COPPER HILL, VA :: In a highly competitive season in Late Model Stock Car racing, several drivers put their names on the map with breakthrough performances through the season. Here’s a list of the top breakthrough drivers.
10. Dennis Holdren
Veteran racer Dennis Holdren has been competitive at Franklin County Speedway in the past but, in 2014, he broke through and scored his first career Ace Speedway victory. Holdren’s win at Ace Speedway wasn’t his lone win of the season either. He also scored a pair of victories at Franklin County as well.
9. Devin Steele
When Devin Steele entered the sport, he did so with plans to make himself known. He did just that on April 27th when he scored the victory in a thriller at Franklin County Speedway. Steele backed that up with a second place finish a couple weeks later in the Old Dominion 200.
8. Kyle Plott
Kyle Plott did what very few other drivers have been able to do, beat Anthony Anders at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. Plott, a Late Model rookie, scored that win on August 9th. He spent much of the season running up inside the top-five. Plott finished 15th in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings and made the field for the Myrtle Beach 400.
7. Dalton Sargeant
Dalton Sargeant certainly put the racing world, the entire racing world, on notice as to who he was in 2014. Late in the season, he teamed up with Lee Pulliam and found instant success, recording a strong performance at Ace Speedway. He went on to win at Orange County Speedway in October. Sargeant also had success in Super Late Models, finishing second in the Snowball Derby.
6. William Byron
William Byron was strong all season long at Hickory Motor Speedway, finishing second in points to JR Motorsports teammate Josh Berry. Byron scored his first win on September 6th. He also scored a top-20 finish in the MDCU 300 at Martinsville Speedway.
5. Chris Denny
Chris Denny made his name known in a big way in 2014. Denny picked up his first career Late Model Stock Car victory in the second race of the season at Orange County Speedway and backed that win up with two more victories during the course of the 2014 season. He went on to win the championship at Orange County Speedway several months after scoring his breakthroughvictory.
4. Thomas Beane
Thomas Beane had been a regular in the UARA tour but was never a Late Model Stock Car feature race winner until September 13th. Rain forced Lonesome Pine Raceway to push up the start of their Late Model Stock Car race and, when the checkered flag flew, Thomas Beane was standing in victory lane – finally a race winner.
3. Austin Thaxton
Austin Thaxton came close to scoring his first career Late Model Stock Car victory on several occasions in 2013. In 2014, in the second race of the season at South Boston Speedway, Thaxton finally scored that victory. Thaxton was consistent all season, finishing third in points at South Boston, making the field for the MDCU 30 at Martinsville Speedway and winning the Mischa Sell Memorial race at Ace Speedway.
2. Payton Ryan
Payton Ryan broke through in a big way in the month of July, scoring two victories at Myrtle Beach Speedway on Independence Day. Later in the month, Ryan recorded his most impressive victory by edging Lee Pulliam in a photofinish at Motor Mile Speedway. Ryan finished the season with a strong performance at Myrtle Beach Speedway.
1. Brayton Haws
Brayton Haws’ win in the Autumn Classic, one of the crowned jewel races in Late Model Stock Car racing, was one of the most pivotal breakthrough performances of the season. Haws won a race at Hickory in June and having a top-10 finish at Martinsville, but he was still a relative unknown entering the Autumn Classic. After that race, everyone knew he was a contender. Two weeks later, Haws scored a top-10 finish in the Myrtle Beach 400 to finish in the top-10 in all three races of the late season triple crown.
