Nick Hoffman Opens Dream Week With $20,000 Eldora Victory as Trey Mills Impresses With Sixth-Place Run

Hoffman holds off Devin Moran in FloRacing Night in America opener while Mills turns heads against a stacked Dirt Late Model Dream field

ROSSBURG, Ohio — Dream Week at Eldora Speedway wasted little time delivering storylines.

Wednesday night’s FloRacing Night in America opener brought 85 Dirt Late Models to the famed half-mile, setting the tone for one of the biggest weeks in the sport. By the end of the 50-lap, $20,000-to-win feature, Nick Hoffman had parked his No. 9 in victory lane, Devin Moran had made a late charge for the win, Brandon Sheppard had stormed through the field, and Trey Mills had made one of the loudest statements of the night with a sixth-place finish.

Hoffman started fourth and proved to be the class of the field when it mattered most. After Kyle Bronson and Max Blair led the field to green, the opening laps featured a battle near the front before Hoffman worked his way into position. Once Hoffman took control, he kept himself out front while the running order shuffled behind him.

Moran, who started eighth, made things interesting late. The Dresden, Ohio driver closed in during the final laps and challenged Hoffman for the top spot, but Hoffman had enough speed and control to hold him off and claim the opening-night victory.

Behind Hoffman and Moran, veteran Dale McDowell continued to show why he is always a factor at Eldora. McDowell started 11th and climbed to third, giving him a strong podium run to open the week. Brandon Sheppard may have had the most impressive charge of the night, driving from 21st to fourth in a field where passing was anything but easy. Chris Ferguson rounded out the top five after starting third.

While Hoffman’s victory was the headline, Mills’ performance deserves plenty of attention.

The 18-year-old from St. Augustine, Florida opened the night by qualifying third in Group A, then backed it up by winning his heat race over McDowell, Josh Rice, Wil Herrington and Dalton Cook. That heat win placed Mills fifth on the starting grid for the feature, and he made the most of the opportunity.

Mills held his own near the front for much of the 50-lap main event, racing among some of the most accomplished names in dirt late model racing. He finished sixth, trailing only Hoffman, Moran, McDowell, Sheppard and Ferguson. For a young driver still building experience at Eldora, it was a major confidence-building run against one of the strongest fields of the season.

The finish also showed how important track position and early-night speed can be at Eldora. Mills put himself in position from the start by qualifying well and winning his heat. That allowed him to avoid the chaos of the B-Mains and start close enough to the front to stay in contention throughout the feature.

The top 10 was filled with major names. Max Blair finished seventh after starting on the pole, Tyler Erb charged from 20th to eighth, Hudson O’Neal finished ninth, and Jonathan Davenport completed the top 10 after starting 10th. Bronson, who started second and was part of the early battle for the lead, slipped to 11th by the finish.

Several notable drivers had tougher nights than expected. Bobby Pierce won a transfer spot in his heat race but later finished 21st in the third B-Main, ending his feature hopes for the opener. Jimmy Owens also missed the main event after finishing 10th in the first B-Main. Ricky Thornton Jr. was listed as a DNS in the second B-Main after qualifying fourth in Group B and finishing sixth in his heat.

Wednesday’s opener served as more than just a standalone FloRacing Night in America event. It was the first real test of the week at Eldora and gave teams a chance to learn what they may need for the remainder of the Dirt Late Model Dream program.

For Hoffman, the win adds immediate momentum as he looks to turn an already strong season into one of the biggest victories of his career. For Moran, McDowell and Sheppard, the speed was clearly there. For Mills, the night proved that he can run near the front on one of dirt racing’s biggest stages.

Dream Week is only getting started, but Wednesday night made one thing clear: the road to Saturday night’s big money will not be easy. With Hoffman already in victory lane, Moran knocking on the door, Sheppard charging from deep in the field, and young drivers like Mills showing they belong, Eldora is set up for a must-watch weekend.