Ethan Hunter
photo by Ronnie Barnett
Ethan Hunter of Harrison, Tn. won Saturday's United Championship Racing Alliance feature at Fort Payne Motor Speedway Saturday. Starting from outside pole Hunter inherited the lead from Performance Racing Engines ($100) Fast Qualifier Anthony White and went on to hold off 14-year-old Sam Seawright for a $2,000 victory.
The #15 "Spangle Sheet Metal, Snap On Tools, Precision Seal Coating, Sweet Beginnings 4-D Ultrasound, Ran & J.C.'s Home Repair, Pritchard Homes and Hunter Electric" sponsored Randle Chupp Wolf-pack / Longhorn race car driver chased White until the leaders right rear exploded on lap 30 of the 40 lapper.
"I hated that for Tony," said Hunter in-front of an extra-large crowd of fans. "I've lost races like that before, so I know where he's at."
Hunter's father-in-law (Bryan Pritchard) won round #3's UCRA event in 2017. In 2016 Hunter was the runner-up to Seawright in the $5,000 finale at FPMS.
Eleven of the 14 starters finished the race, with eight completing all 40 laps.
The UCRA tour made its second of two scheduled races at Fort Payne this season with runner-up (Seawright) winning three weeks ago in early May. Jimmy Elliott and Seawright battled for second swapping the position multiple times. Elliott and his "Mohawk Nation" now leads the UCRA points after three events with Kyle Courtney falling from the top spot to second. Michael Courtney leads the three $1,000 Rookie of the Year contender's of Devin Stuart and Seawright.
Tire samples from Hunter and Seawright were taken at the end of the event.
The next UCRA race comes Saturday, the rescheduled Memorial Day 50 at Tazewell (TN) Speedway paying $3,000 to-win. Visit UCRAracing.com for more information.
Fort Payne 40
1. Ethan Hunter 2. Sam Seawright 3. Jimmy Elliott 4. Jesse Lowe 5. Chip Brindle 6. Kenny Kizzar 7. J.T. Seawright 8. Michael Courtney 9. Marty May 10. Devin Stuart 11. Tommy Smith 12. Kyle Courtney 13. Anthony White 14. Heath Hindman