Photo Credit - Ryan Roberts Photography
Kyle Bronson’s Dramatic Last Lap Pass Earns East Alabama Cash and First Spring Nationals Win
(PHENIX CITY, ALABAMA) Coming out on top of a furious late race battle with race-long pacesetter Zack Mitchell, Kyle Bronson emerged victorious on Saturday night with the Schaeffer's Oil Spring Nationals Series at the historic East Alabama Motor Speedway! Kyle toured the Phenix City, Alabama speedplant sixth fastest overall during the qualifying session and later placed second in his heat race to earn the outside of the third row for the start of the 53-lap ‘Jimmy Thomas Memorial.’ While Mitchell was out front and seemingly cruising, Bronson moved up to the second spot and turned up the heat late in the feature distance.
The pair ultimately swapped slidejobs for the point on multiple occasions in the waning laps before Bronson stole the lead and his first career Spring Nationals triumph with a dramatic pass on the final corner. The win also marked Bronson’s first victory of the 2024 season and was worth $10,053 to the Brandon, Florida hotshoe. Mitchell, who won his heat race and led the first 52 circuits of the contest from the outside of the front row, limped his #57 machine home in the runner-up spot after the last corner contact with Bronson.
Garrett Smith was able to work his way past six competitors during the ‘Jimmy Thomas Memorial’ to round out the podium in third. Ashton Winger, who won Friday’s Spring Nationals stop at Buckshot Speedway, placed fourth at the checkered flag, while sixteenth-starting Dalton Cook nabbed the final position inside of the top five. A total of five caution flags slowed the 53-lapper including one for second-running Carson Ferguson on lap 33 when the defending Spring Nationals Champion broke and lost his left rear wheel.
“I really have to thank Brandon Overton - he told me to put some hard tires on and that’s what we did,” exclaimed the winning Bronson in Schaeffer’s Oil victory lane. “We didn’t take off really good, but you know we came on pretty good there at the end. The deal with Zack (Mitchell) there, I slid him pretty clean a couple laps in a row and I slowed down there in the middle on that final turn to not let him cross me over and he a**trucked me. I don’t know who’s fault it is, but we just won the ten grand. I have to thank all of my great sponsors on this thing, my two crew guys for busting their butts, and my wife, along with Wayne and Shirlene for giving me everything I need to win races!”
Kyle Bronson’s #40B Longhorn Chassis was powered by a Clements Racing Engine and carried sponsorship in part from Michael Lloyd Hauling & Demolition, Borchers Equipment, Racecar Engineering, Tillman Roofing, Angry Elephant Tattoos & Piercings, Lucas Oil, LTX Home Builders, Mulliniks Recycling, Boswell Oil, Bilstein Shocks, and Midwest Sheet Metal.
A solid field of 27 Super Late Model competitors were on hand at East Alabama Motor Speedway on Saturday for round five of the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing and fueled by GoSunoco season. Ethan Dotson came out on top of Spring Pro “Smashing the Clock” Hot Laps, while Carson Ferguson clicked off the quickest lap of 13.835 seconds during FK Rod Ends qualifying to earn Fast Time honors. The trio of heat races were won by Ferguson, Zack Mitchell, and Ashton Winger, while Dylan Knowles secured the victory in the lone consolation race.
Following the first five races of the Spring Nationals season, there have been no repeat winners on the tour. Ethan Dotson, Brandon Overton, Dale McDowell, Ashton Winger, and now Kyle Bronson have secured triumphs with the miniseries so far in 2024. Leaving EAMS, Donald McIntosh sits only six markers ahead of Pearson Lee Williams in the point standings with Christian Hanger, Ethan Dotson, and Brenden Smith rounding out the top five.
The Spring Nationals tour will sit idle next weekend before invading the Commonwealth of Kentucky on April 19-20 for another big doubleheader. Up next will be the annual running of the ‘Finn Watson Memorial,’ which will shell out a $7,553 top prize on Friday, April 19 at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Kentucky. The series will then make a stop at Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, Kentucky on Saturday, April 20 for the $10,053 to win ‘Johnny Wheeler Memorial.’ Learn more about both of these shows in the Bluegrass State by pointing your web browser to www.ponderosaspeedway.net and www.lcspeedway.net.
Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing
Round 5 Race Summary
Saturday, April 6, 2024
East Alabama Motor Speedway - Phenix City, Alabama
Schaeffer’s Oil Feature Finish (53 Laps):
1. (6) Kyle Bronson $10,053
2. (2) Zack Mitchell $5,000
3. (9) Garrett Smith $3,000
4. (3) Ashton Winger $2,000
5. (16) Dalton Cook $1,500
6. (5) Christian Hanger $1,000
7. (14) Payton Freeman $800
8. (7) Donald McIntosh $700
9. ( 8 ) Ethan Dotson $675
10. (4) Pearson Lee Williams $650
11. (21) Brenden Smith $625
12. (22) Dennis Hale $600
13. (11) Trey Mills $575
14. (17) Caleb Gay $550
15. (1) Carson Ferguson $525
16. (13) Spencer Hughes $500
17. (15) Kyle Bryant $500
18. (12) JR Moseley $500
19. (19) Dylan Knowles $500
20. (18) Jackson Hise $500
21. (20) Bo Slay $500
22. (10) David McCoy $500
Entries: 27
Lap Leaders: Zack Mitchell (Laps 1-52), Kyle Bronson (Lap 53)
Cautions: 5 (Bo Slay and Jackson Hise Tangle on Lap 4, JR Moseley Slows on Backstretch on Lap 7, Carson Ferguson Loses Left Rear Wheel on Lap 33, Christian Hanger Slips Over Banking on Lap 34, Pearson Lee Williams Goes Over Banking on Lap 41)
Spring Pro Precision Equipment Hot Laps:
Smashing the Clock Award: Ethan Dotson 13.871
FK Rod Ends Time Trials:
Fast Time Overall: Carson Ferguson 13.835
Qualifying: 1. 93-Carson Ferguson, 00:13.835[1]; 2. 29-Christian Hanger, 00:13.946[6]; 3. 12-Ashton Winger, 00:13.964[4]; 4. 121-Pearson Williams, 00:14.144[22]; 5. 11-Allen Styck, 00:14.166[16]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson, 00:14.179[26]; 7. 79-Donald McIntosh, 00:14.186[8]; 8. 57-Zack Mitchell, 00:14.193[27]; 9. 10-Garrett Smith, 00:14.196[14]; 10. 187-David McCoy, 00:14.224[7]; 11. 174-Ethan Dotson, 00:14.241[12]; 12. 99-JR Moseley, 00:14.292[25]; 13. 19M-Spencer Hughes, 00:14.298[3]; 14. F1-Payton Freeman, 00:14.372[21]; 15. 17SS-Brenden Smith, 00:14.419[10]; 16. 66K-Dylan Knowles, 00:14.425[13]; 17. 14JR-Trey Mills, 00:14.481[20]; 18. M2-Caden Mullinax, 00:14.501[5]; 19. 77-Doug Stevens, 00:14.510[9]; 20. 888-Dennis Hale, 00:14.512[15]; 21. 79B-Kyle Bryant, 00:14.554[11]; 22. 44D-Dalton Cook, 00:14.578[19]; 23. 17G-Caleb Gay, 00:14.625[17]; 24. 388-Jackson Hise, 00:14.663[23]; 25. 38T-Matthew Taylor, 00:14.669[24]; 26. 376-Mark Bangs, 00:15.538[2]; 27. (DNS) 2-Bo Slay
Sunoco Race Fuels Heat Race #1 Finish (Top Six Transfer): 1. 93-Carson Ferguson[1]; 2. 121-Pearson Williams[2]; 3. 79-Donald McIntosh[3]; 4. 187-David McCoy[4]; 5. 19M-Spencer Hughes[5]; 6. 44D-Dalton Cook[8]; 7. 66K-Dylan Knowles[6]; 8. 38T-Matthew Taylor[9]; 9. 77-Doug Stevens[7]
American Racer South Heat Race #2 Finish (Top Six Transfer): 1. 57-Zack Mitchell[3]; 2. 29-Christian Hanger[1]; 3. 174-Ethan Dotson[4]; 4. 14JR-Trey Mills[6]; 5. F1-Payton Freeman[5]; 6. 17G-Caleb Gay[8]; 7. 11-Allen Styck[2]; 8. 888-Dennis Hale[7]; 9. 376-Mark Bangs[9]
E-Z-GO Heat Race #3 Finish (Top Six Transfer): 1. 12-Ashton Winger[1]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 3. 10-Garrett Smith[3]; 4. 99-JR Moseley[4]; 5. 79B-Kyle Bryant[7]; 6. 388-Jackson Hise[8]; 7. 17SS-Brenden Smith[5]; 8. 2-Bo Slay[9]; 9. M2-Caden Mullinax[6]
Arizona Sport Shirts B-Main Finish (Top Four Transfer): 1. 66K-Dylan Knowles[1]; 2. 2-Bo Slay[6]; 3. 17SS-Brenden Smith[3]; 4. 888-Dennis Hale[5]; 5. 77-Doug Stevens[7]; 6. M2-Caden Mullinax[9]; 7. 376-Mark Bangs[8]; 8. (DNS) 11-Allen Styck; 9. (DNS) 38T-Matthew Taylor
Current Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series Point Standings:
1. Donald McIntosh - 936
2. Pearson Lee Williams - 930
3. Christian Hanger - 902
4. Ethan Dotson - 896
5. Brenden Smith - 595
6. Brandon Overton - 582
7. Payton Freeman - 556
8. Caleb Gay - 544
9. David McCoy - 518
10. JR Moseley - 502
11. Jackson Hise - 494
12. Garrett Smith - 439
13. Caden Mullinax - 423
14. Dale McDowell - 396
15. Ashton Winger - 392
* Drivers will drop their worst two races following the series finale
2024 Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series Schedule:
Thursday, February 29 - Waycross Motor Speedway, Waycross, GA - ETHAN DOTSON
Friday, March 1 - Swainsboro Raceway, Swainsboro, GA - RAINED OUT
Saturday, March 2 - Senoia Raceway, Senoia, GA - RAINED OUT
Friday, March 29 - I-75 Raceway, Sweetwater, TN - BRANDON OVERTON
Saturday, March 30 - Tazewell Speedway, Tazewell, TN - DALE MCDOWELL
Friday, April 5 - Buckshot Speedway, Clanton, AL - ASHTON WINGER
Saturday, April 6 - East Alabama Motor Speedway, Phenix City, AL - KYLE BRONSON
Friday, April 19 - Ponderosa Speedway, Junction City, KY - $7,553 to win
Saturday, April 20 - Lake Cumberland Speedway, Burnside, KY - $10,053 to win
Friday, May 3 - Sugar Creek Raceway, Blue Ridge, GA - $7,553 to win
Saturday, May 4 - Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA - $10,053 to win
Friday, May 10 - Natural Bridge Speedway, Natural Bridge, VA - $10,053 to win
Saturday, May 11 - Beckley Motor Speedway, Mount Hope, WV - $20,053 to win
Friday, May 24 - Rain Date / To Be Announced
Saturday, May 25 - North Georgia Speedway, Chatsworth, GA - $10,053 to win
Sunday, May 26 - Duck River Raceway Park, Wheel, TN - $10,053 to win
* All events to be broadcast LIVE to subscribers of FloRacing
For more information on the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing and fueled by Sunoco, please point your Internet browser to www.SouthernNationalsSeries.com or feel free to call series promoter Ray Cook at 828-360-5353. You can also follow us across social media platforms on facebook.com/southernnationalsseries and on Twitter @sonationals.
The tour would like to thank all of their marketing partners including: Schaeffer’s Oil & Specialized Lubricants, Coltman Farms Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, American Race Tires, American Racer South, Delph Communications, E-Z-GO, Spring Pro Precision Equipment, Vidalia Powersports, Arizona Sport Shirts, Capital Race Cars, Collins Signs, DirtCarLift.com, DirtonDirt.com, Earnhardt Technologies Group, FK Rod Ends, Interstate Welding & Steel Supply, JM Custom Laser, Knowles Race Parts and Bodies, MasterSbilt Race Cars, SFP Performance Systems, The Joie of Seating, The Steering Buddy, Velocita-USA, Vic Hill Racing Engines, Vinson Sims Construction, and Wiles Driveshafts.
About Schaeffer’s Oil & Specialized Lubricants:
Schaeffer's Specialized Lubricants: synthetic motor oils, hydraulic fluids, and diesel fuel additives have achieved a world-class reputation for improving engine performance and fuel economy, but their diverse product line includes all types of industrial lubricants, industrial greases, and industrial oils as well as specialty items like their chain lubes and degreasers. Founded in 1839, their philosophy is to provide advanced lubricants for improved performance, reliability, and fuel economy. Learn more or find a rep near you at www.SchaefferOil.com.
Media Contact: Ryan Delph - Delph Communications
📸 Cody Earley - Dirt Track Announcer
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