Tyler Erb Earns Biggest Career Win In Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series I-80 Nationals Domination
Story By: LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – GREENWOOD, NE – Tyler Erb remains red-hot as the 24-year-old Texas native scored the biggest win of his racing career on Thursday Night at I-80 Speedway. Leading all 53 laps, Erb picked up $30,000 in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctioned event.
Erb’s had a dominating performance in the caution-free race with a margin of victory of 5.5 seconds over Hudson O’Neal. Brandon Overton came home in third with Spencer Hughes and Ricky Thornton Jr. rounding out the top five drivers.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the fourth time in 2021, Erb was congratulated by his crew chief Randall Edwards and his race team. “Going caution-free helps. Once you get in the rhythm there, you just try to keep going the same speed you are going, and you can tell when you mess up. I got to racing with lapped cars and I think my lead closed a little bit. This is awesome, this is the biggest win of my career, so I am pumped.”
O’Neal, who ran second to Overton on Tuesday Night came home in second. “I didn’t know how close I could get to him [Erb] as far out he was. I knew traffic was going to play a big deal. Whenever I got by Spencer [Hughes] for second I started to get a little closer and then I caught lapped traffic just like he was in. We had a great night and it’s been a great week so far; I am happy to get a couple of more nights to run for some great money.”
Tuesday Night’s winner, Overton, earned a podium finish with his third place showing. “We are all on the same tires here. So, we have no excuses there. We just got better and better as the race went on. With this crowd it’s a good night for us. We still have two more days left so we are just going to keep on working on it and we’ll get them.”
The winner’s Eric and Kelly Brock Best Performance Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by M&W Transport, Roberts Bee Company, First Class Septic, Posi Flow, Midwest Sheet Metal, Bazell Race Fuels, Go Lithium, Keyser Manufacturing, and KBC Graphics.
Completing the top ten were Ricky Weiss, Stormy Scott, Jimmy Owens, Jonathan Davenport, and Shane Clanton.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
I-80 Speedway
Thursday, July 28th, 2021
I-80 Speedway – Greenwood, NE
LINE-X B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 14-Josh Richards[2]; 2. 04-Tad Pospisil[4]; 3. 66C-Matt Cosner[1]; 4. 22F-Chris Ferguson[6]; 5. 24-Bill Leighton[3]; 6. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[7]; 7. 98-Ben Schaller[5]; 8. 7R-Ross Robinson[10]; 9. 99B-Boom Briggs[11]; 10. 7D-Dusty Leonard[9]; 11. 26JR-Corey Zeitner[8]; 12. 80-Allan Hopp[13]; 13. 53-Andrew Kosiski[12]
UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1C-Chad Simpson[2]; 2. 0-Scott Bloomquist[4]; 3. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 4. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[7]; 5. 22M-Charlie McKenna[3]; 6. 14J-Jake Neal[5]; 7. 52-Brian Kosiski[11]; 8. 3C-Mike Collins[8]; 9. 6H-Al Humphrey[9]; 10. 14M-Reid Millard[12]; 11. 45-Dan Battaglia[13]; 12. 49T-Jake Timm[6]; 13. 10C-Junior Coover[10]
Lyles Tire & Wheels Last Dance Non-Qualifier Finish (20 Laps, Winner Transfers): 1. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[1]; 2. 7R-Ross Robinson[3]; 3. 52-Brian Kosiski[2]; 4. 99B-Boom Briggs[5]; 5. 6H-Al Humphrey[6]; 6. 3C-Mike Collins[4]; 7. 7D-Dusty Leonard[7]; 8. 26JR-Corey Zeitner[9]; 9. 80-Allan Hopp[11]; 10. 53-Andrew Kosiski[13]; 11. 49T-Jake Timm[12]; 12. 10C-Junior Coover[14]; 13. 45-Dan Battaglia[10]; 14. 14M-Reid Millard[8]
Al Belt Custom Homes I-80 Nationals Feature Finish (53 Laps):
| Pos | Start | Car # | Competitor | Hometown | Pay |
| 1 | 1 | 1T | Tyler Erb | New Waverly, TX | $30,000 |
| 2 | 6 | 71 | Hudson O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | $18,000 |
| 3 | 3 | 76 | Brandon Overton | Evans, GA | $10,000 |
| 4 | 5 | 11H | Spencer Hughes | Meridian, MS | $7,000 |
| 5 | 7 | 20RT | Ricky Thornton Jr. | Adel, IA | $6,000 |
| 6 | 2 | 7W | Ricky Weiss | Headingley, MB | $5,000 |
| 7 | 8 | 2S | Stormy Scott | Las Cruces, NM | $4,500 |
| 8 | 12 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN | $4,000 |
| 9 | 10 | 49 | Jonathan Davenport | Blairsville, GA | $3,900 |
| 10 | 4 | 25 | Shane Clanton | Zebulon, GA | $3,800 |
| 11 | 16 | 32S | Chris Simpson | Oxford, IA | $3,700 |
| 12 | 24 | 3S | Brian Shirley | Chatham, IL | $3,600 |
| 13 | 15 | 1S | Brandon Sheppard | New Berlin, IL | $3,500 |
| 14 | 14 | 39 | Tim McCreadie | Watertown, NY | $3,400 |
| 15 | 13 | 40B | Kyle Bronson | Brandon, FL | $3,300 |
| 16 | 11 | 18J | Chase Junghans | Manhattan, KS | $3,200 |
| 17 | 9 | 99JR | Frank Heckenast Jr | Frankfort, IL | $3,100 |
| 18 | 19 | 14 | Josh Richards | Shinnston, WV | $3,000 |
| 19 | 20 | 1C | Chad Simpson | Mt. Vernon, IA | $2,900 |
| 20 | 17 | 16 | Tyler Bruening | Decorah, IA | $2,800 |
| 21 | 18 | 157 | Mike Marlar | Winfield, TN | $2,700 |
| 22 | 22 | 0 | Scott Bloomquist | Mooresburg, TN | $2,600 |
| 23 | 21 | 4 | Tad Pospisil | Norfolk, NE | $2,500 |
| 24 | 23 | 66C | Matt Cosner | Ridgeley, WV | $2,400 |
| 25 | 26 | 1 | Earl Pearson Jr | Jacksonville, FL | $2,300 |
| 26 | 29 | 14J | Jake Neal | Omaha, NE | $2,200 |
| 27 | 30 | 98 | Ben Schaller | Omaha, NE | $2,100 |
| 28 | 28 | 22M | Charlie McKenna | Ames, IA | $2,000 |
| 29 | 25 | 22F | Chris Ferguson | Mt. Holly, NC | $2,000 |
| 30 | 27 | 24 | Bill Leighton | Lavista, NE | $2,000 |
| 31 | 31 | 22H | Daniel Hilsabeck | Earlham, IA | $4,000 |
Race Statistics
Entrants: 44
Lap Leaders: Tyler Erb (1 – 53)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Tyler Erb
Arizona Sport Shirts CJC – Presented by DirtOnDirt Feature Winner: Tyler Erb
Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Tyler Erb
Margin of Victory: 5.515 seconds
Stop Tech Brakes Cautions: n/a
Series Provisionals: n/a
Best Point Night Provisionals: Bill Leighton, Charlie McKenna
Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisionals: Jake Neal, Ben Schaller
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Tyler Erb, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton
Penske Shocks Top 5: Tyler Erb, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton, Spencer Hughes, Ricky Thornton Jr
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Brian Shirley (Advanced 12 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Tim McCreadie
Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Tyler Erb (53 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Tyler Erb
Eibach Springs Rookie of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Spencer Hughes (Lap 1 – 18.638 seconds)
Fast Shafts Tough Break of the Race: Junior Coover
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Randall Edwards (Tyler Erb)
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing Engine
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Chad Simpson (17.432 seconds)
Time of Race: 17 minutes 22 seconds
