Devin Moran: The Story of An Underdog Champion

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: Herm & Schrader – Devin Moran: The Story of An Underdog Champion

Podcast: Herm & Schrader (Kenny Wallace & Ken Schrader)
Episode: Devin Moran: The Story of An Underdog Champion
Date: October 23, 2025
Host: Kenny Wallace (with Kenny Schrader)
Guest: Devin Moran, 2025 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion

---

Overview:

This animated, heartfelt episode brings listeners inside the world of dirt track racing through the eyes of newly crowned Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion, Devin Moran. Hosted by the ever-charismatic duo of Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader, the show captures not only the technical mastery and strategy behind Moran’s remarkable championship run, but the personal family and emotional journey that made the achievement even more meaningful. Expect classic irreverence, camaraderie, and real behind-the-scenes insight into the highs, lows, and nuances of top-tier dirt racing.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Devin Moran’s Championship Week: Personal & Professional Highs

• [02:15] Devin is elated, announcing that he’s both a new champion and a soon-to-be father of a baby girl.
  • "We're going two days strong where I'm just loving life on Top of the World... I know racing can be up and down, but I'm about as high as I can get right now." – Devin Moran ([02:15])
  • Due date for the new baby is March 12th; racing and family are equally centric to Devin at this huge moment.

2. Dirt Racing Realities: Money, Work Ethic, Humility

• [03:21–04:38] Despite winning over $225,000 with the championship, Devin’s out washing his own car because “the money’s spent before you get it,” given the immense cost of motors and tires.
  • "My guys do a really good job for me, but just my one guy, he was out of town, so I got it done this morning." – Devin Moran ([03:38])
  • Motors cost $60,000+ each, with six in their stable for the season.

3. Family: The Moran Legacy

• [06:13] Devin’s father, Donnie Moran, aka the “Million Dollar Man,” is a legendary racer. A touching moment unfolds as Devin describes their post-championship interaction.
  • “I said, dad, you might have won a million bucks, but you never won a Lucas Oil championship like I did.” – Devin Moran ([06:52])
• [08:13–12:49] Devin’s brother Wiley, who transitioned from working on Devin’s crew to running a detailing business, chimes in with sentimental reflection and pride in family ties and racing roots.

4. The Playoff “Heater”: Breaking Down the Championship Run

a. Brownstown – Starting the Final Push

• [16:52–23:09] Moran describes entering the playoffs with an 80-point deficit to Ricky Thornton Jr. and details his strategy:
  • Goal: “Two wins out of five. The others – all podiums. We were pretty close.”
  • Strong qualifying and consistent podium results (3rd in CJ Rayburn Memorial, 2nd in Jackson 100).
• Incident with “Superman” (Jonathan Davenport) in the Jackson 100: Hard, clean racing results in a minor tangle, but Moran’s focus remains: "I told the guys I said, my goal would be two wins out of five... right after it happened, I said, hey, I'm racing for a championship." ([18:18])

b. Technical Driving – How Moran Races the Cushion

• [23:49–26:22] Moran is lauded for his ability to keep his car straight and avoid damaging the right rear spoiler—crucial for downforce in dirt racing.
  • “I drive a lot straighter than a lot of people do... when I was younger... I couldn’t really afford to tear much up.” – Devin Moran ([24:13])
  • Spoiler size is “eight and a quarter inches" – Moran affirms aero is vital.

c. Pittsburgh – Turning Point

• [28:20–35:28] The Pittsburgher weekend becomes the pivotal moment:
  • Night 1: Moran wins, capitalizing when Ricky Thornton Jr. (RTJ) blows a tire. Moran admits: “I don't cheer for anyone to have problems. I was like, this just changed the ball game." ([29:52])
  • Night 2: Comes back from 7th to 3rd, outrunning key rival RTJ again: “A night like tonight, you have to finish in front of the 20RT… and that's what happened. Ended up running third."
  • By end of Pittsburgh, Moran has seized the points lead.

d. Testing & Prep – Smoky Mountain

• [35:56–37:28] Feeling vulnerable after Pittsburgh, Moran and team test at Smoky Mountain Speedway, finding crucial balance in the car.
  • "We came up with a game plan...found our balance...I left Smoky Mountain testing with confidence and just carried it right in [to Eldora]." ([36:42])

e. Eldora – Finale & Handling the Pressure

• [38:11–41:54] Moran focuses on routine and technical details; narrowly misses out on pole but lines up well for the final.
  • Moran shares qualifying and pre-race superstitions, inspired by advice from Dick Trickle: “Routine is important. Don't take yourself out of your routine.” ([39:39])

5. Eldora: 100-Lap Showdown & Managing Chaos

• [43:23–49:40] Moran details the mental challenge of racing at Eldora during the day, maintaining track position and composure as rivals RTJ and JD encounter troubles.
  • "Later in the race, I see JD...the whole back of his car is out. I was like, well, we don't have to worry about JD anymore. It's just Ricky. Well, I come around the front straightaway...Ricky stuffed it in the fence and JD hit him...I was like, holy, we might have just won the Lucas Oil championship." ([46:23])
  • Despite knowing he’s “getting numb” with nerves, Moran finishes fourth, clinching the title.

6. Post-Race Reflection, Technical Talk, and Next Year

• [51:01–52:48] Discussion turns to the nuances of “balance” and finding elusive forward bite exiting turn two, a product of that Smoky Mountain test: “We just found that balance...I could just run through that middle of one and two and carry speed."
• [53:13–55:36] Moran expresses emotion about the series finale moving close to his home at West Virginia Motor Speedway, the legacy of event promoter Carl Short, and the improvement in race safety and track management.

7. Legacy, Home, and Looking Forward

• Moran’s deep pride in his Dresden, Ohio roots; gratitude for his crew and family; and excitement for his future both as a racer and a new father.
  • "I'm in the race shop I grew up in that my dad worked out of his whole life. I've been here from day one." ([53:13])
  • On next year: “Hopefully everybody enjoyed it and yeah, I'm gonna enjoy this one. Before we worry about next year." ([57:02])

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On balance, family, and the moment:

  • “God is blessing me without a doubt right now.” – Devin Moran ([02:44])

• On racing with humility:

  • “My crew chief's out of town for the day, so I had to take over his duties this morning...Life’s good.” – Devin Moran ([03:07])

• On the practical side of racing:

  • “We pretty much spent that money before we even got it.” – Devin Moran ([04:38])

• On the Brownstown incident:

  • “If anyone knows and watch me race, they know I try to be as clean as anybody... we just touched because we were racing hard. That happens.” ([19:38])

• On the Pittsburgher turning point:

  • "That was the turning point of our playoffs." – Moran ([29:50])

• On mental routine and nerves:

  • “I'm so weird about my shield. I wipe my shield three or four different times.” ([39:00])
  • “Dick Trickle taught me routine is important. Don't take yourself out of your routine.” – Kenny Wallace ([39:39])

• On clinching the title while rivals flounder:

  • “I didn’t really giggle or smile or laugh or anything...But at the same time I was like, holy, we might have just won the Lucas Oil championship.” – Devin Moran ([46:53])

---

Key Timestamps – For Reference

Family News & Emotional Highs: [02:15–04:08]
Financial Realities of Racing: [03:21–04:38]
Legacy & Dad: [06:13–07:34]
Brother Wiley Joins: [08:13–12:49]
Start of Playoff Heater (Brownstown): [16:52–23:09]
Strategy & Technical Driving: [23:49–26:22]
Pittsburgh – The Turning Point: [28:20–35:28]
Testing at Smoky Mountain: [35:56–37:28]
Eldora Finale Qualifying: [38:11–41:54]
Eldora Race & Title Clinch: [43:23–49:40]
Technical Deep Dive: [51:01–52:48]
Event Moves Close to Home: [53:13–55:36]
Closing Reflection: [57:02]

---

Final Thoughts

This episode is a master class in dirt track racing—a tapestry of humor, uncompromising honesty, technical acumen, and heartfelt family ties. Devin Moran’s championship run isn’t just a story of speed and tactics, but one of resilience, tradition, and humble hard work. With the two Kennys at the helm, listeners get an irreverent, inside-the-hauler perspective worthy of “Herm & Schrader” history.

---

Transcript

[A]

Start the season with Etsy and make your holiday traditions extra special. On Etsy, you'll discover original pieces from small shops that will help you celebrate your way. Shop Etsy for holiday decor that makes you feel seen. Special starts on Etsy.

[B]

Get your engines fired up and don't miss. Chumba Casino back on track with Tyler Redick driving the number 45 Chumba Casino Toyota Camry at the Xfinity 500 Martinsville Speedway on October 26th. Man, I'll tell you what, I love that racetrack. You know they give you a grandfather clock when you win there? I've got two of them. Of course they're in the Xfinity series. I bet Tyler Redick wants to win one in the Cub Series. Chumba Casino, proud partner of 23 Xi Racing brings you non stop fun for over 200 free online social casino games from slots and table games, scratch cards and more. The slot selection alone has over 140 titles available. Just like race day, every moment's packed with action and there's always something new to get into. Play for [e-mail] free welcome bonus at sign up 2 million free gold coins and 2 free sweeps coins. Follow Chumba Casino on social or log in every day for free daily coins. No purchase necessary. VGW Group Void war prohibited by law. CTNC's 21+ sponsored by Chumba Casino. Hello everyone and welcome back to Kenny Conversation brought to you by Jigs, the leader in high performance aftermarket car parts. Remember to go to JEGS.com for everything you need to fix your everyday car up or even that hot rod that you have. Okay, when we're getting ready to interview, somebody's done something big. I say deep breath everybody. And I am going to announce him like a champ that he is. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2025 Lucas Oil late model champion, Devin Moran.

[C]

How's that sound, champ brother, I can't keep a smile off my face. I love it. It's. We're going two days strong where I'm just loving life on On Top of the World. So I announced we're having a little girl on Friday night. We figured that out Friday night and then to win the championship Saturday. I know racing can be up and down, but I'm about as high as I can get right now.

[B]

Hold on now. I follow you, but for me, I guess I was busy. You're having a baby girl and you win the championship.

[C]

Yep. So March, March 12th is the due date. So not a whole lot of people. We've kind of announced it, but, like, I haven't put anything major out or whatever on social media, but. But yeah, it's pretty cool. I'm gonna be a girl dad. Lucas old champion Just life is amazing. God is blessing me without a doubt right now.

[B]

He really is. And there's that cliche. I think you really are in seventh heaven, aren't you?

[C]

We are. We are. I was washing the car earlier, so that wasn't so much. My crew chief's out of town for the day, so I had to take over his duties this morning, but went and had a little lunch with a couple sponsors and some family and came back, talked to you. So life's good.

[B]

Let's stay right there. You just get done winning over $225,000. You win the championship more than 225,000 and you're washing your own race car. I mean, this is typical dirt racing, isn't it, Devin?

[C]

Yeah, I can't say a whole lot because I've only done it like twice this year. My guys do a really good job for me, but just my one guy, he was out of town, so I got it done this morning. But I mean, don't get me wrong, there's so many people, so many sponsors, friends, family, crew guys that had been a part of this to help me get to where I'm at. But it's kind of the trajectory I've always been on. You know, go out there and do the work and it pays off eventually. And fortunate enough this weekend, it definitely paid off.

[B]

Now we're going to go everywhere, everybody. But I want to let everybody know we are not going to celebrate his complete career today. There's so much to talk about. You went on this heater. You went on a heater with three to go, and that's what we're going to break down today. But let's stay right there for a minute.

[C]

You.

[B]

You tend to act like a quarter of a million dollars is. Is no money. How much are these motors? I mean, you guys need every bit of that money. How much are these motors nowadays?

[C]

Well, on the unfortunate part, you are right. We pretty much spent that money before we even got it. You know, our. Our motor bill, I don't know the total motor bill this year, but we've got six motors in the stable right now, and there's 60 grand a piece of. And then our tires are through the roof. Everything's just crazy. But. But yeah, we have so many great partners that help us. Obviously, Roger Sellers, my car and I with Double Down Motorsports, he's been very successful in life, but he could not do this by himself. I want people to realize that he spends a lot of money, but. But we have a lot of help and we're always looking for more. Every racer is looking for more help. But I have a ton of people that. That's helped me. Whether it's. Whether they're in the industry with, with parts or whatever it may be or. Or they' trying to get a little bit of publicity. We have a ton of people. So I can't thank everybody that that's been a part of this. Like I said, even this Eibach, they're. They're my spring company and they've done stuff for me and they're a great company. There's a gazillion people. It's just. I can't even think about everybody because just all my emotions are still going nuts. It's just. It's awesome. It really is.

[B]

Before we started recording, you showed me the champagne bottle and, and it's the little things in life. I know you got to prop it up your phone. Let me looky there. Everybody.

[C]

There's a mel door. Dirt in it. There's some dirt in it now. We put some dirt in it from the other night.

[B]

Are you gonna take like a silver Sharpie and mark anything? What are you gonna do with that?

[C]

I don't know. I haven't really thought of. I might rent like Lucas Oil 2025 champion or something. Maybe, maybe that, I mean, I think right there would be pretty cool to be in the trophy case one day. Without a doubt.

[B]

Yeah, that. That is just awesome. Okay, here we go, everybody. I want to go to your dad first. Your dad has been, you know, I've met him a couple times, but your dad is so nice to me. The million Dollar Man. Donnie Moran. What a legend. So when you won this championship, I got to tell you, I was in. I was in the car with you every lap. I was nervous. I know what it takes to finish off a championship. What has your dad said to you? What. What kind of communication have you had with the Million Dollar man after the. After the big win championship?

[C]

Well, the first thing I told him about their championship, he was hand little tears on his eyes. I gave him a big hug. I said, dad, you might have won a million bucks, but you never want to lucas all championship like I did. So we're always back and forth with each other. So I kick his butt on the golf course, but he still has way more accolades in the racing industry. So I'm. I'm working on that. I'm. I'm trying to build them up, and this weekend was definitely a major deal. And. And I'm still trying to realize how. How major it was, you know, but. But he. He knows it, and. And he just told me time and time again how proud he was, and he said, don't worry about not winning the race. You were racing for a championship, and. And you did everything you needed to, and that's. That's what we were focused on for sure. So he was. He was over the moon, without a doubt. I know he was super pumped.

[B]

So we do have a. A method to our madness here. We. We got the notes. We. We went through everything, and we're going to get to, you know, the Jackson 100. We're going to start at September 26th and 27th at Brownstown. But let's just stay there for a minute. I know a little bit about you, and when I think of you and your brother who left you to go detail cars, it broke my heart. And I followed along. I mean, and then your brother posted a picture of you.

[C]

That was cool. Did you see that?

[B]

Oh, I wanted to cry. Just tell me about that whole deal.

[C]

Yeah, it's just. I mean, while he's been there from the start, you know, he's. He's out there detailing rate car race or not race cars, but vehicles name out.

[B]

Tell me. Get his ass in here real quick.

[C]

I'll go get wild. I'll get him. He's got to finish up. He's very particular. That's why he is so good at everything he does. He's like. He's way more particular than I am, and he is like, OCD about everything, and he does a great job. But, yeah, I mean, me and Wiley were super, super tight. We still are tight. He was there. It was really cool, actually. Both my. My entire family and my wife's entire family was there Saturday. Delore being so close to us, it works out really well. But. But yeah, he just. And at the start of 22, he told me he was going on the big and better, bigger and better things. And. And he has. He's done a great job for himself, and he's. He's keeping me up to date. He's telling me what I do wrong every single day. He's telling me the slim things I do right every once in a while and telling me what I always need to be doing. So he is. Even though he's behind the scenes and no one else really sees him Anymore. He's still right by my side all the time.

[B]

That, that balance. I just want to talk about this for a minute. That that balance really is important. Nick Hoffman is. Is a good friend of mine. He builds my cars and he's got his elite, elite chassis. You know, that's the way he really makes a living. So brother Wiley just said, hey, look, I. I guess I gotta find something really to do with my life. Is that how that went?

[C]

Yeah. I mean, he didn't want to be on the road full time. He wanted. I mean, we're a big family, so we're all family people. He wanted to have that family life eventually. Have kids and everything else. And he's got a great wife in Jordan. Her last name was Moriarty, actually. Her dad was the owner of Total Seal piston rings. So they're in the, in the racing industry as well, before they sold out. So. So he found someone that loves it and it was a part of it. But at the same time, he knew to do what he wanted, his goals in life, whatever his goals are, he wanted to go that different route. And I don't resent whatsoever. I would never resent anyone on. On wanting to do their own career, whatever they may do or whatever it may be. So he's doing really good. He stays busy all the time. He's. Other than just cars. He details boats and campers and he gets and does heavy equipment for a bunch of different people and all kinds of stuff. So he. I keep telling him he needs to hire. Hire a couple of guys because he. He's working all the time. He needs to come racing more. So I'm trying to persuade him into doing some of that too.

[B]

Devin, it's all about you, my friend. But. But like our family, the Wallace family, it's really hard to talk about one without talking about the other. And you are the 2025 Lucas Oil late Model champion. And, And I know how hard it was. I followed you all year long on flow.

[C]

Here, Come here. Wiley's right here.

[B]

Come here, Wiley.

[C]

Say hi to Kenny.

[B]

Come here, Wiley. Tell him you're looking live, Wiley. Okay, listen, everybody has followed this. We know how much you love your dad and your brother. You posted that picture of all of you just a couple days ago. How sentimental was this for you, watching your brother finish it off and win it all?

[C]

It was very sentimental.

[B]

It was really cool to finally see it happen. We came a long way. I really like looking through old pictures, but. Yeah, no, it's. After everything we've been through, all the Years. A lot of people don't really realize what all goes into it.

[C]

A lot of his crew guys have.

[B]

Worked really hard and they've been around racing their whole life, but some of them only done it for a year or two or just a couple years. And a lot of people don't know how many hours me and Devin spent, even as kids and growing up and once he started driving and just days and nights, we beat up and down the road for years and years and years. And then to see it all come through, it's really cool to finally get to see happen. I knew it would happen eventually. Just didn't know when. You really do love your brother, don't you? A lot. Sometimes.

[C]

What he said, he said, I really.

[B]

Do love you, don't I? Yes. Well, listen, of course, we just wanted everybody to see your face. We know that you're married and you went on, you know, we hear you're the best at detailing your brother. Devin says you're very anal. You're very good at what you do. I hear.

[C]

Yes, sir. Lots and lots of detailing and heavy.

[B]

Equipment, power washing, a little bit of anything and everything. What's the name of your company?

[C]

WME Detailing and Services.

[B]

All right. Why the. Moran Enterprises. I love it. There it is, everybody. Okay, give your brother back the earbuds and thank you, sir.

[C]

Yes, sir. Great talking to you.

[B]

Show me those. All the cleaning guys wear rubber gloves, don't they? Safety first. All right, everybody, we're putting the earbuds back in the champ right now. We love technology. Devin's putting the earbuds back. You know, they got to be in both sides. Thank you, Devin. Yeah, that was really nice. You. I see how you guys care for each other. Hey, this is Dalenhart Jr. And for the latest Herman Schrader gear, you need to go to shop.dirtymomedia.com We've got plenty of options for everybody, and we're adding new stuff all the time, so go to shop.dirtymomedia.com when it comes to money, you deserve to feel safe from fraud and in control. And that's what you get with cash App. Instantly lock or unlock your card with one tap. If a suspicious charge appears, cash app declines it and alerts you with security. Lock, face ID or biometrics. Protect your account. Order a cash app card today at cash app card. For a limited time only new cash app customers can use our exclusive code to earn some additional cash. For real? Just download cash app. Use our exclusive referral code secure 10 in your profile. Send $5 to a friend within 14 days and you'll get $10 dropped right into your account. Terms apply. That's money. That's Cash App. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partners. Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton bank member fdic. Instant discounts provided by Cash App a Block Incorporated brand. Visit Cash App legal podcast for full disclosures. Get your engines fired up and don't miss Chumba Casino back on track with Tyler Redick driving the number 45 Chumba Casino Toyota Camry at the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on 10-12-26. Man, I'll tell you what, I love that racetrack. You know they give you a grandfather clock when you win there. I've got two of them. Of course they're in the Xfinity series. I bet Tyler Redick wants to win one in the Cub Series. Chumba Casino, proud partner of 2311 Racing brings you non stop fun for over 200 free online social casino games from slots and table games, scratch cards and more. The slot selection alone has over 140 titles available. Just like race day, every moment's packed with action and there's always something new to get into. Play for [e-mail] free welcome bonus at sign up 2 million free gold coins and 2 free sweeps coins. Follow Chumba Casino on social or log in every day for free daily coins. No purchase necessary. VGW Group void war prohibited by law. CTNC's 21+ sponsored by Chumba Casino. Okay, we're, we're going to do it. It took us 13, 14 minutes to get here, but we're going to go through this championship run. We're going to talk about th, this dirt track world championship going back to West Virginia. But for right now, let's go back to September 26th and 27th at Brownstown. We started off on the 26th with the CJ Rayburn Memorial and let's just start right there. This is when I think you got into just a little bit with Superman and that weekend that was a highlight, but you stayed calm. Tell me about. Let's, let's start with the CJ Rayburn memorial.

[C]

Yeah, I mean so obviously Ricky won 13 or 14 races to R8. So he had an 80 point advantage on us going into the playoffs. So the way Lucas does it this year, every win throughout the regular season is a 10 extra bonus points. So he was, he was 80 points ahead of us. So we knew going into it, I Told the guys I said my goal would be two wins out of five. And the others all podiums. We were pretty close. We had one win, three podiums on top of that, and then a fourth place to find a night at Eldora. But going into Brownstown, it was just a track I run really well at. I won there in March for the icebreaker. I won there in March last year for the icebreaker and knew we just had a carry momentum. We had really good runs going into that. And just qualifying was key. Qualifying went well. Going into the heat races was key. Went well. And then in the feature, felt like we had the chance to win. The first night, things didn't quite work out. Ended up third, but it was a good night for us for sure.

[B]

So that was that podium that you were looking for, I believe Nick won. B ship was second, maybe.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Hell of a race. Okay, so the next night, September 27th. Superman is a great racer. He's got this new thing going on where it's this. This a couple years ago, he started that arc. Started that arc, and you fill the hole and he comes down with the ark and you guys get into each other, I think. Is that right?

[C]

Yeah, it was just really. It was an unfortunate event that happened. You know, I. I ran second in the Jackson three times, Ran third in it twice, and I was like, this is the year I want to win this race. It matters more than anything right now. We got to get wins. We got to get our Lucas Oil championship run going here. Strong and had a really good car once again. Got 10 bonus points for qualifying. Ran good in the heat race and the feature. He was out front. And then I think at that point maybe Bobby or someone might have passed him for the lead. So he was in second, I was in third. We had a decent green flag run, probably 25, 30 laps, and he was doing his arc deal, doing his arc deal well. There was a grip down the bottom of the straightaway, and there was a lot car up in front of him, and he arced out and I filled the gap real quick, and right when I filled it, he was coming down. Definitely wasn't intentional for me and him to touch at all. I really don't know if he even saw me or not, but I filled the gap when there was a gap. So just a bummer it didn't work out for his favor because I never. If anyone knows and watch me race, they know I try to be as clean as anybody, you know, so we just touched because we were racing hard. That happens when when we're racing the way we're racing, it's. Incidents happen. We're not perfect. We're. We're all human beings. So it's just one of the deals that we touched. He spun out. And to be honest, after that, I didn't worry too much about it. I just kept on going.

[B]

When something like that happens to me, I, I, I immediately go, hope my steering wheel is straight. So tell me about that moment that went through your head about your front end.

[C]

Well, really, I didn't even touch him with the front end, so I thought I was all right. I checked it, make sure everything was fine. But the brown sounds so slick. Have you raised at brown sound before?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, I run the old mod there. Yep.

[C]

Yeah. Did you win there? I assume you're pretty good there. Elites are good, though.

[B]

So here's what I can tell you about me and, and that racetrack. I'd go up against Devin Gilpin.

[C]

He. It.

[B]

You know, he would just. He was on the cushion.

[C]

Oh.

[B]

Just, I mean, slide me. And then when that a main would come, I'd put that old hard right rear tire on it. I'd take a lot of load out of the right rear. All my stagger, put a little lead on the right rear because I had to get that thing to scotch up. And just like you guys, you know, I'd slow roll that bottom and grab that. If I could exit low like you and grab that moisture with that left rear, it launch me. But it's a long way away from St. Louis. You know, it's a, you, the, the time change. I mean, it acts like it's six hours for me, so. But go ahead, my friend. I mean, tell me about Brownstown.

[C]

Yeah, so it's just. It's a super, super slick racetrack. The, the grip is very important there. When. When we go from qualifying, 13 seconds and feature in 16 seconds. Three seconds off the paces is a lot of time. So when there's just little strips of grip, you got to hit it whenever you can. And, and that's what happened. I was, I was in the grip, and I got a really good run, and he was arced out into the slick. And I'm telling you, we barely touch each other. Like, my right rear barely touches left here. Like, neither of us had tire marks. We didn't have any body damage, nothing. And we just touched just enough that when he was hung out, it just. It just looped him. So it was just, like I said, it was an unfortunate event, but right after it happened, I said, hey, I'm racing for a championship. I'm. I didn't mean to take the guy out, and that's not what happened intentionally at all, but to keep on focusing on my job, and that's what we did.

[B]

I want to remind everybody what we're doing right now. We're going through this heater with Devin Moran the last three weekends. We'll celebrate his career another day. But this is something to go through, and that was a very important part because you never know. I mean, sometimes drivers lose their mind. I was worried about. And I know JD wouldn't, but, you know, he was jacked up on Mountain Dew after that, and I thought, you know, he kind of come up next to you, like, damn it, damn it. You know, I'm like, oh, God, don't hit him. Don't hit. You know, so I thought we would highlight that and. Okay, so let's finish the Jackson 100 off. You know, I, I believe Ricky wins it. Does RTJ win that race?

[C]

Yeah. So right after that caution, I actually get the lead back from Bobby. I run the top, get the lead, get racing for a long time. And then me and Ricky had an awesome race. Towards the end of the race, we were sliding each other probably. I bet we slid each other six or seven laps in a row. It was a, it was a great race. It was one of my favorite races all year. Even though I didn't win, it was a lot of fun. Like we were battling back and forth and it just a. Kudos to all the late mall guys. JD's an awesome race car driver. Ricky's good, Bobby's good. Like, these guys are top notch professional race car drivers. So we were back and forth, back and forth. He finally got the advantage of me. He's just a little bit better when we were. And then I, I was battling with Bobby after that a little bit. Finally ended up edging Bobby out and then Ricky won and I ran second. So kind of a bummer that he won that night, but still had a podium finish and, and that those were our goals for our, our playoff run.

[B]

Okay, so we, we get through Brownstown and we get a third for the C.J. rayburn Memorial Race. We get a second right for the Jackson 100. But RTJ wins. So now you guys are tit for tat. I want to zone in on your car for a minute. You know, you're in between a Moyer and a Bloomer and like a Shannon Bab. You, you drive violent. You are, you are really good on that cushion. And we'll get to the Pittsburgh. But, I mean, you run that cushion better than anybody. How do you keep your spoiler on the right rear? You're different.

[C]

I. I appreciate that. Those are three pretty damn good race car drivers.

[B]

Oh, you're good. You're good, man. You're one of the best there ever was. But. But your car always stay. You're a different dynamic. You're clean, you're straight, but you run the cushion as good as anybody in your peripheral vision. You know, you got to have peripheral vision. How do you keep your spoiler on that car better than anybody?

[C]

I think one advantage of mine is I drive. I feel like I drive a lot straighter than a lot of people do. You do?

[B]

Yes.

[C]

I. I've watched Scott Bloomquist. Don't get me wrong. My dad won a boatload of races, but Scott Bloomfest kicked everybody's ass for a long time driving straighter than everybody. And now I watch JD do the same thing as Scott did. And I said, for me to be a successful one of the great racers of all time, I got to learn how to do that. But at the same time, when you're racing Bobby Pearson and Ricky Thornton, every week, you got to be up on the wheel. You're not going to lollygag through the middle and win most of the races. It just doesn't happen. So I'm just all the time coaching myself and teaching myself, hey, you got to be straight and you got to be smart, but at the same time, you got to be up on the wheel. And that's just kind of the mentality. I went into that as I kind of learned it as a young age. Because, to be honest, when I was younger and I was working on all my stuff, I couldn't really afford to tear much up. I had to keep myself in decent shape. I'd go out back and find some of my dad's old bodies, beat them out, and that's what I was putting on my race car. So I couldn't tear much up. And that slowly transitioned to where I'm at now, where I'm a little more on the conservative side, I'd say, when it comes to racing. But at the same time, I'm going to do everything I can. If there's a cushion to rip it and make some time and try to get by some guys.

[B]

And that. That last one foot of right rear spoiler, you know, it's. I don't know, it looks to me like those Damn things are 8 inch thick. I mean, that aluminum spoiler is no joke. How tall is that thing?

[C]

Our spoilers are eight and a quarter inches I think is the max, counting the hinge and everything. So yeah, they're 8 inch spoilers pretty much.

[B]

And if you lose that right rear quarter piece, you're done.

[C]

Yeah, it's game over. Especially, especially a bigger track like Pittsburgh or Eldora, Knoxville, some of them places. It's just insane. I know everyone hates hearing about it. The error is just so important in all racing. It's free grip. And when you lose this by this, a 12 inch by 8 inch piece of your race car, it's about as detrimental as anything. And when that happens, you're in serious trouble. So you just have to learn how to take care of that as much as you can.

[A]

Start the season with Etsy and make your holiday traditions extra special. On Etsy, you'll discover original pieces from small shops that will help you celebrate your way. Shop Etsy for holiday decor that makes you feel seen. Special starts on Etsy.

[B]

Get your engines fired up and don't miss Chumba Casino back on track with Tyler Redick driving the number 45 Chumba Casino Toyota Camry at the Xfinity 500th Martinsville Speedway on October 26th. Man, I'll tell you what, I love that racetrack. You know they give you a grandfather clock when you win there. I've got two of them. Of course they're in the Xfinity series. I bet Tyler Redick wants to win one in the Cub Series. Chumba Casino, proud partner of 2311 Racing brings you non stop fun for over 200 free online social casino games from slots and table games, scratch cards and more. The slot selection alone has over 140 titles available. Just like race day, every moment's packed with action and there's always something new to get into. Play for [e-mail] free welcome bonus at sign up 2 million free gold coins and 2 free sweeps coins. Follow Chumba Casino on social or log in every day for free daily coins. No purchase necessary. VGW Group void war prohibited by law. The TNC's 21 plus sponsored by Chumba Casino. Okay, so Brownstown was memorable and it was big. But now, now we're going to the Pittsburgh and these are these. Now we're getting into the area of the United States. It's got a lot of legend to it. I mean, I know Brownstown's legendary, but I mean, just that name, the Pittsburgh, it just sounds so bad. Tell me about that racetrack.

[C]

It is unique. There's have you been? You haven't been there?

[B]

No, I've never been there, but I. I'm right with you right now. Keep going.

[C]

It is so unique. It is. It's. It's pretty flat with a little bit of cup, but massive. I mean, it's almost the size of Knoxville. Big sweeping corners, but it's slicker and snot, I'm telling you. Like, there's hardly any grip. And it's another one of them places where you have to be searching at all times. Like, if your car's not here, good here, you got to try this. If it's not good in that line, do this. And that's. Those are my favorite kind of racetracks, when you can drive it six different ways, and one of the six ways is going to work for you, but you have to be good enough a driver to figure out which way is the best for you. And that's what I love about Pittsburgh. Big, sweeping, slick momentum, technical. It's a lot of fun.

[B]

Okay, so night one. We're all watching. We got two nights at the Pittsburgh. Now, this is from one racer to another. I was watching intently. Looked at me like you could enter with the right front. You were steering the right front, and you never jumped the cushion. You were always exiting good and. And seemed like rtj, although maybe you couldn't see him. He was always, you know, rearing that left front up a little bit all year long, driving a little bit of a push. So tell me that balance that you had to have to just constantly zing that top and never drive that right front into the wall.

[C]

Yeah, well, the first night we. To be honest, that was a turning point of our playoffs. So I.

[B]

That's what I think, too.

[C]

100%. We were quick time. We won our heat. I'm leading this race. I'm kind of just cruising through the middle. Is like, oh, this isn't bad. Well, next thing I know, freaking 20 RT's ripping the cushion like he does he beast. I mean, Ricky is. I have a ton of respect for Ricky Thornton, and he's a great race car driver. Next thing I know, he goes zipping by me, and he's just railing the cushion, like, up above the cushion in the fluff, like, right against the edge. I'm like, man, I don't know if that's going to work out for another 30 laps. We'll see. And. And I slowly moved up, but kind of. Kind of kept myself about a half a lane off of where he was. Just momentum. And. And next thing I know off of two, he blows his tire. And I was like, oh, this is big. Like, yeah, I, I don't cheer for anyone to have problems. I was like, this just changed the ball game.

[B]

You recognize it? You recognize it?

[C]

You have to. I mean, that's, that's what we do. So after that caution, I just, I, I was ripping the top, but I wasn't for. In the fluff. Like he was kind of. I was kind of conservative. Conservatively ripping the top and yeah, ended up going on to win in the race. Ricky still came back to ninth and had a really good car and obviously he was the car that probably should have won that night. But same thing. We were just the kind of conservative attitude that I have at times helped me that night, and I just maintained the course. Devin wins podiums. That's what we need. And it worked out. And that's when, that's when we took over or tied. I think we might have been tied after that Friday night.

[B]

Okay, so here we are, everybody. The C.J. raburn Memorial. We finished third. The Jackson 100. We finished two. Night one at the Pittsburgh First. This is why I say you went on a heater. Okay, now let night number two at the Pittsburgh tell me. You sleep on it. You win. You know, now, now it's night two is going to be the big night.

[C]

Yeah. And that's what the thing I love about Pittsburgh. We've been there last four or five years, and every single year it's a different racetrack. One year we're right against the fence. One year we're right against the inside. One year it might rubber. One year we're spread across the whole track and, and they just do an amazing job over there. Blair Dress and his entire family, they, they just got it two years ago and, and they give us a great racetrack. And the second night, same thing. We, we got quick time again. So that extra 10 bonus points was solid because every time you get quick time you get. You get bonus points. Won the heat race, started second in the feature, went through 1 and 2 round shepherd, and JD actually split him. So going down the back straightaway, I had a little bit of advantage on JD Going into three. And he obviously remembered what happened at Brownstown the week before. He, he kind of slid across my nose and said, hey, I'm here. Back off aggressively.

[B]

Yes. Which.

[C]

Which is probably a little deserved, but a little aggressive at the same time. But wait, guys. I wasn't worried about it going through the race. I just. We didn't quite make the right changes My balance wasn't great. I fell back to seventh actually during that race. I see Ricky driving up through there and, and I think with 15 or 16 to go, I'm, I'm back up to fifth and I'm just struggling a little bit. We have a restart, 15 to go. And I watched Brandon Overton. He was, he was kind of doing what Ricky was the night before, just getting right against the wall and just ripping it. And I said, hey, like, I know I need to be conservative, but a night like tonight, you have to finish in 20 in front of the 20 RT. I have to be in the point sleeve going to Eldor. And on that restart, I just went up top. I started railing the top and got the third. And honestly I thought I had a chance for the win there for a hot second, but I was like, while I'm in front of him, don't push it too hard and get into the wall. Stay in front of them, do everything you can. And that's what happened. It ended up running third to Pittsburgh. The second night part wasn't great, but we did what we had to do. Chucky was kind of guiding me. My crew chief was guiding me with the sticks the whole race and I kind of knew where I needed to be and what I needed to do as he was doing that. And right at the end on that restart, like I said, it did kind of save us, but at the same time we got up on the wheel and got against the fence and just started going after it.

[B]

So when I look at that rundown, JD Wins. And Max Blair is a good runner, but he, he fills that hole. Did you say, okay, I'm in this championship battle. It's, it's, it's me. Rtj Downpour. Where the hell did Max Player come from? I mean, you, you got to keep your ears up for that guy. He, he runs good.

[C]

Yeah, just, I mean, that's the beauty of late model racing. You never know who's going to be up front every night. I mean, there's so many good racers, it's just insane. And he's really good over in that region. Obviously he's a Pennsylvania guy and the way the track was, he, he could just run that middle to bottom really, really well. And actually Ricky picked the bottom on the restart, he picked the top. And that's when he got got by Ricky and, and I knew it was going to be a pretty good restart for me when, when the way you kind of are always looking at how everyone's going to be restarted and what Position, whether outside, inside, what the track's going to be like, and you're somewhat foreshadowing of. Of what's going to happen, and you got to make the right decision. So when I kind of saw everything that was going to. To. To get to the outside and just hammer down, wow, what.

[B]

What a finish. Okay, so I. I'm with you. I think the Pittsburger was the deal, and, you know, JD Wins, Max Blair second, but here's where I think the championship was won. Okay. I don't know what you know, but just as a fan of yours, Devin Moran finishes third again. That's you. But here's what's bigger. You outrun Ricky Thornton again.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So now you've rebounded the last, you know, the Jackson 100. And now you're. Now you put still not very many points, but now you. Now you break that tie. So in your head, when. When you get in the tractor trailer, the toter home, and you're leaving the Pittsburgh, can you remember what was going through your mind as you leave the Pittsburgh? And you know, okay, Eldora's next.

[C]

Oh, this is gonna be a long two weeks getting ready for Eldora, because that's exactly what I was thinking. So we get home, and to be honest, I told the guys, I said, hey, boys, we are not very good. We got to figure out what we got to do to get better. So we came up with a game plan. Roger Sellers with Smoky Mountain Speedway. He in my car. Owner, he owns Smoky Mountain Speedway as well. I call him. Literally on the ride home Saturday night, I said, rogue, we were not good. We got to do something if we're going to have a chance to win this championship and win the race at the dirt track world championship. So on Monday morning, me and Chuck, my crew chief, we sit down, say, hey, we're going to go test. We're. We're going to Tennessee. We. We contacted Keith Burner with. With ACCU or after Burner contacted VG Performance with Vinnie, and Keith actually came with us. We went down to Smoky Mountain Friday night. We tested all day Saturday, worked on stuff and. And there was a big race at West Virginia Motor Speedway going on. I really wanted to be at because it was the. The revival of West Virginia, but we forwent that, went to Smoky Mountain, tested all day and. And to be honest, like, early in the day, I didn't feel great. And then not really that we found anything, but we just got a good balance on the race car. I could really steer the car. I could do everything. I needed. I said, boys, we got a shot. This. We, we found our balance that we needed to go to Eldora. I know Smoky Mountain is nothing like Eldora, but we, we figured out what we needed to do to go there and, and have a chance to win. And I left Smoky Mountain Tessin with, with confidence and just carried it right in.

[B]

Delora, you took the words right out of my mouth. That test gave you that PMA positive mental attitude.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Wow. Okay, let's bring it home now and we will talk about the dirt track world Championship. Headed back to Mineral Wells. I believe that's what it is. West Virginia Motor Speedway. Okay, let's go to Eldora now, everybody. I think that was very important, you telling us all that you went to Smoky Mountain to test. High bank track, kind of get the load somewhat similar. All right, from what I'm looking at here now, I bring up, we're at Eldora now. Night one, Summit Racing, Heat two. You win. Good start.

[C]

Tell me about that. To be honest, once again, it all started in qualifying. So those 10 bonus points are so detrimental in qualifying and I got them three out of the five nights going to Eldora. I said, I, I just, I really want to get this quick time and, and we put a really good package together to, to be able to go around there wide open the first lap. You know how Eldor can be. It is sketchy to qualify, especially the run 3 and 4. It is, it is scary. Not scary, just like it's tense like you're, you're standing on nails.

[B]

It feels like when you're, when you're down there in the shoot, you know, I've got a little Tourette's in me. When I get ready to qualify, like, you know, I've qualified at Talladega, you know, Atlanta, I start doing this, you know. Do, do, do you got any quirks before you go to cheat death?

[C]

Yeah, I'm so weird about my shield. I wipe my shield three or four different times. I'll wipe the outside. I wipe it. I'll wipe it. I wipe it. And then every time I go out, I always, I do the same thing. I always check to make sure my brake bias is on rear. I always pull my brakes back to make sure they're completely disengaged and flip my three wheel brake switch up. Oh, nothing. I just mean like, just make sure they're not pressing when, when you turn your three wheel brake switch on.

[B]

It's like a drag racer. You, you got the system. I like this.

[C]

Yeah. And then I put her in neutral, rev it up a couple times, cleared out, put her nines, time to rock and roll.

[B]

And you do that same thing every time you qualify.

[C]

I do it every time I touch the racetrack, every single time.

[B]

I love this. Listen up, kids. Dick Trickle was the one that taught me routine is important. Don't take yourself out of your routine. I do the same thing in my old mod, you know, and I know my mod's not much, but it's still. You got tough competitors, so I like that. Okay, now we move on to Eldora here that night, you know, I'm looking at the rundown qualifying. Group A, you run second. What is that? What am I looking at here? Go ahead.

[C]

Yeah, so it's just with Lucas Oil, we, we split up the field. There was 59 cars, so we had 30 in Group A, 29 Group B. Each group gets 10 bonus points. I go out. Bobby actually was the first car out and I thought he was going to have a major advantage and he struggled a little bit qualifying. He went like a 16. Yeah, he, he went a 16 three. I was like, well, if I can get it 16 one, like I'm going to be in pretty good shape. The first lap, I, I kind of go easy. I let off both ends, make sure I don't tear anything up. I go 16:1. I said, all right, Devin. I, I knew I laid a good lap down. As I went across the start finish line, I saw my, my number up on the board so I was paying attention and I was like, all right, time to hammer. I went in 1, 2. I nailed it going 3 and 4. And to be honest, and this is what cost me, I cheated down off of, off of the wall. Getting into three a little bit because of the ruts. I didn't want to hit the wall. Still haven't wide open. Went through there, just a couple humps and came back and I was like a 15, nine. I was like, oh, that was pretty good.

[B]

15.965 good time. Yep.

[C]

And I was like, as long as I can hold that extra 10 points, that puts us 25 ahead of Ricky going into the race. We'll be in good shape and watch, and watch and watch. And I'm on top of the holler. And then Parson Ferguson, who's, he's got a lot better this year, been qualifying really, really well. He beat me by like 2/100 of a second. I was like, ah, like, come on, come on, let me get these points. And it didn't work out but, but I at the Same time I didn't care because I was like, I'm starting second or starting on the pool, the second heat. All I gotta do is take care of business there. We do that, we'll start third in the future. And it is what it is. God has a plan and, and we were just part of it at that point. So I knew I did everything in my power and yeah, just kept on following the routine.

[A]

Start the season with Etsy and make your holiday traditions extra special. On Etsy. You'll discover original pieces from small shops that will help you celebrate your way. Shop Etsy for holiday decor that makes you feel seen. Special starts on Etsy.

[B]

You're tuned into Auto Intelligence live from Autotrader where data, tools and your preferences.

[C]

Sync to make your car shopping smooth.

[B]

They're searching inventory. Oh yeah. They find what you need, they gonna find it. You can make a budget for your wallet to help you succeed. Pricing's precise and true.

[C]

So true.

[B]

It's smarter car shopping, oh, just for you.

[C]

Oh, it's just for you.

[B]

Find your next [e-mail] powered by Auto Intelligence Bring me home, my friend. Okay, I just want to say this. 100 laps at Eldora is not easy and I know that and you gotta, I'm gonna set the stage for everybody and then you know, you're, you're gonna take us home. So you got a 15 point lead that can be wiped out in no time and you know it. They dropped the green flag and it's strange because it's, this race is like in the middle of the day, so to speak. It's light, there's a haze, there's just a strange feeling. Did you, did you feel that is dirt. I mean dirt racing is meant for night. First of all, what's it like to be racing in the day for a championship?

[C]

So I'm, I might be a weird opinion on this, but I love day racing, especially at Eldor. Eldora creates some of the all time best day racing ever. And, and I'll stick to my guns on that forever because in the daytime the grip is way more grip than the slick. So you have to search and find traction and that's what I love. So I, I, going into it, there was still a little bit of grip left on the track, actually more than I expected. Starting third, I was like, all right, Devin. Just early in the race it is daytime so it is going to hurt tires a little bit more. But at the same time you gotta, gotta maintain track position. So we, we get started, I go to fourth instantly. The outside was a little better on the start. And then just get going a little bit. Get going a little bit. Get up to third. I'm like, man, my car's pretty good. We. We definitely have a shot. Because at Eldora, like, there's Nothing like the 100 leopards at Eldora. You never know what your car is really going to be like. Unless you're JD he usually is pretty freaking good.

[B]

You're getting good at it. But.

[C]

But I knew lot 15, I was like, oh, we. We have a really good race car. So get the third, have a caution, and Ricky Thornton's right behind me. And, like, I never really felt very nervous the whole time, but at that moment, I was like, this dude's freaking fast, man. Like, it is gonna be hard to keep this guy behind me. Like. Like, he's. He's great. And we restart, and I had a really good restart, and I actually slid in the second, got the second, and it was. It was later in the race. I don't know how far along we were, but. But I got the second in there, and I'm just rolling. And when I get this, I got like, man, I could have a shot to win, but I gotta be somewhat patient here. Like, winning the race, winning the championship, I want to win both, but the championship at this point is. Is what I'm worried about. So get to second. We get racing, and then Bobby slides me for a second. I go back to third, and I was like. When he slid me, I kind of just. Not that I let off, but, like, I kind of just let him go because I was not worried about racing him and hurting my own stuff. So once again, I was still just thinking about the big picture on what I was wanting to do. Stay in third. Get moving, get moving. And then actually on another restart, I get back to second, Bobby's in the lead, I'm in second. And then at that point, I see where Ricky and JD Wreck each other.

[B]

Okay, stop right there. Stop right there. This is really in my notes. How did you stay in touch with them? Give us your perspective. Was it Stickman? Was it up on the scoreboard? When did you see these guys having.

[C]

Issues so early in the race? Probably 30 laps in, I see a caution, and they zoom in right on Ricky. And he's already got a side spoiler knocked in. The spoiler we were talking about earlier, he knocks that spoiler in, and I said, oh, this is big. I was like, ricky Thornton's a different animal, so he can still make it happen. But it's going to be a lot harder for him to make it happen with a spoiler knocked in. So I said, just maintain focus, keep your car clean. That's what we did. Later in the race.

[B]

Good points.

[C]

Later in the race, I see JD he comes, there's a caution. I don't even know how many to go. It's probably 30 or 40 to go. He comes by me and then the whole back of his car is out. And I was like, well, we don't have to worry about J.D. anymore. It's just Ricky. Well, I come around the front straight away and look. Well, Ricky stuffed it in the fence and JD Hit him. And I didn't really giggle or smile or laugh or anything. I did it because I. I didn't want to be that guy. But at the same time I was like, holy, we might have just won the Lucas Oil championship.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And I was like, but Devin, don't lose focus. Like, you have to finish this race. You never know what's going to happen. And I didn't 100 know where they were, what was going on. I was watching them on the scoreboard. That's what's the beauty about Aldora. There's 20 spot scoreboard so you can look and exactly where everyone is the whole time. And that's what I was doing. And then they're both in pits and they said, coming to green. Coming to green. Well, we go green and I'm looking, I'm looking. I don't see him, but I'm still racing. At the same time, a caution comes out and they show Ricky and he's pulling back out onto the track again. So I'm like, well, I don't know if he pulled out and he was racing the whole time, if he was lapped down. I. I really had no idea what was going on with them guys. I just knew as long as I stayed in front of him, it didn't matter and we win the championship. So I just kept on focusing on that. And then we had a caution with 12 to go. And this is the part I got too conservative. Chris Madden got back to second. To be honest, I. I was pretty close to the same speed as Bobby at that point. I felt like. And I picked the bottom and the bottom was working for me on restarts. But the track cleaned up enough and I knew if I was on the bottom, I wouldn't get myself in trouble. If I was on the top, I felt like I really could have had a chance for the lead, but I also would have had A chance for the guy and third to be able to slide me, take my hair up and something. Yeah, something might happen. So I said, just pick the bottom, get through this and move on. So I picked the bottom and. And Chris got a really good start around the outside of me. I lost my air and kind of slid to the cushion. Just kept going. Then. Then I just. My mind kind of went numb. Busy. Yeah, it did. It did. And I just. I couldn't really get a great rhythm after that.

[B]

Were you getting numb, feeling like, oh, I got to keep driving? You know, how do I do this? But yet you. You ran side by side with Nick off. Did you start focusing back in when Nick showed you his nose? You guys. You and Nick Hoffman ran side by side for five laps.

[C]

Yeah, he was busting my balls after this. He said, I should have slid you. What was I doing? I said, well, I appreciate that you done it, Nick. So, no, he's.

[B]

He's.

[C]

He is definitely coming do his own as well. He's. When I was talking to him and I didn't realize this, he was the only racer all year that finished in top five in all three Eldor crown jewels. So that.

[B]

He's a bad dude.

[C]

There's a reason. There's a reason his company's right on the front of your shirt. But. But, yeah, just. I. That is what happened. I. I was kind of messed up in the mind. I was like, we're thinking about other stuff. And then Nick does this. I'm like, devin, finish the freaking race. Quit messing up. Get up through there and get it done. So I started running the cushion again. I actually hit it really hard with two to go. I was like, all right, well, finish, but don't be an idiot and wreck yourself out. So ended up going through and just kind of hanging on there at the end. Just my mind, like I said, was going everywhere. Ended up just getting in front of Nick and ended up fourth.

[B]

Yeah. And what was interesting to me now, this is just. I just want to give everybody a look inside my mind. I know all the fans are listening right now. So RTJ is down, like 15, 16 laps. Well, 10 to go now you've wrapped the championship up because he can't make those laps up. And I'm thinking, well, he won the championship with 10 to go. There it is. You know. You know, Superman's not going to catch you. And. And Flo did it. I wish I would have known that.

[C]

I wish I would have known that because I had no idea.

[B]

I wish I had a set of radios. I would, I would have said, hey, RTJ is 16 laps down. There's 10 to go. You win. He can't do it now, but TV did a good job. They kept kind of fibbing. Everybody. This is going to come down to the last lap. I'm like, it's already over. How's he gonna make up 16 laps when there's only 10 to go? Okay, I. I wanna. I wanna ask you a question. This is a racer question. When, when you were running that bottom you were coming off of, you know, you come to the green flag, we. We barely hit the wall with the left front. No big deal. I do the same. But one thing I was really impressed was when you, throughout the race, you were going in the middle of turn one. You were driving the car across, but you never had to go to the moisture.

[C]

You.

[B]

You were able to get forward grip and clear Madden off of 2. Like with 50 to go or whatever. Where did you find that forward drive that people couldn't get? They. They all had to go to the moisture off of 2. You could start on the bottom. You know, I mean, did you find that all year long? Was, Was that a Eldora thing?

[C]

I mean, we definitely worked on it all year long, but like I said at Pittsburgh, I was. I felt horrible in the middle of the racetrack. And. And that's when. When me and Chuck buckled down and said, hey, we got to figure out how to. To win this championship. So we go down the Smoky Mountain, we do that testing, and like I said, we just found that balance. Racers always talk about balance. And once I found that, I knew I was in pretty good shape and I could just run through that middle one and two and just parry speed without losing grip or being pushing or anything else. I just found that balance that I could get through the corner. And yeah, that's really what it was. I just had a really, really good race car that my crew provided me.

[B]

Yeah, you could just. You could keep throttling it. Three, quarter throttle, four, and just keep on tracking, you know.

[C]

It's the best feeling ever, ain't it? Kidding.

[B]

Yeah, I know exactly. Over on the right front. You're not pushing.

[C]

Yes. I love it.

[B]

And you're just.

[C]

You're.

[B]

You're tracking. You're tracking.

[C]

You're like, yes.

[B]

Okay. There he is, everybody. Your 20, 25 Lucas Oil late model champion. He just took it through, you know, from when, when the run, when the heater started. And what a heater it was. Man, oh, man, I look at those. Those finishes. One, two, Three, three and then four at the very end. Wow. When's. When is the banquet? When's the awards ceremony?

[C]

Friday night of pri. So probably like the 12th or 13th of December some. Yeah. Right after the dome. I know. We're going to the dome and having fun and then we're going to the banquet and having fun.

[B]

Oh, big time. Okay. I think we did a really good job and we're going to give everybody a little bit of a bonus here. I should have done it and I apologize. I do it when I do the in length interview. Where were you born and raised?

[C]

Dresden, Ohio. Born and raised. I'm in the race shop I grew up in that my dad worked out of his whole life. I've been here from day one. I moved to North Carolina for one year in 2019 for another race team, but other than that one year, I've been here my entire life.

[B]

That's awesome. So I'm asking you that because there seems to be a lot of emotion. They announced that the dirt track world championship is going to head back to West Virginia Motor Speedway at Mineral Wells. What does that mean? It's just called West Virginia Motor Speedway. What is Mineral Wells? Is that a town?

[C]

Yep. So Mineral Town Wells is. It's just a small little town just, just south of Parkersburg, West Virginia. It's right off of 77, an hour and a half from here. So it's crazy that it's going to West Virginia, but it's actually closer to me than what Eldora was.

[B]

And that's what I was thinking. And that's why I set you up. Give me, give all the race fans your opinion on the dirt track world championship going to be now back hour and a half from your house.

[C]

To be honest, I love it. So what my favorite part about it and I don't know how this schedule is going to work, in my honest opinion, I want the Lucas Oil finale at Eldora no matter what. I think it deserves to be at Eldora and they are having a race, but I don't know if the dirt tracker, that's first. But the dirt track world championship being right back in West Virginia right where it started is an amazing feeling. And we're having another big 50,000 win on top of that Eldora. So the playoffs will be a little different next year with seven races instead of five, but we're adding a big race and the dirt tracks going back to West Virginia. So I think it's. It's great all around, period.

[B]

Carl Short, the promoter, tell me about car. I Don't know him.

[C]

He's a pioneer of the sport. He. He created the dirt Track World Championship 43 years ago and wow, the Hillbilly 100 as well. So he.

[B]

Oh, what a name, really.

[C]

Like, he was the guy that. That started big races Pennsborough. Everybody went to Pennsborough, West Virginia because he paid a lot of money and not everyone knew what the racing kind of was back then. It's actually way better now than what it was back then. But. But everyone went back then because. Because it was money and people wanted to race for money. So he's definitely created two major events and hopefully he can keep them going for a long time.

[B]

And quickly, pensborough, you went there and oh, my God. I was watching. I'm like, oh, my God, that was so dangerous looking. How the hell did they race there years ago?

[C]

I don't know how they did back in. It was crazy. Like, it was actually pretty good when we were there last year. They did a good job with it.

[B]

Definitely.

[C]

Still a little sketchy, but they did a good job with it. But they, they. I've actually been talking to the promoters down there and they've actually added even more guardrail that they've added catch fence. They're working on stuff so we can go back there and race. But yeah, back in the day, I. I don't know if I would have wanted to be a part of that. It would have been a little. Little sketch. Could.

[B]

Could you still feel yourself going across that little creek or whatever it was there?

[C]

It wasn't bad.

[B]

They didn't.

[C]

I'm telling you that whoever they had working the track, they. They did a phenomenal job. It was pretty cool. So I would say they'll have a couple races there next year that we'll probably be attending.

[B]

Well, there it is, everybody. We did our best. We will come back another day. He's awfully young. So, Kenny conversation in depth with Deb Moran will be for another day for sure. All right, my friend, listen. Thank you so much. And listen up, everybody. Remember, this is on Dirty Mo media podcast, so if you want to listen to the champ with your earbuds like he has in right now, you can go to Dirty Mo media and listen to him if you want to see his pretty face, it's on the Kenny Wallace YouTube show. Anything else, Devin?

[C]

Just thanks for having me on, Kenny. I hope hopefully everybody enjoyed it and yeah, I'm gonna enjoy this one. Before we worry about next year.

[B]

Yes, well deserved. Okay, everybody, until the next Kenny conversation, we'll see you next time. Goodbye everybody. Check out Dirty Mo Media on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

[A]

Start the season with Etsy and make your holiday traditions extra special on Etsy. You'll discover original pieces from small shops that will help you celebrate your way. Shop Etsy for holiday decor that makes you feel seen. Special starts on Etsy.

[C]

This is a 30 second ad.

[B]

In just 30 seconds, there are likely to be an average of over 30,000 cyber threats to all businesses. Since I've been talking, more than 10,000 likely just happened. Hey, cyber threats don't wait, and neither should you. With advanced security solutions, Comcast Business can help keep your network and data secure and your business reliably up and running. Get threat ready with Comcast Business. Learn [e-mail] cybersecurity.