DirtonDirt.com Dispatches
Dispatches: Mag winner survives a rugged path
Josh Putnam wins at the Mag. (Zackary Washington/Simple Moments Photography)
The latest notes and quotes from Dirt Late Model special and sanctioned events during the weekend of May 12-14, including the 20th annual Governor’s Cup for the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series and Mississippi State Championship Challenge Series at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, Miss., and other action throughout the country:
Putnam survives Magnolia
Josh Putnam didn’t know how to exactly attack Magnolia Motor Speedway’s rugged track surface Saturday. The Columbus, Miss., oval received substantial overnight rainfall, putting unwanted strain on Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series officials and competitors alike.
After the scheduled 50-lap feature was trimmed to 25 circuits, and after just 10 of the registered 45 drivers completed all the laps, Putnam was the one left standing in victory lane. Perhaps that wouldn’t have been in the result if it weren’t for race-long leader Wil Herrington spinning midway through, but Putnam remained diligent enough to pocket the $10,000 payday.
“Man, I felt like I was screwing up every lap down there on that bottom,” Putnam said. “I knew early we were good out there in the racetrack. I mean, I hate that for Wil down there. That was an unfortunate break for him. I don’t know if we’d ever get by him. Me and him had two good race cars with what we had here.”
Putnam ran directly behind Herrington, who led the opening 13 laps, for much of the first half of Saturday’s feature. Herrington had set sail at the front of the field, establishing more than a second lead on Putnam when the tide turned on lap 13; where Herrington’s car skipped across a few ruts, clipped the infield berm, and looped around.
Herrington’s spin accounted for one of eight Saturday incidents. The most extreme of those incidents transpired on lap 15, when fourth-running Payton Freeman flipped harshly in turn one attempting to motor around the top of Magnolia’s treacherous racing surface. Freeman escaped unharmed as Putnam’s game plan simplified to keeping all four tires stable on the ground.
“When I got the lead there, I made up my mind I was going to stay on the bottom, however slow I had to get in the bottom, and try to keep my wheels on my race car; keep the driveline in it,” Putnam said. “You know, it paid off. I don’t know what these guys were doing behind me. I was thinking somebody would find some place better and smoke by me at anytime. I made up my mind that second-place would be good for what we had. Thank the man upstairs that he got us through this. Maybe we can get some more this year.”
For Putnam, it’s his first win of the 2023 season, which will be primarily spent following the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series. The Florence, Ala., native has liked what’s seen so far with the fledgling 15-race tour, particularly after Saturday’s resolve to make something out of the unfortunate conditions.
“It’s good. These guys, I think, are going to have a heckuva series here,” Putnam said. “It’s a good group to race with. I know there’s a lot of give and take out here. … I really think this thing (the Hunt the Front Series) will go a long way. These guys did an amazing job all night tonight. They listened to all of our complaints, and all that good stuff. … They did the best they can. I hate for the fans (the feature) got cut short … these guys worked their butts off.” — Staff reports
Rice's spirit-lifting win
Josh Rice was still downcast about his 20th-place finish in last weekend’s Ralph Latham Memorial at Florence Speedway in Union, Ky., losing out on a chance to win the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event three times in a row. So much that he didn’t want to race this weekend.
“I was still pouting from last weekend,” Rice said. “About 10:30 (Saturday) morning, I woke up and I was like, ‘Hell with it. Let’s go.’ We did about two hours of work, or a week’s worth of work in about two hours.
Rice then put the somber result in the rear-view mirror as on Saturday he marched to victory with the Southern All Star Series at Richmond (Ky.) Raceway, his first win on the longstanding Dirt Late Model tour.
“It paid off,” Rice said. “Glad we came. … It’s pretty cool.”
Rice earned $7,500 in winnings on Saturday, which marked his second win of the year. On April 15, he won Florence Speedway’s Spring 50 and its $10,000 payday. His latest “wasn’t the cleanest ever,” Rice described, partly due to contact with midrace leader Trevor Landrum on lap 16. Rice’s motive wasn’t to be dirty, however, but only to size up a respectable go-ahead move.
“He was taking up so much of the racetrack, I was trying to just let him know I was there,” Rice said. “When I hooked him, he stopped to get straight, and I really drilled him. I apologize for that, man. As I said, we’re at Richmond. I hope he understands. Yeah, a good bounce back for us. I feel like I had a car to win last weekend; just a driver error kept us from doing it.”
Landrum, who led laps 11-15 before Rice swooped in, didn’t seem to take the contact that thwarted him from the lead too personally.
“I had seen him and Robby (Hensley) racing together, and they were favoring the top, and you can’t follow them. I started searching around,” Hensley said. "I really liked the bottom of one and two, and, man, the middle of three and four was treating me right. Things fell (our way), I got to second there, and I was like, ‘OK, Josh, pick that top there, I think we have something for you.’
“We were alright; still missing it a little bit. By the time he got by me down the back straightaway, I was told to go to the top in three and four. That’s where I was headed. Maybe one more lap I could’ve held him off, who knows.” –– Staff reports
Helping Georgia students
Coltman Farms Racing owner Brett Coltman didn’t only provide the students and faculty at the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett in Lawrenceville, Ga., with an up-close look at his Dirt Late Models and an opportunity to meet two of his drivers on Thursday.
Unbeknownst to school leadership, Coltman also surprised them with a $150,000 donation during the special event, which included appearances by Coltman Farms Racing drivers David McCoy of Franklin, N.C., and Kenny Collins of Colbert, Ga., and their race cars. It is the largest one-time charitable contribution ever made to the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett.
“This incredible gift will allow us to continue investing in the educational experience of our students and young adults today and position us to expand our programs to serve more families in the future,” said Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett Executive Director Jamie Hamilton. “This act of generosity will touch the lives of every student, young adult, family,and teacher for years to come, and for that we are truly grateful.”
The Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett offers classes for children ranging in age from toddlers to high schoolers. The school’s philosophy is that special needs students are children first, with all the needs, desires and feelings of children without disabilities. They are more like other children than different, and the school helps children overcome or compensate for their disabilities in order to grow and move out into the world.
“I’ve been a supporter of the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett for a long time,” Coltman said. “When I started Coltman Farms Racing one of the first things I did was donate space on the race cars to the school. They do such an amazing job helping special needs students and their parents to overcome the difficulties that disabilities can present so that they can enjoy full lives.
“I’ve been so very blessed in my life and it’s incredibly special to be able to give back to an organization such as the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett.”
Hamilton expressed immense gratitude to Coltman for not only his charitable contribution but also for taking the time to bring the Coltman Farms Racing cars to the school so the children could see them in person and help them make a memory that will last a lifetime.
“Mr. Coltman's genuine care for children with special needs is heartwarming, and we are honored that he has chosen to support the amazing young people at SNS,” said Hamilton. “Our kids were so excited to learn that our logo was on the Coltman Farms Racing cars last fall, but to get to see them in person today and meet the drivers was an experience they will all remember and cherish for a long time. We are forever grateful to Mr. Coltman and the entire Coltman Farms Racing team for their support of SNS.”
Based in Maysville, Ga., Coltman Farms Racing fields cars for McCoy and Collins and sponsors several other racers, including Payton Freeman of Commerce, Ga. — MPM Marketing
