U.S. Legends and Bandolero racing kicked off 2018 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Week 1 of the five-week offseason Furious Five Series on the quarter-mile Thunder Ring Saturday afternoon. Under sunny skies and brisk temperatures, more than 40 drivers shook off the holiday rust as they got back to work behind the wheel in the new year.
Chargers Division
Leading off the afternoon's seven-race lineup, Milledgeville's Bradley Roberts started from the pole in the seven-car Chargers field and led flag-to-flag for his first victory of the year despite strong challenges from both Nathan Jackson of McDonough and Lucas Ruark of Cumming.
Ruark and Jackson finished second and third respectively, while Ashton Whitener of Monticello and Max Brady of Marietta rounded out the top-five.
Rookie Bandoleros Division
After winning the pole for the Rookie Bandoleros Division feature, McDonough's Bailey North led each of the first eight laps with a strong first half of the race. But after a caution near the race's midpoint, Mason Maggio of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, who had been hanging on North's bumper since the drop of the green flag, snared the top spot on the ninth lap with a move to the outside as he and North came to the start/finish line, and never looked back, opening up a half-lap lead over the final 10 laps.
Carter Griffis of Homerville snagged the runner-up spot, and North held on to third-place to round out the podium.
Young Lions Division
In the Young Lions Division feature, Cale Hall of Griffin won the pole and led all 20 laps for the victory. Clay Thompson of Bowersville and Audrie Ruark of Suwanee finished second and third in order, while Annabelle Mohwish of Cumming and Ian Hampton of Stockbridge each scored top-five finishes.
Bandits/Outlaws Division
In the combined Bandits Division and Outlaws Division feature, Suwanee's Shelby Ruark easily won the pole and settled into the top spot with plenty of speed early on in the race. After 15 laps and a comfortable 10-car-length lead, it looked like Ruark was well on her way to a clean victory, but it wasn't meant to be.
Rounding Turn 2 on the 17th lap, Ruark got loose and went for a spin, bringing out the yellow caution flag and sending her to the rear of the field with just four laps to go.
Restarting in the lead, Kenneth Henderson of Alto held on to the top spot for two laps but wasn't able to keep Carson Ruark behind him, as the Bandits Division driver nosed ahead in the final laps and crossed the finish line a half of a length ahead of Henderson for a thrilling, near photo-finish victory.
Semi-Pro Division
Atlanta's Drew Dollar started the Semi-Pro Division feature on the outside of the front row after recording the second-fastest qualifying time but quickly overtook pole-winner Cody Hall of Griffin less than a lap into the race and settled into the top spot for each of the race's first 13 laps.
A patient Hall, though, restored his lead with a burst of speed on the frontstretch as the field approached the start/finish line to begin the 14th lap, but an untimely caution relegated him back to the second position on the restart and put Dollar back in the lead.
This time, Dollar made it count and fought off the rest of the pack over the final seven laps, taking the checkered flag and his first victory in 2018. Hall held on for the runner-up finish, and Griffin's Hunter Johnson finished in third.
Pro Division
It was the Jensen Jorgensen Show in the Pro Division feature, as the veteran driver from Stockbridge led all 20 laps to triumph over the five-car field. Rafe Slate of Eatonton and Mike Weed of Franklin finished second and third respectively to round out the podium.
Masters Division
Like Jorgensen before him, McDonough's Robbie Woodall won the pole and led flag-to-flag in a caution-free Masters Division feature to seal the victory and round out the seven-race Furious Five Week 1 lineup. Behind him, Bill Plemons, Jr. of Locust Grove finished second, while Don Maness of Duluth was third.
Below are the complete results from Saturday's Week 1 action:
Chargers Division
1. Bradley Roberts (Milledgeville, GA)
2. Lucas Ruark (Cumming, GA)
3. Nathan Jackson (McDonough, GA)
4. Ashton Whitener (Monticello, GA)
5. Max Brady (Marietta, GA)
6. Winston Jeshuran (Macon, GA)
7. (DNF) Max Hennebaul (Monroe, GA)
Rookie Bandoleros Division
1. Mason Maggio (Palm Beach Gardens, FL)
2. Carter Griffis (Homerville, GA)
3. Bailey North (McDonough, GA)
4. Lee Brown (Acworth, GA)
5. Wyatt Hodges
Young Lions Division
1. Cale Hall (Griffin, GA)
2. Clay Thompson (Bowersville, GA)
3. Audrie Ruark (Suwanee, GA)
4. Annabelle Mohwish (Cumming, GA)
5. Ian Hampton (Stockbridge, GA)
6. (DNF) Hunter Burns (Thomaston, GA)
Bandits Division
1. Carson Ruark (Suwanee, GA)
2. Max Hennebaul (Monroe, GA)
3. Benjamin McKeehan (Monroe, GA)
4. Matthew Kade (Hampton, GA)
Outlaws Division
1. Kenneth Henderson (Alto, GA)
2. Kenny Brady (Marietta, GA)
3. Shelby Ruark (Suwanee, GA)
4. Grayson Dickey (Canton, GA)
Semi-Pro Division
1. Andrew Dollar (Atlanta, GA)
2. Cody Hall (Griffin, GA)
3. Hunter Johnson (Griffin, GA)
4. Parker Brewer (Hampton, GA)
5. David Lawrence (Senioa, GA)
6. Nick Woodall (McDonough, GA)
7. Pierce Brewer (Hampton, GA)
8. Trey Tadrzak (Stockbridge, GA)
9. Tyler Porter (Chipley, FL)
Pro Division
1. Jensen Jorgensen (Stockbridge, GA)
2. Rafe Slate (Eatonton, GA)
3. Mike Weed (Franklin, GA)
4. Taylor Jorgensen (Stockbridge, GA)
5. Gauntt Hungins (Savannah, GA)
Masters Division
1. Robbie Woodall (McDonough, GA)
2. Bill Plemons, Jr. (Locust Grove, GA)
3. Don Maness (Duluth, GA)
4. Clay Hair (Mount Pleasant, GA)
5. Wade Brewer (Hampton, GA)
6. Randy Shubert (Stone Mountain, GA)
7. Joe Tapley (Colbert, GA)
The 2018 Furious Five Series continues with Week 2 on Saturday, Feb. 10. Infield admission is available for $20, and passes can be purchased at the Security Command building near the speedway's main entrance.
For more information, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.
