DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

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Plans revealed for Pennsboro, more sprint car teams make driver changes | Daily 8-7-2023

On the show today we'll talk updates on the future of Pennsboro Speedway, another whole slew of recent sprint car driver changes in a never ending silly season, and plenty more. Let's go!

It's Monday, August 7th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily.

Not a great start to the 410 portion of Knoxville Nationals festivities last night with the Capitani Classic getting rained out. They got through hot laps and qualifying and a single heat race before things went sideways. They actually got heat two started, but eventually went yellow because of the heavy mist that was falling, and the night was eventually sacked. A number of teams had already decided to sit out the event because of the weather, but they still had 59 cars sign in. Buddy Kofoid and Brian Brown led the two qualifying flights, and James McFadden took the first heat win. Through the course of the day yesterday, teams like KKR, Swindell, TSR, Big Game, Shark, and others made the call to not run. Don't read anything into that though, as it was just the weather and a potentially heavy race track that kept them away. The focus today shifts to the Front Row Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. It's about 30 minutes east on highway 92 from Knoxville. With racing rained out last night, I'd guess that tonight's field will be fairly sizeable with guys wanting to get some laps in before Wednesday. Kyle Larson has won the Front Row Challenge two straight years, and my assumption was that he was planning on racing tonight. But the Cup race at Michigan was postponed to today, so it will be interesting to see how the day goes and if he can possibly do both. Tonight is $21,000 to win and $1000 to start, and if you can't get to Osky, it will be live on FloRacing.

In the XR orbit we've been waiting and watching for more updates on the future of Pennsboro Speedway in West Virginia. We first talked on this show about the track's revival back in October of 2022. If you aren't aware of it, the track sits on the northwestern turnpike about 36 miles east of Parkersburg. It's about two and half hours from Pittsburgh, and a similar distance from Columbus. The track was the original home of the Dirt Track World Championship and the Hillbilly 100, but it hasn't been used for big time dirt racing since 2002. Enter XR and Barry Braun and their team, and the track will officially be back to life for 2024. Back on Friday they announced a five show schedule for next season that includes 602 and steel block late models in April, super late models in late May, a 410 winged and non wing sprint car show in early July, 604 late models and modifieds in August, and the XR Super Series October 24th through 26th. The original track is sort of an egg shaped 1/2 mile, with two creeks cutting across the facility, but next year's events will be held on a newly configured 1/4 mile track that will utilize part of the existing track footprint. The rest of the half mile will remain in existence though, as future opportunities to use it will be explored. The reaction to the smaller version of Pennsboro has been a little strange. I've seen complaints about how a 1/4 mile track isn't Pennsboro, but there are also lots of comments about how the racing on the track back in the day was never all that great. So why would a potentially smaller, more racy version be bad? I'm not really sure on that one. Things at the absolutely massive West Virginia Motor Speedway haven't gone all that well, and it feels like maybe more big tracks isn't the answer. It's probably also much easier, and more cost effective to get rolling with the 1/4 mile, then to try and bring a strange shaped 1/2 mile up to modern standards. According to the release, XR has a five year agreement to operate the track. You can see more details at pennsborospeedway.com and you can follow along with the progress on social media @pennsboromagic across platforms.

And since we're talking XR, don't forget the XR Super Series is back in action tonight at Gondik Law Speedway in Wisconsin for $20,000 to win. Bobby Pierce leads the championship right now over Hudson O'Neal, and they've had 13 drivers attempt all five races so far in 2023. Coming off of the USA Nationals at Cedar Lake, tonight's race should draw plenty of heavy hitters, with Pierce, O'Neal, Brandon Overton, Brandon Sheppard, Jonathan Davenport, and plenty of others expected. After tonight, the final three XR Super Series shows take place October 26th through 28th at All-Techs in Florida.

The round robin of sprint car ride swapping continued over the weekend with a few more announcements. Back on Friday, Jeremy Elliott reported that Kyle Reinhardt will drive the Grove Racing 45 for the remainder of the All Star season. Grove and driver Tim Shaffer recently parted ways, and Reinhardt will be in the car when the All Stars return to action on August 18th at Outlaw Speedway. The Grove team currently sits fifth in the All Star owners championship battle. We're used to seeing Reinhardt in the Capitol Renegade 91 car, and he was an All Star full timer in 2021 and 2022. In 121 All Star starts back to 2019, he has a win, seven top fives, and 27 top tens. This season he scaled back to running mostly around Pennsylvania, and has 20 top tens in 36 races, including a victory on June 1st at BAPS Motor Speedway. Reinhardt will be Knoxville this week with the 91.

Also, on Sunday we learned that Zeth Sabo will finish the All Star season in the Seeling 97 with Andy Potter on the wrenches. The team had run up to this point in 2023 with JJ Hickle in the seat. Hickle last ran the car at Knoxville on July 29th, and had nine top tens in 29 races. He's fourth in the All Star standings right now, while the team is sixth. Hickle ran the 360 Knoxville Nationals with the Home Pro Roofing 50YR team ending up 13th in the Saturday B-Main. The 97 went home to Ohio this past weekend and ran with Sabo in the car, finishing second on Friday at Attica, and 20th on Saturday. It sounds like this move was maybe Hickle's idea, and we could see him in the 50YR more coming up. Neither Hickle nor the 97 are on the pre-entry list for the Knoxville Nationals, but it looks like Hickle is sticking around and bolting a 410 in the 50YR this week.

And just yesterday, literally while Capitani Classic qualifying was underway, Garet Williamson announced via social media that he'd split with Bryant Paver Motorsports and the number 24 car. If you might remember from Saturday night, Williamson went for a big tumble late in the 360 Nationals while running in the top five. In the post, Williamson thanked the team for their three and half years together, and said he is actively seeking a ride for 2023 and 2024 and has sponsors that will follow him. Through 35 410 races in 2023, the Missouri driver had six top fives and 13 top tens, and picked up a NOSA win at Huset's back in May. He picked up an Outlaw podium at Knoxville back in June, and had recent top tens with the All Stars at Knoxville and I-70. We've also seen him win multiple 360 shows in recent seasons, including at Knoxville and with the Sprint Invaders. Williamson told the Always Race Day guys he's going to try and work quickly this week to put something together for the Knoxville Nationals. I don't know what's in the water this year, but this driver and ride market has been pretty insane. As I keep saying too, I'm sure we're not even close to done yet.

That's it for today's Daily. You do have multiple options today across the streaming services, so stop by dirtrackr.com/watchtonight to see the schedule.

Hope you guys have a good Monday out there, we'll see you right back here tomorrow.