2024 Alabama State Asphalt Championship Recap

October 23, 2024:MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On Friday, October 18, hundreds of drivers, crew members, and families piled into the pits of Montgomery Motor Speedway to practice in preparation for Saturday’s 2024 Alabama State Asphalt Championship. The turnout for practice was record setting. After practice folks were able to enjoy great food from Front Poarch grill at the Drivers appreciation cookout.

The Alabama State Asphalt Championship was a huge event with 6 features, and 5 champions crowned. Saturday’s event held two 35-lap Modified of Mayhem Tour features, a 40-lap Impact Zone Photos Outlaw feature, a 100-lap “Show Me The MONEY” Pro Late Model Race, 35-laps for the Shelby Concrete Street Stocks and a 40-lap Blacksheep Woodlands Late Model Sportsman contest. Champions were crowned for the Impact Zone Outlaws, Show Me The Money Pro Late Models, Roger Dabbs Pro Late Model Challenge, Shelby Concrete Street Stocks, and the Blacksheep Woodlands Late Model Sportsman. Friday and Saturday were filled with anticipation, great weather, and fast racecars, and Saturday’s race was noted as an Instant Classic on Racing America.

The first race of the weekend was the 40-lap Impact Zone Outlaw feature. #11 Presley Johnson topped the boards in practice, but John Burns was the night’s standout. Nashville’s #87 John Burns qualified 1st, rolled a one during the invert, led every lap, ended the night in victory lane, and walked away with the championship. The #8 of Ryan Arms and John Burns tied for the championship, but Burns’ win acted as the tie-breaker, giving him the championship. It was a storybook night for the #87. “Everything went my way tonight, I would’ve never thought I would’ve rolled a one. I just tried to drive my line and never look back,” Burns said.

Impact Zone Outlaws Results:

1. #87 John Burns
2. #20 Bill Bethea
3. #8 Ryan Arms
4. #11 Presley Johnson
5. #23 Gary Goodwin
6. #92 Cameron Henderson
7. #22 Dylan Courtney
8. #92 Bubba Winslow
9. #64 Jonathan Langham

The first 35-lap Modified of Mayhem feature was up next where the veteran and current points leader #131 Jeff Letson was fastest in practice and qualifying, but started 5th due to the redraw. The 4th place qualifier #2 Jaxon Bishop, who was 2nd in points standings going into the race, drew a 2 for his starting position and led the first 18 laps of the race. On lap 19, an attempted pass for the lead by Jeff Letson sent Bishop and Letson around in turn 2. Both drivers were sent to the rear which gave 3rd place driver #81 Jeremy Williams the lead. Once Williams took the lead, he stayed out front for the remaining 16 laps and ended the night in victory lane.

While Williams drove away, all eyes were on the drivers in the back of the field of Letson and Bishop. On lap 19, Letson restarted from the 14th position, and on lap 35, he crossed the finish line in 5th. Bishop restarted 13th on lap 19 and finished the race in 8th. Letson and Bishop might have been the strongest drivers in the field, although neither driver had the finish to show for it.

Modified of Mayhem Feature 1 Results:

1. #81 Jeremy Williams
2. #96 Jared Maupin
3. #57 Tim Moore
4. #71 Johnny Brazier
5. #131 Jeff Letson
6. #51 Jason Loveday
7. #00 Brandon Curren
8. #2 Jaxon Bishop
9. #66 Louis McGrath
10. #216 Mike Fields
11. #12 Will Mack
12. #31 Alec Manke
13. #1 Shane Jones
14. #8 Toro Rodriguez
15. #38 Doug Forgue
16. #42 Jered Moore
17. #48 Hunter Evans
18. 66p Parker Pugh
19. #88 Larry Hughes
20. #62 Jody Anderson
21. #31 Brad Setll
22. #18 Kevin Peel
23. #14 Nathan Caldwell
24. #16 JD Goff

The 3rd race of the night was the Show Me The Money Pro Late Model 100-lap championship race. #91 Jim Wall led Saturday’s first practice and #70 Gavin Graham led the second practice, but it was Graham who took the pole position in Bama Budweiser Fast Time Qualifying, followed by 2 track champions #112 Augie Grill and #12 Christopher Tullis. Graham drew an 8 for his starting position while the 4th place qualifier #67 Zack Dixon from Monroe, Georgia would start from the pole position with Grill on his outside in 2nd.

The most entertaining drive of the race was Huntsville’s #91 Jim Wall. Wall drove from 9th all the way to 2nd and parked it on the front stretch with a smoldering tire rub and a broken right front fender. In typical John Bolen fashion, the #2 machine quietly moved from 13th to 3rd and also walked away with the Roger Dabbs Late Model Performance Challenge Championship. Florida’s #18 Jake Finch didn’t clinch a podium finish, but he did win the 2024 Show Me The Money Pro Late Model Championship. Once Grill took the lead from Dixon on the first lap, he pulled away from the field and led all 100 laps. Despite three restarts, no one could catch up to the legendary veteran driver.

“I was diagnosed with cancer in June, so I took a break. I realized I needed to come back and try to have fun and be happy,” Grill said, “And I can’t pick a better way to be happy. It’s good to be back.”

Show Me The Money Pro Late Models Results:

1. #112 Augie Grill
2. #91 Jim Wall
3. #2 John Bolen
4. #70 Gavin Graham
5. #18 Jake Finch
6. #67k Zack Dixon
7. #12 Christopher Tullis
8. #68 Aiden Potter
9. #54 Diogo Moscato
10. #5 Ryan Price
11. #11 Chase Spradlin
12. #89 Jeremy Williams
13. #7 Kenneth Canales
14. #84 Steven Chunn
15. #51 Trey Grimes
16. #21 Jason Furrow
17. #55 George Phillips
18. #5 Garrett Gumm
19. #11 Clint Folsom
20. #17 Jake Daniels

The fourth race of the evening was the 35-lap Shelby Concrete Street Stock championship feature. #14x Tre Huff had a 6-point lead over #19 Austin Evans for the championship going into the weekend. Evans qualified in 1st while Huff qualified 3rd, but Evans rolled a 3 for the invert, so the #14x of Tre Huff took the green flag from the pole position while Evans started in 3rd. On lap 6, Evans and Huff were involved in a caution and were both sent to the rear which put the #32 of Kameron Wesenberg in 1st. On lap 8, #6 Charles Davis took the lead from Wesenberg and led every remaining lap. Austin Evans crossed the line in 2nd but was disqualified in post-race tech inspection, which gave Wesenberg the 2nd place finish, Rookie of the year #16 Dawson Parker finished third with #14x Tre Huff winning the 2024 Shelby Concrete Street Stock Championship.

Shelby Concrete Street Stocks Results:

1. #6 Charles Davis
2. #32 Kameron Wesenberg
3. #16 Dawson Parker
4. #14x Tre Huff
5. #23 Caleb Sanford
6. #1 Daniel Jacks
7. #31 Ryan Logan
8. #81 Keith Grace
9. #15 Greg Foley
10. #08 Nicky Pate
11. #4 Andrew Wiggin
12. #31 Kara Wesenberg
13. #55 Bubba Deaton

#19 Austin Evans

The fifth race of the night was the second and final 35-lap Modified of Mayhem feature. The top eight finishers in the first race redrew for their starting position in the second race. #81 Jeremy Williams, the winner of the first race, redrew a lucky #1 for his starting position in the second race with #51 Jason Loveday starting 2nd and #57 Tim Moore starting 3rd. On the second lap, a large pileup ended the night of #131 Jeff Letson and #96 Jared Maupin and damaged 3 others. After leading every lap, Jeremy Williams lost power on the backstretch, ending his night and bringing out the 4th caution which gave #57 Tim Moore the lead for a 5-lap shootout to the finish. After leading the remaining 5 laps, St. Petersburg’s #57 Tim Moore won the final Modified of Mayhem feature of the night. Huntsville’s #2 Jaxon Bishop finished 2nd and Jasper’s #48 Hunter Evans finished 3rd. The 2024 Modified of Mayhem champion will be crowned at the Snowball Derby on Friday, December 6th at 5 Flags Speedway.

Modified of Mayhem Feature 2 Results:

1. #57 Tim Moore
2. #2 Jaxon Bishop
3. #48 Hunter Evans
4. #18 Kevin Peel
5. #66 Louis McGrath
6. #8 Toro Rodriguez
7. #00 Brandon Curren
8. #62 Jody Anderson
9. #14 Nathan Caldwell
10. #71 Johnny Brazier
11. #12 Will Mack
12. #1 Shane Jones
13. #66 Parker Pugh
14. #42 Jered Moore
15. #51 Jason Loveday
16. #81 Jeremy Williams
17. #31 Alec Manke
18. #88 Larry Hughes
19. #216 Mike Fields
20. #38 Doug Forgue
21. #96 Jared Maupin
22. #131 Jeff Letson

The final race of the evening was the 40-lap Black Woodlands Sheep Late Model Sportsman feature. #75 John Heil qualified on the pole, but due to the invert, he started the feature in 3rd while the 3rd place qualifier #11 John Wilkinson started from the pole. Heil took the lead on lap 4 and ended the night in victory lane. #22 Perry Patino finished 2nd and won the 2024 Black Woodlands Sheep Late Model Sportsman Championship. #5 Chris Wagner finished the race in 3rd, and after getting spun on lap 16, John Wilkinson came from the rear to a 4th-place finish.

Black Woodlands Sheep Late Model Sportsman Results:

1. #75 John Heil
2. #22 Perry Patino
3. #5 Chris Wagner
4. #11 John Wilkinson
5. #85 Roger Reuse
6. #89 Bobby Reuse
7. #27 Jeremy Peoples
8. #95 Hunter Tyus
9. #59 Billy Melvin
10.  #88 Larry Hughes

2024 Montgomery Motor Speedway Track Champions:

Impact Zone Outlaws- #87 John Burns

Show Me The Money Pro Late Models- #18 Jake Finch

Shelby Concrete Street Stocks- #14x Tre Huff

Black Woodlands Sheep Late Model Sportsman- #22 Perry Patino

2024 Roger Dabbs Performance Challenge Series Champion #2 John Bolen

Join us November 16 for the MADD MAXX Enduro, Crown Stock Race, Crown Stock Powder Puff Race ,Sled race and a School Bus race. More Info Coming