Race Weekend Central

Thursday Morning Thunder, Vol. 19: In Racing, Like All Sports, Fighting Has to Be All or Nothing

2021 North Florida Flipped Late Model Bdk

Photo Credit: Bryan Davis Keith, Frontstretch

For as long as I’ve been a dirt racing fan, I’ve been a DC sports fan longer. “It builds character,” my dad has often told me. Being a lifelong DC sports fan, it was no surprise that my phone was blowing up all day with folks asking for my take on Tom Wilson’s latest highlight …

Read more

Remembering Eric McClure: A Racing Hero to a Fellow Virginian

Eric McClure 2016 Xfinity smiling Logan Whitton NKP

(Photo: Logan Whitton / NKP)

If there’s one adage that’s held true during my decade covering races with Frontstretch, it’s been “don’t meet your heroes.” Virginia’s Eric McClure, who died Sunday (May 2) at the age of 42, was a rare exception to that rule. Yes, I went out of my way to say Virginia’s Eric McClure. There’s a reason …

Read more

Thinkin’ Dirty, Vol. 19: 2021 Hawkeye 100 at Boone

Vado

Photo Credit: World Racing Group via Terry Page

The A-Main: Put a 100 in the race name, and Bobby Pierce is proving to be the man. Fresh off his Illini 100 win at Farmer City Raceway a month ago, Saturday night  (May 1) saw Pierce pass Billy Moyer Sr. for the race lead on lap 30 of Saturday’s Hawkeye 100 at Boone Speedway …

Read more

Thursday Morning Thunder, Vol. 18: For Late Models, When Size Does Matter

Bristol

(Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Had I waited another couple of hours to write this week’s Thinkin’ Dirty, the tenor may have been a little bit different. And thanks to a race at the dirt track equivalent of a superspeedway no less. This past Sunday night (April 25) was highlighted by a race dubbed simply “The Return.” In the first …

Read more

Thinkin’ Dirty: 2021 Bristol Throwdown

2020 Knoxville David Gravel Vl Wrg

Photo Credit: World Racing Group via Trent Gower

The A-Main: David Gravel swept the World of Outlaws Bristol Throwdown on Sunday (April 25), winning the $25,000 finale feature in a green-white-checkered finish over Donny Schatz. Gravel took the lead on lap 24 after pole sitter Logan Schuchart led the first 23 laps, only for Schuchart to break on the backstretch and bring out …

Read more

Thursday Morning Thunder, Vol. 17: Dirt Racing & Soccer Diverge in a Wood

Flo Racing

Photo Credit: World Racing Group

Let’s compare and contrast two major sporting events that have kicked off in the last week. Last Thursday (April 14), the Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, West Virginia, hosted the first round of the Castrol Racing Night in America dirt late model tour, a race that saw a stacked field of super late models compete …

Read more

Thinkin’ Dirty: 2021 Nininger Tribute at Hagerstown, Racing Emotional Support Alligators?

Flo

Photo Credit - World Racing Group

The A-Main: Ricky Thornton Jr. led 49 laps of Saturday’s (April 17) Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series feature at Hagerstown Speedway in Maryland, but Tim McCreadie led the one that mattered. Finding a line on the low side of turns 1 and 2 in the closing laps, McCreadie got alongside Thornton on the final …

Read more

Thursday Morning Thunder, Vol. 16: Too Much Eldora in 2021?

Super Lates At Eldora 2020 06 04

Photo Credit: World Racing Group

There’s a reason the expression reads, “heavy weighs the crown.” At day’s end, there is only one king. That solitary existence is what makes a king so unique, so illustrious and so powerful. Sadly, that fact appears lost on the Eldora Speedway, whose 2021 schedule released this week includes what they’re terming a “double down” …

Read more

Thinkin’ Dirty, Vol. 16 – 2021 Bristol Bash

Bristol dirt track in 2021, overhead view, Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

(Photo: Jared C Tilton/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)

The A-Main: Devin Moran pounced when polesitter Ricky Weiss‘s handling started to fade with nine laps to go in Sunday’s rain-delayed Bristol Bash finale, prevailing on a lap 33 restart to win the $25,000 World of Outlaws late model feature. Moran joined Kyle Strickler as only the second repeat winner on the tour so far …

Read more

Thursday Morning Thunder, Vol. 15: Sprint Cars to the Olympics? Worthy, But No Thank You

2019 Sprint Car Wrg

Photo Credit: World Racing Group

Jonathan Davenport is the hottest driver in dirt racing and the favorite to win the weekend’s upcoming Bristol Bash for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. Big story, sure, but I’m frankly Bristol’ed out. Plus, thanks to the amazing work of the medical community, my parents are now both fully vaccinated, meaning today marked …

Read more

Thinkin’ Dirty, Vol. 15: 2021 Lil’ Bill Corum Memorial at Tazewell

Hawkeye 50

Photo Credit: World Racing Group via Jim DenHamer

The A-Main: Call it Bristol Redux. On a high-banked Tennessee dirt oval, “Superman” Jonathan Davenport bested “Yung Money” Kyle Larson, leading all 75 laps Saturday night (April 3) to comfortably win the $21,000 Lil’ Bill Corum Memorial race at Tazewell Speedway.  “Superman” Jonathan Davenport @TheFast49 climbs out of his @LonghornChassis $21,000 richer after winning the …

Read more

Thursday Morning Thunder, Vol. 14: From Iowa to Arizona, Dirt’s Messy Ups & Downs

2019 River Cities Woo Sprint Cars Wrg

Photo Credit: World Racing Group via Dave Biro

Thanks to NASCAR’s Bristol Dirt Race being moved to Monday, I didn’t have to make an excuse not to sneak a peek. My 9-5 took care of that for me. That being said, as I do multiple times seven days a week, I was sneaking peeks at my dirt Twitter list that continually has 500-plus …

Read more