Drivers Battle For Thursday Thunder Victories At Atlanta

The 2022 Thursday Thunder Legends and Bandolero racing season at Atlanta Motor Speedway continued last week, with drivers battling on the ¼-mile “Thunder Ring” on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

On Wednesday night, the WJP Investments Pro feature was a thrilling showcase of back-and-forth racing. As the night was winding to a close, it was a battle between three drivers that determined a winner in the final eight laps. After starting on the pole and leading for the first 14 laps,

Sam Cornman was overtaken by Landon Rapp after a three wide battle for the lead. However, Rapp wouldn’t hold on long as Cornman would come storming back three laps later to regain control. During the final laps, Cornman remained locked in, managing to hold off the late surging Gavin Graham to hold on for victory.

The Associates Group Young Lions feature displayed an impressive late pass for the lead. After leading 14 of the race’s 20 laps, Sean McElearney was stung by a late caution that gathered up both second and third place drivers. Lanie Buice seized the opportunity on the restart, piloting her No. 24 to the lead and driving away from the field during the final laps to land in victory lane.

The Chargers feature was determined in a similar fashion. When the green flag waved to start the race, week one winner and pole sitter Coleman Moody jumped out to an early lead. Moody would remain the leader for the following 10 laps, but Emily Arenas was relentless in her pursuit. With five to go Arenas finally found room to get around Moody, squeezing by to take the lead. Arenas went on to hold off the rest of the field and earn her first feature win of the series.

In the Outlaws feature, Neal Dulin took home the win for the second week in a row. Unlike the week before, Dulin was forced to maneuver his way from the back of the field after an early caution. Dulin stormed back to overtake the leader Emma Britt on the fifth lap and never looked back.

Robbie Woodall was similarly impressive in his Masters feature win, holding off the persistent Joey Clanton for 18 of 20 laps to drive his car into victory lane.

The Fr8 Auctions Rookie Bandoleros division has been dominated through two weeks by Billy Lee, who put on another stunning performance Wednesday night. Lee led all 14 laps of the race, driving off into the sunset for the second week in a row.

In other action, Beckham Malone won the Bandits feature in decisive fashion and Donovan Strauss led every lap to claim victory in the Byron Powersports Semi-Pro feature.

On Thursday night, Beckham Malone and Nicholas Denton stole the show as they dueled for the win in the Bandits feature. After starting on the pole, Malone nudged out to an early lead and looked to make it three wins in a row to kick off the series, but Denton filed in close behind and refused to allow Malone any room to breathe.

Following a series of cautions on the 16th lap, Denton surged to the lead on the restart after battling side by side with Malone through turns three and four. One lap later the yellow flag waved for a fourth time, lining up the lead duo nose to tail once again. This time it was Malone that got the edge on the restart, diving to the inside of Denton and propelling his car back to the lead. Once out front, Malone managed to fend off Denton for the final two laps and claimed his third consecutive victory.

The Byron Powersports Semi-Pro feature ended with a familiar face driving into victory lane. The pole sitter Luke Yarbrough controlled the race for the first seven laps, pulling away from the rest of the field. However, the field was quickly tightened back up after a caution on the seventh lap. Yarbrough controlled the restart but was quickly turned around by Jadyn Daniels, who restarted directly behind him. Wednesday night’s winner Donovan Strauss was the beneficiary from their misfortune, inheriting the lead after both Yarbrough and Daniels dropped to the back of the field. Strauss did not let the opportunity go to waste, driving away from the field during the remaining 13 laps to win on back-to-back nights.

In the Masters feature, Robbie Woodall managed to hold off a last lap push from Joey Clanton to drive to victory lane.

Landon Rapp crossed the stripe first in the WJP Investments Pro feature, keeping Cody Hall in his rear-view mirror despite several late race restarts.

The Associates Group Young Lions feature was dominated from flag to flag by Garrett Erwin who claimed his first win of the season.

Neal Dulin continued his dominance of the Outlaws feature, leading all 20 laps for the second time in three races.

In other action, Coleman Moody won his second Chargers feature of the season and Wyatt Coffey took the Fr8Auctions Rookie Bandolero feature in dominating fashion.

Thursday Thunder action continues at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Wednesday, June 15 and Thursday, June 16. For more information, visit AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, GA
Thursday Thunder Round 2 – June 8, 2022

Young Lions
1. 24-Lanie Buice
2. 99NY-Sean McElearney
3. 20-Josh Dickens
4. 48-Noah Ryan
5. 17-Hudson Bulger
6. 9-Jackson Reynolds
7. 8-Cooper Gaul
8. 77-George Phillips
9. 9E-Garrett Erwin
10. 22-Gianni Esposito
11. 4-Lacy Kuehl
12. 93-Aidan Walker

Semi-Pro
1. 51-Donovan Strauss
2. 24D-Jadyn Daniels
3. 41-Michael Gannon
4. 28-Carson Brown
5. 17-Mason Lastra
6. 26-Dawson Sutton
7. 73-Ian Hampton
8. 44-Oliver Dibble
9. 7-Jonathan Taylor
10. 1-Stuart Wilkerson
11. 30-Trey Tadrzak
12. 1T-Jason Treschl
13. 24-Luke Yarbrough
14. 2-Jarrett Wagman

Pro
1. 77-Sam Cornman
2. 00-Gavin Graham
3. 28R-Landon Rapp
4. 17-Hall Cody
5. 7-Nathan Jackson
6. 25-Christopher Clanton
7. 3-Taylor Jorgensen
8. 72-Nick Woodall
9. 24-Cale Hall
10. 32-Jensen Jorgensen
11. 5-Garrett Gumm
12. 4-Timothy Watson
13. 16-Currie Pierce
4. 88-Keaton Hendrix

Masters
1. 72-Robbie Woodall
2. 83-Joey Clanton
3. 10-Benjamin Jones
4. 37-Phillip Young
5. 15-Bill Plemons, Jr.
6. 14-Mark Swan
7. 5-Ronnie Wehunt
8. 76-Steve Carpenter

Bandits
1. 23-Beckham Malone
2. 46-Nicholas Denton
3. 24-Austin Bloodworth
4. 62-Dylan Bongiovanni
5. 37-Carson Cauble
6. 7-Makenna Kendrew

Rookie Bandoleros
1. 38-Billy Lee
2. 37-Wyatt Youngblood
3. 2-Wyatt Coffey
4. 95-Javier Soto
5. 9-Carson Sherman
6. 9Y-Luke Young
7. 87-Briella Rudolph
8. 26-Emma Teal
9. 69-Matt Hodges
10. 1J-James Behnke

Outlaws
1. 79-Neal Dulin
2. 48-Kyle Bacon
3. 28-Conner Butler
4. 4-Mitchell Flater
5. 38-Emma Britt
6. 00-Katelyn Hicks
7. 15-Bryce Sanders
8. 99-Baylor O’Neil
9. 27-Kayli Kade
10. 01-Sebastain Asztalos
11. 11S-Carson Smith

Chargers
1. 3-Emily Arenas
2. 316-Coleman Moody
3. 54-David Anderson
4. 408-Taylor Kinley
5. 7-Lisa Young
6. 20-Evan McKnight
7. 17-Jackson Stotts

Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, GA
Thursday Thunder Round 3 – June 9, 2022

Young Lions
1. 9E-Garrett Erwin
2. 20-Josh Dickens
3. 15-Sean McElearney
4. 24-Lanie Buice
5. 22-Gianni Esposito
6. 4-Lacy Kuehl
7. 77-George Phillips
8. 17-Hudson Bulger
9. 48-Noah Ryan
10. 08-Clay Hocutt
11. 9-Jackson Reynolds
12. 8-Cooper Gaul
13. 93-Aidan Walker

Semi-Pro
1. 51-Donovan Strauss
2. 2-Jarrett Wagman
3. 17-Mason Lastra
4. 7-Jonathan Taylor
5. 26-Dawson Sutton
6. 28-Carson Brown
7. 44-Oliver Dibble
8. 24-Jadyn Daniels
9. 1T-Jason Treschl
10. 24Y-Luke Yarbrough
11. 41-Michael Gannon
12. 73-Ian Hampton
13. 30-Trey Tadrzak
14. 1W-Stuart Wilkerson

Pro
1. 28R-Landon Rapp
2. 17-Hall Cody
3. 77-Sam Cornman
4. 1-Timothy Watson
5. 00-Gavin Graham
6. 25-Christopher Clanton
7. 32-Jensen Jorgensen
8. 88-Keaton Hendrix
9. 7-Nathan Jackson
10. 5-Garrett Gumm
11. 72-Nick Woodall
12. 16-Currie Pierce
13. 3-Taylor Jorgensen
14. 24-Cale Hall

Masters
1. 72W-Robbie Woodall
2. 83-Joey Clanton
3. 15-Bill Plemons, Jr.
4. 37-Phillip Young
5. 14-Mark Swan
6. 5-Ronnie Wehunt
7. 76-Steve Carpenter
8. 28-James Meredith

Bandits
1. 23-Beckham Malone
2. 46D-Nicholas Denton
3. 24-Austin Bloodworth
4. 62-Dylan Bongiovanni
5. 37-Carson Cauble
6. 7-Makenna Kendrew
7. 46-Lane Christensen

Rookie Bandoleros
1. 2-Wyatt Coffey
2. 38-Billy Lee
3. 95-Javier Soto
4. 69-Matt Hodges
5. 9S-Carson Sherman
6. 87-Briella Rudolph
7. 1J-James Behnke
8. 3C-J.T. O’Connor
9. 95G-Colton Glass
10. 26-Emma Teal
11. 9-Luke Young
12. 37-Wyatt Youngblood
13. 7-Paxton Sanders

Outlaws
1. 79-Neal Dulin
2. 15-Bryce Sanders
3. 38-Emma Britt
4. 11S-Carson Smith
5. 8-Carter Erickson
6. 99-Baylor O’Neil
7. 28-Conner Butler
8. 00-Katelyn Hicks
9. 4-Mitchell Flater
10. 01-Sebastain Asztalos
11. 27-Kayli Kade
DQ: 48-Kyle Bacon