Tyler Erb Tames Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Field At I-80-Wednesday Night

Story By: LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – GREENWOOD, NE – Tyler Erb flexed his muscles on Wednesday Night leading all 30 laps to win the Al Belt Custom Homes I-80 Nationals at I-80 Speedway. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regular picked up his first series win since his two early season victories at East Bay earlier this year.

Ricky Weiss came home in second after starting in sixth. A hard-charging, wall running, Ricky Thornton Jr. came from the 13th starting spot to finish in third, earning another podium finish at I-80 Speedway. Monday night’s winner, Brandon Overton finished fourth with Stormy Scott completing the top five.

The race was slowed by three Stop-Tech Cautions as Erb held off Weiss by 1.03 seconds for the win. Stormy Scott held the second spot until Weiss got by him just before the lap 22 caution for a slowing Scott Bloomquist.

Erb had Weiss breathing down his neck before the yellow flag came out with eight laps to go, allowing Erb to pull way in the final laps for the win. “Right before they threw the caution, I saw Randall’s stick close up. I was probably going to move up the lap before the caution and it kind of made it little easier on my mind. Honestly, after last night everyone was racing for second. We worked on our car the best we could. I want to thank Brandon Overton for coming in here and whipping up on us, it makes everyone better.”

Weiss, a former Sunoco North-South 100 winner came home in second behind Erb. “We were really good on the long runs. I think he (Erb) was little bit better on the short runs. I definitely didn’t want to see that caution. I am just proud of my guys. Glad to get back up here on the podium and to be consistent again. Last night we held our heads high, and we knew we had to be better and tonight proved it. Tomorrow will be another day and hopefully we can be up here tomorrow night one spot better.”

Ricky Thornton Jr. had another impressive race at I-80 to come home in third. “That was fun. I wasn’t quite as good the middle and bottom as I wanted to be. After there was that big pile-up in three and four, we knocked the right rear off the car. I was just going to go for broke. I was going to stay around the cushion. I never felt like I was far enough ahead of Weiss that I could run my line again. To start 13th and finish third we’re definitely happy.”

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, Posi Flow, Bazell Race Fuels, Go Lithium, Lucas Oil Products, Keyser Manufacturing, First Class Septic, and KBC Graphics.

Completing the top ten were Spencer Hughes, Chase Junghans, Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Bruening, and Jimmy Owens.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Al Belt Custom Homes I-80 Nationals
Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
I-80 Speedway – Greenwood, NE

Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Jonathan Davenport / 17.242 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Jake Neal / 17.726 seconds

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[4]; 3. 49-Jonathan Davenport[6]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton[5]; 5. 24-Bill Leighton[1]; 6. 0-Scott Bloomquist[3]; 7. 3S-Brian Shirley[7]; 8. 7R-Ross Robinson[9]; 9. 7D-Dusty Leonard[8]; 10. 45-Dan Battaglia[11]; 11. 26JR-Corey Zeitner[10]

Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps): 1. 11H-Spencer Hughes[5]; 2. 20-Jimmy Owens[3]; 3. 2S-Stormy Scott[6]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[4]; 5. 157-Mike Marlar[7]; 6. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 7. 80-Allan Hopp[1]; 8. 6H-Al Humphrey[9]; 9. 14M-Reid Millard[11]; 10. 10C-Junior Coover[10]; 11. 04-Tad Pospisil[2]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps): 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 32S-Chris Simpson[3]; 3. 22M-Charlie McKenna[2]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 5. 1C-Chad Simpson[8]; 6. 25-Shane Clanton[5]; 7. 39-Tim McCreadie[11]; 8. 14J-Jake Neal[6]; 9. 99B-Boom Briggs[9]; 10. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[10]; 11. 49T-Jake Timm[7]

Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps): 1. 7W-Ricky Weiss[3]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[6]; 3. 66C-Matt Cosner[1]; 4. 18J-Chase Junghans[4]; 5. 14-Josh Richards[5]; 6. 98-Ben Schaller[7]; 7. 22F-Chris Ferguson[2]; 8. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[11]; 9. 3C-Mike Collins[10]; 10. 52-Brian Kosiski[8]; 11. 53-Andrew Kosiski[9]

LINE-X B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 66C-Matt Cosner[1]; 2. 1C-Chad Simpson[3]; 3. 98-Ben Schaller[4]; 4. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 5. 24-Bill Leighton[2]; 6. 49T-Jake Timm[10]; 7. 7D-Dusty Leonard[8]; 8. 7R-Ross Robinson[7]; 9. 99B-Boom Briggs[9]; 10. 04-Tad Pospisil[6]; 11. 14M-Reid Millard[11]; 12. 10C-Junior Coover[12]; 13. 45-Dan Battaglia[13]

UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 0-Scott Bloomquist[1]; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie[6]; 3. 157-Mike Marlar[2]; 4. 22F-Chris Ferguson[3]; 5. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[8]; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley[5]; 7. 3C-Mike Collins[10]; 8. 6H-Al Humphrey[7]; 9. 26JR-Corey Zeitner[13]; 10. 53-Andrew Kosiski[12]; 11. 52-Brian Kosiski[9]; 12. 80-Allan Hopp[4]; 13. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[11]

Lucas Oil Feature Finish (30 Laps):

Pos Start Car # Competitor Hometown Pay
1 2 1T Tyler Erb New Waverly, TX $7,000
2 6 7W Ricky Weiss Headingley, MB $4,000
3 13 20RT Ricky Thornton Jr. Adel, IA $3,000
4 7 76 Brandon Overton Evans, GA $2,000
5 4 2S Stormy Scott Las Cruces, NM $1,500
6 1 11H Spencer Hughes Meridian, MS $1,000
7 14 18J Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS $900
8 3 49 Jonathan Davenport Blairsville, GA $800
9 11 16 Tyler Bruening Decorah, IA $700
10 8 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN $600
11 22 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY $580
12 10 32S Chris Simpson Oxford, IA $560
13 15 1S Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL $540
14 21 1C Chad Simpson Mt. Vernon, IA $520
15 16 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA $500
16 19 66C Matt Cosner Ridgeley, WV $490
17 12 14 Josh Richards Shinnston, WV $480
18 17 22M Charlie McKenna Ames, IA $470
19 23 98 Ben Schaller Omaha, NE $460
20 24 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN $450
21 20 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN $440
22 5 71 Hudson O’Neal Martinsville, IN $430
23 9 40B Kyle Bronson Brandon, FL $410
24 18 14J Jake Neal Omaha, NE $400

Entrants: 44
Lap Leaders: Tyler Erb (1 – 50)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Tyler Erb
Arizona Sport Shirts CJC – Presented by DirtOnDirt Feature Winner: n/a
Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Tyler Erb
Margin of Victory: 1.030 seconds
Stop Tech Brakes Cautions: Kyle Bronson, Jake Neal, Josh Richards, Brandon Sheppard (Lap 5); Hudson O’Neal (Lap 9); Scott Bloomquist (Lap 22)
Series Provisionals: n/a
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisionals: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Tyler Erb, Ricky Weiss, Ricky Thornton Jr
Penske Shocks Top 5: Tyler Erb, Ricky Weiss, Ricky Thornton Jr, Brandon Overton, Stormy Scott
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Tim McCreadie (Advanced 11 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Tim McCreadie
Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Tyler Erb (50 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: Tyler Erb (Lap 1 – 18.677 seconds)
Fast Shafts Tough Break of the Race: Hudson O’Neal
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: Chase Junghans (17.464 seconds)
Time of Race: 27 minutes 24 seconds

Al Belt Custom Homes I-80 Nationals A-Main Lineup (53 laps):

Row Car # Inside Car # Outside
1 1T Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX 7W Ricky Weiss – Headingley, MB
2 76 Brandon Overton – Evans, GA 25 Shane Clanton – Zebulon, GA
3 11H Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS 71 Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN
4 20RT Ricky Thornton Jr. – Adel, IA 2S Stormy Scott – Las Cruces, NM
5 99JR Frank Heckenast Jr – Frankfort, IL 49 Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA
6 18J Chase Junghans – Manhattan, KS 20 Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN
7 40B Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL 39 Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY
8 1S Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL 32S Chris Simpson – Oxford, IA
9 16 Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA 157 Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN
10 B-Main #1 Winner B-Main #2 Winner
11 B-Main #1 2nd Place B-Main #2 2nd Place
12 B-Main #1 3rd Place B-Main #2 3rd Place
13 B-Main #1 4th Place B-Main #2 4th Place
14 LOLMDS Provisional #1 LOLMDS Provisional #2
15 Non-Qualifier Race Winner (choice)


LINE-X
B-Main 1 Lineup (12 laps, Top 4 Transfer):

Row Car # Inside Car # Outside
1 66C Matt Cosner – Ridgeley, WV 14 Josh Richards – Shinnston, WV
2 24 Bill Leighton – Lavista, NE 4 Tad Pospisil – Norfolk, NE
3 98 Ben Schaller – Omaha, NE 22F Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly, NC
4 22H Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA 26JR Corey Zeitner – Omaha, NE
5 7D Dusty Leonard – Marysville, KS 7R Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE
6 99B Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA 53 Andrew Kosiski – Lavista, NE
7 80 Allan Hopp – Harlan, IA


UNOH
B-Main 2 Lineup (12 laps, Top 4 Transfer):

Row Car # Inside Car # Outside
1 3S Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL 1C Chad Simpson – Mt. Vernon, IA
2 22M Charlie McKenna – Ames, IA 0 Scott Bloomquist – Mooresburg, TN
3 14J Jake Neal – Omaha, NE 49T Jake Timm – Winona, MN
4 1 Earl Pearson Jr – Jacksonville, FL 3C Mike Collins – New Orleans, LA
5 6H Al Humphrey – Giltner, NE 10C Junior Coover – Norfolk, NE
6 52 Brian Kosiski – Papillion, NE 14M Reid Millard – Jefferson City, MO
7 45 Dan Battaglia – Gretna, NE