FARMER CITY, Ill. — After a three-year absence from the DIRTcar Summer Nationals, Garrett Alberson returned in dominating fashion to score his first series victory at Farmer City Raceway Friday night.
The Las Cruces, N.M. native led all 40 laps to take home the $10,000 payday while holding off some of the Hell Tour’s best like four-time Series champion Shannon Babb and 2022 World of Outlaws Late Model Rookie of the Year Tanner English.
“It’s a big confidence booster,” Alberson said of winning his first Hell Tour race. “I’ve been hit and miss in the Summer Nationals stuff for a few years and have watched it forever.
“The guys on this deal are so tough and it’s always got a good mix of people. It’s really big. I kind of feel like I’m one of the guys or something like that. To win a race like that is really cool.”
It was Alberson’s 10th start with the Summer Nationals Late Models and his first of the season.
“I’ve watched like hundreds of videos growing up of all the racing here at Farmer City and always wanted to come here,” Alberson said. “I’ve always loved the way this track drives. The flow and the momentum it’s got going on. I’ve always loved just getting around here.”
Alberson started the night strong, setting Quick Time in his qualifying group and then went on to win his Heat Race. Success followed, again, soon after as he drew the outside pole for the 40-lap Feature – starting to the outside of English.
At the drop of the green flag, Alberson won the mad dash into Turn 1, edging English by the center of the turn, and then rocketed ahead off turn two. He gapped English by more than a car length going into Turn 3 and then set a torrid pace around the quarter-mile dirt track.
He hit lap traffic on lap 10 but maneuvered his way through the slower cars to stay ahead of the field. Alberson had over a two second lead when the only caution of the race was called on lap 33, forcing him to restart with some of the best names in the sport behind him.
Grouped behind him were Babb, English, reigning Summer Nationals champion Ashton Winger and Week 1 champion Tyler Erb. The pressure didn’t get to him, though. He got the jump on the restart and set sail for victory, finishing nearly a second ahead of Babb.
“I feel like restarts have been one of my struggle points this year,” Alberson said. “For some reason I was in a good head space today and I kind of knew where my strengths were and didn’t let go of my game plan.”
Behind Alberson, Erb and Jason Feger also had stellar runs. Erb climbed from 11th to fourth, and with that run he’s now tied with Winger for the Week 3 points lead. Feger was in the top five most of the race before his left rear tire blew late in the race. But even with restarting in the back, he still managed to make his way back to fifth.
Feature Finish (40 Laps)
1. 58A-Garrett Alberson[2]; 2. 18-Shannon Babb[4]; 3. 96-Tanner English[1]; 4. 1-Tyler Erb[11]; 5. 25-Jason Feger[5]; 6. 8-Dillon McCowan[10]; 7. 58-Tyler Clem[14]; 8. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[12]; 9. 75-Daniel Adam[8]; 10. 45-Kyle Hammer[13]; 11. 12-Ashton Winger[6]; 12. 30-Mark Voigt[22]; 13. 99-Mckay Wenger[17]; 14. 8L-Jeffrey Ledford[7]; 15. 11T-Trevor Gundaker[15]; 16. 33F-Rickey Frankel[16]; 17. 33-Kye Blight[19]; 18. 1W-Donny Walden[3]; 19. 33H-Roben Huffman[21]; 20. B12-Kevin Weaver[20]; 21. 24-Ryan Unzicker[18]; 22. 27M-Rodney Melvin[9]