EXETER, Neb. – A season that saw its shares of highs and lows ended with a new high for Cory Dumpert.
Dumpert clinched his third consecutive IMCA Sunoco Late Model national championship with his 17th feature win on the final night of the 2021 campaign. That matches the divisional modern era streaks of three straight by Ray Guss Jr. from 2010-2012 and Justin Kay from 2013-2105.
“It’s cool to be one of only three drivers to do that,” said Dumpert. “Winning another national championship wasn’t something we thought we’d be able to do at the start of the season this year. There was a point when we didn’t even know if we’d be racing at all.”
Dumpert was traveling home from an early-spring event when the trailer hitch came off and while his race car was not damaged, the trailer and many of its other contents had to be replaced.
“We limped along early but some new sponsors stepped up and really made the season happen for us,” he explained. “Things really started to turn around about eight weeks into the season when we got the trailer and all the tools replaced. Until then, we would just show up at the track and pray.”
Dumpert broke on opening night at Off Road Speedway but managed an early season streak of three straight feature wins.
He had eight checkers by the midpoint of the season, then put himself in national title contention with another five wins in his next eight outings.
“This was a stressful year,” stated Dumpert, “but it also turned out to be one of our most satisfying. We never quit.”
Another three-race winning streak, in late August, preceded Dumpert’s runner-up showing at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
While he had clinched Boone County Raceway and KMJ Performance Nebraska State titles, the national points race ultimately came down to the final weekend and Junction Motor Speedway’s Barb Nunnenkamp Memorial.
Dumpert had been a DNF in the Friday show. The stakes could not have been more clear on Saturday.
“There was a lot of pressure. We knew we had to win the last night to win the national championship,” he acknowledged. “I started seventh, got up to second and got the lead with eight laps left, then threw a Hail Mary that stuck and won a drag race to the finish.”
“The rest is history.”
He’ll look to make more history in 2022.
“Our new goal for next season is four national championships in a row,” said Dumpert.
He’s now won 47 features in a three-year career in the division.