(July 2, 2024) Harrisburg, AR – Tanner English had been knocking on the door for his first DIRTcar Summer Nationals win of the season, and on Tuesday night at Old No.1 Speedway, he finally kicked it down. English, who had recorded seven consecutive top-five finishes on the Hell Tour in 2024, turned his eighth-straight top-five into a trip to Victory Lane, marking his first Summer Nationals win since 2022.
“At first, it was rewarding because we were struggling pretty bad,” English said. “After the first three top-fives, I was like, ‘Alright, I’m ready to win one.’ We were trying to find the balance with our car and finally found it. I just felt like every night leading up to now we made the wrong decision. Finally, it all came together.”
A Milestone Win
This win was not only English’s first of the 2024 Hell Tour but also his first with Coltman Farms Racing, the Georgia-based team he joined earlier this year. “Definitely relief mainly just to get my first win with Coltman Farms,” English said. “I want to make them proud. They give me everything I need to make this deal happen, and it’s kind of been on me to make it happen.”
The Race Unfolds
Starting on the outside pole, English took the lead on Lap 1 from polesitter Chandler Petty, using the banking of the 1/4-mile oval to his advantage. Once in front, English set a strong pace around the track.
From fourth on the grid, Ashton Winger quickly moved up to second on the second lap and began to challenge English. On Lap 11, Winger attempted his first slider, but English powered around the top lane to maintain his lead. Winger made more attempts on Laps 23, 24, and 28, but English skillfully defended his position each time, even executing a crossover move to deny Winger’s final attempt.
Strategic Defense
“I kind of predicted what [Winger] was going to do,” English explained. “I knew he was going to slide me, so I cut underneath him. The first one I got to the outside of him and squeezed him to the wall. [Winger] is going to race you hard, but it’s usually clean. You just got to predict what he’s going to do basically.”
A caution on Lap 34 momentarily halted the battle, and on the restart, Winger stumbled, allowing English to pull away and claim the $10,000 grand prize unchallenged.
Looking Ahead
The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models will continue Week 4 at Benton Speedway on Wednesday, July 3, alongside the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals. If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.
Feature (40 Laps):
- Tanner English [2]
- Rodney Melvin [4]
- Ethan Dotson [10]
- Ashton Winger [3]
- Dillon McCowan [8]
- Christian Hanger [5]
- Matt Cooper [16]
- Shane Stephens [9]
- Joe Chalmers [11]
- Clayton Stuckey [13]
- Daniel Adam [7]
- Carson Brown [23]
- Steven Crocker [21]
- Kyle Beard [20]
- Mark Voigt [19]
- Jon Mitchell [24]
- Charlie Cole [15]
- Logan Seavey [6]
- Thomas Hunziker [22]
- Scott Crigler [12]
- Morgan Bagley [17]
- Chandler Petty [1]
- Chris Jones [18]
- Tyler Clem [14]
