CALLAWAY, VA – Luke Smith picked up the victory in a star-studded Mini-Stock race in the Southern Turkey Derby at Franklin County Speedway on Sunday evening.
Smith, 15, from Advance, North Carolina, passed AJ Sanders on the final lap of the 40-lap feature after spending much of the race riding behind the veteran racer. After the race, Smith, who came to Franklin County fresh off a win at Carteret County Speedway in North Carlina a few weeks ago, was elated.
“I’m going to be honest with you, I can’t believe I just did that,” Smith said. “He drove his heart out and I was just riding and I was trying my best to keep up with him. I got lucky right there. He’s a good driver and I just can’t thank him enough for his help that he always gives us.”
The win was Smith’s first career Franklin County Speedway victory. A.J. Sanders went on to finish second while Chuck Wall finished in third.
Kyle Dudley started on the pole of the Late Model Stock Car feature and led wire-to-wire to score the victory, nearly lapping the entire field in the process.
“This was a super car,” Dudley stated. “It’s been fast every time we come out here. I knew we would be really good. I hate that we didn’t have more cars here. Glad we had Thomas [Beane] here. He did good for his first time here. This thing was just on a rail man. I didn’t know where we were in the race or who was close until we started catching the 31 and knew he was in second. I knew we were in good shape then, and counted down the laps hoping nothing stupid would happen.”
Thomas Beane finished second while Bobby Gillespie rounded out the podium.
Darryl Chrisley inherited the Stock-4 victory after Casey Cupp was disqualified while Cupp won in U-CAR after Tony Housman’s finished was disallowed. Todd Philpott, Jr. won in the Charger feature over Jimmy Mullins, and Tracy Scott was victorious in the Any Car race.
