Eldora Speedway
Breaking down Saturday's Dream heat races
By Kyle McFadden
DirtonDirt staff reporter
Eldora's Dream XXXII winner's trophy. (joshjamesartwork.com)
ROSSBURG, Ohio (June 6) — Previewing the six 15-lap heat races and only transfer three outright into Saturday’s 100-lap, $100,000-to-win Dream XXXII finale at Eldora Speedway. (RaceWire; complete Dream coverage):
First heat
Row 1: Chris Ferguson, Tyler Erb
Row 2: Bobby Pierce, Kyle Bronson
Row 3: Tristan Chamberlain, Jake O'Neil
Row 4: Mason Zeigler, Dillon McCowan
Row 5: Freddie Carpenter, Chris Madden
Row 6: Brody Smith, Tyler Bruening
Row 7: Lane Snook, Mathew Porter
Row 8: Benji Hicks
McFadden’s top three: Erb, Pierce, Ferguson
Sleeper pick: O’Neil from sixth
Comment: With two of the sport’s finest throttle-mashers coming from second and third, Ferguson will be pushed to his limits more than any polesitter. The top-three are too good to falter. Give the edge to Erb, who has set a rip-roaring pace in heat action this week. Chris Madden needs a Hail Mary and prayer coming from Row 5.
Second heat
Row 1: Max Blair, Hudson O'Neal
Row 2: Jonathan Davenport, Ricky Thornton Jr.
Row 3: Jackson Hise, Tim McCreadie
Row 4: Todd Morrow, Chase Junghans
Row 5: Justin Duty, Luke Morey
Row 6: Tim Lance, Ryan Johnson
Row 7: Dalton Cook, Alex Vance
Row 8: Mike Hildebrand
McFadden’s top three: O’Neal, Davenport, Blair
Sleeper pick: Hise from fifth
Comment: I like the outside pole again in the second heat, in which passing, like the first heat, will be at a premium. Davenport only went fourth to third in the first heat last year, so I like him to only gain a position again. Thornton and McCreadie might be B-main bound. Also, unfortunate circumstances for Cook, who, despite finishing 13th in Friday’s prelim, starts in Row 7 after failing to earn qualifying points on Thursday because a hole in his car's radiator kept him out of time trials.
Third heat
Row 1: Garrett Alberson, Nick Hoffman
Row 2: Brandon Overton, Zack Mitchell
Row 3: Dennis Erb Jr., Ryan Gustin
Row 4: Mark Whitener, K.C. Burdette
Row 5: Carson Ferguson, Mario Gresham
Row 6: Jeffery Erickson, Jimmy Owens
Row 7: Greg Williams, Joe Chalmers
Row 8: Mike Spatola
McFadden’s top three: Alberson, Hoffman, Overton
Sleeper pick: Mitchell from fourth
Comment: I think Alberson learned his lesson from the front-row-starting miscue that tanked his Thursday prelim and sent him from second to 10th. This is a fairly ho-hum prediction, but I like Alberson, Hoffman and Overton to finish 1-2-3. It wouldn’t surprise me if Mitchell raced his way into a transfer spot, either, and perhaps even challenged for second. As for Erb, Gustin, Ferguson and Owens, they’ll need significant turnarounds to overcome what have been relatively quiet Dream weeks.
Fourth heat
Row 1: Sam Seawright, Ashton Winger
Row 2: Dale McDowell, Daulton Wilson
Row 3: Kyle Strickler, Drake Troutman
Row 4: Shane Clanton, Kyle Hammer
Row 5: Shannon Babb, Ryan Crane
Row 6: Tyler Thomason, Carson Hocevar
Row 7: Wil Herrington, Jeff Roth
Row 8: David Watts
McFadden’s top three: McDowell, Winger, Strickler
Sleeper pick: Hammer from eighth
Comment: He won his heat from third last year, and perhaps with the track slowing down a tick — should it not rain too much by then — McDowell’s in position to do the same. He’ll have some eager throttle-stompers surrounding him, though, in Seawright, Winger, Strickler and Troutman. Don’t overlook Wilson either. Anybody in that top-seven could transfer — Hammer could make some noise, too — but I’ll take Strickler’s edge from Row 3.
Fifth heat
Row 1: Brandon Sheppard, Josh Rice
Row 2: Jason Feger, Mike Marlar
Row 3: Michael Leach, Dan Ebert
Row 4: Brenden Smith, Ryan Montgomery
Row 5: Trent Ivey, Garrett Smith
Row 6: Austin Smith, Jerry Bowersock
Row 7: Chase Frohnapfel, Ryan Payne
Row 8: Chad Stapleton
McFadden’s top three: Sheppard, Feger, Rice
Sleeper pick: Leach from fifth
Comment: At last, after charging from 21st to fourth Wednesday and rallying from the tail to ninth Friday, Sheppard and Rocket1 Racing will finally have clean track to work with at the start of something this week. If there’s one heat-race winner to feel most confident about, it’s them. Feger will need to hold serve on the start and restarts better than he did Friday if he wants to transfer. And don’t sleep on Leach from fifth. He could surprise.
Sixth heat
Row 1: Trey Mills, Ethan Dotson
Row 2: Devin Moran, Dallon Murty
Row 3: Brian Shirley, Joseph Joiner
Row 4: Jason Jameson, Eli Johnson
Row 5: Seth Daniels, Rod Conley
Row 6: Devin Gilpin, Steven Roberts
Row 7: Bryant Dickinson, Dustin Nobbe
McFadden’s top three: Mills, Moran, Murty
Sleeper pick: Murty from fourth
Comment: Dotson could very well win this from the outside pole. He’s typically aggressive enough to make the moves necessary to pull through in a situation like this. But Mills, just as he did from the pole in Wednesday’s FloRacing Night in America program, should get the jump again. Moran’s too good not to transfer, and I think Murty could’ve been even better in Thursday’s prelim if not for limping around at less than full strength after his team could only repair so much of the suspension damage their rookie driver sustained during time trials.
