Murty Outduels Leighton for Silver Dollar Nationals Triumph
Dallon Murty found victory lane for the third time in 2025 with the Malvern Bank Super Late Model Racing Series in Friday’s Silver Dollar Nationals finale at Huset’s Speedway.
The West Series returned to action this past Thursday and Friday as the tour headed up to the high-banked 1/3-mile Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota to take part in the 15th Annual Silver Dollar Nationals. A field of 29 cars from South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota made the trip for two big days of competition and a shot at a $6,053 payday.
Keyser Manufacturing Qualifying and heat races were run on Thursday’s program. Dallon Murty was the overall fastest qualifier when he topped group 1 with a lap of 13.664 seconds. The second group was led by Jesse Sobbing with a 13.672 second lap. Corey Zeitner was the head of group 3 when he stopped the clock at 13.789 seconds, and the fourth and final group saw 3-Time West Series Champion Tad Pospisil clock in at 13.735 seconds to be at the top.
Thursday night finished up with 2019 and 2023 Rookies of the Year, Josh Leonard and Dylan Sillman, win heat races 1 and 2. Meanwhile, Lance Matthees won heat 3 while Defending West Series Champion Bill Leighton Jr. winning heat 4. Murty would be the top point driver giving him first chance to be the Skyline Materials Lucky 6th Place Starter. The East Series Rookie of the Year Point Leader declined but would then redraw the sixth starting spot for Friday’s main event.
Friday started off with Braxten Leonard winning the Predator Custom Trailers B Feature. The son of Josh Leonard, who was making his first start with the Malvern Bank Series, would make his first Malvern Bank Main Event. Along with Leonard, Jacob Hobscheidt, Curt Kranz, Dylan Schmer, Curt Schroeder, and Darrel DeFrance all transferred to the main event along with Andrew Kosiski and Charlie McKenna who took the two provisional starting spots.
It was Lance Matthees who led the field to the green flag for the 30-lap Silver Dollar Nationals main event with Leighton on the outside. Leighton wasted little time jumping to the race lead and proceeded to extend his advantage over the rest of the field.
Trouble would strike the pole sitter Matthees as a flat left-rear tire sidelined the Winona, Minnesota driver resulting in a 23rd-place finish.
Meanwhile, Leighton led while battles occurred all over the racing surface. Murty and Jesse Sobbing both were quick to make their way toward the podium spots. When the race led to Leighton getting into lapped traffic, Murty was able to close in fast and challenge for the lead.
In the last ten laps, the battle was on, Leighton and Murty took turns sliding each other for the top spot. However, it was with five laps remaining when Murty took the top spot over for good.
Leighton would try one last time to take the lead and the win away from Murty as the two came down to take the white flag. Leighton through a big slide job attempt into turn one and would make contact with Murty sending the #24 of Leighton around. This would end up being the race’s only caution of the night.
Leighton would keep going and finish 15th in the order. Meanwhile, Dallon Murty would go on to score the win, his first West Series win of his career, third on the season, and his first-ever win at Huset’s Speedway. Plus, Murty became the second driver to win the Skyline Materials Lucky 6th Place Starter challenge meaning an extra $2,200 went to Murty along with the $6,053 top prize.
West Series Point Leader Jesse Sobbing would come second while Kyle Berck took third. Tad Pospisil was fourth, and Corey Zeitner rounded out the top five.
Dylan Sillman and Jacob Hobscheidt scored a bonus of their own despite finishing 13th and 14th in the finishing order. They had the shortest margin of distance between them on the last lap of the race, so they each received $500 from Imperial Tile and Connor’s Fight.
With the Silver Dollar Nationals now in the history books, the Malvern Bank Series turns its focus back to Iowa. Three big shows await with the East Series heading to the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City on Thursday, July 24th. The next two nights feature East vs. West Duel races with the Dale DeFrance Memorial at Marshalltown Speedway on Friday and then the Ray Houck Memorial Late Model Showdown at Adams County Speedway in Corning on Saturday.
Credit: Anthony Ainslie
Photo Credit: Todd Boyd
