MERIDIAN, Miss. — Nick Thrash took the lead on lap five and rode the high side to win the inaugural Southern Thunder Series 25-lap Main event for 602 Dirt Late Models on Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park.
Thrash took home the top prize of $1,200 and the Battle of the States championship belt.
Thrash took command of the race on lap five, but behind him, early race leader and polesitter Jamey Boland and Spencer Hughes put on a show battling for the top three spots. Boland finished second in the Boland Performance Trak-Star, and Hughes came from the sixth starting spot to finish third in the Moffitt Racing Barry Wright.
Covy Parsons drove the Parsons Racing Special to a fourth-place finish, and J.C. Wilson was fifth.
In preliminary action, Boland was the Terry Wilson Logging Fast Qualifier among the 28 entrants with a lap around the three-eighths-mile clay oval known as “The House of Hook” in 13.925 seconds to pocket $100.
The four eight-lap Heat Races were won by Boland, Thrash, Colby Ponds and Wilson. Trent McLeod won the eight-lap B-Main Race.
Boland took the lead at the start of the feature from the pole position and stayed on the bottom of the race track. Thrash came from the outside front row starting spot to battle Ponds and Hughes to his inside as they raced three-wide off the second turn. When they completed lap one it was Boland in the lead, followed by Thrash, Ponds, Hughes and Wilson.
The first of two caution flags came out on lap two when Ellie Hughes spun in turn four. Boland brought the field doubled up behind him for a double-file restart. Boland once again took up residence just inches off the Ute Tires that marked the inside of the track.
Thrash camped out on Boland’s right-rear quarter panel on the outside groove, ripping the lip close to the wall on the cushion. Thrash built up enough momentum with his Chevrolet Performance 602 powered dirt late model by lap five to sail around the outside of Boland to take the lead.
Hughes followed Thrash’s tire tracks and drove around Boland for the second spot on lap six. Boland moved to the high side of the race track, and settled into the third spot, as the top three cars rode in close formation for a few laps. By lap 10, Thrash, Hughes and Boland got busy in lapped traffic.
Hughes closed in on Thrash on lap 14 and threw a slider at the leader by diving low in turn one, but he couldn’t clear Thrash, who held on to the lead.
The field was slowed by the final caution flag of the race on lap 18 when Shay Knight spun in turn two.
The restart saw Hughes choose the inside, with the third-place car of Boland to his right on the outside.
Thrash held the lead when the green bulb was ignited, but Boland got wound up on the high side to pass Hughes for the second spot. Thrash rode the cushion for all 25 laps and was never challenged in the seven lap dash to the finish. Thrash took a 1.414 second margin of victory under the checkered flag.
The Finish:
Feature (25 Laps): Nick Thrash, Jamey Boland, Spencer Hughes, Covy Parsons, J.C. Wilson, Bailey Callahan, Bradley Price, Matt Grable, Trent McLeod, Osman Jones, Terrell Harris, Allen Edwards, Brandon Buhler, Dale Young, Kason Harper, Colby Ponds, Shay Knight, Zack Owens, Justin McRee, Devin Whatley, Rick Hasselle, Tripp Thomas, Trace Armstrong, Ellie Hughes
Keyword: Thrash Rips To Inaugural Southern Thunder Series Score