Thrash Wins Inaugural Southern Thunder Series Race At Whynot

MERIDIAN, MS – Nick Thrash of Meridian, MS took the lead on lap five and rode the high side to win the inaugural Southern Thunder Series 25-lap Main Event for 602 Dirt Late Models on Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park driving the Thrash Racing GRT. Thrash took home the top prize of $1,200 and the Battle of the States Championship Belt.

Thrash took command of the race on lap five, but behind him, early race leader and polesitter Jamey Boland of Cuba, AL and Spencer Hughes of Meridian, MS put on a show battling for the top three spots. Boland finished second in the Boland Performance Trak-Star, and Hughes came from the sixth starting spot to finish third in the Moffitt Racing Barry Wright.

Covy Parsons of Iuka, MS drove the Parsons Racing Special to a fourth-place finish, and J.C. Wilson of Milton, FL was fifth in the Wilson Lumber Special. Bailey Callahan of Weir, MS took the sixth spot in the Brent Woods Equipment Sales Rocket, and Bradley Price of Hamilton, AL was the Hard Charger of the Race after starting 20th and finishing seventh driving the Brinkley Hilltop Trak-Star.

Matt Grable of Mathiston, MS finished eighth in the Flora Logging LLC Barry Wright and Trent McLeod of Baker, FL came home in ninth driving the CJL Construction Rocket. Osman Jones of Milton, FL in the Jones Racing Special rounded out the top ten.

In preliminary action, Boland was the Terry Wilson Logging Fast Qualifier among the 28 entrants with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval known as “The House of Hook” in 13.925 seconds to pocket $100. The four eight-lap Heat Races were won by Boland, Thrash, Colby Ponds of Caledonia, MS in the Ponds Racing Special, and Wilson. McLeod won the eight-lap B-Main Race.

Boland took the lead at the start of the race from the pole position and stayed on the bottom of the race track. Thrash came from the outside front row starting spot to battle Ponds and Hughes to his inside as they raced three-wide off the second turn. When they completed lap one it was Boland in the lead, followed by Thrash, Ponds, Hughes and Wilson.

The first of two caution flags came out on lap two when Ellie Hughes of Causeyville, MS spun the T.R. Callahan and Son Paint Contractors Rocket in turn four. Boland brought the field doubled up behind him for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart. Boland once again took up residence just inches off the Ute Tires that marked the inside of the track.

Thrash camped out on Boland’s right-rear quarter panel on the outside groove, ripping the lip close to the wall on the cushion. Thrash built up enough momentum with his Chevrolet Performance 602 powered dirt late model by lap five to sail around the outside of Boland to take the lead.

Hughes followed Thrash’s tire tracks and drove around Boland for the second spot on lap six. Boland moved to the high side of the race track, and settled into the third spot, as the top three cars rode in close formation for a few laps. By lap ten, Thrash, Hughes and Boland got busy in lapped traffic.

Hughes closed in on Thrash on lap 14 and threw a slider at the leader by diving low in turn one, but he couldn’t clear Thrash, who held on to the lead. The field was slowed by the final caution flag of the race on lap 18 when Shay Knight of Columbus, MS spun the Knight Racing Special in turn two.

The restart saw Hughes choose the inside, with the third-place car of Boland to his right on the outside. Also doubled up behind Thrash were Parsons, Ponds, Wilson, Callahan, Grable, Price, and McLeod in fourth through tenth respectively.

Thrash held the lead when the green bulb was ignited, but Boland got wound up on the high side to pass Hughes for the second spot. Thrash rode the cushion for all 25 laps and was never challenged in the seven lap dash to the finish. Thrash took a 1.414 second margin of victory under the checkered flag.

The next event for the Southern Thunder Series will be on Saturday, April 1 at “The Bullring” of Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS for a $1,200-to-win $75-to-start 25-lap Main Event.

The engines that will power the Southern Thunder Series Dirt Late Models are the affordable all-steel 350 horsepower Chevrolet Performance 602 “Crate” Engines that are built and sealed at the factory to prevent any expensive modifications. The Southern Thunder Series will also utilize an affordable Shock rule with a claim option.

The Chevrolet Performance 602 powerplants are called crate engines by Chevrolet Performance because of the wooden containers that are used to ship the engines to Chevrolet Performance Dealers across the county, and then on to the racers.

Southern Thunder Series Contingency Sponsors are Quickcar Racing Products, Dominator Race Products, Advance Lazer and Machine, Boland Performance, Traktion Technology, Jones Racing Products, Willy’s Carburetor and Dyno Shop, Brown Engineering, RPI Racing Suspension, Swift Springs, Total Custom Carbs, and Extreme Graphics.

For more information about the Southern Thunder Series, contact Mike Boland at 601-527-2990, or by E-Mail at mboland222@bellsouth.net , and Robert Brown can be reached at 662-436-0977.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 1 AT WHYNOT MOTORSPORTS PARK IN MERIDIAN, MS ON 3/4/23:

POS STRT CAR# DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS
1. 2 01 Nick Thrash Meridian, MS 25
2. 1 232 Jamey Boland Cuba, AL 25
3. 6 87 Spencer Hughes Meridian, MS 25
4. 5 12 Covy Parsons Iuka, MS 25
5. 4 02 J.C. Wilson Milton, FL 25
6. 13 20 Bailey Callahan Weir, MS 25
7. 20 28 Bradley Price Hamilton, AL 25
8. 11 27 Matt Grable Mathiston, MS 25
9. 21 58 Trent McLeod Baker, FL 25
10. 12 9j Osman Jones Milton, FL 25
11. 15 16 Terrell Harris Nettelton, MS 25
12. 7 4 Allen Edwards Starkville, MS 25
13. 10 61 Brandon Buhler Denham Springs, LA 24
14. 19 14 Dale Young Raymond, MS 24
15. 23 17k Kason Harper Pelahatchie, MS 24
16. 3 51xxx Colby Ponds Caledonia, MS 17
17. 8 3 Shay Knight Columbus, MS 17
18. 14 8z Zack Owens Pearl, MS 13
19. 9 25 Justin McRee Tuscaloosa, AL 12
20. 22 C4 Devin Whatley Florence, MS 10
21. 18 KC1 Rick Hasselle Collinsville, MS 7
22. 24 76 Tripp Thomas Meridian, MS 3
23. 17 8 Trace Armstrong Hayden, AL 2
24. 16 9 Ellie Hughes Causeyville, MS 1

ENTRIES: 28
TERRY WILSON LOGGING FAST QUALIFIER: Boland, 13.925 Seconds
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Boland, 1-4; Thrash, 5-25
LAPS LED: Thrash, 21; Boland, 4
HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE: Price (started 20th and finished 7th)
CAUTIONS: 2
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.414 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 16 Minutes and 34.780 Seconds