DirtonDirt Dispatches
Dispatches: Hoffman rules Needmore debut
Nick Hoffman heads to victory at Needmore. (Chris Anderson)
Among the latest notes and quotes from around Dirt Late Model racing during the Sept. 11-13 weekend, including World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series action in Georgia. Also find a listing of live-streaming video from specials around the country:
Debut victory
Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., didn’t do a lot of homework heading into his debut at Needmore Speedway, but it all worked out as he captured Friday’s World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series return to the Norman Park, Ga., oval.
Driving a new car, Hoffman raced under fellow front-row starter Tim McCreadie on the 17th lap at the egg-shaped track and wasn’t challenged the rest of the 40-lapper for his fifth WoO victory of the season and 11th of his career. Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., who chased Hoffman to the finish, saw his four-race winning streak end while Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., was third for his fifth consecutive top-five WoO finish.
“This place is just shaped, when I looked at it today, it’s shaped like something I’d like. Just very circular where I can momentum,” said Hoffman, who started on the pole but briefly slipped to third behind Shirley after a lap-eight restart.
"I've never even seen a lap at this racetrack coming into today,” Hoffman later added. “I never watched any film or anything and just kind of came here blind and (the track) just fit me.”
Hoffman’s Tye Twarog Racing Longhorn Chassis, built by Derek Doll and completed by his crew this week, had been run a few laps at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C., for a NOS Energy Drink commercial, and it’s now 1-for-1 in competition.
While Hoffman started on the pole, he drove relatively conservatively early in chasing McCreadie, who faded to an 11th-place finish.
“We just knew that this place was gonna make a lot of tire heat. We'd seen that in the heat races. We were all on the same tires, but it was just a matter of trying to cruise those first couple of laps,” Hoffman said. “The outside lane could fire off a little bit better and (McCreadie) was able to get out front … I just paced him and made him kind of charge a little bit harder than he probably wanted to and just kind of kept my tires underneath me and was able to charge in the middle stages of that race.
“I just felt like I was a little bit snugger than he was where I could get down the racetrack. He was kind of relying on a little bit of that moisture and, yeah, it just worked out.” — Series and staff reports
Finding speed
Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., immediately understood the significance of his victory in Friday night’s 40-lap Corn State Nationals opener at Davenport (Iowa) Speedway.
“Davenport’s usually not my best track,” Feger said after his $5,000 triumph in the MARS Late Model Championship Series event. “I mean, we’ve struggled here quite a bit. We’ve just been trying to work hard to get a package for here and the car felt really good all night.”
It was a breakthrough performance indeed at the quarter-mile for the 47-year-old Feger, who seized control off the outside pole at the initial green flag and never looked back. He dominated the race that was slowed by just a single caution flag on lap three, finding an extra gear to pull away whenever Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Ill., appeared ready to offer a challenge.
Feger beat Unzicker by 1.191 seconds to kick off a MARS doubleheader that concludes with Saturday’s 50-lap, $10,000-to-win headliner. He recorded his second straight and seventh triumph of 2025 on the MARS tour.
While the checkered flag wasn’t Feger’s first at Davenport — he scored a $10,000 World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series win there on Aug. 25, 2022 — he’s traditionally found it difficult to circle the bullring with the strength of a contender. Entering Friday’s action he had made 22 feature starts at Davenport since 2020 and managed to tally just five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
All those frustrating visits to Davenport — including four runs outside the top 10 in six starts just two years ago — were forgotten with his flawless outing that pushed his overall 2025 win total to 14 and extended his MARS points lead as he chases a third consecutive title.
“It’s probably the best race car I’e ever drove here, so hopefully that continues,” Feger said. “The car was really good, so I can’t say enough about Longhorn (Chassis. They've been helping me a bunch, (led by staffer) Matt Langston.
“It feels good to get a win here. Hopefully we can do it again tomorrow night.” — Series and staff reports
Georgia twinbill
Last week, the only thing on the minds of the Dirt Late Model world was chasing a globe at Eldora Speedway — except for Cody Overton. The Thomson, Ga., driver opted against a trip to Ohio, instead placing his full focus on preparing for World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series action in his home state at Norman Park’s Needmore Speedway and Senoia Raceway.
“I went (to Needmore) and tested a couple weeks ago, I went to Senoia and tested,” Overton said. “I think that’s kind of what I just planned on. All I want to do is just win me one Outlaw race, it would make my damn life be easier. That’s my whole goal, and hopefully all that paid off.”
Overton’s status as the local favorite isn’t his only cause for optimism headed into the Peach State double, as the Steine Motorsports No. 2 team has been finding their stride in the late-summer portion of the schedule. After garnering seven top-10s in the first 25 nights of the season, Overton has matched that total in the last nine races. His best night came at Maquoketa (Iowa) Speedway last month when Overton found himself challenging Bobby Pierce and Ethan Dotson for the lead early before settling for fourth.
Overton can continue his strong runs in Georgia, first at Needmore, which hosts the national tour for the first time since a Mother’s Day matinee in 2011. The track’s egg shape makes it one of the toughest in the region to master, and one that Overton has yet to fully figure out.
“It’s just so different,” Overton said. “First off, the track shape, that’s what I feel like is going to throw a lot of people off. It’s just two different corners, you have to kind of figure out how to get through there. I don’t necessarily hate it because I have won there. That was my first ever big Crate Racin’ USA win, too, when I won over there. I’m just hit or miss there, I’m either really good or just terrible. They had a $10,000 (race) earlier in the year when I went a couple years ago, when I won my first $10,000 over there, and I was in a B-main. And then I go back, same everything, and I go and win the race. I’m like, ‘What in the hell is going on here?’ ”
Saturday’s stop at Senoia presents an equally stiff challenge, but it’s a place that Overton has been able to tame a little more consistently. He swept Sept. 6’s 602 and 604 Crate Late Models features there.
“Yeah, I definitely like that place,” Overton said. “I think one everybody’s got to worry about too is (Ashton) Winger, he about owns that place. He’s one of the best.”
Overton will also be facing off against older brother Brandon, as Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regular who plans to enter the WoO weekend. Big brother “tells me the things that I’m doing wrong and I always like that. I wish I could race with him every weekend.” — Spence Smithback
Streaming schedule
Among upcoming Dirt Late Model special and sanctioned events available via live streaming:
Thursday, Sept. 11
• FloRacing Night in America Series at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. (FloRacing)
Friday, Sept. 12
• World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series at Needmore Speedway in Norman Park, Ga. (DIRTVision)
• Fall Clash-United Late Model Series at Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, N.Y. (The Cushion)
• Comp Cams Super Dirt Series at Revolution Park in Monroe, La. (RaceON)
• MARS Championship Series at Davenport (Iowa) Speedway (FloRacing)
• Crystal (Mich.) Motor Speedway Great Lakes Nationals (IMCA TV)
• DIRTcar Super Late Models at I-55 Federated Raceway Park in Pevely, Mo. (LiveStream STL TV)
• Tri-State Late Model Series at Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa (IMCA TV)
• American Crate Late Model Series at ArkLaTex Speedway in Vivian, La. (RaceON)
Saturday, Sept. 13
• World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series at Senoia (Ga.) Raceway (DIRTVision)
• Rogers-Dabbs Crate Racin’ USA 604 Series at Waycross (Ga.) Motor Speedway (Crate Racin’ USA TV)
• Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio (Speed Sport TV)
• MARS Championship Series at Davenport (Iowa) Speedway (FloRacing)
• Northern Allstars Late Model Series at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway (Hunt the Front TV)
• Comp Cams Super Dirt Series at Revolution Park in Monroe, La. (RaceON)
• Southern All Stars Dirt Racing Series at Wartburg (Tenn.) Speedway (Dirt Rich TV)
• Karl Chevrolet Pro Late Model Tour at Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa (IMCA TV)
• DIRTcar Super Late Models at I-55 Federated Raceway Park in Pevely, Mo. (LiveStream STL TV)
• Southern Clash Late Model Series at Waycross (Ga.) Motor Speedway (Crate Racin’ USA TV)
• American Crate Late Model Series at ArkLaTex Speedway in Vivian, La. (RaceON)
Sunday, Sept. 14
• Ray Haase Memorial IMCA Late Models at Boone County Raceway in Albion, Neb. (IMCA TV)
• MARS Late Model Championship Series at Quincy (Ill.) Raceway (FloRacing)
