Tyler Erb has found his fun in 2025.
The reigning DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models champion returned to Victory Lane at Lee County Speedway on Thursday night after having to battle his way through the top five for his first Feature win with the tour in 2025.
Christian Hanger and Dillon McCowan made up the front row for the opening green flag, with Hanger holding the lead as Tuesday night winner Ryan Gustin took over second place after leaving McCowan out of his lane on the opening lap.
Hanger led while Gustin rode behind him with a one-second gap between the two drivers through the first 13 laps, but the field behind the two drivers began to chop the time difference as lapped traffic began to play a factor.
On Lap 14, changes at the top began as Erb, Chris Simpson, and Mark Whitener challenged Gustin and Hanger for their positions, with Erb swooping to the bottom lane to slide around Gustin for second place. Gustin’s lost momentum caused him to drop to fifth as Whitener and Simpson drove by for the top five spots.
Hanger began to feel the pressure of “Terbo” on his tail as the Best Performance Motorsports No. 1 used the cushion of the track as Hanger mixed both the high and low lanes to defend the lead.
Erb tasted the lead for the first time on Lap 18 in a door-to-door race against Hanger, but secured the position after out-pacing Hanger off of Turn 4 on Lap 19.
At the top, Erb drove away from the field towards a 2.5-second lead at the checkered flag as Simpson and Whitener took over second and third, respectively.
The New Waverly, TX driver’s 16th career Summer Nationals win surpassed Jeep Van Wormer for 12th on the all-time wins list as he continues the hunt towards his second consecutive title on “Fun Tour 2.0.”
“Scott Keyser brought out DJ (from Keyser Manufacturing) for one night and rebuilt all my stuff,” Erb said. “I haven’t been doing what I need to do. Like, it’s pretty simple: I need to just drive the ******* out of it. When it’s my night, it’s my night.
“Today just kind of started off like how it’s been the last two weeks. I had just been getting frustrated searching for something I’m probably never gonna have. I know what this car is good at, I know how to do it good, and tonight was a perfect example. I found the cushion and I could peel off, run the bottom, and be okay too.”
Up Next: The DIRTcar Summer Nationals and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals join the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Models presented by DIRTVision and Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota at Pevely, MO’s I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park for the St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff on June 20-21.
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 1-Tyler Erb[6]; 2. 32S-Chris Simpson[4]; 3. 5-Mark Whitener[8]; 4. 29 Christian Hanger[1]; 5. 19R-Ryan Gustin[3]; 6. 49-Jake Timm[5]; 7. 10-Joseph Joiner[11]; 8. 75-Dillon McCowan[2]; 9. 40B-Kyle Bronson[15]; 10. 74X-Ethan Dotson[7]; 11. 12-Ashton Winger[20]; 12. 28M-Sam Mars[12]; 13. 25F-Jason Feger[19]; 14. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[13]; 15. 22*-Drake Troutman[16]; 16. 50K-Kayden Clatt[9]; 17. 43-Derrick Stewart[17]; 18. 15-Clay Stuckey[14]; 19. 28B-Carson Brown[18]; 20. (DNF) 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[22]; 21. (DNF) 1ST-Justin Reed[10]; 22. (DNF) 17A-Austin Howes[21]
