It’s King Christian IV In King Of The Crates At North Alabama Speedway

TUSCUMBIA, AL – After dominating 28 other foes in the territory of North Alabama Speedway, Christian Hanger of Winchester, TN was crowned King Christian IV on Sunday night in the 4th Annual King of the Crates 50 for the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series in the Hanger Hardwood Rocket.

Hanger cast his #29 sword early and often to lead all 50 laps to earn the crown and the $3,000 top prize. Hanger arrived at the battlefield with a broken race car, but with the help of a fellow competitor, Hanger was able to make repairs in time for hot laps, and then dialed in his machine to dominate the event.

“We had a broken hub on the left rear, and I’ve got to thank Braden Mitchell, who went to his shop to get what we needed to race tonight,” Hanger said. “My crew did a great job to get the car ready to go, and to come out, earn the pole, lead all of the race, and win the race. I have to pass this crown around to all of them to wear.”

The Hohenwald Gang took the second and third spots with Hohenwald, TN drivers Oakley Johns in the Shoals Box and Pallet Special and Tyler Wood in the Johns Farms Special second and third respectively behind Hanger. Jody Knowles of Tyrone, GA finished fourth in the Clayton Signs/Gentry Used Auto Parts Special.

Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series point leader Wil Herrington of Hawkinsville, GA took a step closer to clinching the $10,000 National Championship with a fifth-place finish in the 5m Construction Rocket. The defending race champion, King Jeremy III Shaw of Millport, AL was sixth in the Bud Coley Trucking Special.

Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS picked up the Fullmoon Graphics “Lucky 7” Award with a seven-place finish in the Ellis Specialty Welding Rocket. Steve Russell of Pontotoc, MS took the eighth spot in the Bud Coley Trucking Special and T.J. Brittain of Center, AL was ninth in the Brittain Hauling Warrior.

Brandon Carpenter of Coldwater, MS rounded out the top ten in the Carpenter Construction Special. Troy Dixon of Dallas, GA finished 17th in the Granite Hauling and Grading Rocket to earn the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race Ward.

In preliminary action, Hanger was the Boyd Built Fabricators Fast Time Award winner with a lap around North Alabama Speedway in 15.746 seconds in Group Qualifying. The two ten-lap KRC Power Steering B-Main winners were Brittain and Herrington.

Hanger took the lead from the pole position at the start of the race followed by Jadon Frame of Decherd, TN in the Denby’s J&J Construction Special, Johns, Oakley Gillespie of Five Points, TN in the White Sky Communication Special, and Shaw. Ben Brocato of Muscle Shoals, AL spun the Valley Metal Fabricators Special in turn four on lap four to bring out the first of two caution flags.

Hanger had Frame, Johns, Gillespie, Shaw, Billy Flannagan Jr. of Tuscumbia, AL in the Alabama Bands, Inc. Warrior, Wood, Herrington, Knowles and Josh Putnam of Florence, AL in the Zippy’s Auto Sales Special doubled up behind him for the Dixie-Style Double-File restart. After the restart, Shaw drove around Gillespie for the fourth spot.

The leaders taught the tail end of the lead lap by lap 15 and began to work their way through in close quarters. Gillespie had the left-front bodywork of his car damaged by contact, and it was trying to roll its way under the left front tire.

The bodywork dangling under Gillespie’s car cut down the left-front tire going into turn three on lap 24 causing Gillespie to spin out of fifth place and bring out the second and final caution flag of the race. First through tenth respectively for the restart were Hanger, Frame, Johns, Shaw, Wood, Herrington, Knowles, Ellis, Putnam, and Brittain.

Hanger pulled away on the restart, but Frame had a mechanical malfunction and did not come up to speed. Shaw got caught behind Frame and dropped to seventh before he could get by. Wood just got by to earn the VP Racing Lubricants Slick Move of the Race Award. Frame pulled to the infield while Johns took over the second spot followed by Wood, Knowles, Herrington, and Putnam.

Hanger caught lapped traffic on lap 29 with a half straightaway lead on Johns. While Johns and Wood closed in on the leader, Hanger was able to keep lapped cars between himself and the Hohenwald Gang. Putnam dropped out of the sixth spot and went to the pits on lap 42.

Hanger was able to keep up his fast pace through lapped traffic during the final laps of the race and took a 1.338 second margin of victory under the checkered flag. Next up for the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Series will be the non-points $25,000-to-win Powell Family Memorial Race on October 23-24 at All Tech Raceway in Lake City, FL.

The economical Aluminum Head, Steel Block, Chevrolet Performance 604 Circle Track Engine is the engine of choice for the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series competitors. The Chevrolet Performance 604 Engine is in stock and available for free next day delivery from Newsome Raceway Parts in Hartsville, SC.

Newsome Raceway Parts gives a portion of the sales from each Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engine sold back to the Crate Racin’ USA Point Funds in four different Divisions. Each economical Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engine is built and sealed at the factory to prevent any expensive modifications. To place an order call 1-877-497-3624.

For more information and rules about the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.crateracinusa.com, or visit the series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CrateRacinUSA/. You can follow us on Twitter @CrateRacinUSALM, and at Instagram at crateracinusa.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 14 AT NORTH ALABAMA SPEEDWAY IN TUSCUMBIA, AL ON 10/18/2020:

POS STR72 T CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 29 Christian Hanger Winchester, TN 50 $3,000
2. 2 C6 Oakley Johns Hohenwald, TN 50 $1,250
3. 5 17jr Tyler Wood Hohenwald, TN 50 $850
4. 9 03 Jody Knowles Tyrone, GA 50 $700
5. 12 14 Wil Herrington Hawkinsville, GA 50 $650
6. 7 1s Jeremy Shaw Millport, AL 50 $550
7. 13 73 Evan Ellis Plantersville, MS 50 $500
8. 10 72 Steve Russell Pontotoc, MS 50 $450
9. 11 05 T.J. Brittain Centre, AL 50 $400
10. 16 51 Brandon Carpenter Coldwater, MS 50 $375
11. 19 64 Braden Mitchell Russellville, AL 50 $350
12. 15 78 Matthew Brocato Muscle Shoals, AL 49 $300
13. 17 69 Mike Henn Muscle Shoals, AL 48 $300
14. 20 H17 Steven Holcomb Santa Fe, TN 48 $300
15. 24 713 Ben Brocato Muscle Shoals, AL 43 $300
16. 8 212 Josh Putnam Florence, AL 41 $300
17. 23 39 Troy Dixon (R) Dallas, GA 34 $300
18. 6 79 Billy Flannagan Jr. Tuscumbia, Al 26 $300
19. 4 J8 Jadon Frame Decherd, TN 23 $300
20. 3 2 Oakley Gillespie Five Points, TN 22 $300
21. 22 46 Bryson Mitchell (YG) Russellville, AL 21 $300
22. 18 21 Corey Dunn (R) Milledgeville, GA 19 $300
23. 14 91 Jason Markewitz Killen, AL 18 $300
24. 21 44 Curtis Cline Douglasville, GA 14 $300

ENTRIES: 29
BOYD BUILT FABRICATORS FAST QUALIFIER: Hanger, 15.746 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Dixon and B. Brocato
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAPS LED: Hanger, 1-50
KNOWLES RACE PARTS HARD CHARGER: B. Brocato (started 24th and finished 15th)
VP RACING LUBRICANTS SLICK MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Wood
FULLMOON GRAPHICS LUCKY 7 AWARD: Ellis
CRUISE WITH THE CHAMPIONS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Dixon
KRC POWER STEERING B-MAIN WINNERS: Brittain and Herrington
CAUTIONS: 2
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.338 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 29 Minutes and 1.983 Seconds
NEXT RACE: $25,000-To-Win Powell Memorial Race (Non-Points Race), October 23-24, All Tech Raceway, Lake City, FL