ENGLISH KANKAKEE WINNER

KANKAKEE, Ill. — Over the past four weeks, Tanner English has gone from searching relentlessly for a win to now making a habit of it.

English went winless through the first 11 races of the 2026 DIRTcar Summer Nationals before breaking through at Farmington Empire Speedway one week ago and Highland Speedway three nights later.

On Monday night at Kankakee County Speedway, English parked it in victory lane for the third time in the last six races.

“I think we all get in our heads a little bit and think, well, that won’t work because it didn’t work one time,” English said. “Now I am getting more like ‘now that I won that first one, I feel alright, I don’t care if I lose the rest of them if I need to.’ I am just trying to learn and do what needs to be done.”

English and Sam Seawright led the field to green from the front row for the 30-lap main event. Seawright led the opening lap, using the outside lane to propel himself to the lead with English and third-place Carson Ferguson battling directly behind him.

Seawright looked to be in control early on before lap traffic began to play a factor on Lap 12, bringing English and Ferguson right back to the No. 16s in the battle for the lead. English soon found a moisture strip on the bottom of the quarter-mile oval and used it to pull even with the Coltman Farms Racing machine, briefly taking the lead as they raced down the backstretch.

Seawright battled back with a strong run on the top side through Turns 3 and 4, retaking the lead by a nose at the line on Lap 13. The battled continued on Lap 14 with more side-by-side action; Seawright still holding the top spot. Lap traffic began to thicken over the next few laps as the top three of Seawright, English, and Ferguson now made up the battle for the top spot.

English soon took advantage of Seawright’s struggles in lap traffic and shot by Seawright out of Turn 4 to lead Lap 17. From there, it was all English’s No. 96 out front as he led the final 13 laps unchallenged to pick up his ninth career Summer Nationals Feature win and extend his points lead to 123 over second-place Jason Feger.

“Early on, I found that little traction strip on the bottom and I knew it was probably going to be there the whole race,” English said. “When we got to the lappers, I started following Sam (Seawright), just trying to buy time and keep my tires cool. When he hit lap cars, I made my moves there and it was just the right time. Everything worked out just right, he got hung up by a car on the back stretch and I shot by him and took his line away.”
Ferguson got by for second in the closing laps, Seawright finished third, Feger finished fourth, and Brenden Smith rounded out the top five.