By Colby Trotter
CRYSTAL, MI (July 12, 2024) – Tyler Erb has started to put his signature on dramatic late-race passes for the lead with the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models.
During the 40-lap Feature at Crystal Motor Speedway Friday night, Erb, 27, of New Waverly, TX, had been hunting down race-long leader Dona Marcoullier for the last half of the main event and was on his tail by Lap 30. Then, with five laps-to-go, Erb dove down low into Turn 1 and slid in front of Marcoullier out of Turn 2. The move caused Marcoullier to bump the cushion and allowed Erb to take the lead.
Once Erb sealed the pass he led the rest of the way and finished just under two seconds ahead of Marcoullier for his 10th Summer Nationals win of 2024 Friday night at Crystal Motor Speedway.
“The racing gods wanted me to f–– really try hard today,” Erb said. “Had to change my line up and try different lines that way when I did get close, I could figure out how to pass [Marcoullier]. Kept trying it in [Turns] 3 and 4 and I was honestly better in 3 and 4 running lower but I wasn’t ever going to clear him without crashing us so I had to figure out what I could do in [Turns] 1 and 2.
“I finally just started diving into the middle bottom of 1 and 2. Once I felt like I knew what to do there I just got close in 3 and 4 and f–– let it rip in 1 and 2.”
From seventh on the grid, Erb bided his time for the first half of the race as he made his way up to fourth by Lap 20 with a slider on Rusty Schlenk in Turns 1 and 2. Three laps later he took the third spot from Winger on the high side of the track before a Lap 23 caution. The caution was for runner-up Logan Nickerson who pulled off the track and retired early.
With Nickerson giving up his spot, Erb took second-place on the restart. On the restart, Marcoullier got a great jump, but Erb was determined not to let him get away.
“That was the fastest lap it was just hard to see and hard to run,” Erb said of running the high side of the track. “I think them guys were a little nervous running up there in the beginning and I could drive way harder into the corner than a lot of them. That’s what I needed to do to make speed to get by them because I wasn’t going to be able to pass six with five-to-go so I had to get as many as I could get and go from there.”
Each circuit around the 3/8 mile oval, Erb got closer to Marcoullier and on Lap 30 is when Erb started to make his attempt for the lead. Erb came down from the high side of the track and began to ride the middle grove in the corners trying to pass Marcoullier. The next five laps Erb kept trying to get by down low before finally committing to it on Lap 36 for his third-straight Hell Tour win.
“That’s probably the hardest one I’ve won,” Erb said. “I had to earn it. I really had to make good decisions and make passes when I could and keep my nose clean when I could, and it worked out.”
With the victory, Erb stretched out his DIRTcar Summer Nationals points lead to 44 over Dillon McCowan, who finished fourth.
UP NEXT: The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models now turn their attention to the prestigous Birthday Race at Oakshade Raceway on Saturday, July 13. They’ll be joined by the Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals. Tickets will be available at the gate.
Can’t make it? Watch every lap live on DIRTVision.
ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view results here)
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 1-Tyler Erb[7]; 2. 6M-Dona Marcoullier[1]; 3. 12-Ashton Winger[4]; 4. 8-Dillon McCowan[8]; 5. 42-Chad Finley[15]; 6. 19-Derrick Hilliker[3]; 7. 14JR-Trey Mills[13]; 8. 388-Jackson Hise[16]; 9. 9R-Curtis Roberts[2]; 10. 38-Thomas Hunziker[24]; 11. 51-Devin Shiels[19]; 12. 91-Rusty Schlenk[5]; 13. 69-Brandon Thirlby[22]; 14. 21N-Logan Nickerson[6]; 15. 58-Wil Herrington[10]; 16. 07-Rylee Knoll[9]; 17. 21D-David Hilliker[12]; 18. 2-Bry Johnson[14]; 19. 16-Garrett Wiles[23]; 20. 23V-Ryan Vanderveen[18]; 21. 15-Clayton Stuckey[11]; 22. 27-Eric Spangler[17]; 23. 4-Travis Stemler[26]; 24. 55S-Ashlee Scott[25]; 25. 30-Mark Voigt[21]; 26. (DNS) 24-Joe Pomeroy