SENOIA, Ga. – Olivia Gentry posted her first victory at Senoia Raceway on Saturday night.
The 19-year-old daughter of veteran short tracker Oliver Gentry picked up the laurels in the Charger feature as she led the field from green flag to checkered flag. Gentry is no stranger to winning races as she has won the Great Race (road rally) twice, including last year’s 2,300 mile trek in the expert division. This was her first win in a dirt car that is similar to a race car her father has been wheeling for so many years.
Gentry was one of four first time winners at the three-eighths-mile clay oval in Senoia. The track continues to operate without fans in the grandstand, but viewers from across the nation were tuned in on a pay-per-view telecast.
“We will keep racing without fans until the state sets the guidelines and allows us to open the grandstand,” said promoter Mayes Massey. “I know it is tough for the fans of the track. I hear from them daily asking about the talks with the state. They are anxious to get back out here.”
Also, celebrating their first trip to Senoia Raceway’s victory lane were T.J. Joiner in the Hobby class, Payton Stevenson in another Charger main and Kirby Smith, who got the best of the hot shot field.
Joiner battled with former Hobby track champion Ben Wells for a few laps before getting past him with a strong run to the inside out of turn four. Joiner never looked back, earning his way to the winner’s circle.
Stevenson’s run to the checkers was a bit more exciting as the teenager used a small opening between two drivers to shoot past into the number one spot. Coming out of the second turn, Stevenson saw the middle lane open up as Carson Nicholson and Conner Younginer battled on the top and bottom of the race track. Stevenson’s three-wide decision was the difference maker as he held off the challengers the rest of the way.
In the Hot Shots, Smith struggled in qualifying and then found his groove when feature time came around. Smith used the high line around the track to his advantage moving past competitors that found the bottom groove to their liking. It took the eventual winner 13 laps to catch then leader Chris Elliott, but he shot past just before the final lap and then pulled away nearly scraping the outside concrete over the final circuit.
Austin Horton dominated the limited late model show Saturday night. Horton ran flag to flag for the victory. Marty Lunsford ran a near-perfect race charging up over the final few laps to snag a second place finish, passing Rucker Orr with a high side speed move on lap 18.
Wiley McDaniel also found the most speed in the high line. McDaniel worked past Fayetteville’s Bailey Williams early on and then held on through a number of cautions to win the Late Model Sportsman race.
Dustin Smith waged war with William Blair and Chas Haksins in the Bomber feature. The three swapped positions and lane choice throughout the first half of the race before Blair’s tires heated up causing him to fade back. Smith then pulled away from the previous Saturday night winner Haskins to post the win.
Dylan Knowles won for the second straight week in the crate late model division and Tommy Faulkner won the Mini Stock race. Both drivers led their respective races flag to flag.