Tyler Collins of North Vernon was the 2022 Indiana Late Model Series Champion. Collins will be running for the Brownstown Speedway super late model title in 2023. His first race is tentatively scheduled for March 18 with the Indiana Icebreaker at Brownstown.
Submitted photo
The Indiana Late Model Series Championship was not something on Tyler Collins’ mind at the start of the 2022 season.
“I had planned to bounce around and chase some different tracks and different series, but once we were about halfway through the season and I was at the top of the standings I knew it was time to make a run for it,” the North Vernon resident said.
Collins made more than a run for it. He ended up winning the Indiana Late Model Series Championship concluding the season during Championship Night at Brownstown Speedway.
Collins claimed the 2022 championship with a 205-point margin over runner-up finisher Britan Godsey. In talking to Collins about what helped them to the success they saw in 2022. He thanked his team.
“I have to thank my dad, My uncle, and my crew Zach and Alex Taylor for all their help throughout the season,” Collins said. “My team has gotten to the point that they have all taken on responsibilities and I trust them fully with those things.”
Collins said that winning an Indiana Late Model Championship was something he has dreamed about since he was a kid and never really thought he would accomplish it. To be able to complete it in 2022 just 5 years into running full time, he said, was a dream come true.
In 2023, the No. 11 Tyler Collins Racing team will be pulling double duty, running several open motor shows, along with hitting high-paying crate shows. It will be looking to chase the Brownstown Speedway Super Late Model Championship.
The final standings in the 2022 Indiana Late Model Series:
1. Tyler Collins 3,567; 2. Britan Godsey 3,362; 3. Alan Magner 3,319; 4.Justin Bowling 3,060; 5. Jug Wethington 2,909; 6. Chad Stapleton 2,765; 7. Steve Peeden 2,503; 8. Caleb Schryer 2,254; 9. Zack Burton 2,186; 10. Tyler Neal 2,096
Columbus go-karts announce schedule
Columbus Speedway Go-Kart Racing, which conducts events at the Tony Stewart Speedway on the grounds of the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds, has released its 2023 race schedule. The first points race will be on April 15.
April 15: First points night
April 22: Points race
May 26: King warmup
May 27: King of Columbus
June 10: Points race
June 28: Fair race
July 15: Points race
Aug. 18: Points race
Sept. 1: Midwest warmup
Sept. 2: Midwest Dirt Classic
Sept. 9: Points race
Sept. 30: Team race
Oct. 14: Points race
Oct. 21: Points race
Oct. 28: Points race – Halloween Madness
Davenport set for NASCAR debut at Bristol
Last year’s top-ranked Dirt Late Model driver Jonathan Davenport is set to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol (Tennessee) Motor Speedway on April 9 with Kaulig Racing, the team announced this week.
The Blairsville, Georgia, driver is coming off the richest season in dirt racing history in which he accrued more than $2 million in winnings, a ledger bolstered by his dominant Eldora Million victory last June at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
“This is literally a dream come true for me. I’ll get to race against the best race car drivers in the world and will get to do it at one of my favorite tracks (Bristol Motor Speedway),” Davenport said in the team’s news release. “I have a lot to learn, but have two great teammates in A.J. (Allmendinger) and Justin (Haley) to learn from. We started working on this last October during the ROVAL weekend in Charlotte, and to see it come to fruition is absolutely amazing.”
“Jonathan Davenport is an all-time favorite of mine because of how well he has done in his dirt racing career,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “I’m super excited to have his side of dirt racing intermix with NASCAR and see what he can do in one of our Kaulig Racing Chevrolets. He’s a great guy, a great racer and we’re looking forward to making our relationship with Nutrien Ag Solutions deeper.”
The announcement comes just two days after it was revealed that FloSports will soon be releasing a film, “Dirty Dollars: Jonathan Davenport,” a no-bull film about a no-bull racer.
Among the 39-year-old’s long list of 2022 accomplishments include his fifth World 100 title in eight years — one behind legendary Billy Moyer’s all-time mark of six wins in the prestigious race — and wins at the Knoxville Late Model Nationals, North-South 100 and Topless 100. One of Davenport’s 24 wins last year came at the dirt-covered Bristol Motor Speedway, an April 29 victory worth $25,000 with the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series.
The three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Series champion has four wins through 17 races in the Dirt Late Model this season. Davenport’s Food City Dirt Race on-track activities begin with a practice session on April 7 before April 8’s heat race action.
The April 9 race that’ll go for 250 laps around the half-mile will be broadcasted on FOX at 7 p.m. Before his NASCAR debut next month, Davenport will be joined by most of the top dirt late model drivers in the country on March 18 at Brownstown Speedway for the 26th Annual Indiana Icebreaker, paying $15,000 to win with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
Upcoming local race schedule:
Today: Paragon Speedway –Season Opener – No Way Out 40 for 410 sprints, $10,000 to win, plus hornets. For more information, visit paragonspeedway.com. Note that Paragon has announced earlier starting times for today’s race, with pit gates opening at 11 a.m., grandstands at 1 p.m. with hot laps at 3:30 p.m.
March 18: Brownstown Speedway – Season Opener – 26th Annual Indiana Icebreaker with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, $15,000 to win, plus modifieds and pure stocks. For further information, visit brownstownspeedway.com
March 25: Florence Speedway – Season Opener – Super Late Models $5000 to win, plus crate late models, modifieds and sport mods. For more information florencespeedway.com. Note: The Spring 50 scheduled for tonight at Florence has been moved to April 1.
April 1: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Season Opener – USAC National Sprint Cars, plus modifieds and hornets. For more info, visit lawrenceburgspeedway.com
April 7: Circle City Raceway – Season Opener – crate late models, modifieds, pro legends, mod lites and super stocks. For more info, visit circlecityraceway.com
April 7: Bloomington Speedway – Season opener for 100th year of racing – 410 sprints, modifieds, super stocks and hornets.
James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. Send comments to [email protected]
