Hedgecock Hustles To Southern Nationals Opener Win

Cory Hedgecock celebrates in victory lane after winning Friday night’s Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series season opener at Beckley Motor Speedway. Photo: Rick Neff

Cory Hedgecock took advantage of a rash of flat tires for early leaders Ashton Winger and Carson Ferguson to inherit the lead on lap 18 of Friday night’s Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series 2022 season opener at Beckley Motor Speedway in Mount Hope, West Virginia.

From there, the Loudon, Tennessee racer drove to his fourth career series win, pocketing the $10,053 winner’s paycheck in the process.

“We haven’t won in a while, but that can flip in an instant, so hopefully we can get on a roll here,” said Hedgecock.

Hedgecock finished 3.158 seconds ahead of runner-up Jensen Ford, with Zack Mitchell in third, Jasper, Georgia’s Will Roland in fourth, and Jacob Hawkins in fifth.

Only two caution flags slowed the action, with both coming on lap 18.

Clay Coghlin spun to draw the first yellow flag before a multi-car tangle on the restart once again halted the pace. Under the second set of caution laps, early race leaders Carson Ferguson and Ashton Winger both exited the track to the attention of their crews for new right rear tires. Ferguson, who officially led laps 13-17, made his way back up to eleventh by the end, while laps 1-12 leader Winger was relegated to a fifteenth place effort.

Chickamauga, Georgia’s Dale McDowell, Zack Dohm, Matthew Nance, Henry Hornsby III, and Camaron Marlar rounded out the top 10.

The Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series returns to action at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Virginia on Saturday, July 16. For more information, visit SouthernNationalsSeries.com.

Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series
Beckley Motor Speedway – Mount Hope, WV
Round 1 – July 15, 2022

1. (5) Cory Hedgecock $10,053
2. (4) Jensen Ford $5,000
3. (11) Zack Mitchell $2,500
4. (3) Will Roland $1,800
5. (7) Jacob Hawkins $1,250
6. (6) Dale McDowell $900
7. (15) Zack Dohm $800
8. (9) Matthew Nance $700
9. (13) Henry Hornsby III $675
10. (16) Camaron Marlar $650
11. (2) Carson Ferguson $625
12. (14) Michael Brown $600
13. (10) John Henderson $575
14. (18) Brenden Smith $550
15. (1) Ashton Winger $525
16. (17) Dalton Cook $500
17. (12) Kenny Collins $500
18. (19) Mike Benedum $500
19. (8) Parker Martin $500
20. (22) Clay Coghlin $500
21. (20) Mason Zeigler $500
22. (21) Tyler Cox $500