While some will try to tell you that the Gateway Dirt Nationals is just a race, albeit inside in a dome, the truth is that this event is more spectacle than anything and the racing itself is more of a sideshow attraction than the main focus.
This race is much more entertainment and illusion than it is real racing and that was highlighted once again on Friday night, December 5th when round two of the ninth annual event here at the Dome at America's Center was held.
The second group of both Late Models and Modifieds were racing for position in Saturday night's main event that pays seventy grand to the winner but the events of the evening, primarily in the Late Model class, would have one checking to see if by accident they purchased a ticket for the WWE Smackdown rather than the dirt track races.
Of course, even though they won't say so, this is exactly the atmosphere that Cody Sommer and the rest of the promotional group for this event want to happen and indeed they pray for it. The end result is just what they want, spectators foaming at the mouth in their indignation, more alcohol purchased while they "discuss" the situation with other fans in the stands and the drivers swearing revenge on each other while the announcing team prods on the participants with a mic jammed into their faces almost before they can get unbuckled from their race cars. It is much more farce than reality and those few drivers on hand just to race learn to understand that this is just part of the show and if they want to be remembered they should consider driving over a few other drivers or at least doing something spectacular to sell an extra shirt or two.
Getting back to reality for a moment, some things were much better on Friday than they had been on Thursday. The track had some moisture in it, raced much better and didn't produce near as much dust as had been the case on Thursday night. The air quality was much better too as the whole team putting on the show seemed to have rediscovered their focus from last year with the delays being shorter and less frequent.
Sixty one Late Models and thirty two Modifieds comprised the second half of the entries and they would be performing exactly the same show as was presented on Thursday night with the top three in each class at the end of the night locking themselves into Saturday night's main event.
Tanner English was the highlight of the early evening's entertainment. We've seen just about everything in the form of race car graphics design, colors etc. but when English pulled on to the track with his Late Model and had a Christmas tree strapped to the roof of the car in his tribute to Clark Griswald, it about brought down the house. It was so darn clever even I had to laugh. I guess in the name of safety he was not allowed to run in competition with the tree still on board, but he still recorded quick time in his group minus the evergreen. Josh Rice also dazzled as he recorded the quickest time overall even though he was one of the last out in his group at 11.523 seconds, showing that a little more moisture in the track would be a good thing. Ryan Ayers was quickest of the Modifieds at 12.631 seconds.
The time trial sessions were quite damaging for a number of teams as drivers, recognizing just how important qualifying was, were pushing very hard. Both Garrett Alberson and Mike Marlar badly damaged their cars in time trials with two of the most unique cars being wrecked early. Alberson's team managed to put their car back together, only to see it torn apart once again later.
Marlar hit the fence so hard that he knocked the fuel cell right out of the car but they also managed to get that car going again, even as Mike had to borrow his brother's car to run a heat race before switching back over to his car to run a B Feature as there are no rules about such things at this event.
The weekend was done in qualifying for both Hunt the Front's Joseph Joiner and Myles Moos with a motor blowing for Joiner and a driveshaft spitting out for Moos.
A few drivers managed to put themselves on the "watch list" after their slam bam antics in the heat races but it was the main events, particularly the Late Models, that had the drivers, crews and fans frothing from the mouth. But just before that, we saw what the priorities were when the Modified B Feature was cut to three laps so more time could be used for something much more important, the tire changing contest to determine the front row starting positions for the Late Model feature!
There was much action and drama in the Late Model feature when the slide jobs broke out in full force and some of them proved to be ruthless, setting off the other drivers and the crowd like dropping a match in a can of gasoline.
Mark Whitener got the jump on Hudson O'Neal to take the early lead but O'Neal was soon throwing nasty sliders at the Florida driver as he tried to take the lead. After one particularly aggressive exchange. O'Neal slowed on the back chute with a flat tire triggering a yellow flag.
O'Neal was upset but in my view he dished out as much at he took but again, everyone's perception is different. Later during a break he took to the mic to express his displeasure but it appeared to be more theatrics than anything.
However, I'm not so sure about Kyle Bronson. He and Brenden Smith were really working each other over for second and after Bronson moved over Smith, Brenden responded by "parking" Bronson on a fence post in turn one where Bronson came to an abrupt halt and was then clipped by another driver. Bronson stomped the whole length of the straightaway while under red to fix the fence to poke his head in Smith's car and exchange holiday greetings. Meanwhile, track officials walked with him but made no attempt to stop him as this was all part of the "script." As Sommer would want, if you're going to fight, do it on the front chute where the crowd can see it, not in the pits.
Meanwhile, a couple fights broke out in the stands near us, but no punches were thrown because most importantly, the combatants didn't want to set down their beer cans, which was their top priority. Let's be honest here, this is no event to bring your kid to.
Drake Troutman, also in the top five, dropped out at this point too as he had a flat tire as he may have been the one that clipped Bronson.
While all this activity was going on, Ricky Thornton Jr, who had started in the fifth row, was ready to spring. He had been sitting back watching all the wild goings on in front of him but like a cobra, when he saw his opening, he sprung into action. Making a couple passes, he was up to second by lap sixteen and then following another slowdown, he slid past Whitener on the restart to grab the lead and then he was gone.
He led the rest of the way while Whitener held on for second and Smith brought a third place finish home in his first ride with his new team for 2026. A dozen drivers finished the race but nearly all looked like they had been in a war, even though they still were running.
Compared to the Late Models, the Modified feature was like a gathering of the Tuesday afternoon Canasta club. There was only one yellow flag in the race, only two drivers failed to finish and there were zero fights, either on the track or in the stands!
Tim Ward, driving the Eckrich ride as he has been for the later part of the outdoor season, led the first ten laps of the feature and was comfortably out front. Local favorite Mike Harrison moved into second and tried to track down the leader but Ward appeared to be unstoppable.
That is, until his car started to smoke which got heavier and heavier until suddenly, on lap eleven, he dived into the infield. Afterward, it was said that the car got hot but to me it looked much worse like the motor blew but I guess we will have to see on that Saturday.
Harrison was the beneficiary, taking over the lead and without a single yellow to bunch the field, driving away for the win. An excellent and clean battle for second saw Ayers hold off Carlos Ahmuda Jr and Alex Williamson, the driver who gets more of out what he has than any driver I know off.
Racing wrapped up around 10 pm after which literally thousands of folks headed for the pits to rubber neck and buy stuff. The crowd was again gigantic and most everyone expects a record crowd to be on hand for Saturday's finale. God only knows what will happen to highlight that show.
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