DIRTcar Summer Nationals / Summit Modifieds

KANKAKEE, IL (July 6, 2026) — Over the past four weeks, Tanner English has gone from searching relentlessly for a win to now making a habit of it.

English, of Benton, KY, went winless through the first 11 races of the 2026 DIRTcar Summer Nationals before breaking through at Farmington Empire Speedway one week ago and Highland Speedway three nights later. On Monday night at Kankakee County Speedway, English parked it in Victory Lane for the third time in the last six races, asserting his dominance as the hottest driver currently on the Hell Tour.

“I think we all get in our heads a little bit and think, well, that won’t work because it didn’t work one time,” English said. “Now I am getting more like ‘now that I won that first one, I feel alright, I don’t care if I lose the rest of them if I need to.’ I am just trying to learn and do what needs to be done.”

English and Sam Seawright led the field to green from the front row for the 30-lap main event. Seawright led the opening lap, using the outside lane to propel himself to the lead with English and third-place Carson Ferguson battling directly behind him.

Seawright looked to be in control early on before lap traffic began to play a factor on Lap 12, bringing English and Ferguson right back to the No. 16S in the battle for the lead. English soon found a moisture strip on the bottom of the 1/4-mile oval and used it to pull even with the Coltman Farms Racing machine, briefly taking the lead as they raced down the backstretch.

Seawright battled back with a strong run on the top side through Turns 3 and 4, retaking the lead by a nose at the line on Lap 13. The battled continued on Lap 14 with more side-by-side action; Seawright still holding the top spot. Lap traffic began to thicken over the next few laps as the top three of Seawright, English, and Ferguson now made up the battle for the top spot.

English soon took advantage of Seawright’s struggles in lap traffic and shot by Seawright out of Turn 4 to lead Lap 17. From there, it was all English’s No. 96 out front as he led the final 13 laps unchallenged to pick up his ninth career Summer Nationals Feature win and extend his points lead to 123 over second-place Jason Feger.

“Early on, I found that little traction strip on the bottom and I knew it was probably going to be there the whole race,” English said. “When we got to the lappers, I started following Sam (Seawright), just trying to buy time and keep my tires cool. When he hit lap cars, I made my moves there and it was just the right time. Everything worked out just right, he got hung up by a car on the back stretch and I shot by him and took his line away.”

Ferguson got by for second in the closing laps, Seawright finished third, Feger finished fourth, and Brenden Smith rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT

The DIRTcar Summer Nationals makes its only stop in Indiana at Montpelier Speedway on Tuesday, July 7. Tickets for the event will be sold at the track on race day.

How can you watch the DIRTcar Summer Nationals if you are not at the track? Every race is broadcasted live on DIRTVision.

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 96-Tanner English[1]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[3]; 3. 16S-Sam Seawright[2]; 4. 25-Jason Feger[5]; 5. 17SS-Brenden Smith[4]; 6. 89-Mike Spatola[7]; 7. 91-Rusty Schlenk[9]; 8. 49-Luke Morey[6]; 9. 130-Chase Osterhoff[8]; 10. 07-Rylee Knoll[14]; 11. 32S-Chris Simpson[11]; 12. 4G-Bob Gardner[13]; 13. 17SR-Brody Smith[10]; 14. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[20]; 15. LIL91-Carter Schlenk[12]; 16. 30-Mark Voigt[22]; 17. M27-Mike Provenzano[18]; 18. 12-Jack Franklin[16]; 19. 21K-Jacob Kolwyck[15]; 20. BK3-Billy Knippenberg III[17]; 21. 729-Mike Winn[23]; 22. Z61-Alex Wilson[19]; 23. 74D-Dan DeYoung[21]; 24. (DNS) 74-Mitch McGrath

It’s been nine years in the making for Steven Brooks, but the hometown favorite has found his way back to DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals Victory Lane.

Brooks, of Bourbonnais, IL, first broke through with the UMP Modified series on July 6, 2017. Fast forward to Monday night — almost nine years to-the-day — and he’s done it again, leading the final 15 laps of the main event at his home track of Kankakee County Speedway for his second career series triumph.

“I am on Cloud 9 right now,” Brooks said. “We’ve done this thing for a long time. We’ve chased these wins for a while, and I can’t believe it’s been nine years since we got a Summer Nationals win. To get one here at Kankakee, it’s in our backyard, it’s our home track. I always say I am going to defend the home turf and we got it done, this is so awesome.”

At the start, Mike McKinney and Brooks showed shades of their weekly battles at the Illinois 1/4-mile oval, racing side-by-side for the top spot.

McKinney led the opening lap by a nose as he worked the low lane while Brooks used the top and began to find some momentum. Michael Ledford soon became a factor, taking advantage of Brooks slipping on the top to go by for second.

On Lap 10, lap traffic was in play, and just as Ledford made a move around the outside of McKinney, the caution flew for a car spun in Turns 3 and 4. Brooks found the middle lane on the restart and used it to propel himself to second off Turn 2. Brooks used that momentum to drive to the outside of McKinney, leading Lap 11 by a nose at the line.

A caution on Lap 11 for a three-car pileup saw McKinney head off the racetrack under the yellow with a flat tire. On the restart, Ledford found new life as he worked the bottom and pulled even with Brooks. As the battle for the lead intensified, a new challenger approached as Zeke McKenzie railed the top to make it a three-car duel for the lead.

McKenzie washed high exiting Turn 2, allowing both Brooks and Ledford to get by. As the race continued, Brooks continued to get faster, and he pulled away to over a one-second advantage and crossed the start/finish line to secure the victory.

Ledford finished second, McKenzie extends his points lead with a third-place finish, Curt Spalding was fourth, and Tyler Spalding was fifth.

UP NEXT

The DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals returns to action at Montpelier Speedway in Montpelier, IN on Tuesday, July 7.

How can you watch the Summit Modifieds? Every race is live on DIRTVision.

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 5-Steven Brooks[2]; 2. 09-Michael Ledford[3]; 3. 24-Zeke McKenzie[5]; 4. 5CS-Curt Spalding[4]; 5. 1TS-Tyler Spalding[15]; 6. 27D-Beau DeYoung[9]; 7. B5-Matthew Baker[6]; 8. 0-Travis Kohler[11]; 9. T23-John Toppozini[14]; 10. 7-Brad DeYoung[10]; 11. 01K-Billy Knippenberg[12]; 12. 77-Ray Bollinger[8]; 13. 48-Adam Pockrus[7]; 14. 310-Guy Sutton[13]; 15. 68W-Damion Wilmoth[16]; 16. 96M-Mike McKinney[1]; 17. 94-Nick Pasek[18]; 18. 40F-Tyler Fengya[20]; 19. (DNS) 25B-Braiden Bohlmann; 20. (DNS) 23B-Ethan Boomsma