Zane Powell
photo by Foto by Nitro
Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, Tn. won the battle of Round # 1 at Sweetwater’s I-75 Raceway Saturday night Easter weekend, but all eyes were on again the stout field of rookies vying for the $1,000 United Championship Racing Alliance - UCRA Rookie of the Year title, to be donned at the end of the 2018 season.
Kentuckian Zane Powell (Junction City) traveled the distance bringing his “Superman” blue # 28P Insane Zane Motorsports “Tarter Farm & Ranch Equipment, Buford Powell Farm Gates, Shorty’s Shocks Service” sponsored Rocket to an 8th place finish topping seven other prominent rookies in the field.
Besides Tennessee and Kentucky, Georgia was also represented Saturday within the 15 car field that opened up the season. Hedgecock commented from Jacky Jones Ford/Lincoln Dealership Victory Lane about the possibility of chasing the $5,000 UCRA Championship in 2018. Possibilities are very probable a new champion will emerge since two time / back to back UCRA defending champion Rusty Ballenger failed to show up for the opener March 31. Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland is also poised to strike towards his second championship of 2018, after the recent Winter Shootout, Southern champ ran runner up to Hedgecock. Ruben Mayfield a local I-75 fan favorite is currently third, while the leader of the BOO Crew Josh Henry of Newport sits fourth.
Walking into his home track, the Dirty White Boy Anthony White will be the odds on favorite at the Morgan Co. Mayhem 40 event (at Wartburg Speedway) the first weekend in May for Round #2 of the UCRA season.
Last season’s $1,000 rookie chasers “KiDD-QuiK” Kyle Courtney and Jason Manley have advanced into the sophomore seasons with the UCRA while Kyle’s uncle Michael Courtney joins the 2018 hunt. In 2017 eventual $1,000 Rookie of the Year Jesse Lowe rallied from missing two early season events, only to surpass all other rookies and came close to a UCRA points championship, showing that possibilities are not lost on racers that may have missed a race.
UCRA is a sanctioning body for Crate Late Model dirt racing and all rights and rules thereof are available to be adhered to on behalf of the United Championship Racing Alliance 2018.
Pos Pre Driver Car # Rookie Hometown, State Total
1 … … Cory Hedgecock # 23 … Loudon, TN … 30 PTS.
2 … … Jimmy Elliott # J39 … Cleveland, TN … 28 PTS.
3 … … Ruben Mayfield # 00M … Lenior City, TN … 27 PTS.
4 … … Josh Henry # 00H … Newport, TN … 26 PTS.
5 … … Anthony White # 2x … Clinton, TN … 25 PTS.
6 … … Kyle Courtney # 171 … Knoxville, TN … 24 PTS.
7 … … Jason Manley # 32 … Loudon, TN … 23 PTS.
8 … … Zane Powell # 28P …R… Junction City, KY … 22 PTS.
9 … … Andy Ogle # 68 …R… Gatlinburg, TN … 21 PTS.
10 … … Michael Courtney # C11 …R… Knoxville, TN … 20 PTS.
11 … … Michael Smith # 15 …R… Crossville, TN … 19 PTS.
12 … … Beau Bice # 44 …R… Soddy Daisy, TN … 18 PTS.
13 … … Devin Stuart # 20 …R… Blue Ridge, GA … 17 PTS.
14 … … Jerry Green # 14 …R… Knoxville, TN … 16 PTS.
15 … … Shannon Elrod # 75 …R… Baxter, TN … 15 PTS.
Zane Powell
photo by Foto by Nitro