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Episode 397 - Memorial Day Weekend Review and Mansfield Growing Pains

Episode 397 - Memorial Day Weekend Review and Mansfield Growing Pains

Dirt Nerds Podcast Jun 02, 2026 80 min
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About this episode

Memorial Day weekend recap kicks off with racing plans, sponsor shoutouts, and track-weekend logistics like where to eat near Eldora and how to get it delivered to your campsite. The hosts then bounce between big-picture race atmosphere—Indy 500 records and crowd noise—and dirt-racing weekends shaped by rain, rough track prep, and last-lap drama. Mansfield and Kokomo get specific attention, including car counts, points battles, restart slide jobs, and rule/officials controversies.

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Term

open-wheel

"so being Memorial Day weekend in Indiana there's a lot of open-wheel stuff going on USAC national sprint car series raised at Circle City"

Open-wheel race cars are cars where the wheels are outside the body instead of being covered by fenders. That style is common in sprint car and other dirt/oval racing series.

Topic

USAC national sprint car series

"there's a lot of open-wheel stuff going on USAC national sprint car series raised at Circle City"

USAC is a racing organization, and this is their national sprint car championship. Sprint cars are the dirt-track race cars that are built for quick, aggressive racing on ovals.

Place

Circle City

"USAC national sprint car series raised at Circle City yeah Briggs Daner got the win there"

Circle City is a nickname for Indianapolis. Here, it’s where the sprint car race they’re talking about was held.

Place

Terre Hope

"Briggs Daner got the win there I race at Terre Hope the night before right before and Mitchell Moles got a win"

This sounds like the name of a track where they raced the night before. Different tracks change how the cars handle, so where you race matters a lot in dirt racing.

Topic

little 500

"Mitchell Moles got a win yeah so and the little 500 little 500 Cody won yep third one I think I saw"

The “Little 500” is a famous short-track race event. The hosts are saying Cody won one of the races during the weekend.

Car

Dodge Charger

"... they're neck and neck and yeah Johnny I got hard charger and keeping his self right there in the points to..."

The Dodge Charger is a car built for performance, usually with a powerful engine and a sporty feel. People talk about it in racing because it can be competitive against other cars. In the podcast, it sounds like it’s doing well in the standings.

Place

Lawrenceburg

"yeah yeah especially like Lawrenceburg had a high-limits Friday and Butler I'm sorry we only had 25 on Friday because now I think about it"

Lawrenceburg is referenced as a race venue where the field size and schedule affected how many cars were expected and how many actually showed up. The host contrasts it with other tracks to explain weekend “growing pains” in car counts.

Place

Butler

"yeah yeah especially like Lawrenceburg had a high-limits Friday and Butler I'm sorry we only had 25 on Friday because now I think about it"

“Butler” is mentioned as another dirt-track venue affecting the weekend’s car counts. The host compares Butler’s Friday turnout to other tracks to explain why their expectations changed.

Term

high-limits

"yeah yeah especially like Lawrenceburg had a high-limits Friday and Butler I'm sorry we only had 25 on Friday because now I think about it"

“High-limits” refers to a dirt-track racing class or event with higher spending/entry rules—often meaning more money, more competitive equipment, or stricter eligibility compared to a standard weekly race. The host uses it to explain why Lawrenceburg drew more cars on Friday.

Place

Attica Raceway Park

"and then they've had a late one draw because kudos to John Boers and the staff at Attica Raceway Park and Justin Liske and that because said oh there's only 24 draw then it's like 10 minutes for it in the pill draw"

Attica Raceway Park is a dirt oval track used for grassroots racing events. In this segment, it’s referenced as the venue whose staff handled a late draw and field-start decisions.

Term

draw

"because there's only 24 to begin with and then they've had a late one draw because kudos to John Boers and the staff at Attica Raceway Park and Justin Liske and that because said oh there's only 24 draw then it's like 10 minutes for it in the pill draw"

A “draw” is basically a random selection that decides things like where you start. A “late draw” means it happened later than usual, after the field was already mostly set.

Term

scratch

"and then lo and behold one scratch so we went back to okay start them all yeah you know so kudos because that cost him to our 1600 extra bucks"

A “scratch” is when a driver or car withdraws from the event after the lineup is set, often due to mechanical issues or other problems. Here, one scratch changes the field size, prompting the track to revert to starting everyone.

Term

pits

"and if you think about the money side of things a hundred plus cars in the pits yes well and as a hundred percent choice you know they came to support you"

The “pits” are the service area where teams park the car between runs for maintenance, repairs, and adjustments. The host notes that with a large number of cars, the pits become a major operational factor.

Concept

tracks shit condition

"“...they're not gonna make it a point show now that I start up front because tracks shit condition and they're like oh by the way it's gonna pay a 100000 to win...”"

They’re saying the track surface was in bad shape. When the ground is rutted or loose, tires don’t grip as well and the car can get unstable, especially over jumps and in corners.

Concept

pay a 100000 to win

"“...because tracks shit condition and they're like oh by the way it's gonna pay a 100000 to win and he's like wait a minute...”"

They’re talking about a big prize for the winner—$100,000. When the payout is that high, drivers often push harder, which can make racing more intense and risky.

Term

rear-end come off ground 34 foot

"“...his rear-end come off ground 34 foot mm-hmm so do you see...”"

They’re describing the back of the vehicle lifting off the ground during a jump. “34 foot” is the kind of big, measurable airborne moment that shows how hard the truck hit the jump.

Term

two wheels

"“...it was on two wheels he had on two wheels and they're everybody's like dude everybody wanted to be in that car...”"

“Two wheels” means the truck is so light on one side that it’s only rolling on two tires for a moment. That usually happens after a jump or when the tires lose grip on a rough part of the track.

Place

I-79 Speedway

"“...Mark Richards got a text from Steve Francis to say hey what do you think cuz Mark Richards used to run I-79 Speedway for years...”"

I-79 Speedway is a race track where dirt oval races are run. Track surface and grip can change a lot there, so drivers’ experience at that venue really matters.

Car

Fiat Freemont

"yeah and people are just running there to see a crap but if Attica's off one night or Freemont's off one night or Eldora's off one night there's 80,000 professional track prep people on the internet oh I'm never going back again"

The Fiat Freemont is a larger, family-style car (an SUV/crossover type) made by Fiat. The podcast mentions it in the context of people showing up or running when other events are off. It’s likely just a model name being used to describe what’s being discussed around those track days.

Term

tire tune

"so you know there's gonna be something happening I mean it's gonna happen a tire tune but that's happened every race so far"

A tire tune is adjusting how the tires are set up for the track. On dirt, that can change how much grip you get and how the car handles.

Place

Attica and Freemont

"there's someone that said well yeah they got the dirt from Attica and Freemont"

Attica and Fremont are race tracks being compared. The host is talking about how the dirt and rocks on the track affect racing.

Term

track prep

"it's everyone knows it but nobody's ever done it well I guess there's some rocks because Attica and Freemont pretty much sifted the rocks"

Track prep means the crew works on the dirt surface before racing. They try to make the track grip consistently so drivers can predict how the car will handle.

Term

sifted the rocks

"well I guess there's some rocks because Attica and Freemont pretty much sifted the rocks when they put it on"

Sifting rocks means clearing big rocks out of the dirt track. It helps prevent damage and makes the surface behave more consistently.

Concept

reconfigured to dirt

"hollowed Indian ground on the new one because the place has had a lot of bad luck with weather and track conditions yeah reconfigured to dirt"

Reconfigured to dirt means the track was changed to run on dirt. That changes grip and usually requires different preparation and setup.

Term

four-tenth smile

"time after time especially a four-tenth smile that's a big track for those kind of conditions"

“Four-tenth” appears to be a shorthand for a track length or timing reference (e.g., a four-tenths-mile oval). The speaker is using it to describe the kind of track that suits certain conditions and racing styles.

Person

Danny Dietrich

"but just see the Danny Dietrich deal out in Pennsylvania he committed from PA Posse series yeah he's got disqualified at Lincoln for sounds like there was some communication issues with the tower and the pit guy"

Danny Dietrich is a dirt-racing driver. Here, he’s the focus because he got disqualified at Lincoln, and the hosts think it may have come from confusion between officials and the pit area.

Concept

disqualified

"series yeah he's got disqualified at Lincoln for sounds like there was some communication issues with the tower and the pit guy and pits his clothes before"

Disqualified means the driver’s result doesn’t count in the official standings. It usually happens because officials decide something broke the rules or the race procedure wasn’t followed.

Place

Lincoln

"series yeah he's got disqualified at Lincoln for sounds like there was some communication issues with the tower and the pit guy and pits his clothes before"

Lincoln is the race track where this disqualification happened. At tracks like this, how officials and the pit area communicate can matter a lot.

Concept

communication issues with the tower and the pit guy

"for sounds like there was some communication issues with the tower and the pit guy and pits his clothes before"

The tower is where race officials are, and they communicate with the teams. The hosts are saying the problem may have been that officials and the pit crew didn’t get the same message.

Concept

PA Posse series operated as series not just let the tracks right use their own rules

"pretty much said like you know we would rather the PA policy series operated as series not just let the tracks right use their own rules kind of thing"

They’re debating who should control the rules—series officials or each individual track. If tracks use different rules, it can lead to confusion and disagreements during races.

Term

heat race

"because you get points for qualifying [3587.0s] you get points and keep your heat race and then after points and you have a [3596.9s] roll of dice"

A heat race is a smaller race before the main race. It helps decide who does well enough to move on and sometimes affects where people start in the final race.

Term

roll of dice

"and then after points and you have a [3596.9s] roll of dice and but it'd be nice if they're both on the same because yeah [3600.8s] people come in from the outside to get confused"

A “roll of dice” means there’s a random part to the rules. Even if you did well, luck can still affect things like where you start next.

Topic

pavement race

"the other news was pavement [3672.1s] but yeah was it Chase Holland was the guy's name yes which he's been a big [3679.3s] modified racer yeah for a long time"

A pavement race is run on asphalt instead of dirt. Asphalt and dirt grip the tires differently, so the driving and strategy can feel totally different.

Term

modified racer

"but yeah was it Chase Holland was the guy's name yes which he's been a big [3679.3s] modified racer yeah for a long time"

A “modified” racer drives a race car that’s been changed a lot from a normal street car. The rules depend on the series, but these cars are built for racing and often require careful setup.

Place

Kennedale

"yeah I would at Kennedale I believe right was it Texas or [3690.4s] California Texas Texas yeah so the series was the American crate slate model"

Kennedale is a place where racing happens. The speaker is saying the driver has experience from racing there, which matters in dirt racing.

Term

late models

"series was the American crate slate model [3698.7s] series of some kind to pavements late models no it's dirt was it dirt yeah [3703.8s] okay I'll just say Kennedale as I'm talking about no shit yeah it's dirt"

“Late models” are a type of race car class used on dirt tracks. It’s a popular category where drivers compete in cars built specifically for oval racing.

Car

Subaru 360

"...ond Knoxville good car counts Corn Belt Nationals 360s on Friday and 410s on Saturday same winner of tho..."

The Subaru 360 is a very small car made by Subaru, designed to be light and efficient. In the podcast, it sounds like it’s used in a specific race category called “360s.” That’s why it’s mentioned when they talk about which cars run on which days.

Person

Brady Bacon

"Brady Bacon schedule for June yeah he is crazy yeah he's racing Eastern Storm"

Brady Bacon is a race driver. In this segment, they’re talking about where he’s racing next and how packed his schedule is.

Term

wing car

"yeah he's heading over to I forget where in a wing car then it's Eastern Storm in midgets galore"

A “wing car” is a race car with a big rear wing on it. The wing pushes the car down onto the track so it can turn faster and grip better on dirt.

Term

midgets

"it's Eastern Storm in midgets galore like dude's got a pretty freaking pack schedule"

“Midgets” are a type of small race car used on dirt tracks. They’re built to be fast and nimble, and they race in events where drivers run multiple races in a short time.

Topic

Eastern Storm

"Baps the seventh then he goes to Grandview then we go Eastern Storm and then Port Royal of Eastern Storm he's doing a Silver Crown and a national sprint"

“Eastern Storm” is the name of a racing run where drivers travel and race at a bunch of tracks in a row.

Term

Silver Crown

"Port Royal of Eastern Storm he's doing a Silver Crown and a national sprint then it's PA Speed Week at the end of June"

“Silver Crown” is a major dirt-track racing series. Drivers treat it like a big deal, and it’s different from the shorter sprint races.

Person

Bryce Lucius

"like I said Bryce Lucius in the Hefner 27 acts yes had kind of you know didn't make this a main at Williams Grove on Friday"

Bryce Lucius is a race driver. They’re talking about how his car did in races at specific tracks.

Term

main

"didn't make this a main at Williams Grove on Friday first night in it I think missed a main by two or three and then made the main at Lincoln"

A “main” is the main race of the night. If you make the main, you’re in the biggest event; if you miss it, you don’t get to run for the main prize.

Topic

Williams Grove

"didn't make this a main at Williams Grove on Friday first night in it"

“Williams Grove” is a dirt-track race venue. The hosts are talking about how a driver did there in a specific event.

Person

Troy Wagamon

"but in the second car that have that the X because they got Tim Wagamon Wagamon Troy or Troy Troy Wagamon yeah yeah I think so"

Troy Wagamon is a person involved in the racing team/driver lineup. They’re discussing which drivers are in which cars.

3 cars featured

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