(Nashville, TN) A field of 124 race cars packed the pits this past Saturday, October 5 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Breast Cancer Awareness Night featured six main events on the exciting quarter-mile and three features on the wicked fast 5/8-mile.
Pro Late Model point leader, Dawson Sutton, and18-year old from Lebanon, TN, bested a strong field of competitors in qualifying. Moments later, Sutton drew the #2 pill, increasing his chances of winning his fourth feature of the season.
When the green dropped, much to no one’s surprise, Sutton raced into the lead. Sutton would go on to lead through lap 56 when a competition yellow came out after 50 straight green flag laps. On the restart, Hunter Wright, via the outside lane was able to take the lead away but it lived only for 5 laps, as Sutton regrouped and made the pass.
Wright was given an extra opportunity on lap 75 when Laci Minton spun on the backstretch to bring out the yellow flag. On the ensuing restart, Sutton wasn’t about to let it happen and raced back out front to the advantage.
Just two laps later, a backstretch accident between Bennie Hamlett and Stacey Crain created yet another restart. This time Wright raced back out front. Again, two laps later, a yellow lined them back up side-by-side.
Again, Wright raced out front on the lap 80 restart but it created a great battle for the lead as Sutton’s car was better after a lap or two of green. Sutton, time and time again, adjusted his lane, trying to create runs to pull alongside Wright. Lap 80 through 91 kept the fans on the edge of their seats as Sutton looked to find or make an opening before the yellow waved with nine to go.
With four to go, Sutton put a little bumper to Wright entering turn one. Wright chased it up the track and made the save. Wright held him off next three laps. Entering turn three on the final lap, Sutton attempted and completed the old school bump-and-run. Wright saved his car, while Sutton crossed the line for his fourth win of the season. Wright showed his displeasure on the cool down lap, being so close to an elusive 2024 victory.
Sutton was followed in the rundown by Wright, Corey Deuser, Jackson Boone, and George Phillips.
Philpot, KY driver, Heath Helton, took the lead at the green flag in the “Breast Cancer Awareness 30” for the Street Stock division on the 5/8-mile. Helton, a regular at Salem Speedway, held the lead throughout the affair, was challenged for a bit, then pulled back away for an impressive win. Helton claimed $1,700 for the win, thanks in part to Dixon Plumbing and CJ’s Trailer & Camper Repair which donated extra money to the purse. Dillon Oliver, Chad Chaffin, Blaine Akin, and Gus Moody completed the top five.
In the CP Race Wear Bandolero division, the top three in points were mixing it up in the top three spots in the feature race when things got a little dicey, leaving point leader Colt Johnson with damage on the frontstretch. Johnson climbed from his machine and showed his displeasure. Landon Thrasher went on to win the race, while James Faulkner, Isaac Brown, Jordan Bauer, and Matthew Leslie-Kubat completed the top five.
In a clean 20-lap feature for the Pest Doctor Front Runners, Ray Gann won his fifth feature event of the season, taking the top spot over Tony Gann, Daniel Harper, Josh Harrell, and Paul Cummings. Gann led the final 19 laps of the race to extend his point lead.
Up next on the track was the 20-lap feature event for the US Air Force Pro / Masters division. 15 drivers took the green flag with division point leader, Kevin Rollins taking the lead on the start. Rollins made it smoothly through a couple of cautions and restarts to go on to his second feature victory of the season and extend his point lead. Following Rollins was Oliver Cordell who rallied from an early race spin, Casey Atwood, Craig Haack, and Giles Martin.
Jerry Hendrixson, Jr. and John Bradley led the field of Pure Stocks to the green in the 20-lap feature event. Hendrixson took the lead and started pulling away from the competition. The Lewisburg, TN driver dominated from start to finish to claim the victory, while Bradley, Terry Jackson, Jr., Chase Cohron, and Phillip McCord rounded out the top five. For Hendrixson, it was his second win of the season.
Michael Crafton took the lead from Dylan Faulkner on lap three of the 20-lap US Air Force Semi-Pro / Young Lion feature event. Following a melee that piled a handful of cars up on the frontstretch, Crafton again took control for the final ten laps to claim his 3rd feature win of the year and extend his point lead. Following Crafton were Faulkner, Galen Clark, Chase Johnson, and Bradley Swift.
Craig Wilson led the first two laps of the Paschall Heating & Air Limited Late Model feature event. Following a yellow flag, Wilson drove across the choose cone, as well as Johnathan Dishman, resulting in penalties that sent them to the tail. Back to green, Peyton Hamlett, took over the top spot and controlled the pace until a lap 17 yellow flag. Once back to green, the final eight laps went caution free and Hamlett claimed his second feature win of the year. Dwayne Hudson finished second, followed by Dishman, Dalton Hamlett, and Dustin Williams.
Nicholas Formosa took command from the get-go in the Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers Super Truck 25-lap feature event. Around the midway point of the race, 2nd-6th closed the gap on Formosa and around lap 17, Jeremy Burns made a run for the lead. A caution moments later, negated his pass for the lead. However, Formosa then committed the unfortunate run over the choose cone violation, relegating him to the tail. That put Jacob Bradley and Burns up front. Bradley raced out front on the restart and led the final eight laps, giving him his second feature win of the season. Burns, Formosa, Quinn Davis, and Chaz Chaffin completed the top five.
The next event on the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway schedule is the 40th Curb Records/Big Machine Vodka Spike Coolers All American 400 presented by US Tank, November 1-3. Friday night, November 1, will feature championship races on the quarter-mile. Saturday, November 2 will feature Vore’s Compact Touring Series, CRA Street Stocks, JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour/Nashville Pro Late Model 100, and pole qualifying for the All American. Sunday, November 3 is race day for the ASA STARS National Tour, featuring 300 laps of action on championship Sunday.
Advance sale discount tickets are available online at nashvillefairgroundsspeedway.racing. Join us all three days for just $50.
FEATURE RESULTS
Pro Late Models 23 Entries
A Feature 1 100 Laps | 01:18:58.523
- 26-Dawson Sutton[2]; 2. 29-Hunter Wright[6]; 3. 14-Corey Deuser[9]; 4. 7-Jackson Boone[12]; 5. 55-George Phillips[3]; 6. 95-Michael Bolden[15]; 7. 17-Josh Stade[13]; 8. 24-Tyler DI Legge[5]; 9. 71-LB Skaggs Jr[8]; 10. 68-Aidan Potter[19]; 11. 22-Chase Burda[20]; 12. (DNF) 20-Chase Johnson[7]; 13. (DNF) 66-Laci Minton[23]; 14. (DNF) 70-Gavin Graham[18]; 15. (DNF) 98-Bennie Hamlett[14]; 16. (DNF) 11-Stacey Crain[17]; 17. (DNF) 15-Trey Craig[16]; 18. (DNF) 01-Austin Wilson[1]; 19. (DNF) 14C-Davey Coble[21]; 20. (DNF) 86-Troy Hall[22]; 21. (DNF) 91W-Jim Wall[4]; 22. (DNF) 09-Daniel Bolden[10]; 23. (DNF) 5-Brett Robinson[11]
CP Race Wear Bandoleros 14 Entries
A Feature 1 15 Laps
- 55-Landon Thrasher[4]; 2. 007-James Faulkner[5]; 3. 1-Isaac Brown[8]; 4. 4-Jordan Bauer[1]; 5. 99-Matthew Leslie Kubat[7]; 6. 5-Phillip Pinion III[6]; 7. 16-Cooper Asheburn[10]; 8. 26-Axel House[12]; 9. 7S-Claire Stine[13]; 10. 12-Mya Eatherly[9]; 11. 5M-Levi Mitchell[14]; 12. 5S-Steven Scalzo[11]; 13. 24-Colt Johnson[3]; 14. 25-Kaden Binkley[2]
US Air Force Pro/Masters Legends 15 Entries
A Feature 1 20 Laps
- 93-Kevin Rollins[1]; 2. 17-Oliver Cordell[3]; 3. 14-Casey Atwood[7]; 4. 8-Craig Haack[8]; 5. 31-Giles Martin[9]; 6. 4-Wayne Grubb[4]; 7. 25-Jessie Binkley[6]; 8. 87-Anthony Smith[10]; 9. 9-Skip McCord[5]; 10. 66-Ed Bray[11]; 11. 34-John Dies[12]; 12. 13B-Kerry Spaay[14]; 13. (DNF) 24G-Greg Gresham[13]; 14. (DNF) 66T-Robby Taylor[2]; 15. (DNF) 7T-Matthew Tucker[15]
US Air Force Semi-Pro Legends 22 Entries
A Feature 1 20 Laps
- 9C-Michael Crafton[1]; 2. 60-Dylan Faulkner[2]; 3. 38-Galen Clark[5]; 4. 20-Chase Johnson[3]; 5. 85-Bradley Swift[7]; 6. 17-Gavon Veach[9]; 7. 2-Van Drugmand[6]; 8. 35-Max Olmsted II[4]; 9. 33-Ayden Oliver[10]; 10. 73H-Zach Honaker[8]; 11. 93W-Aidan Walker[11]; 12. 6-Shawn Neidert[12]; 13. 13M-Ben Mack[14]; 14. 316-Adam Walker[22]; 15. 46-Clarkson Hagan[18]; 16. (DNF) O7-Keeton Harris[13]; 17. (DNF) 20F-Darrell Fudge[20]; 18. (DNF) 57-Jake Brooks[17]; 19. (DNF) 09-Kaleb Cox[16]; 20. (DNF) 95-Hunter Taylor[15]; 21. (DNF) 88-Stephen Kinnard[19]; 22. (DNS) 13B-Kerry Spaay
Big Machine Vodka Spike Cooler Super Trucks 7 Entries
A Feature 1
- 9-Jacob Bradley[5]; 2. 87-Jeremy Burns[2]; 3. 81-Nicholas Formosa[1]; 4. 12-Quinn Davis[6]; 5. (DNF) 3-Chaz Chaffin[3]; 6. (DNF) 1-Tucker Wingo[4]; 7. (DNF) 7-Larry Deal Jr[7]
Pure Stock 6 Entries
A Feature 1 20 Laps
- 7-Jerry Hendrixson Jr[1]; 2. 44-John Bradley[2]; 3. 21X-Terry Jackson[3]; 4. 71-Chase Cohron[4]; 5. 2-Phillip McCord[5]; 6. (DNF) 00-Michael Toth[6]
Pest Doctor Front Runners 9 Entries
A Feature 1 20 Laps | 00:36:13.339
- 31-Ray Gann[3]; 2. 18-Tony Gann[1]; 3. 8G-Daniel Harper[4]; 4. 411-Josh Harrell[5]; 5. A1-Paul Cummings Sr[9]; 6. 88-Connor Jones[6]; 7. 7-Brett Lee[8]; 8. (DNS) 26-Randell Waterston; 9. (DNS) 29-Kelsey Fitzpatrick
Street Stocks 16 Entries
A Feature 1 30 Laps | 00:13:54.934
- 16-Heath Helton[3]; 2. 03-Dillon Oliver[4]; 3. 3C-Chad Chaffin[5]; 4. 05-Blaine Akin[2]; 5. 84-Gus Moody[6]; 6. 19B-Cole Baxter[9]; 7. 00-Bubba Winslow[1]; 8. 93-Matt Fuqua[12]; 9. 07-Michael Pannell[7]; 10. 3-Travis Arms[8]; 11. (DNF) 34-Michael Tucker[15]; 12. (DNF) 19-Austin Evans[11]; 13. (DNF) 31-Matt Barnes[13]; 14. (DNS) 282-Phillip McCord; 15. (DNS) 71-Wesley Pierce; 16. (DNS) 4-Michael Neidert
Paschall Htg & Air Limited Late Models 12 Entries
A Feature 1 25 Laps
- 98-Peyton Hamlett[3]; 2. 52-Dwayne Hudson[5]; 3. 3-Johnathan Dishman[4]; 4. 55-Dalton Hamlett[9]; 5. 77-Dustin Williams[8]; 6. 48-Howard Tucker[12]; 7. (DNF) 83-Joshua Eddy[10]; 8. (DNF) 87-Dylan Jones[11]; 9. (DNF) 4-Jeff Templeton[1]; 10. (DNF) 9-James Jordan[6]; 11. (DQ) 7-Buddy Moody[7]; 12. (DQ) 01-Craig Wilson[2]