Last weekend the Dirt Late Model world returned to at least some degree normalcy as four feature races for that division were contested in the southeastern region of the United States. Although there were no spectators in attendance at these events due to social distancing mandates, they were broadcast live by DirtonDirt.com and Speed51.com which provided racing-starved fans with some sense of reprieve from the constant battering of coronavirus-related news.
One interesting aspect of those four features was that each was won by a driver from the state of Georgia.
Shane Clanton scored a win at Tri-County
Shane Clanton of Zebulon took the first checkered flag of the weekend in the Tarheel Invitational when he scored a $4,000 victory at Ray Cook’s Tri-County Race Track in Brasstown, NC on Thursday night. The driver of the Skyline Motorsports Capital Race Car and former World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series champion fought off a late-race challenge from fellow Georgian Donald McIntosh to get the win.
Brandon Overton scored two wins last weekend
Brandon Overton of Evans grabbed two wins on the weekend for his Wells Motorsports team. First, the No. 76 Longhorn Chassis dominated the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series-sanctioned race at Lancaster(SC) Speedway on Friday night, taking home $5,000 in the process. He then went on to win what was probably the race of the weekend on Saturday at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC.
Overton also had to beat out a fellow Georgia pilot at Cherokee when he passed Casey Roberts after the two cars made contact on their final trip down the backstretch. Roberts eventually spun in turn three which dropped him down to 13th in the final running order for the $10,000-to-win Palmetto Invitational while Overton sailed under the checkered flag.
Donald McIntosh won at Boyd’s Speedway
Finally, Dawsonville’s McIntosh claimed a victory of his own on Saturday at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, GA just outside of Chattanooga. The Blount Motorsports Rocket Chassis car drove away from the competition in dominating fashion after bolting to the lead on the seventh lap to earn a $5,000 payday.
On Thursday night there will be another race largely designed for an internet viewing audience as racers take to the track at Senoia(GA) Raceway. DirtonDirt.com and FloSports.com will air the event free of charge for their subscribers. The $5,000-to-win feature will not be sanctioned by any touring series but almost certainly will draw an exciting field of cars.
Clanton, Overton and McIntosh are all slated to be on hand for the event. They will no doubt be joined by a host of ‘Peach State’ contenders such as Michael Page, who has been a frequent winning in his home state. A number of competitors from outside of Georgia will also be on hand in an attempt to take the lion’s share of the purse money out of the state.
Will the Georiga drivers be able to maintain their winning ways in their own state? InsideDirtRacing.com will have a post-race write-up the results as soon as the action has concluded.
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