The second week of the 2017 Furious Four Legends and Bandolero racing series took to the track Saturday afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as 70 drivers from four different states lit up the quarter-mile "Thunder Ring" in pursuit of an off-season racing title.
Leading off the eight races on the day, Gauntt Hudgins of Savannah took the green flag in the Chargers Division feature, but Hampton's Parker Brewer snatched the lead exiting Turn 2 on the first lap and stayed ahead of the pack for the next five laps until contact between Brewer and Hudgins brought out the yellow caution flag and sent them both to the rear of the field.
Bethlehem's Matthew Widener restarted in front and led the next seven laps, but that's all it took for Brewer and Hudgins to drive back to the front. Hudgins restored his lead just past the race's halfway point and held off Brewer for the final eight laps for the win. Behind Brewer, Widener finished third, Curtis Jarrard of Waycross was fourth, and Ian Hampton of Stockbridge rounded out the top-5.
In the second race of the afternoon, Brody Graham won the pole in the Rookie Bandolero Division feature and stayed in front of the field until a caution sent him to the rear five laps in. Four different drivers would trade the lead over the next six laps, but Covington's Garrett Erwin emerged in first with ten laps to go and stayed there through the checkered flag, for a well-earned trip to Victory Lane.
Graham recovered to finish second, while Braxton Davis of Douglasville, Aprilia Holt of Senoia and Denton Clem of East Point finished in the top-5 in order.
Hunter Johnson of Hampton led flag to flag in a fast Young Lions Division feature. Behind him, Will Robusto of Fort Mill, South Carolina and Griffin's Cale Hall rounded out the podium finishers.
In the Bandits Division feature, Kenneth Henderson of Alto took after Johnson, leading every lap of the 20-lap feature, maneuvering through a handful of cautions for the victory. Finishing in second was Keaton Hendrix of Homerville, while Grant Thompson of Mobile, Alabama finished third.
The Semi-Pro Division feature saw a wild battle near the front between Jason Treschl of LaGrange and Rafe Slate of Eatonton in the early stages of the race. Treschl won the pole and led the first seven laps, but Slate would challenge him on every turn early on. The pair then traded the lead three times over the next six laps before a cation flag was thrown and bunched the field 12 laps in.
Treschl had the lead on the ensuing restart, and it was an eight-lap sprint to the finish. Using a strong restart, Treschl built a five-car-length lead on Slate and was able to hold him off through the checkered flag.
McDonough's Nathan Jackson took the pole and opened up a big lead through the first 11 laps of the Outlaws Division feature and looked like he'd easily run away with the win. But on the 12th lap, an untimely mechanical issue forced him from the race, and Blaise Maddox of Locust Grove assumed the lead.
Maddox held off a late-charging Blaze Crawford of Fayetteville through the final nine laps, to win the feature, and Crawford settled for a runner-up finish. Finishing third was Kenny Brady of Marietta, while Shelby Ruark of Suwanee and Ashton Whitener of Monticello rounded out the top-5.
In a caution-free Pro Division feature, Dawson Fletcher of Canton led flag to flag to take the victory, while Corey Heim of Marietta and Dylan Murry of Cumming finished on the podium behind him.
Finishing off the day, Bill Plemons, Jr. led the whole way in the Masters Division feature after a big wreck on the first lap forced nearly half the field from the race. From there it was caution-free, and Mark Swan of Atlanta and Wade Brewer of Hampton rounded out the top-3.
The Furious Four series continues with Week 3 on Saturday, March 18. Infield admission is available for spectators wishing to watch Furious Four racing, and passes may be purchased at the Security Command Building near the Speedway's main entrance.
To test drive your own Legends machine, or for more information about Legends racing, call Legends of Georgia director Ken Ragan at (770) 707-2977 or visit www.legendsofga.com.
Complete Furious Four Week 2 results:
Chargers Division
1. Gauntt Hudgins (Savannah)
2. Parker Brewer (Hampton)
3. Matthew Widener (Bethlehem)
4. Curtis Jarrard (Waycross)
5. Ian Hampton (Stockbridge)
6. Holt Hadler
7. Clay Lee (Waycross)
8. Hunter Burns
9. Chris McKeehan (Winder) (DNS)
Rookie Bandolero Division
1. Garrett Erwin (Covington)
2. Brody Graham (Flowery Branch)
3. Braxton Davis (Douglasville)
4. Aprilia Holt (Senoia)
5. Denton Clem (East Point)
6. Chase Crawford (Fayetteville)
7. Cole McKeehan (Winder)
8. Grayson Dickey (Canton)
Young Lions Division
1. Hunter Johnson (Hampton)
2. Will Robusto (Fort Mill, SC)
3. Cale Hall (Griffin)
4. Ryan Rackley (Valdosta)
5. Clay Thompson (Bowersville)
6. Audrie Ruark (Suwanee)
7. Annabelle Mohwish (Cumming)
Bandits Division
1. Kenneth Henderson (Alto)
2. Keaton Hendrix (Homerville)
3. Grant Thompson (Mobile, AL)
4. Lucas Ruark (Suwanee)
5. Max Hennebaul (Monroe)
6. Carson Ruark (Suwanee)
7. Samantha Bart (Monroe)
8. Wil Griffis (Homerville)
9. Justin Campbell (Griffin)
10. Ryan Younginer (Stocbridge)
Semi-Pro Division
1. Jason Treschl (LaGrange)
2. Rafe Slate (Eatonton)
3. Connor Younginer (Stockbridge)
4. Cody Hall (Griffin)
5. Brandon Brock (Hampton)
6. Andrew Dollar (Atlanta)
7. Davis Rochester (Lebanon, TN)
8. Colt Logan (Athens)
9. Hannah Bell (Raleigh, NC)
10. David Lawrence (Senoia)
11. Amber Fleeman (Dacula)
Outlaws Division
1. Blaze Maddox (Locust Grove)
2. Blaze Crawford (Fayetteville)
3. Kenny Brady (Marietta)
4. Shelby Ruark (Suwanee)
5. Ashton Whitener (Monticello)
6. Samantha Bart (Monroe)
7. Logan Nalley
8. Max Brady (Marietta)
9. Garrett Jorgensen (Marietta)
10. Nathan Jackson (McDonough)
Pro Division
1. Dawson Fletcher (Canton)
2. Corey Heim (Marietta)
3. Dylan Murry (Cumming)
4. Russell Fleeman (Decula)
5. William Plemons III (Acworth)
6. Joshua Hicks (Senoia)
Masters Division
1. Bill Plemons, Jr. (Locust Grove)
2. Mark Swan (Atlanta)
3. Wade Brewer (Hampton)
4. Dennis Hecht (Hoschton)
5. Barry Bowen (Jackson Lake)
6. Wes Potter (Covington)
7. Brett Timms (Calhoun)
8. Bill Whatley (Acworth)
9. James Meredith (Locust Grove)
