Cory Hedgecock admitted that the 2015 Dirt Late Model season had not gotten off to the start he had been hoping for. However, the Loudon, Tenn. driver did a lot to change his impression of the current campaign when he picked up a pair of victories in the Mountain All Star Showdown at Smoky Mountain Speedway on Friday night.
Cory Hedgecock won the Crate Late Model portion of the All Star Showdown.
The Crate Late Models were the featured class as their main event would pay no less than $3,000-to-win with the potential for extra bonus cash as well.
Riley Hickman scored the first bonus of the night when he set fast time in Crate Late Model qualifying with a lap of 16.680 seconds around the 4/10 mile oval. Also earning their way into a dash race that would set the starting lineup for the first three rows of the feature race were Hedgecock, Jason Welshan, Greg Martin, Forrest Trent and Brett Wyatt.
Welshan was awarded the pole position for the main event after he won the dash race ahead of Trent, Wyatt, Martin, Hickman and Hedgecock. The remainder of the starting grid for the 19 car field was determined by time-trials as no heat races were held.
The initial start of the feature was marred by a multi-car incident that began when the starters on the outside rows appeared to jam up going into turn one. When all was said and done, six cars were involved. Front runners Trent and Martin were among those to sustain damage in the melee. All involved would ultimately continue with varying degrees of damage.
Once the feature got underway, it looked as if Welshan intended to make this race resemble so many from last season. The winner of 34 features in 2014 got out to the early lead as Trent, Wyatt, Hickman and Hedgecock battled within the top-5.
Hickman and Hedgecock had the two fastest cars in qualifying but had been relegated to the third row at the start due to the results of the dash race. But it didn’t take long for the two to begin flexing their muscles. On lap 5 they each moved around Wyatt to claim 3rd and 4th respectively. Then on lap 14 they each sailed passed Trent to take 2nd and 3rd in the running order.
After a lap 17 restart, Hedgecock got by Hickman to claim the runner-up position and immediately set his sights on Welshan. Finally, Hedgecock worked his way around Welshan to claim the top spot on the leader board at lap 23.
A mandatory caution on lap 25 allowed teams a 10-minute break in which they could work on their cars. Also, a pill draw inverted the top-2 runners at the time, which put Welshan back in front and moved Hedgecock to second.
However, it did not take long for the No. 23 car to reassert itself at the front of the field once the action resumed. Just behind the leader, Hickman bolted around Welshan to grab third.
It was at that point when the race settled into a bit of a rhythm with Hedgecock leading Hickman, Welshan, Trent, Wyatt, Martin and Justin Summers. At times, the lead grew to as much as a full straightaway.
A second mandatory caution came out on lap 50. This time, there was no invert and crews were allowed five minutes in which to work on their cars.
At the drop of the green flag for the final 10-lap dash to the finish, Hedgecock set the pace and went essentially unchallenged.
Feature Finish: 1. Cory Hedgecock, 2. Riley Hickman, 3. Jason Welshan, 4. Brett Wyatt, 5. Forrest Trent, 6. Greg Martin, 7. Brad Coffey, 8. Chase King, 9. Jordon Horton, 10. Warren McMahan
Cory Hedgecock’s winning Limited Late Model.
In the Limited Late Model class, Hedgecock proved to be more dominate than he had been in the Crate Late Models. He started things off for that division by winning the pole with a qualifying time of 16.177 seconds. That lap proved to be almost a half-second faster than second qualifier David Crabtree.
The entire starting lineup was established by time-trials which put Jason Trammell and Brad Hall in the second row just ahead of Drew Kennedy and Bobby Giffin.
Once the feature took the green flag, it was all Hedgecock as he pulled out to a big lead of Crabtree. The best battle on the speedway was that for third between Hall and Manley with Trammell trailing just behind.
The 25-lap feature ran caution free and Hedgecock was never challenged on his way to the $1,200 payday
Feature finish: 1. Cory Hedgecock, 2. David Crabtree, 3. Brad Hall, 4. Jason Manley, 5. Jason Trammell, 6. Bobby Gifin, 7. Drew Kennedy, 8. Hunter Best
Gary Blanken was the Street Stock winner
Gary Blanken and Chris Rickett won the two Street Stock heat races and it would be those two who battled for the win. Blanken led all the way to finish ahead of Rickett, Kurt Owens, Tony Horton and Charles Devine.
