3/26/2023
Five Flags Speedway
2x Modifieds Snowball Derby Champion Stickler Wins Mods of Mayhem Opener at 5 Flags
2x Modifieds Snowball Derby Champion Stickler Wins Mods of Mayhem Opener at 5 Flags
By Chuck Corder
5flagsspeedway.com reporter
You’d be hard pressed to find a driver who has enjoyed a hotter start to 2023 than Cody Stickler.
The Pinellas Park hotshoe won three Modifieds races at the World Series of Asphalt Racing in January at New Smyrna Speedway and followed it up by winning the Modifieds of Mayhem opener at Montgomery Motor Speedway earlier this month.
Stickler continued his winning ways Saturday afternoon at Five Flags Speedway. The two-time defending Modifieds Snowball Derby champion won the pole and led every lap of the Modifieds of Mayhem 50-lap feature. Stickler barely broke a sweat and was perfect on a pair of restarts following two cautions.
“It’s nice to be starting out the season where we left off last year,” he said. “This team makes it easy anywhere we go. A lotta guys work on it each week. They make sure we have everything we need.”
Pensacola’s Derrick Griffin fought tooth-and-nail with Jeff Letson to earn runner-up honors .Letson came home third.
Griffin and Letson traded that second spot throughout the 50 lapper, but things heated up on the final lap. Griffin pulled to the inside and seemingly had the position when Letson tried to close the door. Instead, it was Griffin driving it deep and ensuring Letson wasn’t going to deny him of second place.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” Griffin said. “I think he knew he messed up getting off of (Turn No.) 4. He tried to turn down on me before the start-finish, but I was already there. I wasn’t gonna stop, but I wasn’t trying to take him out. It’s just one of those racing deals.”
Letson, who qualified second and has nine career Modifieds of Mayhem wins, wasn’t going to be pushed around.
“That’s what these fans paid to see instead of a bunch of follow-the-leader racing,” Letson said. “You’ll get that every time from me. I’m not gonna lay over. It’s all good. I like to race.”
Looks like he and the rest of the Mods will be chasing Stickler all year. A year after he totaled 12 overall Mods wins, Stickler is well on his way to a historic season.
Article Credit: Chuck Corder
