(July 4, 2024) West Memphis, AR – In a thrilling race at Riverside International Speedway, Rodney Melvin clinched his first Feature win since 2012 during the DIRTcar Summer Nationals. The seasoned driver from Benton, IL, led all 30 laps, fending off fierce competition from Tanner English and Ethan Dotson in the final moments. This victory marks Melvin’s eighth career win in the Hell Tour.
“It’s an awesome deal,” Melvin expressed with a smile. “It’s nice. Started up front and kind of pace yourself. The lapped cars anymore, they just give you fits.”
Dominating Performance from the Start
Melvin’s dominant performance began early in the evening. After clocking the Quick Time in his Qualifying group and securing a win in his Heat Race, he earned the pole position for the main event. Starting alongside his son-in-law Tanner English, Melvin surged ahead, taking the lead on the first lap.
Once in the lead, Melvin set a blistering pace around the 1/4-mile oval. By the race’s halfway point, he had built a substantial lead, over a second ahead of English. However, the appearance of lapped traffic added an element of unpredictability to the race.
Navigating Lapped Traffic
As Melvin encountered slower cars on Lap 18, English began to close the gap. The tension mounted as English got within striking distance by Lap 25. On Lap 26, the two raced side-by-side through Turns 3 and 4, but Melvin managed to maintain his lead by utilizing the middle groove while English stuck to the lower part of the track.
With two laps remaining, Melvin faced a critical moment as he tried to pass the slower car of JC Waller. English seized the opportunity to dive low in Turn 1, pulling even with Melvin in Turn 2, but couldn’t complete the pass.
Melvin then made a decisive move, darting beneath Waller on the backstretch and clearing him into Turn 3. This maneuver created a crucial buffer between him and English as they headed for the white flag.
Late Race Surge from Dotson
Behind the leading duo, Ethan Dotson, who had started in eighth, was making an impressive charge on the high line. As English and Melvin battled, Dotson closed in rapidly. Despite English’s efforts, Dotson managed to overtake him out of Turn 4, securing a second-place finish as Melvin crossed the finish line to claim the $5,000 winner’s check.
“I know [English] is going to race me clean,” Melvin remarked. “I ain’t got to worry about [English] and it’s fun to start on the front row.”
With English finishing third, he remains within 5 points of Melvin in the Week 4 standings, keeping his hopes alive for the $10,000 prize awarded to the Week 4 points champion after Sunday’s main event.
Looking Ahead
The 39th DIRTcar Summer Nationals continue with Week 4 on Friday, July 5, at Paducah International Raceway in Paducah, KY. Fans can purchase tickets at the gate on race day, or stream every lap live on DIRTVision.
Feature (30 Laps):
- Rodney Melvin[1]
- Ethan Dotson[8]
- Tanner English[2]
- Dillon McCowan[4]
- Tyler Clem[3]
- Ashton Winger[5]
- Joe Chalmers[9]
- Mike Carr[6]
- Jadon Frame[11]
- Thomas Hunziker[10]
- Clayton Stuckey[17]
- Christian Hanger[20]
- Morgan Bagley[16]
- Daniel Adam[12]
- Nathan Brown[7]
- Brian Rickman[15]
- Charlie Cole[23]
- JC Waller[21]
- Dean Carpenter[18]
- Carson Brown[22]
- Kyle Beard[13]
- Mark Voigt[19]
- Brandon Carpenter[14]
