OVERTON OPENS THE 2020 CRATE RACIN’ USA SEASON WITH A COCHRAN WIN

              COCHRAN, GA – Cody Overton of Evans, GA checked one off his bucket list with a victory on Saturday night in the 2020 Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series season opener at Cochran Motor Speedway. Overton started on the pole and led all 50 laps in the Midstates Equipment Rocket in a no spectator race broadcast on Speed51.com.

              “This is the biggest win of my career,” an emotional Overton said in Victory Lane. “My brother has won races all over the country, but I have always wanted to win one of these Crate Racin’ USA races, and this was a tough field here tonight. Now I’ve got a Golden Helmet Trophy to put on the shelf.”

              Overton had the field covered throughout the race and took the checkered flag with over a five second margin of victory over Jordy Nipper of Macon, GA, who finished second in the Scotty’s Muffler Rocket. Max Blair of Centerville, PA charged from the tenth starting spot to finish third in the Murphy’s Logging Rocket.

              Jody Knowles of Tyrone, GA drove the Clayton Signs Rocket to a fourth-place finish and Parker Martin of McIntyre, GA was fifth in the Martin Industrial Contracting Special. Dusty Jones of LaGrange, GA finished sixth in the T&D Towing and Automotive CVR and seventh went to T.J. Brittain of Centre, AL in the Brittain Hauling Warrior to earn the Fullmoon Graphics Lucky 7 Award.

              Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL finished eighth in the Skinner’s Body Shop Rocket, and Ben Faircloth of Swainsboro, GA took the ninth spot in the Sunbelt Heating and Air Special. Blake Smith of Dublin, GA rounded out the top ten in the Heat Sync Custom Structures Rocket. In preliminary action, Brittain was the fast qualifier with a lap in 14.931 seconds.

              Trynt Lloyd of Jacksonville, FL had a deck height issue that disqualified him in Time Trials, but he started 26th on the grid and finished 11th to earn the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Hard Charger of the Race Award.

              Overton took the lead at the start of the race followed by Knowles, Brittain, Martin and Nipper. Martin got a big run on the outside and moved from fourth to second on lap two. The first of six caution flags came out on lap four when Jimmy Price of Oxford, GA stalled the Pre Stress Transportation Warrior on the front straightaway.

              The top ten for the first Dixie-Style Double-File Restart had Overton leading with Martin, Knowles, Nipper, Brittain, Garrett Smith of Eatonton, GA in the Terminal Maintenance and Construction Special, Faircloth, Blair, Jones and Skinner doubled up behind the leader. Tyler Mimbs of East Dublin, GA stalled the Middle Georgia Diesel Repair Special on lap six to bring out the caution flag.

              Before the field could get up to full speed on the restart, Ryan Boudreaux of Harvey, LA spun the Accuforce Special down the front straightaway to light up the yellow caution bulb for the third time on lap eight. Doubled up behind Overton in second through tenth respectively for the restart were Martin, Knowles, Nipper, Brittain, Blair, Garrett Smith, Faircloth, Jones, and Skinner.

              Jones got up on the wheel when the green light brought the field up to speed, as he came from ninth to fifth in one lap. The next caution flag came out on lap 14 when Rye Faulk of Dublin, GA in the Faulk Farms Special spun in turn three. On the restart, Ty Ellis of Covington, GA in the Precision Bodyworks Special and Boudreaux tangled in turn four.

              Nipper got to the inside of Martin and Knowles on the next restart to move up from fourth to second. By lap 22, Overton had a full straightaway lead on Nipper, as he began to encounter lapped traffic. Nipper cut that lead in half by lap 35 and closed to within a few car lengths with ten laps to go.

              The lapped traffic went away on lap 43 when Corey Dunn of Milledgeville, GA spun in turn three to bring out the final caution flag of the race. Overton led Nipper, Knowles, Martin, Blair, Jones, Brittain, Skinner, Faircloth, and Blake Smith down for the eight-lap dash to the finish.

              Blair came down the front straightaway to complete lap 43 after the restart by driving around the outside of Martin and then threading the needle by crossing in front of Martin and diving under Knowles to grab the third spot. That earned Blair the VP Racing Lubricants Slick Move of the Race Award.

              With a clear track in front of him, Overton packed his bags, turned in the key, and checked out on the field to cruise to his first-ever Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series win. The action continues at Cochran Motor Speedway on Sunday night in front of the Speed51.com cameras with no spectators for another $2,500-to-win $250-to-start 50-lap race.

              The economical Aluminum Head, Steel Block, Chevrolet Performance 604 Circle Track Engine is the engine of choice for the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series competitors. The Chevrolet Performance 604 Engine is in stock and available for free next day delivery from Newsome Raceway Parts in Hartsville, SC. 

            Newsome Raceway Parts gives a portion of the sales from each Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engine sold back to the Crate Racin’ USA Point Funds in four different Divisions. Each economical Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engine is built and sealed at the factory to prevent any expensive modifications. To place an order call 1-877-497-3624.

For more information and rules about the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.crateracinusa.com, or visit the series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CrateRacinUSA/.  You can follow us on Twitter @CrateRacinUSALM, and at Instagram at crateracinusa.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 1 AT COCHRAN MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN COCHRAN, GA ON 5/23/2020:

POS      STRT   CAR #  DRIVER                            HOMETOWN                  LAPS    $ WON
1.           1            10          Cody Overton                  Evans, GA                         50          $2,500
2.           4            1n          Jordy Nipper                    Macon, GA                       50          $1,250
3.           10          111       Max Blair                         Centerville, PA                50          $850
4.           3            03          Jody Knowles                   Tyrone, GA                       50          $700
5.           5            6            Parker Martin (YG)       McIntyre, GA                  50          $650
6.           6            4            Dusty Jones                      LaGrange, GA                 50          $550
7.           2            05          T.J. Brittain                     Centre, AL                        50          $500
8.           8            11          Cruz Skinner                    Oxford, AL                       50          $450
9.           12          18          Ben Faircloth                   Swainsboro, GA               50          $400
10.         14          39          Blake Smith                      Dublin, GA                        50          $375
11.         26          2            Trynt Lloyd (YG)            Jacksonville, FL               50          $350
12.         16          21          Corey Dunn                      Milledgeville, GA            50          $300
13.         9            19          Marcus Minga                 Shannon, MS                    49          $280
14.         7            10s        Garrett Smith (YG)        Eatonton, GA                   49          $260
15.         25          00          Wil Herrington                Hawkinsville, GA            49          $250
16.         23          39          Troy Dixon                       Dallas, GA                        35          $250
17.         22          4f          Rye Faulk                         Dublin, GA                        24          $250
18.         11          14          Logan Palmer                  Acworth, GA                    20          $250
19.         24          79          Sam Carter                      Covington, GA                 16          $250
20.         17          19w       Matthew Wyatt               Eastanollie, GA                14          $250
21.         20          21s        Tyler Sanders                  Dublin, GA                        13          $250
22.         15          99          Ryan Boudreaux             Harvey, LA                       13          $250
23.         19          1            Ty Ellis                              Covington, GA                 13          $250
24.         21          16          Tom Egner                       Hinesville, GA                  12          $250
25.         13          89          Jimmy Price                     Oxford, GA                       12          $250
26.         18          9            Tyler Mimbs                    East Dublin, GA               5            $250

ENTRIES: 26
FAST QUALIFIER: Brittain, 14.931 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAPS LED: Overton, 1-50
KNOWLES RACE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Lloyd (started 26th and finished 11th)
VP RACING LUBRICANTS SLICK MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Blair
FULLMOON GRAPHICS LUCKY 7 AWARD: Brittain
CAUTIONS: 6
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 5.362 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 43 Minutes and 48.487 Seconds
NEXT RACE: May 24, $2,500-to-win, $250-to-start, 50 Laps, Cochran Motor Speedway, Cochran, GA