David Breazeale didn’t start racing until he was 22. He didn’t join a national tour until he was 42. And Saturday night at Clarksville Speedway, at the age of 48, Breazeale earned his first career DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory.
Breazeale, of Four Corners, MS, led all 40 laps of the Feature while persevering through several cautions at the beginning of the race. Brezeale was strong on each restart and drove away for one of the biggest wins of his career.
“It means the world,” Breazeale said. “It’s been right at five years since I’ve won any kind of Late Model race and to come out here on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals who I don’t run with a bunch and a place I’ve never been.
“I somehow have a weird record of winning at tracks for the first time I’ve ever seen them. To come out here with this field of cars and lead it flag-to-flag, it’s a good feeling.”
Since his days as a national tour regular in 2018, the former World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year has switched to a part-time racing schedule that fits better with the full-time commitment to his self-owned logging company – a job that requires long hours before even thinking about racing.
“It’s mentally tough because it requires my presence there at the logging to make it profitable enough that we can afford to do this,” Breazeale said. “When I’m not there it’s costing me money. It’s a mental challenge to keep my head in the game and do this because a lot of times we just need to stay home and work.”
After winning his Heat Race, Breazeale redrew the pole for the Feature with Rodney Melvin lined up beside him. At the drop of the green flag, Breazeale won the mad dash to the first corner to take the lead.
Once Breazeale took the lead, he started to set the pace around the 1/4-mile oval, jumping out a few car lengths ahead of second-place Jadon Frame when the first caution flag came out on Lap 6.
The first yellow flag was a sign of things to come as four more cautions occurred before the race hit the midway point. Despite all the restarts, Breazeale stayed strong each time, holding off the rest of the field behind him.
Breazeale (54) holding off the field after each caution. (Tyler Carr Photo)
One more caution occurred on Lap 34, but once again, Breazeale got the advantage on the restart to finish over one second ahead of runner-up Jadon Frame.
Breazeale crossing the finish line for his first Summer Nationals win. (Tyler Carr Photo)
“It’s tough,” Breazeale said on the number of restarts he faced. “Knowing [Tanner English] is back there and [Dillon McCowan]. They’ve been at it every day so they obviously have way more laps, and I kept thinking somebody would try me on the outside because I felt like my pace was getting slower and slower.
“It was really up to me, and to think about it at every caution was not good, especially since I’m not used to leading races.”
UP NEXT
The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models will crown a Week 4 champion at Tri-State Speedway Haubstadt, IN on Sunday July 7.
Tickets will be available at the gate and if you can’t be there watch all the action on DIRTVision.
ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view results here)
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 54-David Breazeale[1]; 2. 818-Jadon Frame[3]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[6]; 4. 29-Christian Hanger[11]; 5. C6-Oakley Johns[5]; 6. 15-Clayton Stuckey[18]; 7. 28B-Carson Brown[12]; 8. 30-Mark Voigt[19]; 9. 78-Matthew Brocato[8]; 10. 54JR-Larry Barber Jr[21]; 11. 18-David Seibers[14]; 12. 27M-Rodney Melvin[2]; 13. 75-Daniel Adam[22]; 14. 31AUS-Joe Chalmers[20]; 15. 127-Robert Ardry[15]; 16. 38T-Dillon Tidmore[9]; 17. 16L-Michael Luna[23]; 18. 83-Jensen Ford[16]; 19. 212-Josh Putnam[13]; 20. 96-Tanner English[4]; 21. 174-Ethan Dotson[7]; 22. 2-Charlie Cole[10]; 23. 14JR-Trey Mills[17]
