CHATHAM, Louisiana (Oct. 20, 2023) — Touring Super Late Model stalwart Dillon McCowan made a long haul to go racing this weekend, and it's paying off. The Missouri-based driver scored a $5,000 payday, as officials hosted Night 1 of the 30th annual Spooky 50 on Friday at Super Bee Speedway.
McCowan, of Urbana, drove to the outside of Bubba Mullins coming off Turn 4 to take command at lap 12 and hung on to earn top honors in the 40-lap Comp Cams Super Dirt Series A Main. Kyle Beard gave chase throughout yet settled for second, while Mullins filled out the podium with a solid effort.
Tanner Kellick (Mer Rouge) and Brandon Ball (Texarkana, TX) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
“I had to make something happen,” McCowan told series announcer Wesley Gwaltney in Victory Lane. “I was back there in sixth, and it was time for a Hail Mary. We've been here once in our Modified, and I really enjoyed it. When we heard they were having this race, we definitely wanted to get down here.
“It was a super nice track tonight. We traveled eight hours, and this sure makes it worthwhile. Winning one of these has been my dream for a very long time. This is our first win in a sanctioned Late Model race, and I'm pretty speechless. I'd like to thank all of my sponsors; we couldn't do this without them.”
Beard had closed the gap to .400 of a second before jumping the cushion with just two laps remaining.
“I felt like he had the faster car on the starts,” he explained. “He could get out ahead of me at first, but I felt like I was better on the long runs. We had a good battle with Bubba; I knew he had a real good start and he did a good job tonight. I appreciate all my guys and our great sponsors for helping us get here.”
Mullins put in another solid performance and was happy to hit the podium in Night 1.
“We were really good on the starts,” he said. “When he (McCowan) rolled up on the outside of me, I felt like I had a good car on the bottom. I felt like I could race with him; I don't know if I used my car up too fast or what, but he started pulling away. It was a good race, but we still need a bit more speed.”
Finishing sixth through 10th in the Comp Camps Super Dirt Series A Main were Tyler Stevens, Morgan Bagley, Billy Moyer Jr., Billy Moyer Sr. and Jamie Burford, who started 20th. Two cautions slowed the pace (laps 14, 22), both for solo spins. McCowan's margin of victory was a comfortable 1.131 seconds.
Beard, Mullins and Clayton Stuckey won their respective qualifying Heats earlier in the evening, while Moyer Sr. won the B Main. Beard was quickest in Time Trials with a blistering lap of 15.067 seconds around the northeast Louisiana oval. The A Main took only 15 minutes and 20 seconds to complete.
Along with excitement from the Comp Cams Super Late Models, Heat races were run in advance of tonight's A Mains for seven support division. Conner Williams, Colby Williams, Matt Burney and Trevor Strother won USRA Limited Modified Heats, as a stout field of top-notch teams were on hand.
Clif Burnett, Matthew Lindsey and Dalton Dubois earned Heats wins in Factory Stock, with 27 teams on hand to battle for trophies and bragging rights. Devin Richards and Cameron Pate claimed Pro Mod Heat wins, while Parker Cloud and Christian Guffey powered to wins in Street Stock action.
Crate Late Models were also part of the show on Friday evening, with Mark Underwood Jr. and Austin Storm winning their respective Heats. Both drivers are legit threats to win on any given weekend.
Friday's preliminary action for the 30th annual Spooky 50 at Super Bee drew an impressive 150 entries. Led by the mighty Limited Modifieds with 34, there was no shortage of talent in the overflowing pits. Fans were treated to two and three-wide battles for position all evening long.
Tonight's program (Saturday) at Super Bee will be headlined by a $10,000-to-win A Main for the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series. Along with the big payday, drivers will be seeking the highest possible finish as their 2023 season draws to a close. Billy Moyer Jr. is the current point leader over Kyle Beard.
You can replay all of the action from Night 1 of the 30th annual Spooky 50 at Super Bee Speedway and catch tonight's exciting features with a subscription at RaceOnTexas.com. With over 400 events on the Live steaming schedule, it's home to some of the finest short track content available online.
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By Phil Whipple, RaceOnTexas.com Staff Writer
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