MANY, Louisiana (May 26, 2023) — Regional open-wheel stalwart Tracy Denby Jr., Late Model ace David Winslett and Stock car master CJ Howell all won features in their respective divisions, as Bubba Jones and his staff hosted part of the inaugural Triple Crown Throwdown Friday at Sabine Speedway.
Denby powered to victory in a 20-lap tilt for USRA Limited Modifieds; Winslett prevailed in a fast-paced affair for Crate Late Models; while Howell was triumphant in a talent-filled feature for Factory Stock warriors.
Michael Easley (Pro Mods); Luke Dupont (FWD); and Chris Weatherford (Sportsters) were also feature winners on a beautiful night for racing in Louisiana.
Denby, of Vidor, Texas, started on the pole in a 20-car field and led all 20 laps to earn top honors and a fine $1,000 paycheck. Ethan Bailes crossed the stripe in second, while J.D. Ammons filled out the podium. Colby Williams and Dustin Henigan (who started 16th) completed the top five.
“Those early cautions before we got rolling were frustrating,” Denby told announcer Collin Bell in Victory Lane. “But you just have to take a deep breath, be patient and stay focused. I want to thank my car owner for letting me drive this thing, and Bubba Jones for all the work he puts in at this place.”
Finishing sixth through 10th in the BOM Bank USRA Limited Modified A Main were Conner Williams, Jason Gamez, Kelly Lockey, Stephen Guidry and Chase Hebert. Six cautions slowed the pace, three before a lap was completed. Denby's margin of victory was a comfortable .912 of a second.
Winslett, of Bossier City, started on the pole and led all 15 laps of his Late Model finale. Austin Theiss started third and finished second, while Austin Dupont drove up from ninth to fill out the podium.
Jerry Basco (Flatwood) and Corey Basco (also from Flatwood) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
“The track kind of got rubbered up and was fast around the bottom,” Winslett said. “I knew as long as I didn't miss that bottom groove, I'd be OK. There are a lot of cars here tonight, and a lot of fans, as well. I appreciate everybody coming out to support us.”
Finishing sixth through 10th in the Foy Motors Crate Late Model feature were Mark Powell, Kris Shaw, Trent Parker, Scott McWilliams and Alex Ashley. Three cautions slowed the pace, none for serious incident. Winslett's margin of victory was a scant .735 of a second, yet enough to seal the win.
Howell, of Dry Prong, started on the pole of a 20-car grid and led every lap to dominate his feature. Dalton Faulkner, of Cut and Shoot, Texas, finished a distant second, while Dakoda Wyatt was third. Ross Cook (Florine) and Joshua Worn (Bossier) rounded out the top five.
“This feels pretty good tonight,” Howell said in Victory Lane. “My car just keeps getting better and better. If I could just catch a break on dumb things happening, we're going to get a lot more of these. That was a blast racing against Dalton (Faulkner) in the Heat; he's one of the best to ever do this.”
Finishing sixth through 10th in the Sideline Graphics USRA Factory Stock A Main were Josh Martin, Dewayne Rains, Mark Underwood Jr., Logan Gordon (who started 18th) and Landon Rogers (who started 17th). Three cautions slowed the pace, all for minor spins.
Howell's margin of victory was a whopping 3.742 seconds, as he was leaving Faulkner in his dust. He took home a cool $1,000 for his efforts.
Round 1 of the inaugural Louisiana Triple Crown Throwdown (including races at 67, Boothill and Ark-La-Tex) presented by RaceOnTexas.com drew an impressive 116 entries spread across six classes. Led by Limited Modifieds with 32 and Factory Stock with 28, there was no shortage of talent Friday.
There is a substantial overall points fund being paid out to the overall winners in both Limited Mods and Factory Stock after Sunday night's finale at Ark-La-Tex Speedway. This new Memorial Day Weekend tradition pits the region's top stars against each other at four separate tracks for top honors.
You can replay all of the action from Friday's Triple Crown Throwdown event at Sabine Speedway with a subscription at RaceOnTexas.com. With over 450 events on the Live steaming schedule this year, it's home to some of the best short track content available anywhere on the planet. Click here to sign up for a subscription!
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By Phil Whipple, RaceOnTexas.com Staff Writer
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