Ashton Winger (left) and Zack Mitchell (right) scored Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series victories over the past week. Photos: Kevin Prater/praterphoto.com (left), Jack Cofer (right)
Ashton Winger and Zach Mitchell both made trips to victory lane during Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series competition in the Peach State over the past week.
Winger took the win on Thursday night at Georgia’s Senoia Raceway, while Mitchell strung together wins on Saturday night at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Georgia, and on Tuesday at Georgia’s Toccoa Raceway.
On Thursday night, Winger dominated to score the win in the Roscoe Smith Classic at Senoia Raceway.
The Hampton, Georgia native outdueled fellow front row starter Carson Ferguson at the drop of the green flag and led wire-to-wire en route to the victory and the $7,544 payday.
At the checkers, the Hampton, Georgia ace celebrated a $7,544 triumph over runner-up Ferguson. Carson, who now finds himself atop the latest version of the Southern Nationals Series point standings, finished 1.056 seconds behind Winger and was awarded a $3,500 payday for his second place run. Eighteenth-starting Michael Page roared through the pack at the Senoia, Georgia oval to round out the podium in third. Austin Horton started and finished in the fourth position, while thirteenth-starting Pearson Lee Williams was the final driver that landed inside of the top five.
“I thought we were pretty good here for a long time, but then Ricky (Weiss) and Jimmy (Owens) and a couple of other guys came in and took the dang keys from me,” Winger said. “We’ve still got some work to do to be better. I have to thank Jeff Mathews, my dad, and all of our great sponsors for their continued support.”
A total of four caution flags slowed the action. Ricky Weiss went around on the initial start of the race before battling back to salvage an eighth place effort. Jimmy Owens suffered a flat right rear tire on lap 36, but was able to rally late to earn a top ten. Tyler Millwood drew the third yellow of the night by stopping against the wall on lap 39, while Garrett Smith brought out the final caution on lap 42 when he spun and stopped on the track.
After rain washed out Friday night’s scheduled race at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, Alabama, the series moved on to Screven Motor Speedway on Saturday night, where Zack Mitchell scored the victory.
The Enoree, South Carolina racer grabbed the lead off the drop of the green flag, and held off all comers to take the win in the 53-lap feature.
Mitchell won by a 3.652 second margin to net the $10,053 payday.
“That’s exactly what happened last year,” Mitchell said. “I got out there to a big lead and was just trying to bide my time and Brandon (Overton) passed me with like nine laps to go. It just feels good to be standing up here (in victory lane) after the last couple months we’ve had. We’ve had a lot of bad luck, mechanical problems, and stuff. It feels good and I owe everything to my guys and my sponsors.”
Chris Ferguson followed in second, with Dawsonville, Georgia’s Donald McIntosh in third, Ross Bailes in fourth, and Colbert, Georgia’s Kenny Collins in fifth.
Only four caution flags slowed the event – the first of which came when the initial start of the race was called back. Fourth-starting Ricky Weiss then quickly slowed with a flat left rear tire on lap 3 before Jordan Koehler stopped the action only a circuit later by slowing on the track on lap 4. Following a long green flag run, the fourth and final yellow waved on lap 36 when Commere, Georgia’s Payton Freeman stopped on the racing surface.
On Sunday, heavy afternoon showers washed out the planned event at Georgia’s Swainsboro Raceway. The series next traveled north to Georgia’s historic Toccoa Raceway, where Mitchell recorded his second straight victory.
Mitchell took advantage of a pair of mid-race restarts to move from his fourth starting spot to the lead. He powered past Donald McIntosh on lap 25 and led the rest of the way to finish 1.106-seconds ahead of McIntosh and collect the $7,553 winners paycheck.
“Man I kind of found something (on the outside line) passing one of them lapped cars,” Mitchell said. “You know I got in there and got up top and man it gripped up. Then we had that restart and I was like ‘please let me go on the outside’ and you know I got around Sam (Seawright) and Kenny (Collins) also. I knew right then I might have something for (McIntosh) if I could line up there on that second row.”
Kenny Collins, David McCoy, and Jimmy Owens rounded out the top five.
A total of four caution flags slowed the action. Joey Tanner slowed on the racetrack on lap 8 to draw the first yellow of the evening. Brenden Smith then spun on lap 23 prior to top five running Sam Seawright slowing with a flat left rear tire on lap 24. David Payne then stopped with left front issues on lap 37 to draw the final caution flag, which set up a three lap dash to the finish.
The Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series heads into the final stretch of the 2023 season on Thursday with a trip to Tri-County Race Track in Brasstown, North Carolina. The tour the travels to North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, Georgia on Friday night, before wrapping up the series on Saturday night at Tennessee’s Tazewall Speedway.
For more information, visit SouthernNationalsSeries.com.
Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series
Senoia Raceway – Senoia, GA
Roscoe Smith Classic – July 20, 2023
1. (2) Ashton Winger
2. (1) Carson Ferguson
3. (18) Michael Page
4. (4) Austin Horton
5. (13) Pearson Lee Williams
6. (7) Kenny Collins
7. (3) Stormy Scott
8. (21) Ricky Weiss
9. (17) Payton Freeman
10. (12) Jimmy Owens
11. (9) Sam Seawright
12. (8) Jordy Nipper
13. (10) Dylan Knowles
14. (22) Donald McIntosh
15. (16) Tyler Clem
16. (23) Will Roland
17. (14) Joseph Joiner
18. (24) Mike Benedum
19. (26) Brenden Smith
20. (11) Steven Roberts
21. (28) John Llewellyn
22. (25) Jordan Koehler
23. (6) Garrett Smith
24. (5) Tyler Millwood
25. (15) Dalton Cook
26. (19) Richie Stephens
27. (20) Jadon Frame
28. (27) David McCoy
Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series
Screven Motor Speedway – Sylvania, GA
Race Results – July 22, 2023
1. (1) Zack Mitchell
2. (3) Chris Ferguson
3. (7) Donald McIntosh
4. (2) Ross Bailes
5. (12) Kenny Collins
6. (13) Jimmy Owens
7. (9) Gavin Cowan
8. (6) Haiden Cowan
9. (8) Cody Overton
10. (5) Jordy Nipper
11. (16) Carson Ferguson
12. (4) Ricky Weiss
13. (14) Trey Mills
14. (18) Tyler Clem
15. (10) Cla Knight
16. (19) Brenden Smith
17. (17) Jordan Koehler
18. (11) Payton Freeman
19. (21) Mike Benedum
20. (20) Joey Tanner
21. (15) Steven Roberts
22. (22) John Llewellyn
Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series
Toccoa Raceway – Toccoa, GA
Race Results – July 25, 2023
1. (4) Zack Mitchell
2. (1) Donald McIntosh
3. (2) Kenny Collins
4. (7) David McCoy
5. (5) Jimmy Owens
6. (11) Ricky Weiss
7. (8) Carson Ferguson
8. (14) Tyler Clem
9. (15) Brent Dixon
10. (13) Jordan Koehler
11. (10) Cla Knight
12. (17) Mitch Fulford
13. (21) Mike Benedum
14. (19) Ty Giles
15. (16) Drew Benfield
16. (6) David Payne
17. (3) Sam Seawright
18. (18) Brenden Smith
19. (20) Gavin Cowan
20. (9) Payton Freeman
21. (12) Joey Tanner
22. (22) John Llewellyn
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