Fast Talk presented by MD3 and Five Star Bodies
Fast Talk: Wrapping up Speedweeks, GIS action
With Georgia-Florida Speedweeks wrapping up after Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series action at three tracks, our roundtable recaps winter racing in the weekly feature presented by MD3 and Five Star Race Cars Bodies (edited for clarity and length):
Can you put a tidy bow on Speedweeks with a brief summary?
Kevin Kovac, DirtonDirt senior writer: Speedweeks 2026 was so long — stretching from Jan. 22 to March 7 — that it’s hard to even recall everything that happened. It also seemed to be separated into sections: the WoO Sunshine Nationals leading off, a relatively quiet two-weekend, non-national burst at Georgia tracks (which included three of the four weather-related cancellations), and then the national action with Volusia 2.0 and Hendry County for the Outlaws and the post-Daytona 500 racing for Lucas Oil. My big takeaways? The resurgence of Brandon Overton and Brandon Sheppard. Hudson O’Neal looking like he’s going to have a career year. Ricky Thornton Jr. shockingly going winless. And Golden Isles probably cementing March dates forever with arguably its best Speedweeks racing ever.
Todd Turner, DirtonDirt managing editor: Multiple-race winners Brandon Overton, Devin Moran, Hudson O’Neal and Jonathan Davenport stood out. In the bigger picture, the longer span of Speedweeks — we’re still calling it that, right? — certainly has a lot more ebbs and flows, and less of an overall theme than we might’ve had in the years when the racing was focused on back-to-back East Bay-Volusia weeks that wrapped up over 15 days or so. I guess the biggest takeaway is that we’ve modeled the schedule the sport will follow in coming seasons. I understand streaming services want January content, but part of me feels like once we ripped the Band-Aid off from the Daytona 500 connection, Speedweeks should start with Volusia’s DIRTcar Nationals (or Hendry County the weekend before that?) and conclude within a four-week stretch.
Kyle McFadden, DirtonDirt staff reporter: The biggest storyline was how this new-look Georgia-Florida Speedweeks would unfold stretching beyond the Daytona 500, with the Lucas Oil tour carrying the spotlight into March at Golden Isles. I wondered if the final leg might feel like a letdown with teams ready to head home, but Golden Isles instead delivered an entertaining week of nonstop action that cemented its place on the back end of the Speedweeks rotation. All-Tech Raceway produced strong racing, Volusia’s resurfaced half-mile dazzled and Hendry County also exceeded expectations. On the Lucas Oil tour, Hudson O’Neal’s dominance, the resurgence of Brandon Overton and Brandon Sheppard and Ricky Thornton Jr.’s trying to recapture winning ways create intrigue when the series resumes March 27-28. On the World of Outlaws side, Nick Hoffman might just have something for Bobby Pierce in the title race.
Bryan Ault, contributing DirtonDirt writer: Leading up to the season, I saw many fans on social media who believed the Lucas Oil portion of Speedweeks would be boring. That wasn’t the case. Hudson O’Neal is well on his way to his best season. Will anyone be able to stop him from capturing his second series championship? Devin Moran was his usual self: steady and consistent, but will he find a way to reach victory lane more often? Brandon Overton looks better than we’ve seen him since his dominant run in 2021. Is Overton really back? Ricky Thornton Jr. had a rough few weeks — will he snap his slump and get back to his winning ways? Is Clay Harris on his way to a breakout season after taking so many lumps on the tour? We leave Speedweeks with plenty of things to talk about, and that’s a good thing.
Consider Jonathan Davenport’s three-victory stretch at Golden Isles.
Turner: Saturday’s dramatic finale somewhat overshadowed J.D.’s dominance, but his hot streak may be a harbinger of what’s to come for the Double L Motorsports team. Davenport has described his independent schedule, but hasn’t officially listed exactly where he plans to race. Suffice it to say if he can reel off three in a row against national touring competition, he’ll likely pile up a significant victory total when he’s at regional events, along with grabbing his share of national victories (and, obviously, during Eldora’s crown jewel weekend events). If he’d have completed his sweep at Golden Isles, our panelists would be gushing over his 2026 prospects after a winless trip to Arizona.
McFadden: As I wrote two weeks ago in my After the Checkers at Ocala following his opening-corner wreck from the outside pole that Thursday night, Jonathan Davenport still has plenty of victories ahead of him. His three-win stretch at Golden Isles quieted anyone questioning whether he still has it or his decision to forgo a national tour. In fact, the freelance route might make him even more dangerous — he’ll be fresher, his team will be fresher and his equipment can be more tailored specifically to the events he chooses to run.
Ault: Surpassing the late Scott Bloomquist on any list is a historical achievement. For Jonathan Davenport to register three straight victories at Golden Isles and stand alone atop the Lucas Oil’s all-time victories list cements his legacy as one of the top three drivers in the sport’s history. With many more years of his career still on the table, it’s hard to see anyone seriously challenging his march to the top. J.D.’s pick-and-choose schedule adds another wrinkle to the national touring storylines, too.
Kovac: It’s all about checkered flags this season for Davenport with his independent schedule removing points as a concern, and Golden Isles might have signaled that he’ll put up a robust win percentage. J.D. and his team will not only often come in fresher than their competition when they race — like they did with the end of the Ocala meet and Golden Isles being their only Speedweeks action — but the ability to choose where they want to compete will put them in a good mood for every appearance as well. Davenport had everything clicking at Golden Isles. That’s going to be a theme with him in 2026.
What’s your reaction to the rollover demise for Trey Mills in his bid for his first national touring victory?
McFadden: I felt for the kid. It was hard not to imagine the reaction — from the 17-year-old Mills to the Dirt Late Model world at large — if he’d pulled off that incredible upset. Every time it seemed like Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton or someone else would mount a charge or pressure him into a mistake, Mills held his ground out front. If not for that costly misstep, he was going to win that race. Still, Mills won the hearts of many Saturday and impressed me with the composure he showed in his interview with Ben Shelton just moments after the crash. His time will definitely come.
Ault: The wreck was a heartbreaker, especially considering Mill was chasing his first national touring victory. His upbeat attitude during FloRacing’s interview afterward was a strong sign of his maturity. It also wasn’t surprising to me, as I had the chance to interview him last year during the Summer Nationals, where he grabbed a victory at Macon’s Herald & Review 100. He's very mature for his age, a good driver and has the talent to succeed against the sport’s heavy hitters. Mills is undoubtedly one of the sport’s rising young stars. It’s just a matter of time before his career really takes off.
Kovac: The fate Mills suffered was heartbreaking, but it also will go down as one of the most memorable moments of 2026 and his career. Speedweeks events — especially a Saturday-night show that was the finale of the long racing stretch — attract larger than normal attention, so Mills’s demise, coming in the midst of him absolutely driving his heart out in pursuit of a huge win, was seismic in the Dirt Late Model world. Few drivers will ever receive the universal love Mills did for his performance and the calm manner he handled the disappointment. Everyone seemed to be behind the kid on Saturday, and that’s going to translate to a giant reaction when he eventually grabs that big victory.
Turner: The composure, maturity and clarity he exhibited when Ben Shelton quickly got to him for an interview was remarkable. Mills said all the right things and acted like it was just another day at the office (or classroom?). As a teenager, Mills clearly doesn’t have the consistency to be a national touring threat, but as he’s shown with his Comp Cams Super Dirt Series and DIRTcar Summer Nationals success, when he’s dialed in, he can beat anyone. His dazzling performance at Golden Isles, despite the way it ended, will long be remembered.
Will Dirt Late Model racing miss the “breather” that traditionally comes between Speedweeks and the regular season?
Kovac: I think all will be fine as the Dirt Late Model division rolls right into the “regular” season in the wake of Speedweeks finally ending. The WoO regulars have had two weeks off (if they opted to sit them out) in order to regroup. The Lucas Oil Series doesn’t race again until March 27-28. It really all just boils down to the teams having breaks if they want to take them. Sure, the look of the time off after Speedweeks is different this year, but it is what it is. There’s no use agonizing over it.
Ault: I don’t think so. For teams, I would think they would be happier to have a longer winter break with a more fixed and defined offseason. One of my (potentially) unpopular opinions is that I liked the structure of Speedweeks this year. Big sports such as college and pro football and college basketball are out of the picture or drawing to a close, and racing at any level can get the attention it rightfully deserves. Plus, it always felt disjointed when Speedweeks ended and we had to wait a month before the next race. It truly feels like it’s racing season, especially with so many regional tours kicking off this weekend along with the WoO action in Tennessee.
Turner: Eh, I’m not sure it’ll feel so much different. There’s been some jockeying with a few races shifting from traditional dates in reaction to the longer Speedweeks — most notably Cherokee’s March Madness event three weeks later than normal — but I think we’ll quickly settle into a rhythm. In reality, as we often see in March, late winter and early spring weather decides whether the season gets off to a smooth start or not. When March is particularly wet and cold, many of us end up wishing we’d have waited to get rolling in April anyway.
McFadden: It depends how you look at it. Some drivers probably don’t love it, but others likely do. More opportunities to race means more options to choose from. Drivers aren’t obligated to race every single weekend if they don’t have to. It also opens the door for tracks like Volunteer Speedway, Smoky Mountain Speedway and Magnolia Motor Speedway to take the national spotlight over the next few weekends while the Lucas Oil tour pauses until March 27. If the sport adjusted to the new-look Speedweeks schedule, it’ll adjust to the increased action in March, too.
Pick a possible favorite for upcoming World of Outlaws action in Tennessee?
Ault: I think the pick is Bobby Pierce. High-banked Volunteer Speedway, in particular, really fits his driving style. Last year, he took home the checkered flag at the WoO-sanctioned event at Smoky Mountain Speedway. Although he’s second in the points, his Speedweeks was relatively quiet with a single victory. I think Pierce rights the ship this weekend and returns to his usual, dominating self that we’ve come to know well.
Kovac: As long as the weather is good, the fields both nights should be outstanding with several Lucas Oil Series regulars likely to take on the Outlaws. That makes the list of potential winners a bit longer. But there’s one guy — a guy who doesn’t run with either series — that I’ll put money on. With his vision sharpened after recent cataract surgery on the eye that was giving him some trouble, the veteran Dale McDowell will be ready for his first action since January’s Sunshine Nationals at Volusia. We’re going to see vintage Mac Daddy on his home turf this weekend.
McFadden: As Kevin mentioned, keep an eye on Dale McDowell. After recently undergoing cataract surgery to correct the vision issues that had been bothering him, the veteran returns to his Tennessee home turf, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him and his improved vision in victory lane. Chris Madden should also be one to watch as he has plenty of laps around Bulls Gap’s high banks. Cory Hedgecock is another name to consider. I expect he’ll be back in his familiar No. 23 equipment this week after parting ways with Billy Hicks. Remember, last fall he contended for the FloRacing Night in America win there, leading the opening 15 laps before cutting down a tire.
Turner: Kevin beat me to the punch with Dale McDowell — that’s the right pick. The Shane McDowell Racing team can’t go anywhere and everywhere and be competitive, but WoO’s weekend at Volunteer and Smoky Mountain are two of the team’s best tracks. I won’t guarantee a victory, but I suspect a pair of top-fives are in his future.
