Podcasts about Late model

A driver with six championships somehow flew under the radar as a big-race threat — until a $100,000 win last weekend changed the conversation entirely. We make the case for who the most dangerous sprint car driver in the country really is, plus new details on the Troutman-GR Smith split and a loaded weekend of racing ahead.

This week on The Muscle Car Place Podcast, we're bringing you a Double Bonus Racing Show featuring two guests who are helping shape the future of grassroots motorsports from very different angles. First, Robert sits down with Brandon Setzer of Setzer Racing and Development to discuss the world of Late Model racing, driver development, and what it really takes to climb the ladder toward NASCAR. As the son of NASCAR Truck Series veteran Dennis Setzer, Brandon grew up in racing and now dedicates his career to helping young drivers accelerate their learning curve behind the wheel. Brandon explains the differences between Pro Late Models, Super Late Models, and Late Model Stocks while sharing insights from coaching some of the sport's rising stars. He also discusses how his program balances performance, affordability, and long-term driver growth. For listeners following Dallas Kibbe's racing journey, this conversation offers a firsthand look at the team helping him make the transition into Late Model competition. In the second feature interview, Robert catches up with Tyler West of RacingJunk at the 2026 High Performance Expo. While RacingJunk is widely known as the go-to marketplace for race cars, trailers, engines, and performance equipment, Tyler's passion extends far beyond classifieds. The conversation explores the challenges facing local racetracks, the importance of grassroots motorsports, and how facilities are adapting to attract new fans and remain viable in a rapidly changing world. Together, these interviews provide a fascinating look at the people working behind the scenes to develop drivers, support racetracks, and keep grassroots racing thriving for future generations. The post TMCP #652: Double Bonus Racing Show! | Brandon Setzer on Late Model Racing | Tyler West on RacingJunk & Grassroots Motorsports first appeared on The Muscle Car Place.

A top five World of Outlaws late model team just split up mid-season, and the rumblings about this one had been circulating for weeks before it became official. Plus, a fan-favorite sprint car driver may finally be returning to the seat after nearly three months on the sideline, and the old guys in dirt late model racing are reminding everyone they're not done yet.

My biggest gripe across the sport of dirt racing, and really mostly focused on sprint car racing, is something that happens, or actually doesn't happen, at all of the sport's crown jewel events. I don't understand it, I don't like it, it happened this weekend at Huset's, it's already happened previously this year, and as the prestige of the events ramps up this summer, it's going to happen more.

For 2026 late model speedweeks, we saw the World of Outlaws zag on years of cooperation and schedule a race weekend directly against the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series opener. The move drew mixed opinions at the time, and it split cars in Florida and forced teams to make early decisions on what tour they would follow. No more games on signing up for both series, and deciding later in the spring. I assumed this would be the case again for 2027, but something curious happened this week. We'll dive into that today on DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Horsepower Hydration, which also includes big news for Hunt the Front, we'll also talk sprint cars at Huset's and Skagit, and more.

One illegal decision five years ago set off a chain reaction that reshuffled teams, drivers, and crew chiefs across sprint car racing, and the effects are still shaping championships today. We trace the full timeline, connect the dots you might have missed, and look ahead to the richest week in sprint car racing at Huset's.

Send us Fan MailAt just 14 years old, Cam Panitzke is already making a name for himself in the highly competitive USRA Late Model ranks.After coming painfully close multiple times early in the 2026 season, Cam finally broke through on June 6th with his first career USRA Late Model victory at Cedar Lake Speedway. He followed that performance with a runner-up finish on June 12th before capturing one of the biggest wins of his young career during Cedar Lake Speedway's prestigious Masters Weekend on June 13th, taking home the $1,000 winner's check.Through just 11 starts in 2026, Cam has already accumulated:• 2 Feature Wins• 7 Top-5 Finishes• 10 Top-10 FinishesBut the stats only tell part of the story.Cam joins Blake and Ben to discuss his racing journey from go-karts to Legends cars, his experience racing on asphalt, and the transition into one of dirt racing's toughest divisions. We also dive into the emotions surrounding his recent victories and what it feels like to compete against drivers with years more experience.One of the coolest moments of Masters Weekend came when Cam and his dad, Nick Panitzke, both found Victory Lane on the same night, creating a memory their family will never forget.This episode is packed with excitement, confidence, and a glimpse into the future of Midwest dirt track racing. If you want to hear what a young driver sounds like after achieving a major career milestone, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Episode 191 is on the scene and we welcome recent Late Model winner at Kingsport Speedway in Tennessee Alex Miller to the podcast. Miller describes the recent uptick in success he's had at the jungle, his thoughts on the competition there, his career in racing, his preference for running on Friday nights and much more in this informative conversation with this racer.Mini Tyrrell completed the mission on Saturday at Dominion Raceway by winning the Mini's Mission 125 CARS Tour event for the second straight year. This year's came with some late race drama which we discuss in full including Tyrrell's daring three wide pass, Conner Jones losing ground to Caden Kvapil in points due to his late race incident, more bad luck for Carroll Speedshop, Carson Brown's big run on Saturday, much needed top five finishes for Parker Eatmon, Chad McCumbee and more. Denny Hamlin dominated Pocono to claim his third straight win in the Cup Series. We discuss if anyone can stop him and the sudden resurgence of Legacy Motor Club as they had two drivers in the top ten on Sunday with one being in the Chase as of this moment. We also discuss the struggles at RFK, the Josh Berry news, who we think will replace him and preview the upcoming weekend at the Naval Base Coronado.We also discuss the weekend at Bowman Gray, South Boston, Landon Pembleton's scary looking fire, Pulaski County Motorsports Park, Mike Looney's announcement, Kevin Canter and Rocky Yates having their finishes disallowed, Dubs, Short Track Spotlight and more this week on DLNSpecial Thanks goes out to our sponsorsALARS Inc www.alars.netTyler Hash: Virginia Farm Bureau Insurancewww.vafb.com/agent/tylerhash276-773-3091

Bobby Pierce is dominating with a package that almost nobody else in dirt late model racing is running. I dug into who else is on them and why more teams haven't made the switch. Plus, Brent Marks finally won again, a young Outlaw driver is quietly having the best stretch of his career, and there's a concerning development at a well-known Ohio dirt track.

He's been doubted, criticized, and counted out, but last night a polarizing young driver broke through on his birthday — and he did it the hard way from fifth. Meanwhile, the High Limit title race took another wild turn, a late model crossover event has everyone talking, and we've got Indiana Midget Week and weekend previews.

Joining us today is NLRA Late Model #11 and River Cities Speedway Hall-of-Famer, Troy Schill & Danna Gronwold of Never Alone Racing Team. They join us to discuss Troy's big hall-of-fame induction last year and his 2026 season thus far while Danna tells us all about her Never Alone non-profit group and how they are supporting the Hornet races at River Cities Speedway tomorrow. For more info on Never Alone visit their social media - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558044026179  - Support Troy Schill's business - TSE Conversions at 701-741-2972 Thank you River Cities Speedway and Forks Karting Association for sponsoring Dirty Thursday. For their latest track updates, visit facebook.com/@RiverCitiesSpeedway or facebook.com/@ForksKarting   Check out the Dirty Thursday YouTube channel to access our video archives - https://www.youtube.com/@gfbsdirtythursday   Show is recorded at Grand Forks Best Source. For studio information, visit www.gfbestsource.com or message us at bit.ly/44meos1 – To access to past Dirty Thursday episodes visit https://dirtythursday.podbean.com/ - Help support GFBS at this donation link - https://bit.ly/3vjvzgX #grandforksbestsource #GFBS #NOSA #dirtythursday #dirtracing   #sprints #midwestmodifieds #purestock #streetstock #lightningsprints #latemodels #NLRA

Rico Abreu led every lap at Eagle while most of the High Limit regulars had a night to forget, and the championship standings look completely different this morning. We break down what went wrong for the favorites, why a familiar blue oval logo quietly appeared on a sprint car last night, and what it all means heading into a pivotal stretch.

Episode 190 is on the scene. Karl Budzevski won the last Limited Late Model event nearly two weeks ago at Pulaski County Motorsports Park. He is one of two guests this week. He discusses his feelings on racing returning to Pulaski, what the IHRA is bringing to the table, his career in the sport and the score he gave Julian on his name pronunciation among other topics.Alex Meggs thrilled the crowd at Tri-County Speedway on Saturday night in a photo finish in the Late Model Stock Division over Arthur Gamma who was making his first start on an oval. The seventeen year old joins us as he reflects on the weekend that was, driving for Lee McCall, enjoying the outdoors and much more.Julian spent his Friday night at Kingsport Speedway and caught up with Late Model winner Alex Miller following his second win in a matter of two weeks. We also discuss the action from Kingsport, Slate Myers Late Model debut at Ace plus happenings at Bowman Gray, Langley and much more!The zMAX CARS Tour returns to action on Saturday in the Mini's Mission 125 at Dominion Raceway and we give you a preview of the event in full. From the return of Butterbean and Mini Tyrrell to Connor Hall and Jared Fryar driving for Barry Nelson to the other regular hit makers on the tour, it promises to be another exciting event just off of I-95. We also discuss the recent news involving Carson Loftin and debate why it didn't work out for him at Nelson Motorsports. Are we getting ready to ride the tidal wave that would be the Summer of Denny? Denny Hamlin made it back to back wins Sunday at Michigan but also made it back to back weekends where he had to come from last position after starting on the pole. Confused? We break it down and much more in our Cup Series review from Michigan.All of this plus we discuss the Heim and Honeycutt post race talk from Michigan, billboards in Winston Salem, bras and more on another jam packed DLN!

A single crash may have blown the World of Outlaws championship wide open, and a tiny Pennsylvania race track might be fighting for its survival against complaints from a neighbor. We cover it all, plus talk Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora, High Limit, and more.

Brent Marks suddenly has the speed he's been missing all year. But outside of his sprint car's wrap, have things changed? We've got the answers, plus sprint car crew chief changes, early action at Eldora, and more.

With three wins already this season in the southern part of the state, Caiden Black joins us once again to talk about his early season successes and the rest of the 2026 race season. Plus all the latest racing news and results. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A 13-year-old racer lost control, left the track, and landed upside down in a river — and the photos are unbelievable. Plus, Tanner Thorson did something you almost never see in racing, and Dream week at Eldora is here with 87 cars and one driver chasing history.

Mansfield Speedway's first big weekend drew packed crowds and six-figure paydays — but what happened on the track left drivers fuming and two rival chassis builders grabbing heavy equipment in the middle of the night. We break down the good, the bad, and why this $8 million gamble isn't done yet.

Coming off a heavy weekend for the sport, all of our hosts took time to acknowledge the passing of Kyle Busch, offer support for his family, and tell stories about the Rowdy they knew. Dale Jr. starts us off by sharing about the final text conversation he had with Kyle about racing one of his late models and how Rowdy never truly wanted to be labeled as a villain of the sport. Over on Door Bumper Clear, Freddie Kraft invited longtime spotter of Kyle Busch, Tony Hirschman, and broadcasting phenom, Eric Brennan, to discuss Rowdy, his Hall of Fame career, and the incredible number of wins. In this week's Actions Detrimental, Denny and Jared recall the time when Kyle decided to race through New York City on foot to win a bet, and the bond that he and DH shared as teammates. Lastly, Amy opens up about the loss of a friend in KFB and her favorite memory of him.  It's hard to believe he's gone, but it is the stories we tell that will keep him alive - so share yours with us. We will see you all next week on Dirty Thirty. Check out Dirty Mo Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMedia Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We've joined up with the guys from Knoxville Nights to draft teams of sprint car drivers, but there are rules and some guys can't be taken. It's on you to decide who got the best team. Plus it was just a fun excuse to get together and talk racing.

Episode 188 is on the scene. The racing world was stunned by the unexpected passing of Kyle Busch last Thursday. We pay our respects to the two time Cup Series Champion this week and discuss his impact on the sport and our thoughts about what took place on Thursday.Boo Carlisle joins us for the first hour and a half of the show as we preview this weekend's zMAX CARS Tour race from Langley Speedway and the SMART Modified Tour stop at Franklin County Speedway. We give you some insight as to who to watch out for, who has momentum coming into each and stats along the way.Chase Burrow is the defending champion of the CARS Tour stop at Langley. He joins the show to talk about his season thus far driving for Hettinger Racing along with his busy racing schedule that has seen him race at multiple tracks this year. He tells us about what it will take to repeat this weekend and how the extra seat time has helped him maintain his consistency that sees him amongst the top five in points.Ayden Millette won the 2025 Track Championship at Langley Speedway and is looking to parlay that into Late Model Stock success. The 17 year old will be running the biggest race of his career Saturday in the CARS Tour Late Model event at Langley and he joins us to talk about that, his career so far, making the transition from Limited cars to Late Models and more about this up and coming racer. We discuss Daniel Suarez win in the Coca Cola 600, a surprising stat from Spire Motorsports, caution clocks, the Indianapolis 500, ASA from Hickory, a short plate of dubs, short track spotlight and more this week on DLNSpecial Thanks to our sponsorsALARS Inc.Tyler Hash of Virginia Farm Bureau

Huset's Speedway is dangling a $100,000 bounty to lure High Limit drivers away from Super Dirt Cup — but will it actually work when the biggest names are already committed to Skagit? Plus, a Hall of Fame late model driver switches chassis brands, Ryan Gustin makes a surprising move, and Bobby Pierce's Show-Me 100 charge was one for the ages.

A sprint car driver is on an absolute tear that could rewrite the second half of the season, a 46-year-old fill-in keeps defying expectations, and the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship standings look nothing like anyone predicted. We break down the hottest streak in dirt racing, a temporary ride that's not done yet, and $75,000 on the line at the Show-Me 100.

David Gravel's $2,000 fine from the World of Outlaws reveals a deeper power struggle behind the scenes involving Huset's Speedway, streaming rights, and rival series leverage. Plus, Carson Macedo's title chase math, Spencer Bayston's pressure, sprint car ride changes, and remembering Kyle Busch.

Rusty Schlenk led most of the American Late Model Iron Man Series Friday night at Mansfield only to finish in the runner up spot and then went to Montpelier Speedway Saturday and won the Ultimate Heart of America Late Model feature. We speak with him on his weekend and his season. Plus all the latest racing news and results. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a tale of two sprint car seasons: Brent Marks is searching for sponsors and speed after his deal with Fenton fell apart, while Aaron Reutzel can't stop winning and is pulling away in the High Limit championship.

The Shark Racing 1A made a surprise return at Port Royal with a new driver nobody expected. Plus, Aaron Reutzel's incredible streak continues, Rico Abreu and Logan Schuchart split Eldora wins, and an emotional rookie victory that'll hit you right in the feels.

Logan Rumsey's confiscated tires passed the lab test — but his own car owner admitted he didn't even know the rules they were breaking. Plus, Aaron Reutzel is on a four-win tear, and the High Limit championship field should be worried.

Today on River Cities Speedway presents Dirty Thursday - Two dirt racing legends join us today with NLRA Late Model #T-1 Tom Corcoran & NOSA Sprint #1 Kevin Jopp in the studio to go over their careers and preview the River Cities Speedway season opener tomorrow!  Thank you River Cities Speedway and Forks Karting Association for sponsoring Dirty Thursday. For their latest track updates, visit facebook.com/@RiverCitiesSpeedway or facebook.com/@ForksKarting   Check out the Dirty Thursday YouTube channel to access our video archives - https://www.youtube.com/@gfbsdirtythursday    Show is recorded at Grand Forks Best Source. For studio information, visit www.gfbestsource.com or message us at bit.ly/44meos1 – To access to past audio Dirty Thursday episodes visit https://dirtythursday.podbean.com/ - Help support GFBS at this donation link - https://bit.ly/3vjvzgX #grandforksbestsource #GFBS #NOSA #dirtythursday #dirtracing   #sprints #midwestmodifieds #RiverCities Speedway #DarrenEvavold #BrinaSeng #streetstock #lightningsprints #latemodels #NLRA

Another World of Outlaws rookie is out as Scott Bogucki loses his ride and Ashton Torgerson jumps into the 51. Plus a social media post raises questions about a possible points penalty for series leader David Gravel. We dig into the rulebook, the rookie shakeup, and more.

Episode 186 is on the scene! Brandon Carr is an 18 year old  racer from the UK who is looking to make his mark in the United States. He's won British Karting championships including the prestigious Kartmasters Championship. For the past couple of years, he has set his sights on becoming a NASCAR driver. His journey has taken him from the dirt tracks driving for Keith Kunz Motorsports to victory lane in the first IHRA Stock Car Series Pro Late Model event at Pulaski County Motorsports Park. Brandon joins us this week to talk about his unique journey from across the pond and the adjustments he had to make visiting some of the South's toughest short tracks for the first time. He also tells us how he hooked up with Setzer Development, which Daytona 500 winning Crew Chief has been his mentor and some advise he has received from Kaden Honeycutt. Speaking of Honeycutt, he made history over the weekend by not only winning his first ARCA Menards and Craftsman Truck Series events of his career at Watkins Glen on Friday but capturing a sweep of both the CARS Tour Pro and Late Model Stock events at Ace Speedway on Saturday. We spoke to Kaden about his unique accomplishment. We also review the entire weekend from Ace where you will hear comments from Pro Late Model runner up Jake Johnson, Late Model runner up Treyten Lapcevich, points leader Caden Kvapil and Doug Barnes Jr. Are we overplaying the Honeycutt sweep from the weekend? We will also discuss that topic and more. Just when you think Shane Van Gisbergen has amazed you enough on road courses, he does something even more amazing. He made up nearly 30 seconds on the track on Sunday on a long green flag run and ended up winning by nearly 8 seconds. Is he already the best of all time? We debate plus we discuss what happened with the Hendrick cars on Sunday, the Ryan Preece appeal from Texas, why the All Star race in Dover just doesn't feel right and other stories coming out of Watkins Glen.We also discuss what happened at Pulaski County Motorsports which reminds us to give a shout out to Jesse King who was our guest contributor on Saturday. All of this plus short track spotlight, dubs and a whole lot more this week on DLN!!Special thanks to our sponsorsALARS Incwww.alars.netTyler Hash Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance276-773-3091tyler.hash@vafb.com

Freddie Carpenter's dream of running Lucas Oil full time hits a financial wall, and his numbers reveal just how brutal the economics of national tour racing really are. Plus, Brandon Sheppard keeps rolling, Aaron Reutzel takes the High Limit points lead, and a Sunday dirt late model hot take.

After 200+ World of Outlaws starts and a legendary motorsports career, Kasey Kahne finally breaks through with his first career Outlaw win — and it came in a ride many doubted he belonged in. Plus, a heat race incident at the Grove leads to a helmet swing, a disqualification, and some fiery words.

Ashton Torgerson is suddenly out of the Shark Racing 1A after Jacob Allen decides to park the team — and the reason goes deeper than on-track results. We break down what's really behind the move, what's next for both sides, and the latest from Illinois Speedweek.

A sprint car driver is caught wet grinding tires right before a World of Outlaws feature at Lincoln Speedway — and still starts on the front row. We break down the controversy, the rulebook loopholes, and why this story might not be over yet.

Hunt the Front bought their hometown dirt track and started filming everything — the good, the bad, and the 30-year-old wiring buried six inches underground. What their renovation is revealing about the state of dirt tracks across America.

Ryan Timms just snapped a 34-race winless streak, but what happened during those seven months might matter more than the win itself. Plus, weekend recaps from Lucas, the World of Outlaws late models, and High Limit, and a new ride announcement you need to know about.

Tire doping penalties just got a major overhaul, and many of the big dirt late model series are on the same page. We break down the new three-tier penalty structure, what it means for teams, and why Shannon Babb's recent case was the first glimpse of these changes in action.

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Shannon Babb's tire test failure brings a surprisingly light penalty from the World of Outlaws—and his team's explanation raises more questions than it answers. Plus, Bobby Pierce reclaims the points lead, and three sprint car ride shakeups.

Episode 184 is on the scene and we welcome Budweiser Limited Sportsman competitor from South Boston Speedway Brian Rundstrom Jr to the show. We discuss capturing his first win recently at the speedway, his upbringing in the sport and much more!Carson Hocevar captured his first Cup Series win of his career on Sunday at Talladega and his celebration afterwards will be talked about for years to come. We discuss how long it will be before it is banned, whether or not he has moved into the superstar category and the other storylines coming out of the event.The CARS Tour event at Caraway took place a day later than scheduled because of rain but it certainly didn't lack excitement in either the Pro Late Model or Late Model divisions. Landen Lewis overcame an early penalty which sent him to the rear of the field to win the late model event but he wasn't the only one who had to charge to the front after early adversity. We break down the day at Caraway which saw us revisit the topic of the ownership group having cars compete in each race.We also discuss the latest stop on the SMART Modified Tour which saw Danny Bohn pick up yet another win on tour. We break down the night from America's Favorite Bullring here on the show!Pulaski County Motorsports Park held it's first weekly racing show since 2023 and DLN was on the scene for this event and we discuss what all went down this past Saturday.Other topics include the Spring Sizzler, Corey Day's first O'Reilly Auto Parts win, Andy Jankowiak's ARCA win, Cleetus McFarland, what has Julian completely fired up, dubs, short track spotlight and much more this week on DLN!Thank you to our sponsors!ALARS IncTyler Hash: Virginia Farm Bureau Agent

Kasey Kahne is back in a sprint car, filling in for an injured driver across 10 races in May. Plus, a top World of Outlaws team tried something unusual, Sunday recaps, and a look ahead to this week's High Limit action.

A sprint car driver just got banned from Port Royal Speedway for an entire year — not for anything he did on the track, but for what he said in victory lane. Was the punishment justified, or did the track go way too far?

A chaotic night at Eagle Raceway shakes up the High Limit season, with Carson Macedo debuting new Ford power and Corey Day charging to victory. Plus, a heated Buddy Kofoid vs. Tyler Courtney finish at Haubstadt sparks controversy, and another sprint car driver injury raises concerns.

Longhorn Chassis, the dominant dirt late model builder, is quietly exploring a new dirt racing space. And the first car from this new venture hits the track tonight in a debut that will have people talking.

Chase Johnson's incredible recovery journey continues as his family restarts the No. 24 sprint car team, aiming for a return to racing after a life-changing crash. Plus, Knoxville Raceway makes controversial format and safety rule changes, and a big week of dirt racing action kicks off across the country.

Buddy Kofoid puts together a dominant stretch with back-to-back World of Outlaws sprint car wins, while David Gravel and Logan Schuchart tangle again in intense early-season action. Plus, late model drama at Farmer City with Tyler Erb retaliation talk, and big winners from Hunt the Front to the MLRA Spring Nationals.

Roster additions and shifting ride situations are shaking up the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series early in the season, with new full-timers and questions surrounding defending champ Jimmy Owens. Plus, a packed weekend preview featuring the Illini 100 at Farmer City, World of Outlaws action, and key storylines across late models and sprint cars.

AK Race Cars is starting to gain serious momentum, with new drivers, growing production, and strong early results signaling a potential shakeup in the dirt late model chassis game. Plus, we dive into mailbag questions on sprint car racing's growth, the Rookie of the Year battle, and whether anyone can truly match David Gravel's dominance.

This week we return and talk about some of the racing from around the country where the weather wasn't a problem. We talk about Anthony Macri's injury in PA, late model races in the south and how the economy may affect racing this season.