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  SUMMER NATIONALS LATE MODEL SERIES SUMMIt RACING MODIFIED NATIONALS The Super DIRTcar Series 

SUMMER NATIONALS LATE MODEL SERIES

   

www.dirtcarsummernationals.com

DIRTcar Summer Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners. Official partners include,Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Racing Electronics (Official Radio Supplier), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Summit Racing Equipment, VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel).  Also supported by : AMKUS, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, FIREBULL, Fox Factory, Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, Mark Martin Automotive, MD3, MSD, Quarter Master, Swift Springs, WELD Racing, Wieland (Exclusive Racing Aluminum), and Xceldyne.

SELF-MADE: How Tanner English Conquered Summer Nationals with Home-Built Team

 

CONCORD, NC (Aug. 7, 2026) — With one car, one engine and nothing but his own willpower pushing him out into the summer heat, Tanner English has conquered the DIRTcar Summer Nationals.

 

And the best part? He did it all on his own accord. His talents. His people. His operation.

 

The 33-year-old from Benton, KY, hoisted the first edition of the Hell Tour’s pitchfork trophy as champion of dirt Late Model racing’s most grueling challenge, becoming the first driver from the “Bluegrass State” to win the Series’ points championship. In 23 Feature starts, English tallied four wins, 19 top fives and 21 top-10 finishes enroute to the overall points title and three weekly championships.

 

The two-time Midwest Auto Racing Series (MARS) Late Model champion was never an unfamiliar face to the Summer Nationals since making his debut in 2008. English took on the entire schedule for his first time in 2021 driving the Riggs Motorsports No. 81E and went on to compete in the national Late Model ranks for two other teams in the years following.

 

But after a sudden notice of his release from Coltman Farms Racing last December, English was left without a ride or a plan for 2026. So, he stepped up and rebuilt his own team in his own race shop, set his sights on the Hell Tour and walked away with one of the brightest accomplishments of his career.

 

“It’s pretty cool to be able to do it and put my name on that trophy,” he said. “That’s something we can always look back on and say we did. At the time, nobody was better than us. Maybe from race to race, they won the battle, some of them. But we won the war.”

 

After a successful sophomore season as part of the Coltman Farms Racing stable in 2025, which produced four Feature wins and the team’s first-ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory at Highland Speedway in August, English was preparing for a third campaign with the Georgia-based operation when he received word of his release following the annual Gateway Dirt Nationals event in December.

 

“It was all a surprise to me,” English said. “So, I had no plans whatsoever.”

 

There he stood, in his newly built race shop at his residence in Benton, IL, with no ride and no plan. With the start of the new season only a handful of weeks away, the typical year-end ride swaps and team changes were mostly complete, and English was left on the outside looking in.

 

“I kinda waited and tried not to make any moves or invest any money right off the bat because I thought the phone would ring,” English said. “But it didn’t.”

 

So, he picked up the phone himself and began putting pieces together. With only his personal connections and the limited resources he had in his shop, English began considering taking the path ahead solo.

 

“I got pretty discouraged there for a little bit. And then I thought, ‘If I’m going to do it, I might as well do it myself,’” English said. “I can’t fire myself. I mean, I guess I could… but you’ve got a lot more job security when you’re doing it yourself and can decide more things and be more hands-on on the decision making and do what you think needs to be done, and where money is best spent.

 

“I just figured if there’s a time to do it, I might as well do it now.”

 

While the national circuit competition raged on in Florida, English spent January and February working at home, preparing an older car to get back on track with.

 

“I did have this 2016 Rocket (Chassis) that was my dad’s, and we busted it out at Duck River (Raceway Park) in March and won our first race out,” English said. “That kinda kicked me into gear, and I went all-in right there. I started doing a lot more things, started getting more serious and trying to get the ball rolling on everything.

 

“I was no-doubt working hard up to that point, but I knew I had to win that to even have a shot at making this work.”

 

The $6,000 victory check had helped to revitalize his operation and set the tone for the rest of his spring schedule. His second-quarter slate included mostly regional and some national-circuit races, producing several top-five and top-10 finishes. Soon, English was loading up the trailer with a brand-new race car and a new plan, at least for a few weeks.

 

“We started with a new AK Racecar this year,” English said. “I think I had only raced 15 or 20 times before Summer Nationals started, so I really hadn’t gotten a lot of races in. I needed to consistently race just to figure out what these cars needed and what I needed to do to get better. I figured what better way to do it than race every night.”

 

He decided on a tentative plan for the first week of Summer Nationals, and saw success from the start, posting five consecutive podium finishes and claiming the Week 1 points championship.

 

“Even though we had a pretty good start to the year, I was still in the negatives, and I just thought, ‘What better way to do it? This is a good way to make some money in a short amount of time and also get better,’” English said. “After those first two races, my head was a little bit above water and I could breathe a little bit and just start racing, get serious and free up some decisions and stuff like that.”

 

On the heels of good results to start, English decided to stay on the trail. Eleven races in, he had amassed 10 top-five finishes, but no wins yet. A silent frustration built with every missed opportunity.

 

But finally, after leading all 30 laps at Farmington Empire Speedway on July 1, he broke through for his first Summer Nationals win of the season and seventh of his career.

 

“I knew it was coming; you can’t run second and third so many times and not win,” English said. “We just tried to just not change what we were doing and not make big swings, and we knew it would come eventually.”

 

English went to Victory Lane three more times before the summer was out and remained a model of consistency, accruing 17 podium finishes and only two results outside the top 10, both of which were DNFs. Though the typical grind of the Hell Tour can wear down and deplete equipment, English remained resourceful and stuck to his strategy to make it to the end.

 

“It’s a low-cost deal, which is what a lot of people don’t realize — 30-lap races, so we’re going through… like, there were some times we’d run our right-rear tires three nights in a row,” English said. “That’s what a lot of people don’t understand. It’s not that big of a deal on that level. You can make it big — you can spend a lot of money if you want to, but you don’t have to.”

 

In the end, English was proud of his accomplishment — not only for his own operation, but for his family as well. Especially his father — the 2002 DIRTcar Late Model national points champion, Terry English.

 

“[Terry’s] proud, you can tell,” English said. “This has a lot to do with him, too. He put in a lot of work, a lot of time, and sacrificed a lot this summer just to go out there and do that with me. I can’t thank him enough. He and I were the only ones with perfect attendance. We had a lot of people come in and do a week here or there — my brother did two full weeks and my nephew did three. But my dad was there for the whole time.”

 

Though the sun has set on the Summer Nationals’ 40th anniversary tour, English’s 2026 campaign is far from complete. He’s got plans to go after the yearlong DIRTcar Late Model championship — a feat that would be the proverbial cherry atop the DIY sundae he devoured this year.

 

“[Terry’s] won the national (DIRTcar Late Model) championship, and I’d like to do that, too,” English said. “We’re gonna give it a shot anyways, at the end of the year here, just to say we tried and try to catch (Jason) Feger. But it’s going to be tough — he’s got a lot of good wins.

 

“I’d like to get on the list with dad, and my father-in-law also — Rodney Melvin. He’s won a few also, so I’d like to be on that list with them and have some kind of a dynasty deal there. That would be cool.”

 

The trophy shines bright, the wins are memorable, and the career rejuvenation he went through this summer was an experience he’ll never forget. But above all else, English’s Summer Nationals championship will be remembered for what it said about a self-run operation.

 

It’s his own. And he likes it that way.

 

“I felt like I’ve built three operations from the ground up, and it always ended with me having nothing,” English said. “I’d really like to stick this out and see what we can do. It may last another year, you never know — you can have a terrible year right after a good year.

 

“But this has been a statement that anything’s possible, and if you put your mind to it and work hard enough, you can do it.”

 

 

FOES VANQUISHED: McKenzie Reflects on Road to Summit Modified Championship

CONCORD, NC (July 30, 2026) — Zeke McKenzie made history with the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals six years ago, doing what no driver had ever dared in attempting every race on the schedule.

 

Fast forward to 2026, and he’s made history again.

 

On the strength of two wins, 16 top fives and 18 top-10 finishes in 18 Feature starts, the 41-year-old becomes the first driver from the state of Indiana to clinch the Series points championship. In doing so, he joined Mike Harrison, Kenny Wallace, Nick Hoffman, Mike McKinney and Tyler Nicely as the sixth different person to win the Modified Hell Tour title in its 16 seasons.

 

His big check and trophy have been a long time coming. Since eclipsing a double-digit total of starts in a single season for the first time in 2020, McKenzie has finished on the podium in the final points standings twice – second in 2023 and third in 2024. During those two seasons, he recorded twice as many top-five finishes (12) as he had in all years prior, including his Summit Modified debut in 2015 (6).

 

In 2026, the leap in progress was exponential, tripling his career win total and recording no finishes outside the top 10 on tour all summer. For his efforts, McKenzie adds one of the biggest trophies in DIRTcar UMP Modified racing to his cabinet.

 

“It feels great. To add your name to that list… since it started, there’s only been six winners, so to put your name on that list is something special, for sure,” McKenzie said.

 

The Claypool, IN-native first went to Summit Modified Victory Lane in July 2020 at Kokomo Speedway during an event dubbed the Hoosier Dirt Shootout — a replacement for the COVID-19 pandemic-impacted Prairie Dirt Classic. There, at the famed 1/4-mile bullring in his home state, McKenzie stood in Victory Lane alongside top Modified talents Nick Hoffman, Derek Losh and Mike McKinney as a Showdown Feature winner — an accomplishment that signaled the arrival of both his own name and the brand he’d founded one year earlier — Vanquish Race Cars.

 

“We did that whole Hell Tour in 2020 to get our stuff better, do the research and things we needed to do,” McKenzie said. “Obviously, the competition in Illinois is tough, and that definitely progressed us to where we are today. With the advancements that we’ve made on the car and things — that’s stuff we learned from 2020 and kept continuing to build on.”

 

The car he was driving that afternoon was one forged right in his own shop. Established in 2019, Vanquish Race Cars started as McKenzie’s custom race chassis and has since evolved into one of Dirt Modified racing’s trusted fabrication brands. Now seven years into business, McKenzie and wife Ricki Creamer have produced 35 total frames for customers including Ray Bollinger, Dalton Lane, Mark Clary, and Beau DeYoung, among others.

 

“We had some business partners back then and they sort of pushed to do our own cars,” McKenzie recalled about the genesis of the brand. “That just progressed into what we thought we needed to do. We definitely had to stand out and be different.

 

“We had to keep the price under control. Facts are facts, and in the Modified world, guys work 40 hours a week and have kids at home. So, we definitely had to keep our prices down and be competitive, and that’s what we’ve brought to the table.”

 

One of the brightest moments in Vanquish brand history came this past June at Fairbury Speedway, where McKenzie passed six-time Summit Modified champion Mike Harrison for the lead after a late restart and went on to his second career Series victory and first since that triumph at Kokomo nearly six years prior.

 

In Victory Lane, the smile couldn’t be wiped from his face.

 

“I would say it’s definitely at the top,” McKenzie said, comparing his Fairbury win to others. “It wasn’t the biggest-paying race, but with the competition and the crowd and the people here, it was definitely at the top.”

 

Standing beside him in Victory Lane was his wife and most dedicated crew member, Ricki Creamer. Together, the two have traveled up and down the Midwest highways every summer, chasing this goal.

 

“We’ve been together for 16 years now, and we started the Vanquish brand in 2019, so she’s been with it since the start,” McKenzie said. “It hasn’t been a sunny day every day, but it’s definitely turned around, and we’re happy with where we’re at.”

 

In all his time on the road, McKenzie has garnered a sizable notebook on car setup, track conditions, and general life-on-the-road knowledge. While racing has been in his life for a long time, the Summit Modified trail has been the platform for some of the biggest performance leaps of his career.

 

“It’s definitely taught me how to drive a race car better,” McKenzie said. “Being at a different track every day, learning the dirt and how the tracks transition has been huge. It definitely helps you as a driver bouncing back and forth. You have really technical tracks, tracks that are wide open. It makes you a better driver.

 

“It forces you to make better decisions on how you set your car up, too. So, that’s how we can learn so much in that month that it really helps all of our customers, and us especially. Just going through all that is huge, knowing what to change and what the track is transitioning to.”

 

Looking back, racing has been McKenzie’s biggest lifelong passion. Whether it’s in the seat or at the shop, it’s taken every ounce of effort for him and his team to get to the place they stand today. Through his struggle, McKenzie has shown he’s willing to go the extra mile for his biggest personal achievements and the next generation of racers he inspires.

 

“We love helping people; being in this business, you’ve got to want to help people and make people better,” McKenzie said. “We’re sort of an open book when it comes to our customers and stuff. We enjoy helping the customers that we have and look forward to more in the future.”

 

McKenzie and Vanquish Race Cars are supported by J. Baker Trucking, Keyser Manufacturing, Integra Shocks, ShopAngryDuck, Toro Superior Sales & Service, D&N Autobody, Strange Trucking, Willy’s Carburetor & Dyno, Mullins Race Engines, PEM Racing, and Sweet Manufacturing.

 

 
 

 SUMMIt RACING MODIFIED NATIONALS

   

www.dirtcarsummernationals.com

Summit Modified Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners. Official partners include,Summit Racing Equipment, Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Racing Electronics (Official Radio Supplier), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel).  Also supported by : AMKUS, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Bassett Racing Wheel, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Fast Shafts, FIREBULL,Fox Factory, Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, KSE Racing Products, Mark Martin Automotive, MSD, Multi Fire X, Schoenfeld Headers, Simpson Performance Products, Swift Springs, Velocita USA, WELD Racing, Wieland (Exclusive Racing Aluminum), and Xceldyne.

 

 

The Super DIRTcar Series 

http://www.superdirtweek.com

The Super DIRTcar Series is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners. Official partners include, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Racing Electronics (Official Radio Supplier), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Toyota (Official Vehicle), and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel).  Also supported by : AMKUS, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear, Behrent's Performance Warehouse, Bicknell Racing Products, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux, Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, DIG Race, ESI Equipment - FIREBULL, Fox Factory, Intercomp, JAM Performance, MD3, Milton Hershey School, MSD, SRI / SCAS, Swift Springs, Wieland (Exclusive Racing Aluminum), and WIX Filters.

 

 

Felix Roy, David Hebert, and Donovan Lussier are all expected to return to Oswego Oct. 5-10

OSWEGO, NY (July 29, 2026) – As Super DIRT Week presented by StubHub enters its 10th year at Oswego Speedway, the list of French-Canadian drivers competing in the event continues to grow.

And in 2026, one of Quebec’s most accomplished drivers will return to “Racing’s Biggest Party” for the first time in a decade.

David Hebert, who’s made 12 starts in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200, is expected to race at Oswego for the first time since 2016, in both the Big Block Modified and 358 Modified events. However, it’s the first time the St. Damase, QC driver will be behind the wheel of something other than the Paille Course Racing No. ONE. This time, he’ll be racing the Joliette Nissan No. 4H.

“I’m happy to be returning to Oswego with my new owner, Jasmin Leveilllee,” Hebert said. “He loves racing and Oswego. It’s good for me to return. The last time was just before COVID, and now I look forward to running a Big Block and [358 Modified] at Oswego.”

The “Great Canadian Champion,” who has 207 Feature wins and 21 track championships, won’t be the only driver on Jasmin Leveillee's team to head to Super DIRT Week this year. Hebert is expected to be joined by Modified driver Elliot Gamache and Sportsman standout Jacob Nadeau, who’s earned two DIRTcar Sportsman Series victories in 2026.

While Hebert is excited about returning to Oswego, it’s more than just the racing. He said he wants to visit Manufacturer’s Row outside the pit area to see what’s coming next for Modified racing.

“It’s important with all of the parts that are at Oswego, especially the new stuff,” Hebert said. “It’s very important for all of the Quebec guys. It’s good for the exposure.”

One of his competitors who’s excited for Hebert’s return to Oswego is Felix Roy, who’ll again enter in both the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 and Air National Guard Salute to the Troops 150. The Napierville, QC driver, who’s raced against Hebert on multiple occasions, said adding him to the field makes the event even stronger.

“David is one of the greats,” Roy said. “It’s Super DIRT Week, and all of the best drivers have to be there. It’s nice that everyone’s there and the competition is good, so if you can have a good run up there that means you’re one of the best this year.”

Another driver considering his first run at the “Buzzie” is Donovan Lussier, who’s competed in both the DIRTcar Sportsman and DIRTcar 358 Modifieds. While Lussier, from St. Denis-sur-Richelieu, QC, enjoys being part of the event, he also said it’s used as a measuring stick between the drivers from Quebec and the rest of the Northeast.

“To be able to compare ourselves with the guys in the U.S, it’s huge,” Lussier said. “We’ll see what we can do against them. It’s always a learning curve because no one is used to the track, so you get there and kind of learn as you go. But it’s a nice event to be at.”

Last year, 10 drivers attempted to qualify for the event between the Super DIRTcar Series, DIRTcar 358 Modifieds, DIRTcar Sportsman, and DIRTcar Pro Stocks. With that number expected to increase, DIRTcar Northeast Series Director Dean Reynolds said it shows how the prestige of the event continues to grow.

“The effects of COVID were still felt for several years after Super DIRT Week with our French-Canadian friends,” Reynolds said. “The border was still a hurdle even after we got going here in the States.  Now, with our return to Autodrome Drummond with the Super DIRTcar Series, Quebec is a big part of DIRTcar.

“We are so happy to see the competitors and fans coming back to DIRT Week.  I can remember the days back at (Syracuse) where the fans would sing and cheer for their French Canadian faithful.  It’s so cool to see that happening again.”

The best drivers from Quebec will take on Oswego Speedway during Super DIRT Week 54, Oct. 5-10, culminating with the Billy Whittaker Cars 200.

GET SUPER DIRT WEEK TICKETS HERE

Where can you watch Super DIRT Week 54? Live on DIRTVision.

 

ARTICLE: https://superdirtweek.com/news/quebec-drivers-talk-importance-of-being-at-super-dirt-week-racing-against-the-top-drivers/

EVENT INFO: https://www.superdirtweek.com
 

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

 

 

  SUMMER NATIONALS LATE MODEL SERIES SUMMIt RACING MODIFIED NATIONALS  The Super DIRTcar Series 

Week #1
Tuesday, June 9 | Brownstown Bullring | Brownstown, IL
Wednesday, June 10 | Kankakee County Speedway | Kankakee, IL
Thursday, June 11 | Peoria Speedway | Peoria, IL
Friday, June 12 | Tri-City Speedway | Granite City, IL
Saturday, June 13 | Fairbury Speedway | Fairbury, IL
Sunday, June 14 | Sycamore Speedway | Maple Park, IL (Late Models only)

Week #2
Monday, June 15 | Wilmot Raceway | Wilmot, WI (Late Models only)
Tuesday, June 16 | West Liberty Raceway | West Liberty, IA (Late Models only)
Wednesday, June 17 | Davenport Speedway | Davenport, IA (Late Models only)
Thursday, June 18 | Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway | Dubuque, IA (Late Models only)
Friday, June 19 | Farmer City Raceway | Farmer City, IL
Saturday, June 20 | I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park | Pevely, MO
Sunday, June 21 | Lincoln Speedway | Lincoln, IL

Week #3
Monday, June 22 | Poplar Bluff Motorsports Park | Poplar Bluff, MO
Tuesday, June 23 | Benton Speedway | Benton, MO
Wednesday, June 24 | Quincy Raceways | Quincy, IL
Thursday, June 25 | Springfield Raceway | Springfield, MO (Late Models only)
Friday, June 26 | Paducah International Raceway | Paducah, KY
Saturday, June 27 | Tri-State Speedway | Haubstadt, IN
Sunday, June 28 | Windy Hollow Speedway | Owensboro, KY

Week #4
Monday, June 29 | Camden Speedway | Camden, TN
Tuesday, June 30 | TBA
Wednesday, July 1 | TBA
Thursday, July 2 | LaSalle Speedway | LaSalle, IL
Friday, July 3 | Red Hill Raceway | Sumner, IL
Saturday, July 4 | Highland Speedway | Highland, IL
Sunday, July 5 | Macon Speedway | Macon, IL

Week #5
Monday, July 6 | TBA
Tuesday, July 7 | Montpelier Speedway | Montpelier, IN
Wednesday, July 8 | I-96 Speedway | Lake Odessa, MI
Thursday, July 9 | Butler Motor Speedway | Quincy, MI
Friday, July 10 | Crystal Motor Speedway | Crystal, MI
Saturday, July 11 | Oakshade Raceway | Wauseon, OH
Sunday, July 12 | Wayne County Speedway | Orrville, OH (Late Model Championship Finale)

36th Annual Prairie Dirt Classic (Modified Championship Finale)
Friday-Saturday, July 24-25 | Fairbury Speedway | Fairbury, IL

 

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