(June 30, 2024) Sumner, IL – Since Red Hill Raceway reopened for the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models in 2022, Tyler Erb has been the only winner. The Texas native continued his dominance on Sunday night, securing his seventh Hell Tour Feature win of the season and his first of Week 3.
The Path to Victory
Erb took control of the race on Lap 8, passing polesitter Dillon McCowan and holding off a fierce challenge from Jason Feger. This victory marks Erb’s impressive feat of winning half of the races on the Summer Nationals schedule so far.
Reflections on Success
“In my dreams, yeah, but it doesn’t always work out like that,” Erb said, reflecting on his success. “Had a lot of fun and that’s about as good as it could’ve gone. Like anything else, there were a couple of bad nights and bumps on the road, but we were in contention to win more often than not, so that’s really all you can ask for.”
Race Highlights
The race began with Dillon McCowan setting the pace, but a caution on Lap 8 set the stage for Erb’s decisive move. On the restart, Erb swung his car to the high side, passing McCowan on the backstretch and securing the lead.
Meanwhile, Jason Feger was charging through the field from his 10th starting position. By Lap 10, Feger had moved into second place, using the high side to his advantage. The race turned into a showdown between Erb and Feger, fitting for the week’s finale.
Strategic Driving
“I saw [Feger] next to me twice,” Erb said. “I just tried not to overdrive and do nothing stupid. It’s real easy to drive with emotion, and that is never the way to race.”
Intense Competition
Despite several close calls, Erb managed to stay ahead of Feger, securing the win. Feger’s second-place finish was enough to clinch the Week 3 championship, capping off a week-long battle for the $10,000 prize.
“Me and [Feger] had a good race,” Erb noted. “We both agree it’s really been good for us and this whole deal that we’ve had our battles. He’s won races, I’ve won races, and at the end of the day, we’re just making each other better, and that’s all you can ask for is competition.”
Looking Ahead
With this victory, Feger has now won back-to-back weekly points championships, overcoming early frustrations from Week 1 when Erb dominated. “We were really mad the first week because we knew what we were capable of,” Feger said. “We kept searching, we found some stuff and found the speed so I feel like we’re at least back to where we need to be and that we can compete and show what we got.”
Upcoming Events
The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models will begin Week 4 at Old No. 1 Speedway in Harrisburg, AR, on Tuesday, July 2, alongside the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals. Tickets will be available at the gate. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., and grandstands open at 5 p.m. Hot Laps are scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.
Feature (30 Laps):
- Tyler Erb [2]
- Jason Feger [10]
- Dillon McCowan [1]
- Tyler Clem [8]
- Tanner English [4]
- Morgan Bagley [5]
- Ashton Winger [3]
- Trevor Gundaker [6]
- Clayton Stuckey [15]
- Carson Brown [7]
- Lee Williams [9]
- Rusty Griffaw [16]
- Jared Bailey [14]
- Thomas Hunziker [17]
- Daniel Adam [12]
- Doug Tye [13]
- Mark Voigt [11]
