BRASSTOWN, N.C. (July 23) — Fighting back after Kenny Collins of Colbert, Ga., used a slider entering turn four to briefly nose ahead, Jake Knowles of Rome, Ga., won Tuesday’s Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals race at Tri-County Racetrack, his first career win of the Ray Cook-promoted tour. Knowles led every circuit of the 35-lapper, but needed a quick crossover to stay ahead of his good friend and fellow Georgian with just four laps remaining. He kept Collins at bay the rest of the way won by a length.

The win, worth $3,500, propelled Knowles into the series points lead with three races remaining. Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., a two-race series winner who led the tour by 10 points entering Tuesday's race, retired while running third when he stripped the quick-change gears in the rearend of his Rocket Chassis. He retired after three laps, finishing 21st.

Sixth-starting Michael Chilton of Salvisa, Ky., finished third while moonlighting in Cook’s Capital Race Car and Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga., a two-time series winner at Tri-County, improved four spots to finish fourth. Third-starting Tanner English of Benton, Ky., completed the top five.

“I appreciate Kenny racing me clean there,” Knowles said. “We became pretty good buddies here the last year or so messing around, texting back and forth. We parked beside each other tonight, (started) on the front row (together). It’s a pretty awesome little track. This really isn’t my cup of tea, throwing it sideways and all that. I normally try to drive ‘er straight, but we adapted to it and ended up pretty good.”

Knowles making just his third career start at Tri-County admitted he wasn’t exactly sure where he needed to be. Starting on the outside front row by virtue of being the fastest qualifier in the second of two groups, he powered ahead of Collins on the opening lap and pulled away until slower traffic allowed Collins to close in.

“I don’t know, I really didn’t know what to do here,” Knowles said. “I was just gonna stay up there on that top. I seen were he was getting close there and I seen his nose a time or two. I knew … Kenny Collins … he’s gonna throw a slider there. I was able to cross back under him and then he left me room that last time and I snuck back by him there. Then when I seen the two (laps) to go there, that was the best two to go I’ve ever seen.”

Collins seemed tickled to get a runner-up finish behind his buddy, but thought if he’d been able to get the jump on the initial start, their roles may have been reversed.

“It’s fun when you can race with somebody that’ll give you room. Me and Jake are great friends and that’s some of the most fun racing I’ve ever been able to do,” Collins said. “I think we had the best car maybe … just needed maybe to be on that outside lane on the takeoff.

“We’ve been qualifying good. We haven’t been racing good and I think we’ve found some things to maybe make us better in the race. I didn’t even know it was the white flag. We was racing so hard I wasn’t even looking. I might could’ve … I don’t know if I could’ve tried any harder. I was giving it all I had.”

Chilton was equally pleased with his podium finish, considering Tuesday was the first time he’d sat in Cook’s Capital Race Car.

“First off I’d like to thank Ray for giving me the opportunity to drive this car,” said Chilton. “We couldn’t quite get all our stuff ready to come and Ray said, ‘Do you want to turn some laps in this?’ It worked out. It’s been a fun night.”

Starting sixth, Chilton quickly got by fifth-starting David Payne of Murphy, N.C., and then inherited another spot when Overton pitted. He ran fourth behind English for several laps before the two caught the lapped car of Cody King. When English struggled to get by King, Chilton seized the opportunity and grabbed the third position.

“The car was really, really good. If I had had a few (more) laps (in the car) and qualified a little better, started a little further up front we might have made it interesting … I don’t know.”

Notes: Knowles finished 0.374 seconds ahead of Collins. … Fourteen of the 22 starters finished the race, with 12 completing all 35 laps. … Cla Knight of North Augusta, S.C., who entered the race fifth in series points, slowed on lap 22 with rearend trouble. He finished 15th. “It broke something internally. We pulled the plug and it had all kinds of metal shavings in it,” said Knight. … The race was slowed by one caution, a lap-five incident when Kip Cochran of Franklin, N.C., slowed against the backstretch wall and needed a tow to the pit area. … The feature starters were call to the grid at 8:58 p.m. and the main event was complete well before 10 p.m.

Preliminary notes and results:

Feature lineup

Row 1: Kenny Collins, Jake Knowles
Row 2: David Payne, Tanner English
Row 3: Brandon Overton, Michael Chilton
Row 4: Shawn Chastain, Casey Roberts
Row 5: Kurt English, Donald McIntosh
Row 6: Cla Knight, Jamie Oliver
Row 7: Hot Rod Lamance, Kip Cochran
Row 8: Tyler Clem, Jacob Anderson
Row 9: Cody King, Levi Hicks
Row 10: Danny Ledford, Craig Greer
Row 11: Glenn Barnett, Rusty Jordan

Qualifying

Kenny Collins of Colbert, Ga., stopped the clock at 12.953 seconds to top qualifying among 22 entries. Collins took the track ninth in Group A and recorded the evening’s only sub-13-second time. David Payne of Murphy, N.C., with a time of 13.045 seconds, and Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., at 13.056, were second and third in the first group of 11 cars.

Jake Knowles of Rome, Ga., went out second in Group B, putting down a lap of 13.131 seconds that held up throughout the session. Tanner English of Benton, Ky., was second quick in the second group with a mark of 13.181 seconds and fellow Blue Grass stater Michael Chilton of Salvisa, turned in a lap of 13.226 seconds behind the wheel of promoter Ray Cook’s car to lock up the third fastest time in Group B.

With 22 cars on hand, there will be no heats or consolations. Collins will start the 35-lap main event from the pole position with Knowles alongside on the front row.

Pre-race setup

The Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals bounce from Georgia into the western tip of North Carolina for the tour’s only stop in the Tar Heel state with a visit to series promoter Ray Cook’s track, Tri-County Racetrack in Brasstown. Tri-County hosts the series for the seventh time overall and first since 2017. It’s also the fifth of five states that series regulars will traverse in this, the 15th season of the Southern Nationals.

Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., holds a 10-point lead over Jake Knowles of Rome, Ga., as the series enters its final week. Overton has a series-best two victories, while Trent Ivey of Union, S.C.; Ross Bailes of Clover, S.C.; and Austin Horton of Newnan, Ga., have one with apiece. Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga., a two-time series winner at Tri-County is among Tuesday’s 21 entries.

Rain earlier in the day has given way to mostly clear skies and noticeably cooler temperatures. After battling 95-plus degree temps during the tour’s two stops in Georgia over the weekend, drivers have been greeted by temperatures in the mid-70’s as they compete in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

The Super Late Model program includes hot laps, time trials, preliminary races (if needed) and a 35-lap, $3,500-to-win main event. Entries will be split into two groups for time trials.

Time trial results (unofficial)

Group A
Kenny Collins (1C), Colbert, Ga., 12.953
David Payne (8), Murphy, N.C., 13.045
Brandon Overton (2), Evans, Ga., 13.056
Shawn Chastain (X15), Murphy, N.C., 13.259
Kurt English (17), Murphy, N.C., 13.463
Cla Knight (42), North Augusta, S.C., 13.475
Hot Rod Lamance (85), Sugar Tit, S.C., 13.509
Tyler Clem (58T), St. Petersburg, Fla., 13.569
Cody King (62), McDonough, Ga., 13.661
Danny Ledford (4), Warne, N.C., 13.960
Glenn Barnett (34), Atlanta, Ga., no time
Group B
Jake Knowles (66), Rome, Ga., 13.131
Tanner English (58), Benton, Ky., 13.181
Michael Chilton (97), Salvisa, Ky., 13.226
Casey Roberts (101), Toccoa, Ga., 13.235
Donald McIntosh (7M), Dawsonville, Ga., 13.300
Jamie Oliver (38), Murphy, N.C., 13.330
Kip Cochran (55), Franklin, N.C., 13.699
Jacob Anderson (200), Murphy, N.C., 13.786
Levi Hicks (4H), Andrews, N.C., 14.049
Craig Greer (7), Cleveland, Tenn., 14.210
Rusty Jordan (17J), Hartwell, Ga., 14.527

Tuesday’s schedule

6:50 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
7:15 p.m. - Hot laps/qualifying
- Street stocks hot laps
- Super Late Model hot laps
- Modified street/-602 beginner hot laps
- Pony hot laps
- Front-wheel drive hot laps
Opening ceremonies
- Street stocks heats (six laps)
- Super Late Model qualifying (two laps)
- Modified street heats (six laps)
- Pony heats (six laps)
- 602 beginner heats (six laps)
- Front-wheel drive heats (six laps)
- Super Late Model last chance heats (10 laps; if needed)
- Street stock feature (15 laps)
- Super Late Model feature (35 laps)
- Modified street feature (15 laps)
- Pony feature (15 laps)
- 602 beginner feature (15 laps)
- Front-wheel drive feature (15 laps)