidance of Late Model team co-owner Brent McKinnon, Middendorf was introduced to Gary and Adam Tischhauser, a regular at Highland (Ill.) Speedway, who played pivotal roles in assembling the car and making crucial setup decisions.
“As with all forms of racing I’ve done, I wanted a first-class operation with the best parts, cars, etc.,” said Middendorf, who also is competing in motocross this season after several years away from the two-wheeled sport.
After several test sessions throughout May, Middendorf plans to begin competing at local tracks starting in June. His dedicated crew includes his girlfriend, Doni Snyder, who continues as team manager and handles tire duties; Gary and Adam Tischhauser as crew chiefs and driving coaches; and Seth Tischhauser, who assists with general maintenance.
Adam Tischhauser brings a wealth of knowledge as a driver himself, while Gary Tischhauser has over 30 years of experience in dirt racing, including driving late models in the past. “I feel very fortunate having the Tischhausers helping me with my operation due to their experience and expertise,” Middendorf said.
This year, Middendorf plans to compete at local tracks in Illinois and Missouri. Acknowledging the steep learning curve, he expressed his excitement for this new adventure.
“I know I have a huge learning curve," he said, "but after several test sessions, I’m excited for this new adventure." — Team press release
Streaming schedule
Among live-streamed Late Model special events for May 31-June 2:
Friday, May 31
• Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Ky. ($10,000-to-win) — FloRacing
• Ultimate Heart of America Series at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway ($5,000-to-win) — Pit Row TV
• Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series at Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway ($5,000-to-win) — Hunt the Front TV
• Malvern Bank West Series at Beatrice (Neb.) Speedway ($3,000-to-win) — IMCA TV
• Northern LateModel Racing Association at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D. — Watch FYE TV
• American All-Star Crate Series at Beckley (W.Va.) Motor Speedway (prelims) — Dirt Rich TV
Saturday, June 1
• Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series at Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway ($20,000-to-win) — Hunt the Front TV
• American All-Star Crate Series at Beckley (W.Va.) Motor Speedway ($15,000-to-win) — Dirt Rich TV
• Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals at Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, Ky. ($10,000-to-win) — FloRacing
• Rogers-Dabbs Crate Racin’ USA 604 Series at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway ($10,000-to-win) — Crate Racin’ USA TV
• Ultimate Heart of America Series at Paragon (Ind.) Speedway ($7,500-to-win) — Pit Row TV
• Ultimate Southeast Series at Sumter (S.C.) Speedway ($5,000-to-win) — Pit Row TV
• Unsanctioned Supers at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway ($4,000-to-win) — FloRacing
• Malvern Bank West Series at Beatrice (Neb.) Speedway ($3,000-to-win) — Dirt Crown TV
Sunday, June 2
• Coltman Farms Southern All Stars at Cochran (Ga.) Motor Speedway ($7,500-to-win) — SASdirt TV
• American All-Star Crate Series at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Va. ($5,000-to-win) — Dirt Rich TV
