Brasstown – Tri-County Racetrack welcomed drivers for an open practice session Thursday night.
After the rain stopped, the track crew worked tirelessly to prepare the track for the night’s practice. Once the track was ready to go, drivers in various classes hit the track to get their cars dialed in or to test different things.
Jamie Oliver, who is co-leasing the track and a driver himself, had a special moment during the practice session. He had the joy of guiding a silver Crown Vic onto the track for a few laps.
Behind the wheel of the M11 Crown Vic was his daughter, Morgan Oliver. She took her first laps behind the wheel of the race car at the track as her mother Kristie and father Jamie, as well as her sisters watched her drive around the 3/8th mile track.
Tri-County will host another open practice 7-10 p.m. Thursday before their race Friday night.
CRUSA on Friday
The Crate Racin’ U.S.A. Dirt Late Model Series is set to compete at Tri-County Racetrack on Friday night. The national dirt racing series last competed on July 5 at Xtreme Speedway in Moulton, Ala.
Jeremy Steele of York, S.C., holds a 30-point lead in the series. Just behind him is Jimmy Thomas of Phenix City, Ala., in second place and Bubba Roling of Clay Hill Fla. Roling sits 44 points behind Steele in the series. They will duke it out this weekend in hopes of taking the series lead.
The top five in the series sits close as one win could shake it up. Austin Yarbrough of Blackshear, Ga., sits just 46 points from the top and Matt Henderson of Lenoir City, Tenn., sits just 48 points back.
They will race Friday in Brasstown, then head down to Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga., for the next race.
Other classifications in action will be 602 Crate Late Model, A Modifieds, Dirt Late Models, Street Stocks, Front Wheel Drives and Crown Vics. Drivers from the area will look to earn wins in each of series.
The winners in each class will defend their win from the July 26 race at Tri-County. Looking to repeat as winners in each class are Jody Wilson of Blue Ridge, Ga., in 602 Crate Late Model, Gabe Wilson of Waynesville in A Modifieds and Charles Devine of Murphy in Street Stocks.
Also looking to get another win at Tri-County are Shannon Jones of Hayesville in Front Wheel Drives and Jim Exum of Murphy in Crown Vics.
Southern Thunder coming soon
The Southern Thunder Super Dirt Series is coming to Tri-County Racetrack on Friday, Aug. 22.
Dalton Cook of Salem, Ala., will hit the Brasstown track in his black and blue 44D car in hopes of maintaining first place in the series. At press time Tuesday morning, he sits in first place in points with 528.
Trey Mills of St. Augustine, Fla., sits in second place at 104 points behind Cook. Beckham Malone of Rock Hill, S.C., sits in third place at 152 points behind Cook. Zack Mitchell of Enoree, S.C., sits 188 points behind Cook and rounds out those who are less than 200 points behind the lead.
Benji Hicks of Mount Airy is the highest-ranking North Carolina driver. Hicks is in 10th with 222 points, 306 points behind Cook.
Two local drivers have earned points in the series so far this year.
Ray Cook of Brasstown has 104 points and David Payne of Hiwassee Dam has 48 points.
There are two Southern Thunder races prior to their stop in Brasstown. They will hit the track at Lavonia Speedway in Lavonia, Ga., on Friday, Aug. 15 and then Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn., on Saturday, Aug. 16.