(Concord, NC - October 31, 2024) – The 9th Annual World Short Track Championship kicked off in spectacular fashion at the Dirt Track at Charlotte, drawing a record 532 entries across 10 divisions. Among them, the Rogers-Dabbs Performance Parts Crate Racin' USA Dirt Late Model Series showcased 60 talented drivers.
The excitement began as Mill Spring, NC driver John Price clocked the fastest hot lap of the evening with an impressive time of 16.285 seconds, closely followed by Gaffney, SC competitors Jacob Brown and Layton Sullivan.
As the night progressed, drivers took to the track for the Stakt Products by CV Racing Products Time Trials, where the 60-car field was divided into three groups.
In Group-A, former World Short Track Champion John Ruggiero Jr. from Lincolnton, NC, led the charge with a lap time of 16.252, edging out points regular Bubba Roling of Clay Hill, FL, and Travis Steele from Clover, SC. Group-B saw Little River, SC's Austin Yarbrough lay down a top time of 16.212, finishing ahead of Layton Sullivan and Beckham Malone. The fastest overall qualifier came from Group-C, where Trent Ivey put in a stellar performance with a time of 16.210, setting him up for a prime position in the upcoming Chevrolet Performance Heat races as he aims for his third consecutive Short Track World Championship.
The night concluded with the traditional Championship Invitational feature, where point regular and last year's Cruise with the Champions Rookie of the Year Mario Gresham claimed victory, leading all 15 laps for his first-ever feature win at Charlotte. Gresham’s dominant performance came after a tough outing at the previous points event in Talladega, ensuring him a starting spot in Saturday's main event.
Championship Feature - 10/31/24 | The Dirt Track at Charlotte
1-21 Mario Gresham - Rome, GA
2-555 Brock Pinkerous - Ellenville, NY
3-66 Jody Knowles - Tyrone, GA
4-5 Colby Quick - Salisbury, NC
5-8 Matthew Larson - Lake Elmo, MN
6-22 Matt Henderson - Lenoir City, TN
7-6 Dillon Brown - Gaffney, SC
8-24 Jacob Brown - Gaffney, SC
9-515 Bubba Roling(R) - Clay Hill, FL
10-22 Jimmy Thomas - Phenix City, AL
11-11K Davin Kaiser - Winchester, VA
12-18G Ricky Greene - Newton, NC
13-88D Dalton Dowdy - Madison, AL
14-P4 John Price - Mill Spring, NC
15-98 Matt Dooley(R) - Brooks, GA
16-2S Layton Sullivan - Gaffney, SC
DNS Gavin Cowan - Rincon, GA
DNS Beckham Malone - Rock Hill, SC
DNS John Ruggiero Jr - Lincolnton, NC
DNS Austin Yarbrough - Little River, SC
DNS Trent Ivey - Union, SC
Racing action continues on Friday, November 1st, with the series competing in six Chevrolet Performance heat races, where the top three finishers will secure spots in the main event. The remainder of the field will head to the Rogers-Dabbs Chevrolet B-Mains on Saturday night.
For rules and information on the Rogers Dabbs Performance Parts Crate Racin' USA Dirt Late Model Series (604 Late Models) visit our website at www.crateracinusa.com or email us at crateracinusa@gmail.com.
Crate Racin' USA would like to thank it's marketing partners Rogers Dabbs Performance Parts , Chevrolet Performance, Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, VP Racing Lubricants, KRC Power Steering, Knowles Race Parts and Bodies, Willy's Carb & Dyno Shop, LLC, Competition Racing Equipement, Cruise with the Champions, Savage Chassis, BMF Race Cars,Velocita by Melissa Markewitz , Eagle Racing Engines, Hickman Manufacturing, ATC Bolts & Fasteners, and Sin City Bail Bonds.