JACKSONVILLE, NC – Nine drivers cemented their claims to the Track Champion title at Goodyear All American Speedway on Saturday during a thrilling night of racing.
Dylan Newsome, Michael O’Brien, Gary Rochelle, Jr., Travis Miller, Curtis Lanier, Eddie Humphrey, D.J. Murphy, Phoenyx Kimball, and Trey Massengill each clinched championships in their respective divisions – four of which did so by winning the race.
“It’s really exciting,” Newsome, who clinched the Late Model championship, said. “It’s something we set out to do. I guess we accomplished it. We kind of set out to win races, the championship was just a plus.”
Along with his championship on Saturday night, the Goldsboro driver is also poised to clinch the championship at Carteret County Speedway, and he isn’t the only driver from Goldsboro to clinch multiple championships.
Michael O’Brien won the Charger division championship at Wake County Speedway in Raleigh on Friday night, then won in the same division on Saturday night at Goodyear All American Speedway to clinch the title in style, by winning the race – however, winning the race was not easy.
O’Brien spent much of the race trailing rookie Tyler Chapman. Once Chapman slipped up in the closing laps, the veteran racer was able to drive to his inside to make the pass for the lead and the win.
“Tyler, he’s going to be good,” O’Brien said. “He started getting a little free and slipped that one time. That caution, I told Tracy [Muse] it was going to take him having to slip for us to get around him. Wendell, Cheeseburger, Brandon, they’ve got Tyler riding and he’s going to be real good. I just got to thank everybody who helps us out. We sewed it up at Wake, got tonight, and got one more left at Carteret.”
Richlands driver D.J. Murphy clinched the Legends division championship with his fourth-place finish, but it was the race between Burgaw teenager Chase Singletary and Swansboro veteran Chris Burns that stole the show and left everyone talking.
Singletary led the field to the green flag but Burns quickly challenged him for the lead. Over the course of the 25-lap race, the two drivers swapped the lead 10 times between them, with Singletary finally taking the lead in the closing laps after a lengthy side-by-side duel.
“He made me earn that one, that’s for sure,” Singletary said in victory lane. “That was a really fun Legends race right there, man. It don’t get any better than that when it comes to racing. That was crazy. Inside, outside, inside, outside, that’s how it was the whole race. That’s crazy man.”
Hubert’s Eddie Humphrey held off a hard-charging Cornell Williams to pick up his seventh win of the season and the championship in the Bomber division. Jacksonville’s Travis Miller picked up the victory over Beulaville’s Curtis Lanier in an entertaining Mini Stock race and won the division title, while Lanier won the U-CAR championship.
Raleigh’s Phoenyx Kimball won the Bandolero championship with her victory over Delaney Gray in a thrilling race. Gray shot out to an early lead, but Kimball was able to run her down to take the victory. After the race, Kimball reflected on the season and how she has persevered through on-track and off-track adversity that has weighed on the 14-year-old mentally.
“It feels great,” Kimball remarked. “We’ve definitely had a rough season. Thankfully this is over, I’m so thankful. Good season … Obviously, I’m here and they aren’t. It sounds cocky, but it’s true.”
Dudley’s Trey Massengill picked up the title in the Champ Kart class with a third-place finish behind brothers Lee and John Ottaway, while Jacksonville’s Gary Rochelle, Jr. clinched the Street Stock championship in a race won by Red Hill’s Greg Barnett.
While the regular season has concluded, there are still four events remaining at Goodyear All American Speedway in 2022. The next race will be the Autumn Bash, featuring USAC Eastern Midget racing on Saturday, October 1. Sunday, October 16 will feature Late Models in the Prelude to the Battle, with the winner securing a guaranteed starting spot in the Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars. On Saturday, October 29, the Crown Vic Nationals will headline Halloween Havoc II. And on Sunday, November 13, the 2nd Annual, $20,000-to-win Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars will commence.
Goodyear All American Speedway is Jacksonville’s Action Attraction featuring racing and other events. For more information about Goodyear All American Speedway, check out the speedway’s website, like/follow “Goodyear All American Speedway” on Facebook, or follow the track on Instagram.
