DirtonDirt Dispatches
Dispatches: Mitchell tops Talladega opener
Zack Mitchell won the Talladega opener. (facebook.com/southernthunder)
Among the latest notes and quotes from around Dirt Late Model racing during the third weekend in October, including Southern Thunder Super Dirt Series action at Talladega (look for Carl Short’s 45th annual Dirt Track World Championship coverage elsewhere). Also find a listing of live-streaming video from specials around the country:
Mitchell rolls on
When a late caution erased Zack Mitchell’s four-second lead Friday at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala., the Enoree, S.C., driver’s strategy was simple.
"Just don't do nothing stupid,” he said.
The 29-year-old finished off the 40-lap victory in the Jerry Goodwin Challenge, earning $5,038 for his first career Southern Thunder Super Dirt Series victory. Mitchell led the first lap, watched Josh Putnam go around to lead laps 2-6, then led the rest of the way for his second victory in a row. Seven days earlier, he pocketed $35,000 in the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series with a Blue-Gray 100 victory at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, S.C.
Calling Talladega one of his favorite tracks, Mitchell put himself among the favorites for Saturday’s five-figure payday on the Southern Thunder circuit during TST’s NASCAR weekend.
“We had a good car up under us really — a little on the snug side — but, you know, it all worked out,” Mitchell said. "I really didn't know where I needed to be those first couple laps, and I heard Josh (Putnam) up there, and then by the time I heard him, you know, it was too late.”
Mitchell, who led 35 laps, notched his 10th overall victory of the season for a fifth series (he’s also won HTF, DIRTcar Summer Nationals, Schaeffer's Southern Nationals and Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series events).
“We got a really good car, which there are some really good cars here, too,” Mitchell said. “So, we'll see what we’ve got for tomorrow.”
Trey Mills of St. Augustine, Fla., who swept April’s Southern Thunder doubleheader at Talladega, finished second followed by Dalton Cook and Putnam. — Series and HTF.tv reports
Octoberfest winner
In celebrating Friday’s Bernheisel Race Components Fall Clash victory at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway, Trever Feathers of Winchester, Va., thanked a Hall of Famer for some hard-learned lessons.
"I've got my ass kicked enough here by Gary Stuhler to know how to run the bottom,” Feathers said. “I followed him around one night. I was probably faster than him, but I wanted to learn. And ever since I learned that night, I kind of really knew how to dial my car in and be able to run that bottom when it's on the guardrail like that.”
Feathers used those skills in charging from his eighth starting spot, overtaking Mason Zeigler with nine laps remaining in a non-stop 35-lap Octoberfest main event for Super Late Models. Feathers notched his third Fall Clash victory in his last four starts on the first-year tour.
"I can't thank these guys enough, man. This car has been unbelievable,” Feathers said of his Cameron-Mann-Emory entry. "I kind of put us behind early, but it just shows there's no quit. We got penalized last week for jumping a start, whether I did or didn’t, I don't know. We drove from 15th to fourth in 35 green-flag laps at a racetrack that we had never been to,” Feathers said. “There’s just no quit. We get a little mad at each other every once in a while, but when it's time to put our heads down and dig, they put their heads down and dig.”
Feathers, who notched his fourth overall victory of the season, knows it’s an accomplishment to outrun Zeigler, the Chalk Hill, Pa., driver who is leading the Fall Clash points after winning the opener at Bedford. Another event at Bedford — not a favorite track for Bedford — is up next Oct. 24-25 for the Keystone Cup on the Fall Clash circuit.
"We just got to keep this momentum going. It doesn't seem like we can do anything wrong right now. We've been making really good car choices, tire choices, and it all plays a big role in beating them guys,” Feathers said. “That’s a professional race team and we're trying to show that we belong with them.” — Series reports
Gustin’s pick-me-up
If you didn’t pick Ryan Gustin to win last weekend’s Bayou Classic at Boothill Speedway, he wouldn’t have faulted you.
Gustin’s 2025 season with the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series has brought some of the highest highs of his career, topped by his first Late Model crown-jewel victory at USA Nationals. It has also included plenty of struggles, like his streak of 10 races without a top 10 following that $100,000 payday.
The stat sheet suggested Boothill could be the place where Gustin got back on his feet considering he won in his Late Model debut there with the World of Outlaws in 2024. But come Friday night, the No. 19R didn’t look anything like the one that snatched the lead and drove to victory one year prior. Damage to the nose sent Gustin to the work area late in the feature and resulted in a 24th-place finish, but the pace was lacking long before that issue. Gustin qualified seventh in his group and finished fifth in his heat race, meaning he needed to resort to a consolation race to lock into the feature lineup.
The Todd Cooney Racing team knew it needed a reset after Friday’s program, and after seeking out a few words of wisdom from some supporters, Gustin looked like a new man on Saturday in his Infinity Race Car from Wells Motorsports.
“Really, we didn’t have any notes from last year,” Gustin said. “I thought we did, but we got here and we didn’t. Didn’t really know where to be, and obviously we’ve been off. Todd called, and we got on the phone with Eric Wells, and he got us really, really good obviously. This is Todd and Eric that made this deal happen, I just did what they said, and it worked.”
The gains were evident as soon as cars hit the track on Saturday night. Gustin improved to fourth in time trials, putting him on the front row of his heat race that he won over Mike Marlar and Nick Hoffman.
After drawing the pole and keeping a hungry Brian Shirley at bay through the first half of the race, Gustin got the best of series points leader Bobby Pierce in a 10-lap sliderfest that the Boothill fans won’t soon forget.
“We all needed it bad,” Gustin said. “This deal, when you get down like that, it’s hard to mentally get yourself back up. Getting your butt kicked, running 10th place feels like a good run, you know? To go out here and win $50,000 and put on a show like that for the fans and everything, it feels damn good.”
With Nov. 5-8’s World of Outlaws World Finals wrapped up the season at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Gustin will try to solidify his third place in series points over Tim McCreadie. Gustin must ensure McCreadie beats him by no more than nine spots per night on average at a track where Gustin has struggled. He’s never recorded a top-10 finish at Charlotte, while McCreadie is a five-time Charlotte winner, four in a big-block modified and once in a Late Model in 2020.
But Gustin wants to do more than simply end the season on a high note at World Finals — he’s looking further down the road. Cooney’s team has already announced their plans to follow the World of Outlaws tour full-time again in 2026 with the goal of taking a step forward in performance and consistency.
Gustin has shown in 2025 that he’s capable of beating the best Late Model drivers in the nation when he’s on top of his game, but he knows he needs to start doing so on a more regular basis if he wants to contend for his first series championship next season. How does he get there? That’s a code that can only be cracked with blood, sweat and tears.
“If I knew the answer to that question,” Gustin said, “I’d have done it this year.” — Spence Smithback
Streaming schedule
Among upcoming Dirt Late Model special and sanctioned events available via live streaming:
Friday, Oct. 17
• Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series DTWC prelims at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio (FloRacing)
• Bernheisel Racing Products Fall Clash at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway (FloRacing)
• Southern Thunder Super Dirt Series at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala. (Hunt the Front TV)
• Burlile Performance Ohio Valley Series prelims at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio (FloRacing)
• Talladega Short Track Crate Racin’ USA 602 Sportsman in Eastaboga, Ala. (Hunt the Front TV)
Saturday, Oct. 18
• Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Dirt Track World Championship at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio (FloRacing)
• Southern Thunder Super Dirt Series at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala. (Hunt the Front TV)
• Thunder Mountain Speedway 604 Crate Late Models in Corbin, Ky. (Thunder Mountain Speedway TV)
• Burlile Performance Ohio Valley Series at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio (FloRacing)
• American Crate All-Star Series presented by PPM at I-75 Raceway in Sweetwater, Tenn. (Dirt Rich TV)
• Nutrien Ag Revival Super Dirt Series at Caney (Kan.) Valley Speedway (Start2Finish TV)
• Red Clay 602 Crate Late Model Series at Lavonia (Ga.) Speedway (Hunt the Front TV)
