Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQoURkhD7b0
(https://i.imgur.com/GM5SXuV.png)
DK: And it's time for the boys and girls of the Fantasy Cup Series to mix it up on the dirt for the first time in 2025! Hello again, everyone, I'm Dave Knight alongside NASCAR Legend Darrell Waltrip. Welcome to the Tri-State Speedway in beautiful Haubstadt, Indiana for the Bass Pro Shops 100. DW, dirt racing has always been a cornerstone in american motorsports. What is it about this type of racing that has kept it alive since the beginning?
DW: Dave, stock car racing's roots are on the back roads where the bootleggers made their runs. Guys like Bill Blair and Jimmie Lewallen raced each other on the weekends and raced the law every other day of the week. Another one of those guys is someone I got to drive for and win a few championships. Of course, that's the great Junior Johnson.
DK: And the grit and skill of the ones behind the wheel continue to capture the imagination of fans all over the country. With that, let's go trackside!
Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and remove your hats for our national anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYNT7thH_oY
And now, race fans, here with the most famous words in motorsports, let's hear it for our grand marshall, 2008 Daytona 500 winner and Indiana native, Ryan Newman!
RN: Drivers, start your engines!
Green Flag
DW: Boogity boogity boogity! Let's go racin' on the dirt!!
DK: Billy Hobin gets a good jump and Rattlecan Dan follows him to the outside of turns 1 and 2. Dan settles into the 2nd spot down the backstretch.
DW: And Sheldon Hatterfield's gonna reel him in going into 3. He gives the 6 a bit of a nudge. Oooh, Dan's gonna hang tough and keep the spot now Hobin's gonna open that gap.
DK: And he'll lead the first lap in the Bass Pro Shops 100.
Lap 14
DK: We've got a 3-wide battle for the top spot! Hobin, Dan, and Hatterfield came out of 4 and you can throw a blanket over them. Hatterfield had a slight advantage but he's on the outside, he'll drop back and try another line in turns 1 and 2.
DW: He's gonna stick it on the inside. Dan's gonna slip up a bit. Him and Hobin touch! And now the 17's got the inside!
DK: Still 3 wide down the back but Hatterfield pitches his Ford sideways and slides in front of the 6 and 42.
Lap 51
DK: David Johnson looks to be doing his Hatterfield impression as he makes the same move to pass Amy Hilton and Dude Watson. The 46 of Sealey in 4th now has a mirror full of this 3-wide scuffle.
DW: This seems to be the theme for this race. Looks like Hollywood's gonna shoot to the inside and backs it up with a pass of her own for 5th!
Lap 66
DW: Oh, Dave, this looks dicey! Billy's got Dan to his outside but can't get down to pass that 17.
DK: And we've got contact! Both cars sliding sideways. Both are going to save it! No caution but that allows Hilton to lead Sealey and David Johnson past them! That changes their battle for 4th to a battle for 2nd!
Lap 85
DW: Trouble in turn 2! The 46 is in the wall!
DK: DW, I saw the left rear tire of his Buick bobble sideways before it spun around and backed into the wall. He's able to get away but something in the rear is clearly amiss.
DW: And that's clearly a broken track bar on that Buick. What a shame.
White Flag
DK: One to go at Tri-State Speedway! Sheldon Hatterfield has a sizeable advantage as he hammers through turns 1 and 2 for the final time. About a straightaway behind is Amy Hilton followed by David Johnson. Hatterfield won't be challenged by either of them as he now comes out of turn 4 to win 2 in a row to start 2025!
DW: That man just put on a clinic here, Dave. He specializes on dirt but he's got that championship experience that keeps him consistent.
(https://i.imgur.com/ORARPnB.png)
DK: And that's going to do it for us here in Indiana. For Darrell Waltrip, I'm Dave Knight. Thank you for joining us and we'll see you at the Ozarks International Raceway as we go road racing in the Miller Lite 131!
(https://i.imgur.com/3SnSMBy.png)
You can call him "Buttah" since he's on a roll this season! 2 in a row in this tough series is a great start to the season after the ups and downs of last year. Let's hope Hatterfield can stay consistent this year...