NASCAR’s presence on the dirt proliferated this weekend, with drivers taking advantage of Talladega Short Track being across the street from the big oval in Alabama as well as a number of veterans busting out their modified cars.
Bayley Currey
The part-time Xfinity Series competitor made his first start of the season in the wingless micro sprint division at Millbridge Speedway in North Carolina Wednesday (April 19), making no forward progress in his heat race and missing a transfer to the A-main by one position.
Tyler Dippel
The former Truck Series regular qualified for the King of the Big Blocks Super DIRTcar Series feature at Bridgeport Motorsports Park in New Jersey on Sunday, finishing 16th in the 75-lap feature.
Red Farmer
The NASCAR Hall of Famer and former Cup Series regular had a big night as part of the Alabama Gang 100 race weekend at Talladega Short Track Saturday, finishing second in an exhibition crate late model feature at the track and then leading the World of Outlaws late model field for their pace laps prior to the main event.
Stewart Friesen
The Truck Series regular ran his Northeast modified at the Fonda Speedway in New York Saturday, contesting the $12,000-to-win Montgomery County Open. Friesen was making progress through the top 10 early in the race before drawing the caution on lap 14 thanks for a flat tire. Friesen rebounded to finish ninth.
Kyle Larson
The Cup Series regular had a busy week, racing dirt late models four nights. Larson’s week started Tuesday night at the Flo Racing Night in America opener at Eldora Speedway, easily qualifying for the A-main but finishing 10th in an effort that saw Larson lose ground from his starting position. Larson also ran in the modified feature and won in his first career start driving this type of racecar.
Wednesday night, Larson stuck with the Flo Racing tour as it tackled the Brownstown Speedway in Indiana and again proved to be a non-factor, winning his heat race but finishing a distant sixth after dropping back in the field early in the A-main.
Larson was one of two Cup drivers to make the nightly trip across the trip from Talladega Superspeedway to the short track. Finishing fifth in his qualifying feature on Friday, Larson won his heat race on Saturday and ran in the top five early in Saturday’s Alabama Gang 100 feature before suffering a tire failure that saw his aluminum wheel shear apart.
Larson’s team got him back on track, where he finished eighth.
Jesse Love
Saturday’s Talladega Superspeedway winner in the ARCA Menards Series put on a strong display in the wingless micro feature at Millbridge on Wednesday, running in the top five for the entirety of the A-main en route to a fourth-place finish.
Ken Schrader
The former Cup Series regular dodged several rain delays to race in the modified division at Benton Speedway in Missouri on Saturday, finishing third on what was apparently a cold night in the Midwest.
Jimmy Spencer
The former Cup Series regular did not race on dirt this week, but was the guest of honor at the Bloomsburg Fair Raceway season opener in Pennsylvania on Thursday.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
The Cup Series regular made sprint car racing look easy Saturday night at Talladega. Rebounding from a Friday incident that saw Stenhouse jump the banking in hot laps and nearly miss the start of his heat race as a result, the 2023 Daytona 500 champ swept Saturday at the track, winning both the rescheduled Friday USCS sprint car feature and Saturday’s feature in dominant fashion.
David Stremme
The former Cup Series regular made his first modified start since Florida Speedweeks on Sunday, winning both his heat race and the season-opening feature for the NY/Penn IMCA Modified Series at Selinsgrove Speedway in Pennsylvania on Sunday.
Daniel Suarez
The Cup Series regular scored his first dirt win with a heat race win in the winged micro sprint class at Millbridge on Wednesday, leading to a front-row start for the A-main. Suarez wouldn’t stay there long, dropping like a rock early before finishing ninth in the feature.
Kenny Wallace
The former Cup Series regular was rained out at Tri-City Speedway in Illinois on Friday, but finished fourth in the modified feature at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Missouri on Saturday. According to his Facebook page, Wallace will not be racing again until May 11.
Jack Wood
The Truck Series regular got tangled up in a lap 8 incident in the wingless micro sprint feature at Millbridge on Wednesday, finishing dead last in 22nd.
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