CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 30) — Dillon Brown led from start to finish to claim his first-ever Drydene World Short Track Championship victory in the Fox Factory 604 Pro Late Model division, earning a $4,000 prize in a 30-lapper Saturday night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
The DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned event was a collaborative effort with assistance from the Eastaboga, Ala-based Crate Racin’ USA organization, and Brown’s victory was his first in the multi-division annual event at the 4/10-mile facility that’s located across the street from the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was a non-points event for Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series competitors.
Brown, who also won a preliminary heat race, started from the outside of the front row in the 24-car field, and used the high side to snatch the early lead en route to the winner’s circle over Ben Watkins, Colton Trouille, fastest qualifier Winky McGee and Jody Knowles. Tyler Nicely actually crossed the stripe third, but he was disqualified during post-race inspection when his car was found to be light at the scales, and his dismissal moved Knowles into the top five.
Brown has had a successful season at the facility, also winning a pair of races during the mid-July Summer Sizzler weekend doubleheader, one of which paid $2,000 to win and the latter of which offered $10,000 to the victor.
“We swept that weekend here winning both races, and now to get this one during the Drydene Short Track Championship…it’s been a really great year for us at Charlotte,” Brown said. “I like this place. You have to drive really straight and control the car with your foot, and I guess you could say it suits my driving style to race here. I think the track we had today was perhaps the best surface we’ve ever had here for this event. It was slick, and you could race anywhere.”
Brown remained out front for the distance and was never seriously challenged, and he opened a half-straightaway advantage at times, but lapped traffic toward the end kept him honest. It allowed closest challenger Ben Watkins to close the gap over the final circuits, and especially during the final two trips around the oval as lapped traffic loomed large ahead of the race leader.
“I knew he [Watkins] was back there and closing the gap a little bit, but I was trying to take my time getting through the slower cars,” Brown said. “I felt like we had plenty still left in the tank as long as we didn’t slip up and make a mistake. My car was really good, and I could go where I wanted.”
Brown completed the distance in a car that carried sponsorship from Cherokee Landscaping, Performance Automotive, Pro Fabrication, Moorhead Bros. Inc., Cruise Thru, Penske Shocks, Wray’s Wraps, Hardison Suspension Technologies, with power from Hendren Racing Engines.
The division finished Saturday’s program with a 15-lap All-Star Feature, where Nicely rebounded from his disqualification in the main event to lead from start to finish and claim the honors over Justin Hudspeth, Watkins, Trouille and Knowles.
Drydene World Short Track Championships: 1. Dillon Brown, 2. Ben Watkins, 3. Colton Trouille, 4. Winky McGee, 5. Jody Knowles, 6. Owen Osteen, 7. Dan Breuer, 8. Jamison McBride, 9. Justin Hudspeth, 10. Bryan Mullis, 11. Dalton Jacobs, 12. Matt Long, 13. Jeremy Mayfield, 14. Chub Gunter, 15. Brayden Anderson, 16. Joey Johnson, 17. Kevin Wilson, 18. Jeff Johnson, 19. Bob Schwartzmiller, 20. Brian Ledbetter, 21. Timmie Harrelson, 22. Isaak Love, 23. Patrick Evatt.
Disqualified - Tyler Nicely.
Entries: 33
Fast qualifier: Winky McGee, 16.957 seconds
Lap leaders: Brown, 1-30.
Cautions: 2
Heat winners: Ben Watkins, Colton Trouille, Dillon Brown, Tyler Nicely
B-main winners: Isaak Love, Chub Gunter.