5/11/2024
Five Flags Speedway
Letson Wins 11th Modifieds of Mayhem Race; Boyett declared Outlaws Winner after Griffin & Grice failed post race inspection.
For Official finish including heats, click this link:
https://www.5flagsspeedway.com/schedules/event/498825
Letson Perfectly Times Maneuver for Lead, Wins 11th Career Modifieds of Mayhem Feature
By Chuck Corder
5flagsspeedway.com reporter
Jeff Letson delivered a perfect clinic Friday for how to win at Five Flags Speedway.
He bided his time while Tim Moore worked hard to protect his lead in the Modifieds of Mayhem 50-lap feature. Letson let Moore punch the holes each time the pair encountered lapped traffic. It was a cat-and-mouse game until Letson pounced on his opportunity three laps from the finish.
As Moore struggled with a lapped car, Letson dove inside and flew right by him en route to his 11th career Modifieds of Mayhem victory.
“Out front is the place to be,” Letson said. “(Moore) was better. I enjoy racing those guys. My crew has been working hard and putting their minds together lately.”
Moore finished second, but it was one of the sourest runners-up a driver can experience. He was spitting nails afterward, angry with Brandon Curren for not moving out of the way as a lapped car.
“I got around all the lapped cars except for one,” Moore said, referencing Curren. “He said he owed me one from Nashville, I guess.
“I won the race in my eyes. I had the best car. I checked out and was gone for a little while. Then, we’d catch lapped traffic and (Letson) caught up. And, then, I’d pull away again. It’s all good. We’re happy with second place.”
Jaxon Bishop finished third.
Faith Chapel Outlaws
Logan Boyett continues to make a triumphant return to full-time racing at Five Flags Speedway.
And the scary part is, the Pensacola driver and his team are still trying to maximize the No. 1 car’s performance.
Boyett got his third Faith Chapel Outlaws win Friday out of four 35-lap features this season at Five Flags. He unofficially finished third but recorded the victory when the race’s first- and second-place cars of Derrick Griffin and Scooter Grice, respectively, were disqualified in post-race technical inspection.
“It was a great night for us,” Boyett said. “We’re still struggling with this car. We tried big swings and it just didn’t pan out (on the track Friday). But we’re slowly learning.”
Gary Goodwin moved up to runner-up and Bubba Winslow rounded out the podium after the dust settled in the tech shed.
After a 14-year hiatus, Grice was back in a new car he built with the assistance of Late Model oracle Mike Garvey. The 48-year-old led for the first half of the race before Griffin passed him on Lap 18.
“I’m still searching for that elusive first win, but this is God,” an emotional Grice said immediately following the race. “I didn’t think I’d ever to get race again and He has smiled on me. If you’re in a dark spot, keep your eyes on Him and He’ll set you straight.”
Griffin and his team fought mechanical troubles all afternoon and until the engines fired.
“I can’t say enough about Rawhide (car owner James Smith) and all our partners,” Griffin said. “Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong up until the start race. But they worked their butts off to see what we could do.”
The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen
A day of celebration Friday spilled across Mobile Bay, down I-10 and culminated in Victory Lane at Five Flags Speedway.
Seventeen-year-old Parker McDonald graduated from Theodore (Ala.) High School on Friday afternoon and then passed a hard-fought test against friendly rival James Patrick to win The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen 25-lap feature. It was Parker’s second victory of the year to match Patrick’s pair. Daryl McDonald III, Parker’s older brother, came home third.
“(Graduation) makes this win two times more special,” Parker said. “You can’t get any better than that. (Patrick) has probably the fastest Sportsmen car I’ve seen. I’m glad to be able to run with the best.”
Patrick was a McDonalds’ sandwich for most of the race, and not the Big Mac or Quarter Pounder varieties. The three were nose-to-tail with Patrick attempting to work the outside groove before opting for the apron down the stretch. He took a couple peeks for the lead, but didn’t quite have the power to get around Parker.
Patrick’s runner-up keeps him atop the series points standings through four races. However, his lead is only 10 points over Parker.
“They’ve been working on their cars,” Patrick said of the McDonalds. “And it’s showing. I was having a little bit of fun on the outside, but I didn’t have enough to deal with (Parker) unfortunately.”
Daryl McDonald, “D3,” is squarely in the points race, too, trailing Patrick by just 15 after Friday's podium result.
“It’s good to just be on the same straightaway with (Patrick),” McDonald joked. “It feels good to be up front again. I’m so happy for Parker. We work on these cars non-stop.”
Story & Bleich Roofing Crown Stocks
Old dudes in old cars continue to drive the plot of the Story & Bleich Roofing Crown Stocks class in 2024.
Doug Thorpe Jr. got his second win in three races Friday night at Five Flags Speedway. The longtime Pensacola driver, who is experiencing a career renaissance this season, got out front early in the 20-lap feature and held off Alabama drivers Chris Salter and Chris Mitchell in the closing laps.
“Mom, this one’s for you,” said Thorpe, who lost his mother Frances in January. “Winning never gets old. These young guys could probably run another 20 laps. I’m fixing to go get some Oxygen.”
Another 60-something, Okie Mason, 62, has also won twice this season.
Thorpe succeeded in the 25-car field Friday thanks to some wonderful restarts following several cautions. He timed each one perfectly and built a sizable cushion while Salter, Mitchell and others tried to get their cars under them.
“Tonight, was our first race down here,” Salter said. “This is a new car, and just our third week in it. I’m happy with it so far. I’ll get it figured out.”
Faith Chapel Outlaws 35
1 1 Logan Boyett, Pensacola
2 23 Gary Goodwin, Pensacola, FL
3 92 Bubba Winslow, Cantonment, FL
4 923 Carter Taylor, Lucedale, MS
5 31 Jr. Neidecken, Milton, FL
6 15 Kevin Chase, Gulf Breeze, FL
7 3 Jesse Smith, Panama City, FL
DNS 10 Jason Welch, Saraland, AL
dq 29 Derrick Griffin Pensacola,FL
dq 234 Scooter Grice, Pensacola, FL
Modfieds 50
1 131 Jeff Letson, Madison, AL
2 57 Tim Moore, St. Petersburg, FL
3 2 Jaxon Bishop, Toney, AL
4 81 Jeremy Williams, Dora, AL
5 42 Richie Smith, Hernando, FL
6 72 L. J. Grimm, Seffner, FL
7 31 Brad Stell, New Market, AL
8 0 Brandon Curren, Hayden, AL
9 26 Payton Burba,
10 2 Brad Bowman,
11 1 Shane Jones,
12 7 Parker Pugh, Madison, AL
13 7 Chris Cotto, Milton, FL
14 36 Lance Blacker,
15 62 Jody Anderson, Athens, AL
16 35 Michael Curry,
17 216 Michael Fields, Hueytown, AL
18 88 Larry Hughes, Deatsville, AL
Crowns 20
1 62 Doug Thorpe, Pensacola, FL
2 4 Chris Salter, Andalusia, AL
3 22 Chris Mitchell, Mount Olive, AL
4 10 Braeden Kitchen, Pensacola, FL
5 3 Adam Salter, Andalusia, AL
6 83 Noah Carter, Cantonment, FL
7 26 Blaise Boykin, Pensacola, FL
8 12 Dee Davis, Walnut Hill, FL
9 19 Garrison Story, Pensacola, FL
10 48 Okie Mason, 8 Mile, AL
11 69 Zach Dickerson, Pensacola, FL
12 1776 Hollywood Sidner, Cantonment, FL
13 98 Payton Guy, Pace, FL
14 26 Buddy Pitts,
15 47 Tony Boyd, Pensacola, FL
16 25 Cody Hobbs, Milton, FL
17 75 Colton Rutheford, Cantonment, FL
18 92 Taylor Ortiz, Pensacola, FL
19 43 Dean Clark, Cantonment, FL
20 15 Marty Bean,
21 41 John Taylor, Pensacola, FL
22 1010 Donnie Martin,
23 17 Ryan Maxwell, Pensacola, FL
24 81 Blake Meredith,
DNS 11 Cody Griggs, Pensacola, FL
Sportsmen 25
1 29 Parker McDonald, Theodore, AL
2 11 James Patrick, Mobile, AL
3 19 Daryl McDonald III, Theodore, AL
4 7 Jim Pokrant, Pensacola, FL
5 99 Robert Lavery,
Faith Chapel Outlaws 35
1 1 Logan Boyett, Pensacola
2 23 Gary Goodwin, Pensacola, FL
3 92 Bubba Winslow, Cantonment, FL
4 923 Carter Taylor, Lucedale, MS
5 31 Jr. Neidecken, Milton, FL
6 15 Kevin Chase, Gulf Breeze, FL
7 3 Jesse Smith, Panama City, FL
DNS 10 Jason Welch, Saraland, AL
dq 29 Derrick Griffin Pensacola,FL
dq 234 Scooter Grice, Pensacola, FL
Modfieds 50
1 131 Jeff Letson, Madison, AL
2 57 Tim Moore, St. Petersburg, FL
3 2 Jaxon Bishop, Toney, AL
4 81 Jeremy Williams, Dora, AL
5 42 Richie Smith, Hernando, FL
6 72 L. J. Grimm, Seffner, FL
7 31 Brad Stell, New Market, AL
8 0 Brandon Curren, Hayden, AL
9 26 Payton Burba,
10 2 Brad Bowman,
11 1 Shane Jones,
12 7 Parker Pugh, Madison, AL
13 7 Chris Cotto, Milton, FL
14 36 Lance Blacker,
15 62 Jody Anderson, Athens, AL
16 35 Michael Curry,
17 216 Michael Fields, Hueytown, AL
18 88 Larry Hughes, Deatsville, AL
Crowns 20
1 62 Doug Thorpe, Pensacola, FL
2 4 Chris Salter, Andalusia, AL
3 22 Chris Mitchell, Mount Olive, AL
4 10 Braeden Kitchen, Pensacola, FL
5 3 Adam Salter, Andalusia, AL
6 83 Noah Carter, Cantonment, FL
7 26 Blaise Boykin, Pensacola, FL
8 12 Dee Davis, Walnut Hill, FL
9 19 Garrison Story, Pensacola, FL
10 48 Okie Mason, 8 Mile, AL
11 69 Zach Dickerson, Pensacola, FL
12 1776 Hollywood Sidner, Cantonment, FL
13 98 Payton Guy, Pace, FL
14 26 Buddy Pitts,
15 47 Tony Boyd, Pensacola, FL
16 25 Cody Hobbs, Milton, FL
17 75 Colton Rutheford, Cantonment, FL
18 92 Taylor Ortiz, Pensacola, FL
19 43 Dean Clark, Cantonment, FL
20 15 Marty Bean,
21 41 John Taylor, Pensacola, FL
22 1010 Donnie Martin,
23 17 Ryan Maxwell, Pensacola, FL
24 81 Blake Meredith,
DNS 11 Cody Griggs, Pensacola, FL
Sportsmen 25
1 29 Parker McDonald, Theodore, AL
2 11 James Patrick, Mobile, AL
3 19 Daryl McDonald III, Theodore, AL
4 7 Jim Pokrant, Pensacola, FL
5 99 Robert Lavery,