ELLISVILLE, Fla. (Oct. 20) — Unheralded Tyler Clem and back-to-back Newsome/Raceway Parts Network Crate Racin' USA Dirt Late Model Series Winter Shootout Series champion Cory Hedgecock will lead the field to the green flag to start Saturday’s Powell Family Memorial at All-Tech Raceway.
Clem, of Pinellas Park, Fla. — Friday’s overall fast qualifier and winner of the first heat at the sprawling half-mile just south of Lake City — will start from the pole in Saturday’s 67-lap, $28,000-to-win main event. He dominated the first heat, driving away to a 5.620-second victory over runner-up Matt Herlong of Valrico, Fla.
Hedgecock, of Loudon, Tenn., won the second heat in his BMF Chassis, but not without a stiff challenge from Knoxville, Tenn., driver Hayden Cardwell. Cardwell led the first five laps before Hedgecock grabbed the lead on lap six of the 10-lap prelim and pulled away to win by 2.514 seconds. Despite winning the heat, Hedgecock felt like he should have been better.
“We struggled very bad,” said Hedgecock. “What happened was we put springs on it this morning just to make sure we had fresh springs for this weekend after testing. And I think we just found it, but we broke a plug, and we’re putting it back in. I bitched at dad through qualifying, heat racing, everything … like going, like firing, it just would not go. But up on top, racing, it felt fine. I just couldn't go. I just kept getting my ass kicked on restarts and fell back to third, and then drove back to the lead.
“We got a good car. We tightened up for the heat too, which was a mistake. Should have stayed free and I think we could have even been better. But I think we got a really good piece for tomorrow and if (the track will) slow down even more, I think we'll even get that much better.”
Hedgecock, who has five series wins in five starts on the year, will try to improve upon last season’s runner-up finish behind Milton, Fla., driver Joseph Joiner. He led lap 40 in the 2022 version, and laps 48-56 before settling for second.
“I don't remember where we started here the night that we wrecked passing for the lead on (Mark) Whitener,” said Hedgecock. “Then last year we started (14th) and drove to the lead. So it's by far the best we've ever started. So hopefully we can just, you know, not step on ourselves and make something of it. I think we got one of the best cars here by far, and we're damn sure a top-three car. So hopefully we can just not screw up and get a good start and maybe just be able to hopefully get the lead on the start and just set the pace and just go from there.”
While Hedgecock hopes he can get the lead early, Clem is thinking the same thing. Clem won All-Tech’s Sept. 30 tune-up race, topping Nevin Gainey of Ft. White, Fla., and Johnny Collins of Jacksonville, Fla., in the 23-car field.
“Hopefully we get a couple practice laps before the race and kind of make our final adjustments, see what we need to do to get a little bit better,” said Clem. “But yeah, I mean, obviously, it's a long race at 67 laps. You know you are definitely going to have to save your stuff, save your tires, and make sure you save it enough for where you can make a good last charge if you need to at the end. Hopefully we can kind of control the race a little bit, get out front and just set the pace and you know…try to weave through lapped traffic the best we can.
“We’ll see what happens. I think we got a good piece under us, and you know I'm pretty excited for (Saturday). Obviously, you know only taking two cars (from each heat), that heat race was super important. It was huge. You don't want to be stuck in second or third trying to battle it out for that spot because you know with that many cars and heat racing, only taking two, everybody's probably going to be close together, trying everything they can to get there. And you don't want any part of that.”
Along with Clem and Hedgecock, Friday’s other heat winners included Jimmy Thomas of Phenix City, Ala.; Joiner; Brad Dyer of Mohawk, Tenn.; Derrick Ramey of Mooresville, Ga.; Will Roland of Jasper, Ga.; and Tyler Millwood of Kingston, Ga. Those eight drivers occupy the first four rows of Saturday’s starting grid.
Rows 5-8 include Herlong, Cardwell, Wil Herrington, Mark Whitener, Jeremy Steele, Bubba Roling, Ryan Crane and Jose Parga.