Quincy, MI - It has been a big offseason for Michigan. From promoter changes, to sanction changes, and the age-old discussion of tires for Dirt Late Models. Should it be the popular Hoosier and DIRTcar sanction used by surrounding states or the affordable and durable American Racer used by some? As of late, the state of Michigan was all but split in half, with some tracks using the American Racer, and other tracks using Hoosier's DIRTcar Racing rule book tire. As the 2025 season grows closer, it feels like Michigan might be coming out of the "Tire Civil War".
The experiment of running both the Hoosier Racing Tires and American Racer tires against one another gained attention again in 2024, starting with I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, MI. In May, after starting the series as an American Racer track, the Speedway opened up the rule book to allow Hoosiers while awarding DIRTcar points. After the change, the car count increased, which led to the decision to run strictly Hoosier tires in 2025.
"Ain't nothing against anybody," explained I-96 Speedway owner, Larry Curtiss. "It's kind of what the drivers wanted. They showed us by the car count that they want to run Hoosiers. We struggled for cars at the beginning of the year and by the end of the year we had twice the car count. They showed me that's what they want."
Crystal Motor Speedway also experimented with the American Racer vs Hoosier Tire format in 2024. During the Labor Day Weekend special, Brian LeBaron says his field was mixed with Hoosiers and American Racers with a Hoosier Tire car winning the race, and an American Racer Tire car finishing second. Thanks to that test, two events at Crystal in 2025 will be contested with Hoosier and American Racer allowed on the car.
"I wanted to make sure we were making decisions based on facts," said LeBaron. "We saw that the American Racer Pro 3 was more competitive (than the MD56) and more affordable. [American Racer] thought it was a fantastic idea to put the cars all on the same size tire at a minimum." (The American Racer MD56 was a smaller tire compared to Hoosier's standard Late Model tire.)
Two other tracks have now jumped off the DIRTcar UMP sanction for their Late Models. Merritt Speedway, in addition to their schedule and NASCAR Regional Sanctioning announcement, announced after the awards banquet on Saturday that they would allow the American Racer MD56 and Pro 3, as well as the Hoosier NLMT 3 & 4.
Likewise, Tri City Motor Speedway has confirmed they will match Merritt Speedway for the Late Models in 2025, allowing both the American Racer and Hoosier Racing Tire.
"We feel that it makes it competitive and affordable for the lower budget race teams," said Tri City promoter, Kalvin Lewis. "The [American Racer] Pro 3 is supposed to be competitive with that Hoosier NLMT 3/4 and it leaves the option open for the lower budget race team to race and compete with the guys that want to run the Hoosiers."
Meanwhile, Thunderbird Raceway in Muskegon will remain strictly committed to the American Racer tire in 2025. According to owner, Heidi Smith - Morell, they will allow both the MD56 and Pro 3.
Mid-Michigan Raceway Park has historically been an American Racer facility and is waiting until after their banquet on Saturday to determine if they'll allow the Pro 3 in addition to the American Racer MD56.
Other Late Model events in Michigan include a one-off unsanctioned event at Hartford Motor Speedway for Late Models. Track owner, Tim Dibble says he will follow Merritt and Tri City Motor Speedways in allowing both the American Racer and Hoosier Racing Tires.
Silver Bullet Speedway will run a pair of Late Model Specials this summer, however, rules for the shows have yet to be announced or finalized.
The Valvoline American Late Model Iron Man Series has two shows at Butler Motor Speedway, which are DIRTcar UMP sanctioned, and one event at Crystal Motor Speedway. Plus, the DIRTcar UMP Summer Nationals Hell Tour have a stop at both Butler and Crystal. All DIRTcar sanctioned events will use strictly the Hoosier Racing Tire.
Comments