1/28/2023
Cory Hedgecock
Cory Hedgecock rules Winter Nationals opener at East Bay Raceway Park
Cory Hedgecock roared to his first win of the 2023 season on Thursday evening aboard his W.E. Hardscapes & Masonry / Noble Knights Construction Services / No. 23 Currin Construction / BMF Race Car / Eagle Racing Engine Super Late Model.
The $2,500 victory came in Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout Series action at Florida’s East Bay Raceway Park.
“Things were dicey at times on Thursday night. There was a few times I thought I was about to knock the clip out of it, we were so close to the wall but it all worked out. Adding a pair of fourth-place finishes on Saturday against this caliber of drivers feels really good in our family-built car (BMF Race Car),” Hedgecock shared. “Every time we hit the track, we’re steadily building up the notebook for our customers, while the orders are rolling in. Blessed is an understatement.”
Cory Hedgecock returned to the driver’s seat of his BMF Race Cars No. 23 Late Model on Thursday afternoon as the Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout Series ventured to East Bay Raceway Park (Gibsonton, Fla.) for the 47th annual East Bay Winter Nationals.
Drawing 62 Late Models, Cory topped his qualifying group with a blistering 16.614-second lap before placing first in his heat. Tracking down early pacesetter Chase Cooper on the eighth circuit of the feature, Hedgecock paced the field for the remainder of the 30-lapper to claim his first win of the season and a $2,500 payday. He took the checkers 0.402 seconds ahead of Mario Gresham with Randy Weaver, Ashton Winger, and Hayden Cardwell completing the top-five finishers.
Vying for another $2,500 payday on Friday, Hedgecock earned the fourth-starting position for the feature via a heat race triumph. Fading one spot late in the 30-lapper after running in third the majority of the race, Cory crossed the line in fourth.
On Saturday, Cory’s second-place finish in his heat race placed him on the fourth row for the $5,000-to-win finale. Moving forward three spots in the 50-lap affair, Hedgecock posted another fourth-place finish, which came behind Ashton Winger, Doug Horton, and Hayden Cardwell with Clinton Hersh completing the top-five finishers.
Full results from the weekend are available at www.CrateRacinUSA.com.
Next on tap for Cory is a trip to 411 Motor Speedway (Seymour, Tenn.) on Feb. 17 for the annual Sweetheart, which posts a $3,023 winner’s check for the CRUSA Winter Shootout Series competitors.
Full event details at www.411MotorSpeedway.net .
Article Credit: Jim DenHamer image
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