CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 31) — Calob McLaughlin considers Cherokee Speedway to be his home track, and the Belmont, N.C., driver has earned a pair of track championships at the historic oval, most recently in the Crate Racin’ USA Street Stock division at the 3/8-mile facility in Gaffney, S.C.
He’s raced there since the 2007 season, but also lives about 35 minutes from the Dirt Track at Charlotte, where another prestigious championship event has been up for grabs over the last five years. This year the annual World Short Track Championship, which was sponsored by Drydene, drew a 37-car field of entries to the 4/10-mile track, and McLaughlin led all but one circuit of the division’s 20-lap feature event to claim the honors in a race that was shortened to 15 circuits by time constraints.
The DirtCar Racing-sanctioned weekend in Charlotte was also a non-points contest for the Adairsville, Ga.-based Crate Racin’ USA Street Stock division, and drew 37 entries to the semibanked track.
McLaughlin launched from fourth on the grid in a 26-car starting field, and led the final 14 circuits after driving around early leader Damon Crump on the second circuit. On the opening circuit, McLaughlin disposed of both Chris Rice and Patrick Lyon to nab second, and then made what turned out to be the winning maneuver with his top-side pass on Crump.
“It looked like his car pushed into the corner, and we were able to drive past him [Crump] on the outside,” McLaughlin said. “I knew the car was good, and it ran well from there. We’ve been here to race five times, and we’ve had both good luck and bad luck. We finished second here last year, and to come back here and win this race is wonderful. It’s just awesome.”
He took the checkered flag over Lyon, seventh-place starter Ricky Greene, Rice and Crump, but Lyon wasn’t a stranger during the latter circuits, and especially on the final three of five restarts which slowed the pace.
“I know he’s got a fast car, but I felt we had just a little bit better car tonight,” McLaughlin said. “We were fast right off the trailer this weekend and won a heat race, but I knew he’d be trying to win it on those restarts when we got closer to the end.”
Lyon, who was driving a recently-built car and also making his first start at the dirt oval that lies in the shadows of 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway, which is located just across Highway 29, settled for a runnerup finish after offering his biggest threat on a late restart.
He got beside McLaughlin through the corners, but McLaughlin’s car appeared stronger in the top lane and he was able to pull away to earn the victory in a Statement Race Cars built machine that was powered by a motor from Ellison Race Engines.
Sponsorship on the winner’s Johnny Rogers Motorsports entry was provided by Mike’s Body Shop, Clark’s Tree Express, Wolf Lawn Care, M.L. Performance, Intense Graphics and Cogan Staton Tire & Auto Center.
Drydene World Short Track Championship: 1. Calob McLaughlin, 2. Patrick Lyon, 3. Ricky Greene, 4. Chris Rice, 5. Damon Crump, 6. Thomas McCurdy, 7. Dalton Peavy, 8. Blake Pryor, 9. Johnny Westmoreland, 10. Bradley Weaver, 11. Earl Petty, 12. Garrett Killman, 13. Timmy Smith, 14. Greg Carroll, 15. Kris Frost, 16. Brett Cooper, 17. Junior Johnson, 18. Tre Beaty, 19. Johnny Hipp, 20. Tim McBride, 21. Dustin Morris, 22. Dalton Pannell, 23. Joe Belkey, 24. Rick Duzlak, 25. Justin Armour, 26. Tyler Love.
Article Credit: Brian McLeod