SENOIA, GA – On an uncharacteristically rough racing surface at Senoia Raceway on Saturday night, Wil Herrington outlasted the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing field to reach victory lane on the tour for the first time in his young career! After timing in third quickest in Group A during the qualifying session, Wil recorded a heat race triumph to earn the rights to the pole position for the feature event. During the headliner, which was cut to 35 laps due to the rugged track conditions, Wil led the first eight circuits before giving way to fellow Georgian Ashton Winger.
After Winger suffered mechanical woes while leading the field on lap 15, Wil grabbed the point for good on the restart and led the remaining circuits of the contest to collect the $10,053 winner’s check. The Hawkinsville, Georgia ace beat new Spring Nationals point leader Ross Bailes and tenth-starting Parker Martin, Jr. to the checkered flag. Haiden Cowan finished one lap down in fourth, while Payton Freeman, who ran as high as second before drawing a late caution flag in the attrition-filled race, was credited with a fifth place performance.
“Oh man, I’m out of breath,” exclaimed a winning Herrington in victory lane. “I knew Ashton (Winger) would be good, as he was good in his heat race. I knew (Payton) Freeman would be good too, so I just tried to set a pace out there. I guess Winger just caught a hole wrong. After that, I just tried to manage this thing. I didn’t want to see a green-white-checkered finish there at the end, but we hung on and got the win!”
A total of four caution flags slowed the action in the 35-lapper. Bailey Williams drew an early yellow flag on lap seven before leader Ashton Winger suffered problems and hit the wall while working on lap fifteen. Frontrunner Payton Freeman then stopped in turn two on lap thirty-three prior to Parker Martin, Jr. drawing the final yellow for jumping the ensuing restart.
Wil Herrington piloted a JCM Motorsports #19m XR1 Rocket Chassis with sponsorship from Torco Advanced Lubricants, Yellow Hammer Design & Construction, New Point Lighting & Design, Harvey Trucking, 5M Construction, Neon Bubbles Car Wash, The Mercantile, Y Delta, Inc., Fast Shafts, Gorsuch Performance, VP Racing Fuels, Boswell Oil Company, and TopKnotch Kustom Koncepts.
An impressive field of 43 Super Late Model competitors were on hand at Senoia Raceway for round two of the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals tour, although 24 entered drivers loaded up prior to heat races due to the deteriorating track conditions. Dylan Knowles earned himself a free entry into his next Spring Nationals show by laying down a fast lap of 13.677 seconds during Boyd Bilt Spring-Pro “Smashing the Clock” Hot Laps. Mike Marlar nabbed the $200 Fast Time Award during qualifying courtesy of JCLH Photography, while heat race wins went to Wil Herrington, Carson Ferguson, Payton Freeman, and Ross Bailes.
Following a few days off to regroup, the cars and stars racing the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing and fueled by Sunoco will return to action on March 10-11 in the states of Georgia and Tennessee. Up first will be a visit to North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, Georgia for the $7,553 to win ‘Biddle Ridley Memorial’ on Friday, March 10 before the tour invades 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tennessee on Saturday, March 11 for the ‘Tennessean,’ which will boast a whopping $15,000 paycheck. Additional information on next weekend’s doubleheader can be accessed by clicking on www.northgeorgiaspeedway.net and www.411motorspeedway.net.
Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing
Round 2 of 16 Race Summary
Saturday, March 4, 2023
Senoia Raceway – Senoia, Georgia
Schaeffer’s Oil Feature Finish (35 Laps):
1. (1) Wil Herrington $10,053
2. (4) Ross Bailes $5,000
3. (10) Parker Martin, Jr. $3,000
4. (8) Haiden Cowan $2,000
5. (2) Payton Freeman $1,500
6. (12) Austin Horton $1,000
7. (5) Benji Hicks $800
8. (17) Jimmy Sharpe, Jr. $700
9. (3) Carson Ferguson $675
10. (6) Ashton Winger $650
11. (13) Caden Mullinax $625
12. (16) Kenny Collins $600
13. (14) Dylan Knowles $575
14. (18) Skip Freeman $550
15. (7) David McCoy $525
16. (15) Bailey Williams $500
17. (9) Chuck Southard $500
18. (11) Dalton Cook $500
19. (19) Jon Lee DNS
Entries: 43
Lap Leaders: Wil Herrington (Laps 1-8), Ashton Winger (Laps 9-14), Wil Herrington (Laps 15-35)
Cautions: 4
Hot Laps:
Boyd Bilt Spring-Pro “Smashing the Clock” Award: Dylan Knowles 13.677
FK Rod Ends Time Trials:
Fast Time Overall: Mike Marlar 13.803
Group A (Top Five): Mike Marlar 13.803, Brandon Overton, Wil Herrington, Dalton Cook, Sam Seawright
Group B (Top Five): Ashton Winger 13.936, Shane Clanton, Parker Martin, Jr., John Henderson, Payton Freeman
Sunoco Race Fuels Heat Race #1 Finish (All Starting Cars Transfer): 1. Wil Herrington, 2. Benji Hicks, 3. Chuck Southard, 4. Caden Mullinax, DNS. Mike Marlar, DNS. Sam Seawright, DNS. Cla Knight, DNS. Ethan Dotson, DNS. Jordy Nipper, DNS. Jason Welshan, DNS. Pearson Lee Williams
American Racer South Heat Race #2 Finish (All Starting Cars Transfer): 1. Carson Ferguson, 2. David McCoy, 3. Dalton Cook, DNS. Brandon Overton, DNS. Michael Page, DNS. Jamie Oliver, DNS. Will Roland, DNS. Matthew Nance, DNS. Ricky Culpepper, DNS. Jim Rogers
E-Z-GO Heat Race #3 Finish (All Starting Cars Transfer): 1. Payton Freeman, 2. Ashton Winger, 3. Parker Martin, Jr., 4. Dylan Knowles, 5. Kenny Collins, 6. Jimmy Sharpe, Jr., 7. Skip Freeman, 8. Jon Lee, DNS. Zack Mitchell, DNS. Spencer Diercks, DNS. Cory Hedgecock
Delph Communications Heat Race #4 Finish (All Starting Cars Transfer): 1. Ross Bailes, 2. Haiden Cowan, 3. Austin Horton, 4. Bailey Williams, DNS. Shane Clanton, DNS. John Henderson, DNS. Booger Brooks, DNS. Braxtin Barber, DNS. Ryan Ray, DNS. Bo Lockwood, DNS. Dennis Hale
Current Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series Point Standings:
1. Ross Bailes – 378
2. Carson Ferguson – 372
3. Wil Herrington – 366
4. Ashton Winger – 360
5. Jimmy Sharpe, Jr. – 356
6. Haiden Cowan – 354
7. Parker Martin – 354
8. Kenny Collins – 346
9. Dalton Cook – 328
10. Brandon Overton – 275
11. Sam Seawright – 271
12. Mike Marlar – 269
13. Ethan Dotson – 267
14. Pearson Lee Williams – 263
15. Cory Hedgecock – 261
