ST. LOUIS – Following Thursday’s decisive preliminary win at The Dome at America’s Center, Tyler Carpenter said he was going to walk out of Saturday’s finale with a ride of a lifetime.
Carpenter delivered on those emphatic words, leading all 40 laps from the pole to earn his second straight Gateway Dirt Nationals win and, most notably, a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series ride June 18 at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway with Niece Motorsports.
Even after he spoke the moment into existence he could hardly believe the realization.
“Not at all,” Carpenter said in an emotional victory lane interview. “I just try to create a bunch of hype and be somebody everybody wants to see. Dude, I’m here again. Hell I don’t know. I ain’t no crybaby, but how do you celebrate?
“It ain’t going to sink in, and I’ll tell you why,” Carpenter added. “I don’t think I’m supposed to be here. We’re forcing it to happen. I love my family to death. I ain’t saying we’re freaking broke, I know you guys are tired of hearing it, but you just don’t even really know.”
It’s Carpenter’s fourth-straight win around the temporary one-fifth-mile clay oval. Saturday’s course of events went perhaps the seamless of them all.
Tanner English finished second, .717 seconds off Carpenter’s winning pace at the start-finish line, but there was never a true challenge for the lead.
The hairiest moment for Carpenter happened during the opening 16-lap green-flag run.
Carpenter sifted through tight quarters multiple times, then fifth-running Austin Simpson triggered three caution periods the final 24 laps.
All three times Carpenter executed clean launches and never opened the door for English to pounce. Once Carpenter got to victory lane, he delivered a heartfelt interview, words conveyed with a different undertone than Thursday’s rowdy celebration.
“This is for all my family,” Carpenter said. “I don’t care how you see me: trash … rednecks, crackheads. I don’t even care. I’m here. You guys have to see it, and I love the ones that loved me.”
Nick Hoffman finished third, continuing his run of five-straight podiums in three different race cars at the Gateway Dirt Nationals.
Brandon Sheppard rallied from the tail of a last-chance qualifier to finish fourth. Bob Gardner concluded the top five.
Sheppard wasn’t the only heavy-hitter needing to race through a last-chance qualifier. Among the final transfers were Bobby Pierce, Shannon Babb and Ricky Thornton Jr.
Jason Fegar, Ryan Unzicker, Gordy Gundaker, Ryan Montgomery and Jonathan Davenport completed the top 10.
Friday night’s preliminary winner Myles Moos finished 14th.
The finish:
Tyler Carpenter, Tanner English, Nick Hoffman, Brandon Sheppard, Bob Gardner, Jason Feger, Ryan Unzicker, Gordy Gundaker, Ryan Montgomery, Jonathan Davenport, Jody Knowles, Tanner Collins, Cody Bauer, Myles Moos, Ricky Thornton Jr., Austin Simpson, Shannon Babb, Jadon Frame, Bobby Pierce, Kyle Hammer, Chris Carpenter