CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 29) — Making an infrequent appearance in a Gary Shurling Motorsports-fielded entry and steering a brand new Rocket Chassis entry on its maiden voyage, Union, S.C., driver Trent Ivey charged through the first four rows of a 26-car starting field and posted a $4,000 victory in the DIRTcar Racing 604 Fox Factory Pro Late Model portion of the World Short Track Championship Saturday night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Ivey took the lead for good on the 19th of 30 circuits in a race that was held in collaboration with the Eastaboga, Ala-based Crate Racin’ USA organization, and led the rest of the distance at the 4/10-mile oval to secure the victory over last year’s winner Dillon Brown, Ricky Greene, Jeremy Steele and Jamison McBride.
It was Ivey’s second-career victory at the famed dirt track that lies in the shadows of 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway, which is located across the street from the dirt-covered oval. He won the Outlaw Showdown event in 2015 when it was sanctioned by the SECA circuit, and that early-career success provided the son of former Super Late Model competitor Petey Ivey with a memory that has lasted for years.
“I won here six or seven years ago in a Crate Late Model, and I remember it like it was yesterday because Rambo [Dennis Franklin] and Ricky Weeks were the two guys I outran that day,” Ivey said. “Growing up in the sport around my dad [Petey Ivey], who raced Super Late Models against those guys a lot when I was just a young kid…they were bigger than life to me. They both got by me, but I reeled ‘em back in and passed ‘em both. I had been admiring those two guys my whole life, and they were both so awesome. I’d give anything to have raced in that era against those guys. Racing was so cool back in those days.”
This time around, Ivey was making an infrequent appearance for a race team he’s wheeled for just a handful of times. Not to mention it was a brand new Rocket-chassied entry with no competitive laps on the car.
“This is the first time in that race car,” the diminutive Ivey said. “I’ve driven for this team a handful of times, but this was a brand new chassis and its first race ever. Since it’s not a situation where I drive for them a lot, we had to make some adjustments to get the car fit for me. We actually had to put three mud plugs underneath me so I could fit in the seat and be able to see where I was going."
Ivey started eighth on the grid using a softer tire than the rest of the frontrunners. He slipped past McBride for third on lap eight, used a restart to take second from Greene four circuits later, and then steadily chased race leader Dillon Brown, who won the event last year. Ivey closed and engaged Brown in a side-by-side duel, and took the lead with 11 trips remaining around the oval.
“We had to be careful with that tire, and just hope nobody else had chosen soft rubber,” Ivey said. “The car was good, and it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to drive through the field like that. The sport is just different than it used to be, and technology such as we have with shocks have made it harder to pass because everyone’s so dang close. We put a softer tire on the right rear than the rest of those guys, and that made a difference. I knew we had to blast up through there quickly while the car was fast on soft tires.”
After a two-lap, door-to-door duel with Brown, Ivey made the winning pass and continued to a 1.085-second advantage over his close friend at the stripe.
“He’s {Brown] a real good friend, and he’s really had his act together the past two years in these crate Late Model cars around our home region,” Ivey said. “We’ve been rivals since about 2014 when we started racing against each other a lot. It’s pretty cool to beat him, and this win is a pretty big deal for us.”
Sponsors on Ivey’s newly-built car included Badger Rental Services, Built South, Riner Logistic Services, Sandra’s Seafood, Action Insulation and Collins Signs.
World Short Track Championship: 1. Trent Ivey, 2. Dillon Brown, 3. Ricky Greene, 4. Jeremy Steele, 5. Jamison McBride, 6. Matt Long, 7. Justin Hudspeth, 8. David Pangrazio, 9. Benji Hicks, 10. Layton Sullivan, 11. Jordan Koehler, 12. Stephen Pedulla, 13. Jacob Brown, 14. Jody Knowles, 15. Colton Truille, 16. Kendal Tucker, 17. Dale Moore, 18. Dalton Jacobs, 19. Jeffrey Johnson, 20. Timmie Harrelson, 21. Mike Franklin, 22. Brock Pinkerous, 23. Joey Johnson, 24. Cody Cubbage, 25. Daniel Breuer, 26. Colby Quick.
Fast qualifier: Jamison McBride, 16.225 seconds
Lap leaders: Brown 1-18, Ivey 19-30.
Cautions: 3
Margin of victory: 1.085 seconds
Heat winners: Colby Quick, Ricky Greene, Jamison McBride, Dillon Brown.
Last-chance winners: Layton Sullivan, Benji Hicks.
Article Credit: Brian McLeod