SEYMOUR, Tenn. — The Hangover Race will be entering its 11th year with the 2021 edition on Jan. 1-2.
In the past 10 races, all have been nothing short of exciting racing action. Defending winner Donald McIntosh of Dawsonville, Ga., has won the race four times.
Promoter Mitch McCarter will be upping the ante this year as a $5,000 winners prize will be the highest paid for the annual New Year’s event. The race has paid $4,000 since 2015 for the winner of the super late model feature. Since its inception in 2011, there have been seven different winners.
Brad Lowe won the inaugural race over Jason Welshan, Ryan King, Josh Collins and Rusty Ballenger. Twenty-two cars competed in the first Hangover feature. In 2012, 36 cars entered the event with Brad Hall of Knoxville, Tenn., taking the payday over Steve Smith, Josh Henry, Lowe and Virginia’s Walker Arthur.
In 2013, Josh Collins won the Hangover event over Arthur, Ballenger, Stone Fuller and Danny Yoder. Fifteen cars entered the race. Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, Tenn., won the 2014 Hangover Race over Jensen Ford, Ballenger, Henry and Ross White. A field of 15 cars entered the race.
The 2015 event would be the first year super late models headlined the program sanctioned by CT Promotions, with $4,000 offered to the race winner. Forty-six cars entered the race, with Hedgecock blistering the field with a 13:028-second lap in qualifying.
Donald McIntosh would win the Dash and set on the pole for the 40-lapper. Heat race winners would be Pierce McCarter, Arthur, Mike Marlar and Dusty Carver with Consolation race winners being Chad Ogle and Benji Cole. McIntosh would take the victory in the feature over Arthur, Stephen Breeding, Pierce McCarter and Jeremy Hines.
Ray Cook of Brasstown, N.C., would take the win in 2016 over Mike Marlar as 23 cars entered the event. Justin Williams took the fast time honors with a 14:459-second lap. McIntosh sat on the pole.
The way the calendar fell, the next edition of the Hangover would be held at the end of 2016 instead of the beginning of 2017. McIntosh would score his second Hangover victory after setting fast time with a 13.821-second lap ahead of a 41-car field.
McIntosh would score his third Hangover victory the following year in the Iron-Man Series-sanctioned race over polesitter Hedgecock, Tyler Bare and Will Roland. Hedgecock would be the fastest of the 29 cars with a 13:052-second lap.
In 2018, Scott James of Lawrenceburg, Ind., bested a field of 33 cars and went on to claim the Hangover and Leftover race victories at 411 Motor Speedway. James won the race over McIntosh, King, Eric Webber and Kentucky’s Todd Coffman.
McIntosh would claim his fourth Hangover payday in 2019 as the Georgia competitor took the $4,000 win for Blount Motorsports ahead of Jackie Boggs, Hedgecock, Riley Hickman and Logan Roberson.
A total of 129 different drivers have made the Hangover feature in the last 10 races. King of Seymour, Tenn., has made the most features at eight. His best finish was third, twice. Welshan of Maryville, Tenn., has competed in seven Hangover races with his best finish being second in 2011. Hedgecock has competed in six Hangover races with one win, one second place, one third place and three finishes outside the top-eight. Ballenger has competed in five Hangover features with his best finish of third, twice. Jason Cardwell has also competed in five Hangovers with his best finish of third in 2016.