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HERRINGTON HOME SCHOOLS FOR SUNDAY VICTORY

Wil Herrington of Hawkinsville, GA home schooled 23 other Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series competitors on Sunday night with a clean sweep of the program at his home track, Cochran Motor Speedway driving the Poole Service Center Rocket.

Herrington led all 50 laps for a $2,500 payday, and he was also the Fast Qualifier for the event with a lap around Cochran Motor Speedway in 14.968 seconds. The win was also a tribute to Herrington’s crew, who had to overcome a bad night on Saturday night. Herrington had engine issues on Saturday night, and his crew tried to install a new engine before the main event.

“I have an awesome crew, and this win wouldn’t have been possible without their hard work and dedication,� Herrington said. “They tried to get a new engine in this car last night, but he ran out of time, so my car owner David Poole let me drive his Sportsman car with the 602 Engine in it. I just tried to hang on and get what I could get. Tonight was a whole different story. The crew finished up putting the new engine in, and it was an awesome race car tonight.�

Max Blair of Centerville, PA finished second in the Murphy’s Logging Rocket, and third went to Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL in the Skinner’s Body Shop Rocket. Saturday night winner Cody Overton of Evans, GA took the fourth spot in the Midstates Equipment Rocket and left Cochran, GA with the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series point lead.

Blake Smith of Dublin, GA finished fifth in the Heat Sync Custom Structures Rocket and T.J. Brittain of Centre, AL was sixth in the Brittain Hauling Warrior. Parker Martin of Milledgeville, GA took the seventh spot in the Martin Industrial Contracting Special and the Fullmoon Graphics Lucky 7 Award.

Ahnna Parkhurst of Evans, GA drove the EZ Go Special to an eighth-place finish, and ninth went to Trynt Lloyd of Jacksonville, FL in the Tom Kelly Construction Special. Corey Dunn of Milledgeville, GA rounded out the top ten in the Georgia Timber CVR. Ty Ellis of Covington, GA started 21st and finished 11th in the Precision Bodyworks Special to earn the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Hard Charger of the Race Award.

After a two and a half hour rain delay, the field took the green flag just before 12 Midnight with Herrington taking the lead from the pole position followed by Skinner, Martin, Dillon Brown of Gaffney, SC in the Cherokee Landscaping Special, and Jordy Nipper of Macon, GA in the Scotty’s Muffler Rocket.

The first of six caution flags came out on lap three when Jimmy Price of Oxford, GA spun the Pre-Stress Transportation Warrior in turn four. Herrington had Skinner, Martin, Brown, Nipper, Dunn, Blair, Tyler Sanders of Dublin, GA in the H.C. Roland Trucking Special, Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS in the B&M Salvage Rocket, and Smith doubled up behind him for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart.

Herrington opened up a five car-length lead on Skinner and Nipper drove around Brown to take over the fourth spot. A multi-car pile up on the front straightaway on lap 8 brought out the caution flag. Sanders, Minga, Tom Egner of Hinesville, GA in the Ace Real Estate Special, and Ryan Boudreaux of Harvey, LA in the Accuforce Special were done for the night.

The yellow caution bulb was fired up on lap ten when Dunn spun in turn four. Herrington led Skinner, Martin, Brown, Nipper, Blair, Smith, Brittain, Ben Faircloth of Swainsboro, GA in the Sunbelt Heating and Air Special and Parkhurst down for the restart. Overton was quick to make his presence known in the top ten on the restart as he charged up to the fifth spot by lap 13.

Nipper, Overton, Brown, and Blair got tangled up on the front straightaway on lap 14 and just when it looked like there would be a big wreck, they all managed to gather up their machines and carry on. Nipper got completely sideways, straightened out and he continued on without losing a spot. That earned Nipper the VP Racing Lubricants Slick Move of the Race Award.

Sam Carter of Covington, GA spun the Precision Bodyworks Special in turn two on lap 16 to bring out the fourth caution flag of the race. The top ten for the restart was Herrington, Skinner, Martin, Nipper, Blair, Overton, Smith, Lloyd, Brown, and Brittain. Blair passed Nipper for fourth on the restart, while Herrington and Skinner put some distance on Martin.

Blair’s march to the front continued on lap 21 when he sailed around the outside of Martin for the third spot. Blair found a fast groove on the top of Cochran Motor Speedway, and it wasn’t long before Herrington went to the top shelf of his favorite cookie cabinet. By the halfway point, Herrington had a half straightaway lead on Skinner.

Skinner gave up on the bottom groove by lap 30 and went to the high side in an effort to try and catch Herrington, who beginning to encounter heavy lapped traffic. Skinner was able to close to within a couple of car lengths by lap 42. Catching Herrington was one thing and passing him was another.

Herrington’s pesky lapped traffic went away on lap 45 when Ellis spun in turn four to bring out caution flag number five. The top ten for the restart was Herrington, Skinner, Blair, Martin, Overton, Faircloth, Smith, Brittain, Parkhurst, and Lloyd. When the green light came back on, Blair sailed around the outside of Skinner for second, and Herrington, Blair and Skinner raced off turn two three-wide.

Just as Herrington looked like he was gone, Price spun in turn three to bring out the final caution flag of the race on lap 49. That set up a green, white checkered dash to the finish. Herrington had Blair, Skinner, Overton, Martin, Smith, Brittain, Parkhurst, Faircloth, and Lloyd doubled up behind him for the restart.

No one could catch the hometown hero, as Herrington pulled away to take a 1.281 second margin of victory under the checkered flag. The win was Herrington’s third career Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series victory.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF COCHRAN MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN COCHRAN, GA ON 5/24/2020:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON

1. 1 00 Wil Herrington Hawkinsville, GA 50 $2,500
2. 7 111 Max Blair Centerville, PA 50 $1,250
3. 2 11 Cruz Skinner Oxford, AL 50 $850
4. 9 10 Cody Overton Evans, GA 50 $700
5. 12 39 Blake Smith Dublin, GA 50 $650
6. 11 05 T.J. Brittain Centre, AL 50 $550
7. 4 6jr Parker Martin (YG) Milledgeville, GA 50 $500
8. 16 23 Ahnna Parkhurst Evans, GA 50 $450
9. 14 2 Trent Lloyd (YG) Jacksonville, FL 50 $400
10. 5 21 Corey Dunn Milledgeville, GA 49 $375
11. 21 1 Ty Ellis Covington, GA 49 $350
12. 15 18 Ben Faircloth Swainsboro, GA 48 $300
13. 17 10s Garrett Smith (YG) Eatonton, GA 47 $280
14. 18 89 Jimmy Price Oxford, GA 46 $260
15. 6 1n Jordy Nipper Macon, GA 39 $250
16. 3 6 Dillon Brown Gaffney, SC 27 $250
17. 24 79 Sam Carter Covington, GA 27 $250
18. 20 14LP Logan Palmer Acworth, GA 23 $250
19. 23 39 Troy Dixon Dallas, GA 15 $250
20. 13 03 Jody Knowles Tyrone, GA 10 $250
21. 19 16 Tom Egner Hinesville, GA 7 $250
22. 22 99 Ryan Boudreaux Harvey, LA 7 $250
23. 8 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 7 $250
24. 10 21s Tyler Sanders Dublin, GA 6 $250

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