English claims first DIRTcar
National Championship with Fall Nationals Victory at Lincoln Speedway
[October 19, 2026]
LINCOLN, IL — The 2026 DIRTcar Fall Nationals came to a
dramatic conclusion Sunday night at Lincoln Speedway, as another
strong field of competitors filled the pit area for the final night
of DIRTcar national points competition.
A total of 111 entries were on hand across five divisions, with
national championships, season-ending bragging rights, and one final
trip to victory lane all on the line.
The headline story once again came from the DIRTcar Super Late
Models, where the national championship battle between Tanner
English and Jason Feger came down to the final feature of the
season.
Feger entered Sunday having won Saturday night's Fall Nationals
opener, cutting English's championship advantage to just eight
points. With the title hanging in the balance, the two contenders
wasted little time getting to the front.
English and Feger both won their heat races and started near the
front of the 30-lap feature. English quickly established himself at
the point, but Feger remained close throughout the race, searching
for any opportunity to get alongside the championship leader.
Feger, the three-time defending DIRTcar National Champion, refused
to let English get away and kept the pressure on throughout the
closing laps.
When the checkered flag fell, however, it was Tanner English taking
his first career Lincoln Speedway victory and, with it, his first
DIRTcar Super Late Model National Championship.
Feger crossed the line second by another slim margin, one night
after beating English in a photo finish. Mike Spatola completed a
strong weekend with a third-place finish, while Jake Little and Rich
Bell rounded out the top five.
The championship capped a memorable weekend for the Super Late
Models, with the two title contenders finishing first and second on
both nights — Feger winning Saturday and English answering Sunday
with the biggest victory of his season.
Ledford Takes Modified Finale; McKinney Earns National
Championship
The Taco Bell DIRTcar Modifieds produced another entertaining
feature Sunday night, with Kenny Wallace moving to the early lead
from the pole.
Wallace was soon joined by Michael Ledford and Brandon Roberts,
creating a three-car fight at the front of the field. Ledford and
Roberts worked the lower groove while Wallace battled to maintain
the top spot, at times putting the leaders three-wide.
Eventually, Ledford worked his way into the lead and began to pull
away, driving to a convincing Fall Nationals finale victory.
Deece Schwartz finished second, followed by Wallace, Roberts and
Rick Conoyer.
Although Saturday competitor Mike McKinney was not in attendance
Sunday, his season-long body of work was enough to secure the 2026
DIRTcar Modified National Championship and the $25,000 top prize.
Sunday's Modified field featured 29 entries, adding another strong
lineup to a weekend that brought some of the Midwest's best Modified
racers to Lincoln Speedway.
Sheppard Completes Pro Late Model Sweep
For the second night in a row, the DIRTcar Pro Late Model feature
belonged to Colby Sheppard of Williamsville, Illinois.
Sheppard started second and quickly moved to the front, building
another sizable advantage as the 20-lap feature unfolded.
Just as he had Saturday night, 2026 DIRTcar Pro Late Model National
Champion Braden Johnson of Taylorville, Illinois began closing the
gap during the latter stages of the race.
Johnson was able to cut into Sheppard's lead, but once again the
Williamsville driver had enough in reserve.
Sheppard crossed the finish line first to complete a clean sweep of
the Fall Nationals weekend, with Johnson finishing second for the
second consecutive night.
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Chase Wilson finished third, followed by Augustine
Punke and Hudson Dick.
After competing on a limited schedule throughout much of the season,
Sheppard closed 2026 in impressive fashion with back-to-back Fall
Nationals victories.
Brown Wins Stock Car Season Finale
The DIRTcar Stock Cars joined the Fall Nationals program Sunday
night for their season finale, bringing another quality field to
Lincoln Speedway.
Joe Brown of Wilmington, Illinois started third in the 20-lap
feature and quickly worked his way forward.
Brown, who had already enjoyed an outstanding 2026 campaign with
numerous victories across Illinois, eventually took command of the
race and drove to another win to close out his season.
Jesse Simmons finished second, while Tyler Gilmour recorded a strong
third-place finish. Dylon Holycross and Dennis Wernle completed the
top five.
Brown also set fast time earlier in the program with a lap of 16.219
seconds.
Doyle Goes Two-for-Two in Pro Modifieds
The final feature of the 2026 Lincoln Speedway season ended much the
same way Saturday night's Pro Modified feature had — with Brayden
Doyle of Ashmore, Illinois out front.
After winning the opening night feature, Doyle returned Sunday and
immediately showed he was again the driver to beat.
Doyle was the night's fastest qualifier with a lap of 15.587
seconds, won his heat race and started from the pole for the 20-lap
feature.
From there, he controlled the race and kept the field behind him all
the way to the checkered flag, completing a weekend sweep of the
DIRTcar Pro Modified features.
Kade Ballinger finished second for the second consecutive night,
while national championship contender Zach Whaley came home third.
Kody Kovski and Brody Unzicker rounded out the top five.
Whaley's championship rival, Drake Compton, finished ninth after
starting 11th.
Successful Fall Nationals Closes 2026 Lincoln Speedway Season
The 2026 DIRTcar Fall Nationals brought a record level of pre-event
interest and strong fields throughout the weekend, with competitors
coming from across Illinois and surrounding states.
Saturday featured 114 entries across four divisions, followed by 111
entries across five divisions Sunday.
The event also marked the first racing weekend under the new LED
track lighting recently installed at Lincoln Speedway and the Logan
County Fairgrounds.
From national championship drama to photo finishes, deep fields,
Bennett Memorial bonus money, and two nights of competitive feature
racing, the Fall Nationals provided a fitting conclusion to the 2026
Lincoln Speedway season.
With Sunday's final checkered flag, the season officially came to an
end.
Lincoln Speedway and Track Enterprises would like to thank all of
the fans, competitors, race teams, sponsors, employees, officials,
volunteers, and everyone at the Logan County Fairgrounds who helped
make the 2026 season possible.
The support throughout the year — and especially during Fall
Nationals weekend — helped make another memorable season at Lincoln
Speedway.
Additional information and future announcements can be found at
LincolnSpeedwayIL.com.
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