Reddick Grabs First Career DIRTcar Summer Nationals Victory at Highland Speedway
By Jordan Morris
HIGHLAND, Ill. — July 5, 2014 — NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular Tyler Reddick made his dramatic return to dirt ovals on Saturday night at Highland Speedway, as he led the final 26 laps en route to capturing his first DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory and the $10,000 checkered flag.
Reddick, an 18-year-old Corning, Calif. native, has been absent from Dirt Late Models since the World of Outlaws World Finals last November while he competed on a limited basis for 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski in the Camping World Truck Series. Following a break in NASCAR action this week, Reddick and his father Clarence managed to get one of their two Bloomquist Race Cars ready for this weekend’s DIRTcar Summer Nationals action.
Reddick started the race on the outside of pole-sitter Bobby Pierce, who managed to grab the race lead for the opening two laps of the 40-lap feature event. Pierce and third-place starter Jason Feger battled side-by-side for the lead for a couple of laps as Feger claimed the top spot on lap three, before handing it back to Pierce the next lap.
As the two leaders battled, Reddick lurked in their rearview mirrors. Pierce controlled the lead until lap nine, when a hard-charging Reddick made his way back to the front of the field and rocketed around the leader Pierce.
Friday night winner Brandon Sheppard, who started the race in the fifth position, looked to go back-to-back as he worked his way to the front, passing Pierce for second on lap 16. Sheppard had some work to do in order to catch the leader, who had already built a large lead on second just two laps after capturing the lead. With 10 laps to go that lead would be wiped away as the leader was slowed by lapped traffic.
Sheppard would get to Reddick’s back bumper, but the leader, who was running the faster low-line, held on to lead the final 26 laps and claim the victory over the defending DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion at Highland Speedway.
“It’s been a long time since we won a race so this is exciting,” said Reddick whose only Dirt Late Model win came on Feb. 9, 2011 at Eastbay Raceway Park. “This was an unplanned race and here we are — $10,000 richer, won a Summer Nationals race and going to Haubstadt (Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway) tomorrow to hopefully get another win.”
Brian Shirley, Bobby Pierce and Billy Moyer rounded out the top five.
Heat race winners included Jason Feger, Billy Moyer, Bobby Pierce and Tyler Reddick
The DIRTcar Summer Nationals continues on Sunday night as they join the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind.
DIRTcar Summer Nationals Statistical Report; Highland Speedway; Highland, Ill.;
July 5, 2014; A-Main (40-laps): 1. 11R-Tyler Reddick ($10,000), 2. B5-Brandon Sheppard, 3. 81-Brian Shirley, 4. 32-Bobby Pierce, 5. 21-Billy Moyer, 6. 25-Jason Feger, 7. 24-Ryan Unzicker, 8. 6K-Michael Kloos, 9. 18-Shannon Babb, 10. 7R-Kent Robinson, 11. 32J-Jason Jaggers, 12. 78-Chad Zobrist, 13. 20W-Matt Weidner, 14. 1M-Jim Moon, 15. 0-Randy Korte, 16. 9R-Curtis Roberts, 17. 29W-Brian Divley, 18. 24T-Matt Taylor, 19. 25M-Frankie Martin, 20. 81JR-Jason Riggs, 21. 27S-Mike Schulte, 22. 1S-Rick Salter.
2014 DIRTcar Summer Nationals Schedule
|
Date |
Day |
Track |
Location |
Win |
|
June 11 |
Wed |
Brownstown Speedway |
Brownstown, Ind. |
RAIN |
|
June 12 |
Thur |
Kankakee Co. Speedway |
Kankakee, Ill. |
Billy Moyer |
|
June 13 |
Fri |
Cedar Lake Speedway |
Somerset, Wis. |
Rick Eckert |
|
June 14 |
Sat |
Cedar Lake Speedway |
Somerset, Wis. |
RAIN |
|
June 15 |
Sun |
Wilmot Raceway |
Wilmot, Wis. |
Rick Eckert(2) |
|
June 16 |
Mon |
Off |
||
|
June 17 |
Tue |
Farley Speedway |
Farley, Iowa |
Shannon Babb |
|
June 18 |
Wed |
Spoon River Speedway |
Canton, Ill. |
Jason Feger |
|
June 19 |
Thur |
Quincy Raceways |
Quincy, Ill. |
RAIN |
|
June 20 |
Fri |
Tri-City Speedway |
Pontoon Beach, Ill. |
Billy Moyer(2) |
|
June 21 |
Sat |
Fairbury Speedway |
Fairbury, Ill. |
RAIN |
|
June 22 |
Sun |
I-96 Speedway |
Ionia, Mich. |
Brian Shirley |
|
June 23 |
Mon |
Peoria Speedway |
Peoria, Ill. |
Brandon Sheppard |
|
June 24 |
Tue |
Off |
||
|
June 25 |
Wed |
Clarksville Speedway |
Clarksville, Tenn. |
Shannon Babb(2) |
|
June 26 |
Thur |
Clayhill Motorsports |
Atwood, Tenn. |
Brian Shirley (2) |
|
June 27 |
Fri |
Paducah Int. Raceway |
Paducah, Ky. |
RAIN |
|
June 28 |
Sat |
Federated Auto Parts Raceway |
Pevely, Mo. |
Brian Birkhofer |
|
June 29 |
Sun |
Lincoln Speedway |
Lincoln, Ill. |
Brady Smith |
|
June 30 |
Mon |
Off |
||
|
July 1 |
Tue |
Belle Clair Speedway |
Belleville, Ill. |
Bobby Pierce |
|
July 2 |
Wed |
Jacksonville Speedway |
Jacksonville, Ill. |
Jason Feger(2) |
|
July 3 |
Thur |
LaSalle Speedway |
LaSalle, Ill. |
Brian Birkhofer |
|
July 4 |
Fri |
Fayette Co. Speedway |
Brownstown, Ill. |
Brandon Sheppard |
|
July 5 |
Sat |
Highland Speedway |
Highland, Ill. |
Tyler Reddick |
|
July 6 |
Sun |
Tri-State Speedway |
Haubstadt, Ind. |
$5,000 |
|
July 7 |
Mon |
Off |
||
|
July 8 |
Tue |
Florence Speedway |
Union, Ky. |
$5,000 |
|
July 9 |
Wed |
Terre Haute Action Track |
Terre Haute, Ind. |
$5,000 |
|
July 10 |
Thur |
Macon Speedway |
Macon, Ill. |
$5,000 |
|
July 11 |
Fri |
Farmer City Raceway |
Farmer City, Ill. |
$10,000 |
|
July 12 |
Sat |
34 Raceway |
Burlington, Iowa |
$10,000 |
|
July 13 |
Sun |
Vermilion Co. Speedway |
Danville, Ill. |
$5,000 |
|
July 14 |
Mon |
Off |
||
|
July 15 |
Tue |
TBA |
||
|
July 16 |
Wed |
Atomic Speedway |
Chillicothe, Ohio |
$5,000 |
|
July 17 |
Thur |
Brushcreek Motorsports Complex |
Peebles, Ohio |
$5,000 |
|
July 18 |
Fri |
Attica Raceway Park |
Attica, Ohio |
$5,000 |
|
July 19 |
Sat |
Oakshade Raceway |
Wauseon, Ohio |
$10,000 |
The DIRTcar Summer Nationals “Hell Tour” is brought to fans across the country by many important partners including: Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Racing Electronics (Official Communication), Velocita (Official Uniform), VP Racing Fuel (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to these fine Contingency Partners: Beyea Headers, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Dominator Race Products, Edelbrock, Fox Shocks, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, Mobil 1, MSD, Quartermaster, Superflow Dynos, Summit Racing Equipment and Wrisco Aluminum; Promotional Partners include: Chevy Performance Parts, Indiana Decal, Intercomp and Petroff Towing.
