Erb leads all 40 laps, fends off Overton to win $100K

Tyler Erb won the World of Outlaws Late Model feature at Mansfield Speedway and collected a surprise $100,000 winner’s prize after local philanthropists the Niss family boosted the advertised purse from $12,000 to $100,000 moments before the race. The six-figure payout was Erb’s first and elevated the one-off 57 Special Opener on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series calendar. The payday came a day after Erb and his girlfriend, Emma Hodge, announced they were expecting their first child. Erb started second, passed pole-sitter Ricky Thornton Jr. on the opening lap and led all 40 laps, fending off a late charge from Brandon Overton to win by roughly half a second. Thornton later fell out of contention with a flat tire. Bobby Pierce rallied from 10th to finish third, while Josh Rice was fourth and Hudson O’Neal fifth. The victory added to Erb’s résumé — five World of Outlaws wins, a World of Outlaws series championship, and 21 DIRTcar Summer Nationals victories, including the Gateway Dirt Nationals and the National 100. Erb, of New Waverly, Texas, quipped that after taking the lead on lap one he wound up with a $100,000 payday.