Tri-County Racetrack
Wood scores a repeat victory at Tri-County
Dillon Wood tells the Tri-County crowd about his $3,000 victory. (binghamfreelance.com)
BRASSTOWN, N.C. (May 27) — Dillon Wood made Memorial Day weekend doubly special on Monday night with a 40-lap victory at Tri-County Racetrack paying $3,000.
The 22-year-old driver from Daytona Beach, Fla., won the 3/8-mile oval’s Memorial Day Championship for the second straight time and made it his second victory of the weekend. Wood won Saturday night on the Ultimate Series at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. | Slideshow | Video
At Tri-County, Wood started outside the front row and led two laps before polesitter Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga., slipped underneath to take the lead. Wood chased Roberts through the middle stages, then regained the lead on the 30th lap after Roberts jumped the turn-four cushion and hit the guardrail.
Wood led the rest of the way, taking the checkers ahead of Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, Ga. David Payne of nearby Murphy, N.C., was third with Murphy’s Johnny Chastain and George Mashburn rounding out the top five.
Five cautions slowed the action, the most serious for the departure of Roberts. Mashburn drew two yellows, including when he spun inside turn two and ended up with his car’s nosepiece atop an infield tire barrier.
Notes: Wood drives a Clements-powered Rocket Chassis with sponsorship from Keyser Manufacturing, Gottarace.com, GW Performance and All-Star Graphics. ... Wood had been chasing the Rookie of the Year title on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, but he vacated that pursuit to run an independent schedule starting Memorial Day weekend. ... The 74 total race cars at Tri-County marked the most since Ray Cook took over promotions in 2011. ... Jimmy Elliott won the night’s Crate Late Model feature. ... Tri-County continues its twice-monthly schedule on June 7, a program that will include a second Super Late Model feature, a makeup from an April 26 rainout. ... The track’s Tar Heel 50 pays $3,500-to-win for Super Late Models on Oct. 4.
Memorial Day Championship: (1) Dillon Wood, (2) Chip Brindle, (3) David Payne, (4) Johnny Chastain, (5) George Mashburn, (6) Daniel Baggerly, (7) Kyle Bronson, (8) Randy Nichols, (9) Rodney Weeks, (10) Jamie Oliver, (11) Ivedent Lloyd Jr., (12) Jordy Nipper, (13) Casey Roberts, (14) Shawn Chastain, (15) Brent Dixon, (16) Danny Ledford, (17) Gabe Wilson, (18) Glenn Barnett. Fast qualifier (among 18 cars): Roberts, 12.434 seconds.
