Cory Hedgecock led all 40 laps of the JT Jerr Memorial
Cory Hedgecock is treating the 411 Motor Speedway like it’s his own personal bank. Earlier this month he garnered his first World of Outlaws Late Model Series win at the Seymour, Tenn. track to earn $10,000. On Saturday night he captured the J.T. Kerr Memorial for Crate Late Model cars that doled out $4,000 to the winner. It was the Loudon, Tenn. driver’s third consecutive triumph in the race named in honor of the east Tennessee racing legend.
Hedgecock began his domination of the night’s event early on when he set fast time in qualifying as his lap of 14.707 seconds around the 3/8 mile clay oval proved best among the 32 entrants on hand. Joining Hedgecock in being locked into the feature via time-trials was Greg Martin, Jensen Ford, Chase King, Ross White and Matt Henderson.
Jesse Lowe beat out Josh Henry and Logan Roberson in the first heat race of the evening while Pierce McCarter topped Ryan King and Jason Welshan in the second preliminary. Rusty Ballenger won the third and final heat of the night ahead of Mike Weeks and Andy Ogle.
Hedgecock bolted to the lead at the start of the 40-lap feature with Ford, Martin, Chase King and White in pursuit. White wasted little time in taking his No. 22 ride toward the front as he passed by both King and Martin to grab third at the end of the first lap.
However, the first of six caution flags would have on lap 2 when Jason Deal found trouble in turn one. On the ensuing restart Martin got by White to take third while Hedgecock once again charged away from the pack.
McCarter looked to move forward on lap 5 when he swept around Martin to take the fourth spot. But another yellow flag waved on lap 8 when the top-10 running car of Weeks slowed leaving Jason Welshan and Jason Cardwell with no place to go other than to pile into the prone machine.
When green flag action resumed, the top-5 of Hedgecock, Ford, White, McCarter and Martin clicked off laps as they ran in high speed formation around the track until Ballenger slowed to a halt on lap 17 to bring out another caution.
Over the course of the feature’s second half it would be Hedgecock leading the field with the most intense battles being between Chase King and Lowe for sixth while a rising Roberson fought with Ryan King for the eighth position.
Hedgecock only troubling moment came on lap 35 when he was briefly forced onto the inside berm in turn one as he worked to lap a slower car. Other than that, it was smooth sailing for the No. 23 car as he cruised to what was essentially an unchallenged victory.
Feature Finish: 1. Cory Hedgecock, 2. Jensen Ford, 3. Ross White, 4. Pierce McCarter, 5. Greg Martin, 6. Jesse Lowe, 7. Chase King, 8. Logan Roberson, 9. Ryan King, 10. Jake Teague, 11. Matt Henderson, 12. Jason Cardwell, 13. Jason Welshan, 14. Gary Crittenden, 15. Andy Ogle, 16. Trevor Sise, 17. Josh Henry, 18. Cameron Weaver, 19. Eli Beets, 20. Ruben Mayfield, 21. Rusty Ballenger, 22. Mike Weeks, 23. Bobby Mays, 24. Jason Deal
