ULTIMATE $5,022-To-Win Modoc Jack Starrette Memorial A Special Race For A Special Man

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CARNESVILLE, GA – The $5,022-to-win 7th Annual Jack Starrette Memorial 50 is up next for the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series South East Region on Saturday night at Modoc Raceway in Modoc, SC. The third race of 2017 season for the ULTIMATE SE Tour is special because it pays homage to one of the Southeast’s most well-know and beloved dirt racing benefactors.

Jack Starrette was a friend to many in dirt late model racing, not just the competitors that he sponsored through the years, but to all competitors – even some he didn’t know – to track owners, racing series, and to the fans. The mark Starrette made on the sport earned him Induction into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in the Class of 2013 as a Special Contributor to the Sport.

Through his Augusta, GA businesses Starrette Trucking and Starrette Specialized Hauling, the man known by most as Mr. Jack, owned and sponsored numerous dirt late models until his untimely death in a construction accident in 2010 at the age of 79. The list of drivers Starrette has sponsored through the years reads like a Who’s Who of dirt late model racing, both past and present.

Dirt Late Model drivers that piloted cars with the Starrette name on the quarter panel include National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductees Mike Duvall, Mike Head, Jack Pennington, and Ronnie Johnson. It’s almost a given that the list of Hall of Fame drivers Starrette has sponsored through the years will continue to grow in the future.

Also driving Starrette sponsored cars through the years were Ricky Weeks, Casey Roberts, Jeff Smith, Buckshot Miles, Randle Chupp, Phillip Seifert, Jon Henderson, Ricky Elliott, and Jeremy Clements. Two drivers, Chris Ferguson and Dennis “Rambo” Franklin, who also carried the Starrette name, will each be looking for their third Jack Starrette Memorial Race wins this Saturday night at Modoc Raceway.

Ferguson of Mt. Holly, SC will be looking for his third straight Jack Starrette Memorial Race win, and Franklin of Gaffney, SC is the defending ULTIMATE SE Champion who will be looking to get his 2017 ULTIMATE SE season rolling after a dismal star in the first two races of the season.

There are a lot of races for super late models on dirt out there that pay $5,000-to-win or more, but for a lot of drivers in the ULTIMATE SE, winning the Jack Starrette Memorial 50 is extra special. Ferguson has won the special trophy with the Starrette Dump Truck on the top for two straight years. You would think he had a special place in his trophy case for them.

No, you won’t find those two special trophies there. You see, Ferguson has the same giving spirit that Mr. Jack had. Both trophies were given to a young race fan by Ferguson after the Victory Lane photos were taken.

“I remember when I was a kid, I always wanted the winning driver to give me a trophy, so that’s what I did after I won both races in Mr. Jack’s memory,” Ferguson said. “Mr. Jack was generous like that because he’s the only guy I know that would go out and have $5,000 worth of T-Shirts made and give them away. People would offer to pay for them, but Mr. Jack would not take their money. Mr. Jack gave me my start in Super Late Model racing, and having him around made this sport special to a lot of people.”

Franklin shares Ferguson’s thoughts on what a special man Jack Starrette was and what he meant to Super Late Model Racing. Franklin commented about he and his crew tend to step up their program when it comes time to compete in the Jack Starrette Memorial Race.

“We have had some trouble getting going this year but we have good notes for Modoc, so we hope this is the week we can get going again and make up some of these points,” Franklin said. “Mr. Jack was a real good man and it means a lot to me and my crew to win that race. So we are gonna give it all we got and see where we end up.”

The Jack Starrette Memorial 50 is a special race, not just for the competitors, but also for the staff and management of both Modoc Raceway and the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series. Modoc Raceway owners Jimmy and Ann Cushman and ULTIMATE SE Director Kelley Carlton were all close personal friends of Jack Starrette.

“We want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Cushman for asking ULTIMATE SE to continue to be a part of Mr. Jack’s race.” Carlton said. “We are very happy to be able to honor him with this race. Jack did so much for so many racers over his lifetime. Many of those guys will be at Modoc to race in his honor. The list of drivers that he helped seems endless. He just loved dirt racing and I hope that we can continue to help to honor him with this race. He deserves this and so much more. We are proud to be a small part of it.”

Carlton said he knew Jack Starrette was a special kind of person early in his racing career, in that Starrette would display his generosity, not just to the competitors he sponsored, but also to others randomly.

“I used to always do registration for the Southern All Star Series,” said Carlton. “I can’t tell you the number of times we’d have a line at the window and Mr. Jack would pay the entry fee for three or four guys in line, and not guys with his name on their car. He just wanted to pay somebody’s entry to help them out. Some of them were a little surprised, but most of them knew him and knew that was just Mr. Jack’s way.”

In addition to the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series South East Region Tour, the Crate and Stock V-8 Divisions will also pay tribute to Jack Starrette this Saturday night at Modoc Raceway. Each feature event in those two Divisions will pay $1,222-to-win.

This Saturday, the gates will open at 4 p.m., and the Drivers’ Meeting is set for 7 p.m. with racing to follow. The 7th Annual Jack Starrette Memorial Race will also feature the Crate Late Models and Stock V-8s.

Modoc Raceway is located at 1133 Washington School Road in Modoc, SC. For more information call 864-333-5600, or visit the Modoc Raceway website at www.modocraceway.com. You can also Follow them on Facebook at Modoc Raceway.

Check out the official website for the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series at www.ultimatesupers.com, and continue to follow our social media networks on Facebook at ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series and on Twitter @ULTIMATESupers to get up to the minute news and details as they become available.


The ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series would like to recognize their marketing partners for the 2017 season which include: American Racer, Hoosier Race Tires, VP Race Fuels, M&W Transport, PPM Racing Products, Arizona Sport Shirts, DirtonDirt.com, Big A’s Custom Graphics, AR Bodies, Five Star Race Bodies, Schaeffer’s Racing Oil and Lubricants, Autolite/Fram, RockAuto.com, Safecraft, Simpson, Thomas Clarke Performance Web Design and RacingJunk.com.

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602 Thunder Series is also on the program, paying $1,500 to win.

Stock V-8 has been boosted up to $1,722 to win!