Fast Talk presented by MD3 and Five Star Bodies
Fast Talk: Silver lining for Thornton?
Our roundtable discusses the Al Belt Custom Homes Silver Dollar Nationals and other mid-July results and news in our weekly feature presented by MD3 and Five Star Race Cars Bodies (edited for clarity and length):
Is Ricky Thornton Jr.’s Silver Dollar Nationals victory a turnaround — or a blip amid a subpar season?
Kevin Kovac, DirtonDirt senior writer: Judging by the vibes flowing through the Koehler Motorsports team after the SDN victory, I’d consider it a turning point that propels Thornton back to his prolific winning ways. The joyfulness evident among Thornton and Co. seemed accentuated by a sense of relief. There’s no doubt that, amid their struggles to win with regularity, pressure has been mounting on the team that had lofty expectations this season with crewmen Anthony Burroughs and Justin Tharpe reuniting with RTJ. They needed a spark, a pick-me-up, and I think they got it with an impeccable performance at Shelby County.
Todd Turner, DirtonDirt managing editor: A blip, for now, but an upcoming trip to Fairbury puts him in position to make $50,000-plus races a trend for the Koehler Motorsports team that’s been outside the top 10 on 18 occasions this season in fewer than seven months (for comparison, during the entire 2024 season, Thornton was worse than 10th only a dozen times). With more than 50 Lucas Oil victories over a three-year stretch from 2023-25, a dropoff could be expected, but there’s no doubt that team would still love to hit the double-figure mark in victories on the national circuit.
Kyle McFadden, DirtonDirt staff reporter: I'm hesitant to call it a turnaround. Time will tell. I thought his World of Outlaws victory at Wayne County in May would be the turning point, and it wasn't. I thought his Lucas Oil win at Atomic in March might serve as a springboard, and it didn't. Shelby County could absolutely be the breakthrough they needed — they were convincingly fast all weekend. But I've yet to see Thornton string together convincing results. He's posted back-to-back podium finishes only three times this season and back-to-back top-five finishes just eight times. Since May, he's recorded nearly twice as many finishes of 15th or worse (11) as podiums (six). I'm not trying to be skeptical — I just need to see more before labeling this a turnaround. We'll learn a lot this week with three marquee races in Illinois.
Mike Ruefer, contributing DirtonDirt photographer: It’s a good reminder on what this Koehler Motorsports team and Ricky are capable of every night they unload. Much has been talked about the lack of success based on his previous seasons with his inconsistent results. I hope for him — and not for the other competitors — that it’s not a blip, but we’ll know soon this week. Sometimes it only takes one spark to start a fire and the hot Silver Nationals weather and crown jewel cash may just have been the ember to light up the rest of the season.
Consider the reaction (and relief) of the news of Bob Pierce’s stroke and positive prognosis.
McFadden: The biggest story from the weekend had nothing to do with Silver Dollar Nationals on-track action. It was seeing Bob Pierce on the road to recovery after such a frightening health scare. Few people in the pit area are as universally appreciated as Bob. He's as affable as they come, and at 74, his work ethic and ability to still work his way around the race car as masterfully as he does are nothing short of remarkable. Hopefully he's discharged from the hospital soon and can return alongside Bobby. You do wonder what this means for his workload going forward, but knowing Bob, it wouldn't be surprising to see him back doing what he loves before long.
Turner: He’s a unique figure in the pits as someone older folks know as a barnstorming driver two generations earlier, and younger folks know as the crew chief and father to the sport’s No. 1 driver. So he touches a wide range of people, and younger drivers he’s assisted have a special affinity for him. He’s also widely respected as the fountain of racing knowledge that’s a perfect complement to Bobby’s otherworldly skills. We all obviously hope for the best outcome while also realizing there are few 74-year-olds putting the miles, hours, sweat and tears into racing that Bob does.
Ruefer: Any good news in light of what happened is a relief for the family in times like this. My personal experience with my parents gives me an understanding of what they might be going through now and the times ahead. Right now we all just need to give Bobby and the family a lot of space and prayers for Bob’s recovery. Over the next few days and weeks to come, more will be known and it’s their personal business to share with us as they wish. Too many questions and inquiries are not needed. Our prayers and respect for privacy will be appreciated.
Kovac: The uncertainty of Bob’s condition when word began spreading he had been rushed to the hospital due to an apparent stroke had everyone understandably worried. I know the pit area wouldn’t be the same for me — well, for countless people — with Bob Pierce not there to break down races, provide anecdotes from his decades in the sport and just simply chat with about racing. When his son Bobby provided the good news that Bob’s emergency surgery was successful and he appears headed toward a full recovery, it brightened my day. I can’t wait to see Bob back at the track. He’s a part of the Dirt Late Model landscape that can’t be replaced.
Pick another topic about recent Lucas Oil Series action.
Turner: Dillon McCowan’s name was everywhere after his double-feature success at his home track of Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., but now comes the hard part — gutting out the rest of his rookie season on a circuit full of standout racers. McCowan started on the pole at Adams County and ran an impressive top-three through 29 laps, but slipping over the banking dropped him 11th. Then Shelby County Speedway wasn’t kind with a pair of 23rd-place finishes. Hang in there Dillon, you’ve earned a spot, but don’t let a couple of clunkers get you down.
Ruefer: Moving the Silver Dollar Nationals to Shelby County Speedway was an excellent choice. Besides the track not giving us a banger race like we saw Thursday, it was nothing but positive. The vibe in town and community has all the ingredients to make this event bigger and better in the future. It had the I-80 Speedway feel and, even though it’s not in Nebraska, it invited everyone in the region to relive the magic that once was (and that didn’t take root at Huset’s Speedway). I encourage anyone sitting on the fence to make plans to go in 2027.
Kovac: Brandon Sheppard and the Rocket1 team are looking more and more like first-time Lucas Oil Series champions. He won Thursday’s Shelby County preliminary feature with a classic late-race surge, and he finished fifth in the bottom-dominant SDN finale but felt he should’ve been a podium finisher — perhaps even a challenger to Ricky Thornton Jr. — if he'd recognized earlier that the top wasn’t the fast lane. The B-Shepp-Rocket1 combination seems back in vintage form as Sheppard now leads the Lucas Oil standings by 135 points and has the most wins on the tour this season. He’s primed to join Scott Bloomquist, Josh Richards and Tim McCreadie as the only drivers to win Lucas Oil and World of Outlaws titles.
McFadden: Although Saturday's feature didn’t provide much entertainment, it shouldn't overshadow what the Silver Dollar Nationals found in Shelby County. Looking back, it's easy to appreciate Tod Quiring and everyone at Huset's Speedway for keeping the event going after I-80 Speedway closed. But it was always going to be a difficult fit. The track was built with open-wheel racing in mind and sat well outside Dirt Late Model country. Shelby County, on the other hand, checks every box. The community adores their racing, the facility is first-class and continues to improve and attracting more than 50 cars immediately restored the Silver Dollar Nationals' crown jewel feel. Those are huge wins right there.
React to another recent news item.
Ruefer: How about Louisiana driver Clay Stuckey? During his pre-feature race conversation with Dustin Jarrett he mentioned his youth in comparison to others and I’ll say to that, it doesn’t matter. He has quickly become a hard-nosed, gritty racer, going anywhere he can to compete. This year alone I don’t think there is anyone who has raced with more different series and against different drivers than him anywhere in the country. During a busy week at Shelby County he was eighth in the Malvern Bank tour event, 16th in the Lucas oil prelim and ninth in the Silver Dollar Nationals, solid performances. He’s earning and learning his way to the top.
McFadden: Tanner English’s DIRTcar Summer Nationals title validated a leap of faith. Surviving the grind of the Hell Tour and finishing the way he did with a fledgling family-owned team is no small feat. I also like the decision to step away from the MARS tour. He needed a chance to regroup before the Prairie Dirt Classic and USA Nationals, two events where English can measure himself against the sport’s elite. With the confidence he’s built over the last month, I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves the next two weekends with top-10 finishes — and perhaps more. Also, read my latest story on English if you haven’t already. There’s a lot in there how English got to this point by investing in his family team and what he envisions it becoming.
Turner: I’m intrigued by the plan at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to return its quarter-mile layout to dirt, and interested in the ramifications of that with weekly Late Model racing in eastern Iowa. Likewise there’ll be a lot of eyes on the newly construction Belle-Clair Speedway 2.0 that’s set to debut on Aug. 1, although I will say it’s disappointing that Late Models aren’t part of the unveiling of the Belleville, Ill. track. Looks like a great upgrade while maintaining some of the same Belleville feel — but I’m guessing no flagger standing on the racetrack.
Kovac: I’ll touch on Team 22 Inc. owner G.R. Smith’s hiring of South Carolina’s Zack Mitchell to replace the departed Drake Troutman. Smith of course felt he lost a talented, long-term driver for his equipment in the 21-year-old Troutman, but he made a pretty solid choice in turning to Mitchell. At 30, Mitchell is a bit older than Troutman, but he’s been racing a Dirt Late Model seemingly forever (well, actually since his early teens) and has become one of the Southeast’s top regional competitors. He showed his potential away from his backyard with a DIRT Summer Nationals win explosion last year and finished second in his World of Outlaws debut with Smith on July 8 at New York’s Stateline Speedway. There’s great growth potential for Mitchell in Smith’s seat. They’ll be an interesting pair to watch going forward.
Provide a mini Prairie Dirt Classic preview.
Kovac: The weather forecast looks fabulous. The atmosphere will be typically electric. And the possible storylines to crank up the crowd are seemingly endless. How about a Bobby Pierce victory for his recovering father? Brandon Sheppard’s first crown jewel win with the Rocket Chassis house car since the 2022 PDC? Nick Hoffman gains redemption for his last-lap PDC loss to Pierce in ’24? Jason Feger sets off an Illinois party with a monumental triumph? Yes, I already have a few angles in mind.
McFadden: I feel like this is the one crown jewel where a dozen drivers legitimately have a chance to win. Most marquee events, if we're being honest, have a much shorter list of true contenders. Fairbury just has a knack for producing unforgettable races and moments. If last year's emotional victory by Brian Shirley is any indication, another classic could be in store. Bobby Pierce, Brandon Sheppard and Nick Hoffman enter as the favorites, but it's hard to overlook the Illinois contingent of Jason Feger, Ryan Unzicker and Shannon Babb. And don't sleep on Tanner English, who feels like a legitimate dark horse this weekend.
Ruefer: When I think back to what once was the Prairie Dirt Classic, a modest one-day race, and what it has become now it baffles my mind. All national eyes will be glued on the race or convoy into Fairbury this weekend. It’s become more than just a race but an experience that racers and fans love to participate in. With that said it’s an Illinois race and the star racers from the home state will be gunning for the trip to the Bank of Pontiac. I expect nothing less than an Illinois hero to make that short trip into town.
Turner: I’ve traveled several times to Sedona, Ariz., where you can’t miss signs for an array of energy vortexes sought by spiritualists. I’m not sure what you’d call it at Fairbury, but there’s some kind of mystical, physics-defying magic at that quarter-mile oval, too. The amenities of the facility are great (and greatly improved in recent years), but in all honesty, I completely forgive the unfamiliar visitor who lays eyes on the oval itself for the first time and questions whether you could have a decent Late Model race on that little track. Believe.
