PEVELY, Mo. — A second chance isn’t something that slips away from Dennis Erb Jr.
However, the veteran late model driver needed that second chance Friday at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 after a caution negated his pass for the lead.
Erb found another opportunity to strike 18 laps later, as race leader Billy Moyer Jr. caught the tail of the field. That’s when Erb dove to the bottom, splitting Kye Blight’s car as Moyer tried to pass him on the outside. Erb took the advantage, thundering past both of them with momentum to take the lead with 12 laps to go.
This time, a caution wouldn’t get in Erb’s way as he bested the top drivers with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series and DIRTcar Summer Nationals to earn the $10,000 prize on night one of the St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff.
“We really would’ve liked to have gotten [the lead] earlier, but you know we were able to just wait and got it at the right time and was able to make a move on [Moyer],” Erb said. “Our car was working really good around that bottom, and we just had to hit our marks real good.
“Once I got out front, I was able to move up and move around. It was a little slippery tonight, but we were able to go out and get it.”
Erb’s win is his 12th World of Outlaws victory and 24th DIRTcar Summer Nationals triumph.
Erb’s win extends his World of Outlaws CASE Late Models points lead—122 points over Max Blair, who finished 12th.
Billy Moyer Jr. settled for second after leading the race’s first 28 laps.
“If the whole time we are in clean air, I don’t know if [Erb] would’ve got us,” Moyer said. “His car was just way better than ours maneuverability-wise.
“I couldn’t run that bottom like he did, and hell, I felt like I had a parachute back there. So, I just moved back up and tried to use the whole track. All in all, the car is good, just not as good as his around the bottom.”
Frank Heckenast Jr. crossed the line third, his first podium with the World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Summer Nationals in 2022.
“I screwed up in the Heat,” Heckenast said. “I didn’t screw up in the Heat; I just mean [Shannon Babb], and I had such a good race, and I have so much respect for him. I could’ve tried to slide him, and then I would’ve had the last pill for the fourth heat and started second.
“This feels like a win. We just had so much stuff going wrong lately. When you get that close, it really just tears at you that you had a shot to win.”
Jason Feger finished fourth, his fifth DIRTcar Summer Nationals top five this season, and first with the World of Outlaws—after starting 12th.
Four-time Hell Tour champion Brian Shirley rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[3]; 2. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[1]; 3. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[6]; 4. 25F-Jason Feger[12]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[7]; 6. 18-Shannon Babb[2]; 7. 19R-Ryan Gustin[14]; 8. 32-Bobby Pierce[5]; 9. 14G-Joe Godsey[9]; 10. 25-Shane Clanton[16]; 11. 11-Gordy Gundaker[24]; 12. 111V-Max Blair[8]; 13. 97-Cade Dillard[10]; 14. B1-Brent Larson[17]; 15. 81E-Tanner English[21]; 16. 1-Josh Richards[23]; 17. 24-Ryan Unzicker[22]; 18. 16G-Rusty Griffaw[26]; 19. 99B-Boom Briggs[29]; 20. 77-Preston Luckman[19]; 21. F1-Payton Freeman[25]; 22. 31K-Kye Blight[15]; 23. 11H-Jeff Herzog[20]; 24. 10J-Jordan Bauer[13]; 25. 2S-Stormy Scott[18]; 26. 10-Daryn Klein[4]; 27. 36-Logan Martin[11]; 28. 23-Paul Roider[28]; 29. 30-Mark Voigt[27]