HAGERSTOWN, Md. (April 26) — For a driver who’s started six Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series features from the front row this season with nothing to show for it — he’s now mired in a 50-race winless drought on tour — Brandon Overton remains as chipper as ever.
This Friday at Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis, Ind., will mark one full year since the Evans, Ga., driver last visited Lucas Oil victory lane, but Overton doesn’t sound like someone weighed down by that reality. After all, he’s already won seven times this season — none on a national tour, but still against national-caliber fields or in marquee regional events. | RaceWire
Even after Brandon Sheppard outclassed him — and the entire field — in a nearly 6-second victory in Sunday’s Conococheague 40 at Hagerstown Speedway, Overton could do little more than tip his hat to the Rocket Chassis house car team.
“Good for them,” said Overton, who led the opening two laps before ceding the point to Sheppard. “We all need to get us some.”
Part of Overton could accept defeat knowing that, beyond Sheppard and the Rocket1 team being the class of the field, his harder tire selection didn’t do him any favors. Sheppard, meanwhile, flourished on a softer tire — a game plan Overton expected would work to his advantage.
“For about five or six laps there, once I got clear of traffic, I could start seeing him a little more,” Overton said. “I had to fend off Ricky there at the beginning, so I had to almost hurt ‘em a little bit to get going. Then I got ‘em good and hot, and I could actually steer a little bit and had a little stick in the middle of the racetrack. Kinda felt like I was coming to him.”
Overnight rainfall infused ample moisture into the racing surface, allowing Overton to earn quick-time honors with a lap of 17.427 seconds — not quite track-record pace, as Gregg Satterlee’s 17.089 still stands, but plenty fast nonetheless. The added moisture ultimately played more into Sheppard’s hands with the softer tire than Overton’s.
“Then when we caught lapped traffic there, they’re just so far on the bottom, slinging so much stuff, it kinda dirties it back up, lets the softer tires get back going,” said Overton, who then praised Rocket1 Racing’s decision-making spearheaded by Mark Richards. “That’s one thing about them: they’re always on it. They do a good job doing that. Like I said, we’ll take our second. It’s a good run for us.”
Overton can take consolation in the runner-up finish Sunday following Friday’s frustrating 15th-place result at Georgetown (Del.) Speedway.
“I’m glad I can go home after tonight and not after Georgetown, that’s for sure,” Overton said.