Call it redemption for Goldsboro, North Carolina’s Clay Jones.
After finishing second one year ago in the Thanksgiving All-Star Classic, Jones cruised to victory in this year’s 75-lap Limited Late Model race, leading nearly every single lap at Southern National Motorsports Park on Saturday night. Jones started on the outside pole and made quick work of getting around Ronald Renfrow. After the veteran took sole possession of the lead, he established dominance and never surrendered it.
“We were all kind of on equal playing ground this week,” Jones said. “All the weights was back the same and everything. We had a great car and took off a little snug and got going and I kind of burnt the right rear up trying to stay in front. I was just hanging on right there at the end. They kept telling me Joe [Heigl] was coming but I was just doing all I could to stay there. Thank God there wasn’t a caution. I can’t thank these guys enough. They put a rocket under me again. They’re making me look good. I can’t thank them enough.”
Jones will celebrate tonight, but it is back to work tomorrow. Jones is one of over 70 drivers who will attempt to make the field for the Snowball Derby next weekend at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. Jones beat Joe Heigl and Louis White to score the victory. The victory was the fourth of the year for Jones overall. He had two wins on the season at Wake County Speedway in Raleigh, North Carolina and a win in the first ever race held at Carteret County Speedway in Swansboro, North Carolina.
Tommy Lemons, Jr. set the fast time in Late Model Stock Car qualifying and won in the first of two heat races, putting him on the pole for Sunday afternoon’s 200-lap event. Deac McCaskill won the second heat race and will start second in the race. Brandon Setzer and Nick Robinson qualified on the front row for Sunday’s 125 lap Super Late Model race.
