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Christensen, Capers, Johnston and Kitchen Win Their Feature Race.

Christensen Takes Advantage of Grill’s Misfortune, Makes it 2-for-2 in Allen Turner Hyundai PLM Wins

By Chuck Corder
5flagsspeedway.com reporter

Mother Nature tried her best to spoil the Friday night festivities at Five Flags Speedway.
Like an unwanted wedding crasher, she popped up unexpectedly minutes before the opening green flag was set to drop and dumped heavy showers for the next hour-and-45 minutes.
Once the track finally dried, Seth Christensen continued his torrid pace of Pro Late Model success in the first half of the 2024 season. The 16-year-old Georgia driver won his second Allen Turner Hyundai PLM 100 feature in as many races at Five Flags and third overall.
Christensen, who edged Augie Grill in the Allen Turner Hyundai PLM opener in April, took the lead from Grill when the veteran lost power following a restart just 30 laps from the finish.

“We had a rocket ship tonight,” Christensen said. “We came through field, and made the most of the situation. This continues to be my favorite track. Ricky does everything he can to get me into Victory Lane.”
Few know how to navigate the famed half-mile asphalt oval better than Ricky Turner, Christensen’s crew chief. A past Snowball Derby champion as a driver and then twice as Chase Elliott’s crew chief, Turner understands when to push and let the tires cool before making another push.
Carson Brown finished runner-up and John Bolen came home third.
“Huge props to Carson for running me clean,” Christensen said. “It’s super fun racing that close to anybody at this place.”
Grill was the dominant car in qualifying (16.744 seconds) and for the first two-thirds of the race. While he didn’t lead until Lap 28, Grill hounded leader Hudson Bulger less than 10 laps in.

It was unfathomable to see his No. 43 struggling on the restart with 69 laps complete. Christensen, running third, pounced on the opportunity and never looked back.
“I thought we saved enough at the end,” Brown said. “If that last caution didn’t come out, I think we’d be sitting good.”

Gulf Real Estate Group Pro Trucks
Most folks find the pursuit of perfection to be a persnickety quest. Treyce Capers embraces the experience.
The Hurley, Miss., driver has yet to lose a Pro Trucks feature this season. Capers is unblemished between Five Flags Speedway and Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway this year. He is a perfect six-for-six with two wins coming at Five Flags, the latest coming Friday night.
Capers took the lead on Lap 12 and won going away, boasting an eye-popping three-second lead in the final laps.
“My dad is the brain behind all this,” he said. “He’ll talk to the right people if he can’t figure something out.
“We’re fortunate to get six in a row. I want to keep it going and see if I can break a record or two.”
Presley Johnson was second and Okie Mason finished third,
“Hopefully, we can outrun (Capers) next time,” Johnson said.

Lloyd’s Glass Pure Stocks
More than a full calendar year.
That’s how long it had been since Mason Johnston celebrated in Victory Lane at Five Flags Speedway. The drought mercifully ended Friday night with Johnston outdueling friendly rival Maddox Langham down the stretch to capture the Lloyd’s Glass Pure Stocks 20-lap feature.
It was Johnston’s first win since April 2023. Langham, who had won the opening two Pure Stocks features in 2024, finished second and Thomas Norman rounded out the podium.

“Paw Paw and the guys made sure to get this car on roll,” Johnston said of his grandfather and legendary wheelman Okie Mason. “This thing handled like a Cadillac. Maddox and I raced side-by-side and we raced clean. I appreciate running hard and clean like that.”
Johnston took the lead on Lap 6 with Langham close behind, as the pair separated themselves from the eight-car field.
They were door-to-door for the majority of the second half of the race until Johnston cleared Langham for good down the backstretch on Lap 17.
“It was just not enough,” Langham said. “We were still fast, but we’ll come back next race with a win.”

Story & Bleich Crown Stocks
Braeden Kitchen’s night started and ended with a bang Friday at Five Flags Speedway.
The first came in the form of the outside wall during one of three Story and Bleich Crown Stocks heat races. Later in the 20-lap feature, Kitchen responded with an emphatic bang that could echo throughout the rest of the season.

The 25-year-old Perdido driver scored his first career Crown Stocks win at Five Flags and extended his series points lead. Kitchen earned every bit of the victory after starting 16th of 17 cars. He was affectionately mauled by girlfriend Autumn Henderson along with family and friends, who delivered jubilant bear hugs to mark the monumental win.
“Hard work pays off,” Kitchen said. “I messed up in the heat race. And to come back from almost dead last? Yeah, we got it like that.”
Kitchen took the lead from Chris Salter in Turn No. 4 on the final lap and narrowly beat him to the flag stand. Blaise Boykin finished third for his best career finish.

Ryan Maxwell fought to maintain his lead against Dougie Thorpe fought early on until the two leaders hooked up and wrecked each other less than five laps from the checkered flag.
“These things are a ton of fun,” Salter said. “We have a good time.”

Finish order

Pro Late 100
1 45 Seth Christensen, Pendergrass, GA
2 81 Carson Brown, New London, NC
3 2 John Bolen, Jasper, AL
4 91 Jim Wall, Madison, AL
5 407 Jason Vail, Clermont, FL
6 55 George Phillips, Charlotte, NC
7 17 Hudson Bulger, Ft. Valley, GA
8 21 Landon DeVaughn, Wetumpka, AL
9 54 Clayton Green, Marble Falls, TX
10 14 Chase Pinsonneaut, Belle River, ONT, Canada
11 O7 Clint King, Denton, NC
12 67 Colin Allman, Plant City, FL
13 67 Zack Dixon, Lawrenceville, GA
14 0 Ryan Colby, Greenville, MS
15 43 Augie Grill. Hayden, AL
16 0 Johnathan Knee, Ft Collins, CO
17 4 Elliott Massey, Lucedale, MS

Pro Truck 30
1 1 Treyce Capers, Moss Point, MS
2 82 Presley Johnson, Huntsville, AL
3 6 Okie Mason, 8 Mile, AL
4 56 Darryl Rudd Chipley, FL
5 17 Jacob Clayton, Dayton, TN
6 3 Ray Herndon,
7 78 David Herndon,

Crown Stock 20
1 10 Braeden Kitchen, Pensacola, FL
2 4 Chris Salter, Andalusia, AL
3 26 Blaise Boykin, Pensacola, FL
4 41 John Taylor, Pensacola, FL
5 3 Adam Salter, Andalusia, AL
6 17 Ryan Maxwell, Pensacola, FL
7 12 Dee Davis, Walnut Hill, FL
8 69 Zach Dickerson, Pensacola, FL
9 62 Doug Thorpe, Pensacola, FL
10 81 Blake Meredith, Pensacola, FL
11 75 Colton Rutheford, Cantonment, FL
12 48 Okie Mason, 8 Mile, AL
13 17 Ryan Bleich SR Pensacola, FL
14 1776 Hollywood Sidner, Cantonment, FL

Pure Stock 20
1 6 Mason Johnston, Eight Mile, AL
2 97 Maddox Langham, Mobile, AL
3 21 Thomas Norman, Semmes, AL
4 2 Connor Odom, Pensacola, FL
5 98 Payton Guy, Pace, FL
6 343 Ben Cranford, Cantonment, FL
7 16 Tony Boyd, Pensacola, FL
8 24 Chris Pike,

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