The 2016 season at Franklin County Speedway is about to heat up and not just because of the temperatures rising. The Fastest 3/8 mile paved oval in the world will see action on four days over the next three weeks beginning with Sunday afternoon’s Hometown Throwdown.
The drivers have had a month off from points racing competition but that’s about to change. The Hometown Throwdown will be the first of three weekends of competition culminating with a two-day Memorial Day weekend event which will feature a U-Car Dash4Cash paying $2,000 in winners purse over the two days.
First the Hometown Throwdown will bring everyone back to the track for what is anticipated to be one of the biggest fields of Late Models of the young season. Devin Steele will be looking to repeat from his season opening victory but many drivers are hungry to get to victory lane including former track champions Wesley Thomason and Kyle Dudley. Both drivers had issues in the season opener and weren’t able to challenge for the win.
Steele, Thomason and Dudley will have their hands full though as Bobby Gillespie, who lead most of the season opener before contact ended his day, has a new car and he’s looking to get back to victory lane for the first time since 2012. Other contenders from race one looking to better their finishing positions are Joey Phillips, who ended up third in the season opener and Jonathan Hall who in his first full race in a Late Model led just past the middle portion of the event and finished fourth.
Wayne Roach, Jr. who qualified on the pole for the season opener by over three tenths of a second will be looking for redemption after getting involved in a mid-race crash and fracturing his wrist. Ricky Gillespie and Josh Leedy will also be looking to improve on their performances from the season opener and Kevin Parker who was unable to start the first race due to engine troubles is hoping to make it on to the grid Sunday afternoon.
Those ten drivers from the first race will have to fend off the challenges of some drivers who weren’t ready to start the season in April. Most notably Mike Looney will be returning to competition behind the wheel of Billy Martin’s famous #87 car. Looney looked dialed in during a test session last weekend and hopes to put his car back in victory lane on Sunday. Other drivers expected to return this weekend include; Kelly Kingery, Nathan Wheat, Daryn Cockram, Ryan Collins and Calvin Brooks.
Franklin County Speedway’s second points event of the year will take place on Sunday at 3pm.
