Heather Lyne, Bob Pierce, Jason Palubicki speak on the grind of Hell Tour turning wrenches
CONCORD, NC (May 29, 2026) — In Victory Lane, drivers get most of the glory. But look beside some of the greatest in DIRTcar Summer Nationals history, and you’ll find one of the biggest keys to their success — their crew chiefs.
Forty years of racing on the Hell Tour have produced a champions list that reads like a Hall-of-Fame inductee class. Most in the modern era relied on an equally deserving brain in the pit area for feedback, setup calls, and a leading hand on the racecar.
Heather Lyne, a veteran crew chief of 25 years, wrenched Dennis Erb Jr. to three consecutive Summer Nationals championships from 2007 to 2009.
National Dirt Late Model Hall-of-Famer Bob Pierce, a two-time champion of the Hell Tour as a driver, led son Bobby Pierce’s operation to five total Summer Nationals points titles through the 2010s and 2020s.
Jason Palubicki is one name on a short list of crew chiefs to have wrenched multiple drivers to Hell Tour championships — first with Bobby Pierce in 2014 and most recently Jason Feger, who captured his second career points title one year ago.
The trophy count between these names is a reflection of their dedication, unmatched toughness and knowledge of their craft. But at one point, each had been only introduced to the gritty challenge that is the DIRTcar Summer Nationals.
“My first year helping on a Dirt Late Model, I didn’t realize how big it was,” said Palubicki, who made his first full pull on the Summer Nationals with driver Dan Schlieper in 2002. “I went to our local racetrack on a Saturday night, and people come out to watch their hero race. I did the same thing, and I thought that’s all it was. I didn’t know these guys raced for 10, 20, 30, or $100,000.”
“I knew it was going to be grueling, especially with the temperatures, and the way that it used to be done as opposed to how they do it now was you prayed for a rainout just to get a breather and to get a complete maintenance on the car as opposed to a quick maintenance going from track-to-track,” said Lyne, who’s been on Erb’s team every year since 2001. “I knew it was gonna be a lot of work just for the two of us. I knew we had to keep our bodies good and square and stay out of trouble, that way you could finish all the races, because that was key.”
Bob Pierce’s Summer Nationals expertise spawned in the early years of the grind, having raced throughout the 1980s before the tour was founded in 1986.
“Back then, I’d race every day if I could. I [was about] 30 years old,” he said with a laugh. “I thought it was kind of cool because you could make a little money throughout the week, versus waiting on the weekend like Friday or Saturday. I thought it would be kind of neat, and then I looked at the schedule and saw where we were gonna be, and I thought, ‘Wow, we’re all over the place.”
After amassing 14 Feature wins and garnering two championships in 1992 and 1995, Bob Pierce retired from the seat in the 2000s and quickly pivoted from driver to crew chief for his son, Bobby, who went on to three consecutive Summer Nationals championships from 2015 to 2017 before going back-to-back again in 2021 and 2022.
Now, having seen the circuit for nearly two decades as a mechanic, Bob’s perspective has shifted a bit, which remains even as Bobby continues his meteoric rise up the wins list with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.
“The stressful part is he’s my son, and I want him to run well all the time. Even if we don’t, I feel like it’s my fault all the time, no matter what happens,” Bob said. “The gratifying part is when we do have good nights, it just makes it all worthwhile. I’m proud of him, and I’m glad I’m doing a good enough job for him to win these races.”
“It’s really neat to see him grow and get to this point where he can run with these guys, and be competitive, and be somebody to be reckoned with every night of racing.”
If there’s one thing that all drivers and crew members know about Summer Nationals, it’s the day-after-day grind. Driving to a different track every day, working on the car in high temperatures and humidity, and tough, wheel-to-wheel competition every night before packing it up and doing it all over again the next day for five straight weeks.
It’s not impossible, but that grind, even on a day without breaking or crashing equipment, is relentless. But through the rigorous test comes sharpened skills and a feat to be proud of.
“That first year, it was hell,” Palubicki said. “It was hot, no breaks, you prayed for rainouts. The first week or two weeks, we didn’t have a rainout. It was different racetracks every night for two and a half weeks, and then you’d get a rainout and just die. You’d go do laundry or go get a good meal somewhere because you don’t eat well, and you don’t sleep. It’s just a grind every day.”
“I actually enjoyed it, every day, different track, learning so much about your racecar, learning what you can do to make it better night-after-night without having a break in between,” Lyne said. “It was definitely a good thing. I don’t think it ever… it didn’t kill me. But I was able to exhale when it was over and then take a little break and then get right back into it.”
“Of course you’ll have your bad nights where you tear a front end off after getting in a bad wreck, and you’re thrashing there that night before you leave to go to the next track, and as soon as you get up, you’ve gotta work ‘til Hot Laps,” Bob Pierce said. “That’s kinda tough, but that happens even on tour with the World of Outlaws, too. It’s got its good sides and bad sides.”
Over the years, many drivers and crew members have credited their runs through Summer Nationals for teaching them the skills they needed to be able to tackle the national Late Model scene later on in their careers. So, what have these championship-winning mechanics learned from 20-plus races in five weeks?
“Don’t give up. You can’t quit,” Palubicki said. “Every day is a new day. Even though it’s really hard — it’s extremely hard — especially if you’re struggling. I’ve been blessed to be with people that don’t struggle very often. I think, on average, we’ve made every race, I believe, the last two years. Should’ve won it probably the last three years, but we didn’t do the whole thing other years.”
“Attention to detail,” Lyne said. “And that I don’t like to be at the same place more than two days is what it really taught me, because I got so used to packing up, leaving, and going to a new track. It taught you to be self-reliant, trust your instincts, pay attention to details, and things of that nature.”
“I told Bobby this — the more you race, the better you get. It just comes more naturally,” Bob Pierce said. “It’s like driving your passenger car down the road — you don’t look where the radio is, you just reach over and hit the knob or your air conditioner button. Everything just comes so normal when you’re in that race car day-in and day-out. It sharpens your skills.”
To be fair, the Hell Tour is a lot to ask of one person. For 40 years, teams have come to race and work day-after-day in the sweltering sun, and for 40 years, they’ve kept coming back to race again. The drive is different for each, but there’s one common denominator — the love of the sport.
“Winning races. That’s what we’re there for,” Palubicki said. “We’re there to win races or to watch your buddies succeed. Or watch a young kid, like Trey Mills last year, win a race.
“It’s cool to watch. That’s what brings you back, and your friends. We’ve got a group of guys that we travel with most of the time. I have friends from Tennessee that are coming up to run a week of it with a Modified this year, just because they want to come and see what it’s all about and make their program good. You’re only as good as the people you race against.”
“I just like the competition,” Lyne said. “I enjoy it. I like the adrenaline; I like the challenge. When you’re running bad it makes you dig, when you’re running well, you ride that high and just hope it keeps going. It’s in my blood, I guess.”
The 40th anniversary season of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals begins Tuesday, June 9 at Brownstown Bullring in Brownstown, IL. Tickets for each of the 33 scheduled races on the 2026 calendar will be available for purchase at each track on race day.
If you can’t make it to your favorite track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.
FROM THE PIT BOX: Championship-Winning Crew Chiefs Maintain Hell Tour’s Prestige Despite Grueling Schedule
Heather Lyne, Bob Pierce, Jason Palubicki speak on the grind of Hell Tour turning wrenches
CONCORD, NC (May 29, 2026) — In Victory Lane, drivers get most of the glory. But look beside some of the greatest in DIRTcar Summer Nationals history, and you’ll find one of the biggest keys to their success — their crew chiefs.
Forty years of racing on the Hell Tour have produced a champions list that reads like a Hall-of-Fame inductee class. Most in the modern era relied on an equally deserving brain in the pit area for feedback, setup calls, and a leading hand on the racecar.
Heather Lyne, a veteran crew chief of 25 years, wrenched Dennis Erb Jr. to three consecutive Summer Nationals championships from 2007 to 2009.
National Dirt Late Model Hall-of-Famer Bob Pierce, a two-time champion of the Hell Tour as a driver, led son Bobby Pierce’s operation to five total Summer Nationals points titles through the 2010s and 2020s.
Jason Palubicki is one name on a short list of crew chiefs to have wrenched multiple drivers to Hell Tour championships — first with Bobby Pierce in 2014 and most recently Jason Feger, who captured his second career points title one year ago.
The trophy count between these names is a reflection of their dedication, unmatched toughness and knowledge of their craft. But at one point, each had been only introduced to the gritty challenge that is the DIRTcar Summer Nationals.
“My first year helping on a Dirt Late Model, I didn’t realize how big it was,” said Palubicki, who made his first full pull on the Summer Nationals with driver Dan Schlieper in 2002. “I went to our local racetrack on a Saturday night, and people come out to watch their hero race. I did the same thing, and I thought that’s all it was. I didn’t know these guys raced for 10, 20, 30, or $100,000.”
“I knew it was going to be grueling, especially with the temperatures, and the way that it used to be done as opposed to how they do it now was you prayed for a rainout just to get a breather and to get a complete maintenance on the car as opposed to a quick maintenance going from track-to-track,” said Lyne, who’s been on Erb’s team every year since 2001. “I knew it was gonna be a lot of work just for the two of us. I knew we had to keep our bodies good and square and stay out of trouble, that way you could finish all the races, because that was key.”
Bob Pierce’s Summer Nationals expertise spawned in the early years of the grind, having raced throughout the 1980s before the tour was founded in 1986.
“Back then, I’d race every day if I could. I [was about] 30 years old,” he said with a laugh. “I thought it was kind of cool because you could make a little money throughout the week, versus waiting on the weekend like Friday or Saturday. I thought it would be kind of neat, and then I looked at the schedule and saw where we were gonna be, and I thought, ‘Wow, we’re all over the place.”
After amassing 14 Feature wins and garnering two championships in 1992 and 1995, Bob Pierce retired from the seat in the 2000s and quickly pivoted from driver to crew chief for his son, Bobby, who went on to three consecutive Summer Nationals championships from 2015 to 2017 before going back-to-back again in 2021 and 2022.
Now, having seen the circuit for nearly two decades as a mechanic, Bob’s perspective has shifted a bit, which remains even as Bobby continues his meteoric rise up the wins list with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.
“The stressful part is he’s my son, and I want him to run well all the time. Even if we don’t, I feel like it’s my fault all the time, no matter what happens,” Bob said. “The gratifying part is when we do have good nights, it just makes it all worthwhile. I’m proud of him, and I’m glad I’m doing a good enough job for him to win these races.”
“It’s really neat to see him grow and get to this point where he can run with these guys, and be competitive, and be somebody to be reckoned with every night of racing.”
If there’s one thing that all drivers and crew members know about Summer Nationals, it’s the day-after-day grind. Driving to a different track every day, working on the car in high temperatures and humidity, and tough, wheel-to-wheel competition every night before packing it up and doing it all over again the next day for five straight weeks.
It’s not impossible, but that grind, even on a day without breaking or crashing equipment, is relentless. But through the rigorous test comes sharpened skills and a feat to be proud of.
“That first year, it was hell,” Palubicki said. “It was hot, no breaks, you prayed for rainouts. The first week or two weeks, we didn’t have a rainout. It was different racetracks every night for two and a half weeks, and then you’d get a rainout and just die. You’d go do laundry or go get a good meal somewhere because you don’t eat well, and you don’t sleep. It’s just a grind every day.”
“I actually enjoyed it, every day, different track, learning so much about your racecar, learning what you can do to make it better night-after-night without having a break in between,” Lyne said. “It was definitely a good thing. I don’t think it ever… it didn’t kill me. But I was able to exhale when it was over and then take a little break and then get right back into it.”
“Of course you’ll have your bad nights where you tear a front end off after getting in a bad wreck, and you’re thrashing there that night before you leave to go to the next track, and as soon as you get up, you’ve gotta work ‘til Hot Laps,” Bob Pierce said. “That’s kinda tough, but that happens even on tour with the World of Outlaws, too. It’s got its good sides and bad sides.”
Over the years, many drivers and crew members have credited their runs through Summer Nationals for teaching them the skills they needed to be able to tackle the national Late Model scene later on in their careers. So, what have these championship-winning mechanics learned from 20-plus races in five weeks?
“Don’t give up. You can’t quit,” Palubicki said. “Every day is a new day. Even though it’s really hard — it’s extremely hard — especially if you’re struggling. I’ve been blessed to be with people that don’t struggle very often. I think, on average, we’ve made every race, I believe, the last two years. Should’ve won it probably the last three years, but we didn’t do the whole thing other years.”
“Attention to detail,” Lyne said. “And that I don’t like to be at the same place more than two days is what it really taught me, because I got so used to packing up, leaving, and going to a new track. It taught you to be self-reliant, trust your instincts, pay attention to details, and things of that nature.”
“I told Bobby this — the more you race, the better you get. It just comes more naturally,” Bob Pierce said. “It’s like driving your passenger car down the road — you don’t look where the radio is, you just reach over and hit the knob or your air conditioner button. Everything just comes so normal when you’re in that race car day-in and day-out. It sharpens your skills.”
To be fair, the Hell Tour is a lot to ask of one person. For 40 years, teams have come to race and work day-after-day in the sweltering sun, and for 40 years, they’ve kept coming back to race again. The drive is different for each, but there’s one common denominator — the love of the sport.
“Winning races. That’s what we’re there for,” Palubicki said. “We’re there to win races or to watch your buddies succeed. Or watch a young kid, like Trey Mills last year, win a race.
“It’s cool to watch. That’s what brings you back, and your friends. We’ve got a group of guys that we travel with most of the time. I have friends from Tennessee that are coming up to run a week of it with a Modified this year, just because they want to come and see what it’s all about and make their program good. You’re only as good as the people you race against.”
“I just like the competition,” Lyne said. “I enjoy it. I like the adrenaline; I like the challenge. When you’re running bad it makes you dig, when you’re running well, you ride that high and just hope it keeps going. It’s in my blood, I guess.”
The 40th anniversary season of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals begins Tuesday, June 9 at Brownstown Bullring in Brownstown, IL. Tickets for each of the 33 scheduled races on the 2026 calendar will be available for purchase at each track on race day.
If you can’t make it to your favorite track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.