Few dirt Late Model drivers of the modern era know the DIRTcar Summer Nationals like Jason Feger, both on and off the track.

As The Hell Tour celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026, starting with the kickoff at Brownstown Bullring on June 9, the two-time and reigning champion recalls much of its history. First as a youngster in the grandstands at the local Saturday-night speedways of Illinois, and later as a crewmember and driver — now a two-time Series champion and winner of 35 Features on the tour dating back to his first in 2009.

“It’s always been special to me because, as a kid, back then, that’s basically all there was around the Illinois area,” Feger, of Bloomington, IL, said. “The Prairie Dirt Classic was like a $10,000-to-win race, a smaller deal, and there was no Illini 100 or Lucas or Outlaws stuff like that. The Hell Tour races, the ones that came through Illinois, that was your big events for the year. That was it — that handful of events through the Midwest.

“We looked so forward to that time of the summer every year, especially when we had that one really good week, which was like LaSalle, Spoon River, Macon, Farmer City, Fairbury and Danville. It stayed the same for so long, and it was just an amazing week that was. A lot of good memories.”

Starting up his own driving career in the Sportsman ranks in 1996, Feger didn’t turn his first laps in a Late Model until 2002. But he had experienced a bit of the grind of the Hell Tour before, having worked as a crewmember for fellow Bloomington native and 11-time Summer Nationals Feature winner, Billy Drake. During that time, Feger built the framework of his mechanical abilities and witnessed Summer Nationals greats like Bob Pierce, Billy Moyer, and Rick Auckland put their talents on display, night after night.

Since then, Feger has become a household name in the Illinois dirt Late Model scene, just trying to do it like those that came before him.

“I think I’m getting old because I’ve probably raced in most of or half of them,” Feger said with a chuckle. “And I was with Billy Drake at a lot of them before that. It’s hard to believe.

“I was a little kid when (Summer Nationals) first came out, and watching those guys, a lot of my heroes do it, is hard to believe it’s been that long. But it’s sustained and still does what it does.”

In making at least one Summer Nationals start in nearly every year of his Late Model career, Feger’s notebook has grown exponentially. But what’s been the biggest thing the Hell Tour has taught him?

“To me, it teaches you how to take care of your equipment,” Feger said. “I’ve tried to preach this to all the other guys — you know when it’s your night and when it’s not your night, and you figure out really quick that it’s really easy to dig yourself a bigger hole.

“When you’re really young and dumb, and you want to work really hard, you can dig a hole and keep getting out of it. But the older you get, the more you don’t like doing that.”

From his three national DIRTcar Late Model points championships, multiple national Late Model series Feature wins, regional Late Model series titles, and two Hell Tour points titles, there’s no question of Feger’s mastery of the Midwest.

Now at 48 years old, he’s had a chance to take a look back on all of those accomplishments. And with his age has come a great deal of invaluable knowledge and experience that keeps him competitive as he celebrates 30 years of his racing career in 2026.

“I feel like we’re older and wiser,” Feger said. “As far as my racecraft, I’m as smart as I’ve ever been. Technically, on the race car, I’m as good as I’ve ever been. I’ve got a really good crew.

“I think we’ve just gotten smarter over the years. I don’t necessarily have to just drive the top anymore; we’ve gotten really good at being able to run the bottom and through the slick and stuff like that. I’m probably not as good on the cushion or in the rough as I once was, but we’re better in a lot of areas.”

Feger will join the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Model field in the opening race of the Hell Tour at Brownstown Bullring in Brownstown, IL on Tuesday, June 9. Tickets for the event will be sold at the track on race day.

If you can’t be at the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

This article was republished with permission of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals. The original article can be found here: https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/news/feger-reflects-on-importance-of-summer-nationals-with-40th-anniversary-season-ahead/

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