Hickory Motor Speedway holds action-packed night of racing

Hickory Motor Speedway was the only racetrack in the Catawba Valley to hold an event on Saturday, July 18, with six divisions participating in races that totaled nearly 300 laps of action.

The main attraction was the 100-lap late model feature, which saw Mexico City-born driver Eloy Falcón win the pole and lead the opening three laps before Hudson native Thomas Beane moved to the front of the pack. However, Charlie Watson of Lenoir passed Beane for first place on the 20th lap before later being passed by points leader Michael Bumgarner on the 44th lap.

Bumgarner ultimately took the checkered flag, with Watson and Beane battling door-to-door and trading the runner-up spot several times in the second half of the race. In the end, Beane finished second, Watson took third, Ryan Zima came in fourth, and Falcon finished fifth.

In the limited late model feature, Dexter Canipe III started on the pole and led all 60 laps to earn the victory. Finishing directly behind him was second-generation driver Carter McMurray, who made his limited late model debut as a member of the Michael Klein Motorsports team, while Jake Freeman came in third, Lenoir’s Don Carlton and Owen Wilson finished fourth and fifth, respectively, and points leader Paityn Feyen took sixth.

Connelly Springs drivers Jordan Cook and Steve Smart started on the front row in the Renegade division and were still in those spots on the 21st lap when Smart bumped into Cook, causing both competitors to spin and allowing Cody DeMarmels to take a lead that he would not relinquish. Meanwhile, Matthew Chambers finished second, Cook came in third, Smart took fourth, and Ethan Perdue finished fifth.

DeMarmels won the pole and led all 30 laps in the Street Stock race. Johnny Reynolds, fresh off his win the previous week at HorsePower Park, finished second.

“We had gremlins in the engine during practice and qualifying,” said Reynolds, a Connelly Springs native who was followed by Marshall Sutton in third, Trey Buff in fourth, and Smart in fifth. “Finally went home and got another carburetor that fixed the issue. We had to drive through the field and just ran out of laps. Not sure we had anything for Cody, but who knows?”

Gamewell native Josh Goble put his No. 65 Silverado on the pole for the 50-lap Leapfrog Lawncare Super Truck feature, although Bumgarner passed him on turn two of the opening lap and eventually drove to victory after leading every lap. Goble settled for second, while Jacob Hayes was third, Jesse Smith came in fourth, and Morganton driver Nate Morris rounded out the top five.

In the night’s remaining race, Kyle Silver led the final 28 laps en route to a first-place finish in the Allison Legacy Series.

Hickory Motor Speedway will next host the fifth annual Jack Ingram Memorial 111 on Aug. 1.

Local drivers compete on

rain-shortened

night at Harris

Despite having its latest event cut short due to heavy rain, Harris Speedway in Rutherfordton was able to at least hold qualifying in several races on July 18.

Among the local drivers in attendance were Morganton’s Damion Patton, who won the pole for the Street Stock feature; Valdese’s Brian “Meathead” Carswell, who didn’t attempt a qualifying run but was second fastest in hot laps in the Street Stock division; and Morganton’s Justin McElrath, who started 13th and finished 11th in the Thunder Bomber feature.

Racing returns to Harris Speedway tonight (Saturday, July 25).

CARS Tour opens weekend slate at North Wilkesboro

Prior to hosting its first NASCAR Cup Series race in 30 years on July 19, North Wilkesboro Speedway was the site of the zMAX CARS Tour’s most recent event on July 17.

NASCAR Truck Series driver Kaden Honeycutt emerged victorious in the 100-lap late model race, while 23 XI team member Corey Heim was the runner-up, former NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott finished 14th, 2025 East Burke High School graduate Landon S. Huffman came in 15th, and defending Tri-County Speedway champion Landon Huffman finished 16th.

Also notably, 2023 Hickory Motor Speedway track champion Kade Brown finished 32nd and two-time HMS track champion Michael Bumgarner came in 33rd.

The CARS Tour rolls into Hickory Motor Speedway on Aug. 8 before heading to Tri-County Speedway in Hudson on Sept. 12, while other racing tonight will take place at HorsePower Park and Tri-County.