{"id":3742,"date":"2022-02-19T01:36:42","date_gmt":"2022-02-19T05:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/volusiaspeedwaypark.com\/?p=3742"},"modified":"2022-09-26T14:51:04","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T18:51:04","slug":"blue-collar-man-erb-grabs-first-dirtcar-nationals-gator-at-volusia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/volusiaspeedwaypark.com\/recaps\/blue-collar-man-erb-grabs-first-dirtcar-nationals-gator-at-volusia\/","title":{"rendered":"BLUE COLLAR MAN: Erb grabs first DIRTcar Nationals Gator at Volusia"},"content":{"rendered":"
NASCAR Cup Series Champion Alan Kulwicki once said, \u201cIn every aspect of life, have a game plan and do your best to achieve it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dennis Erb Jr. knew he had to master Turns 1 and 2 if he wanted a gator. He wasted no time executing his<\/em>game plan, thundering past Frank Heckenast Jr. in the middle of the Volusia Speedway Park surface.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a lead he\u2019d never relinquish\u2014fending off challenges from Brandon Sheppard and Chase Junghans to score his first World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models win of 2022 Friday night at DIRTcar Nationals.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, we were able to get the lead and roll off through that middle on the start,\u201d Erb said. \u201cWe kept going real good and had a good start. After that, the car was working good, and we just had to keep hitting our marks and keep the rest of them behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n The path toward his 10th career Series triumph in his 250th start wasn\u2019t clear for the Late Model veteran. Erb and defending champion Brandon Sheppard gave the fans at \u201cThe World\u2019s Fastest Half-Mile\u201d<\/em> an epic battle for the lead around the Feature\u2019s halfway point.<\/p>\n The reigning champion swung high while Erb held his ground on the bottom, gaining enough momentum to pull ahead as a caution came out on Lap 25.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw him out there and started to get a little worried,\u201d Erb said. \u201cI started to try and carry a little more speed through [Turns} 1 and 2. I knew [Sheppard] was pretty much committed up there, so I knew if I could beat him on the bottom, we were in pretty good shape.\u201d<\/p>\n Sheppard faded to fourth at the checkered flag. The four-time Series champion stated he stayed on the top side of the racetrack for too long after Erb pulled away.<\/p>\n \u201c[Erb] was swinging out a little bit wider after he knew I was there,\u201d Sheppard said. \u201cI stayed out there a little bit too long after he got out there ahead of me. I should\u2019ve moved down behind him and kept my left rear tire underneath me.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead, I stayed a little too long, and then I overheated it. I was trying to move around, and it wasn\u2019t as good. After a couple of guys got by me, I was able to get down there and cool my left rear tire off, and I drove back to them.\u201d<\/p>\n Sheppard wasn\u2019t the only driver who tried to dethrone Erb from the lead. Chase Junghans quickly closed on the top spot in the final laps but fell short.<\/p>\n The Manhattan, KS driver used patience early in the race before unleashing speed toward the end.<\/p>\n \u201cI just bided my time and tried not to blow my tires off this thing and keep it under me,\u201d Junghans said. \u201cThose lap cars kind of got in the way at the end, but that\u2019s how it goes. Luckily, we\u2019re just up here getting interviewed.\u201d<\/p>\n Once Junghans saw Sheppard\u2019s line ahead of him, his decision to go to the outside paid off, leading to his first podium finish of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw Sheppard running the top, and I was like kind of pinching the corner on the bottom,\u201d Junghans said. \u201cSo, I said screw it, I\u2019ll go up there, and kind of follow him. I chose his line a little bit, but I\u2019d kind of turn off the top and try to drive straight down the hill, and it seemed like that\u2019s where I\u2019d gain a bunch of ground.\u201d<\/p>\n Three-time Series Champion Darrell Lanigan finished third for the second straight night. The Union, KY driver\u2019s car came to life in the final 15 laps, leading him to another top three.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just gave it all we got,\u201d Lanigan said. \u201cWe had a little bit of a chance there, and it was coming back to us a little bit. We just got up on the wheel and tried to make something happen.<\/p>\n \u201cI just can\u2019t run where I want to on the racetrack yet, and if we get our car right, I think we\u2019ll be able to run up front.\u201d<\/p>\n Dale McDowell, the leading World of Outlaws CASE Late Models winner in 2022, rounded out the top five.<\/p>\n Dennis Erb Jr.\u2019s game plan worked to perfection Friday night, proving a good start can lead to glory on the racetrack. It\u2019s a start that could position him toward a run at a championship at the end of the season.<\/p>\n UP NEXT:<\/strong> The battle for the \u201cBig Gator\u201d trophy ends Saturday night at Volusia Speedway Park in a 40 lap, $10,000-to-win finale. For Tickets: CLICK HERE.<\/a> The Super DIRTcar Series will hand out a \u201cBig Gator.\u201d<\/p>\n Devin Moran leads the DIRTcar Nationals standings\u201437 points ahead of Chris Madden. McDowell and Sheppard are tied for third\u201454 points behind Moran.<\/p>\n Madden is currently the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models point leader\u201410 points ahead of Dale McDowell.<\/p>\n CASE Construction Feature (40 Laps):<\/strong> 1. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[2]; 2. 18-Chase Junghans[7]; 3. 29-Darrell Lanigan[4]; 4. 1-Brandon Sheppard[5]; 5. 17M-Dale McDowell[6]; 6. 44-Chris Madden[8]; 7. 16-Tyler Bruening[9]; 8. 71-Hudson O’Neal[17]; 9. 25-Shane Clanton[14]; 10. 9-Devin Moran[20]; 11. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[1]; 12. 81E-Tanner English[11]; 13. 6-Nick Hoffman[22]; 14. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[18]; 15. 11-Gordy Gundaker[30]; 16. 157-Mike Marlar[13]; 17. 111V-Max Blair[21]; 18. 99B-Boom Briggs[26]; 19. 1R-Josh Richards[27]; 20. 45-Kyle Hammer[29]; 21. 89-Ashton Winger[10]; 22. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[16]; 23. 3S-Brian Shirley[23]; 24. 25B-Mike Benedum[15]; 25. B1-Brent Larson[28]; 26. 11H-Spencer Hughes[12]; 27. 10-Garrett Smith[24]; 28. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 29. 33M-Michael Norris[19]; 30. 19R-Ryan Gustin[25] FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER:<\/strong> Gordy Gundaker [+15]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NASCAR Cup Series Champion Alan Kulwicki once said, \u201cIn every aspect of life, have a game plan and do your best to achieve it.\u201d Dennis Erb Jr. knew he had to master Turns 1 and 2 if he wanted a gator. He wasted no time executing hisgame plan, thundering past Frank Heckenast Jr. in the … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":3744,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[198,135,40],"tags":[283,75,223,212,211,221,76,137,3,48,6],"class_list":["post-3742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-late-models","category-recap","category-recaps","tag-283","tag-brandon-sheppard","tag-chase-junghans","tag-chris-madden","tag-dale-mcdowell","tag-darrell-lanigan","tag-dennis-erb-jr","tag-devin-moran","tag-dirtcar-nationals","tag-volusia-speedway-park","tag-world-of-outlaws-late-model-series"],"yoast_head":"\n