What won the race: Inheriting the lead after race-long pacesetter Jadon Frame pulled up lame on lap 13, Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, Tenn., raced away to a $5,000 victory in Saturday night’s 40-lap Southern Thunder Super Dirt Series feature at Smoky Mountain Speedway. Hedgecock scored his first win on the first-year regional tour by 4.991 seconds over veteran Randy Weaver.

Key notes: Hedgecock clawed forward from the ninth starting spot to second by lap 10, positioning himself to assume command after Frame’s bid ended due to mechanical trouble on lap 13. Frame stopped in turn four to bring out the last caution flag of the race. … Hedgecock controlled the remainder of the distance to scores his seventh overall triumph of 2025 and first since a Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals win on July 18 at Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway. … Weaver, who started sixth driving a Karl Tipton-owned Sniper Chassis No. 22w powered by a steel-block engine, reached second on lap 33 and stayed there to the finish. He earned a $500 bonus for being the highest-finishing driver using a steel-block or CT525 motor. … Hedgecock became the 10th different winner in the Southern Thunder circuit’s first 12 events.

On the move: Dillard Hatchett of Cornersville, Tenn., started 20th and finished sixth.

Winner's sponsors: Hedgecock’s BMF Race Car is powered by an Eagle Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Best Plumber, K&P Used Cars, Base Fuels, Integra Racing Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, SFP Performance, Currin Construction, Circle H Services, CH Enterprises, Pro-Fabrication, Viper Motorsports, Arizona Sportswear, CDE Electric, Majestic Mobile Detail, Hoosier Tire, Winters Performance, Quickcar Racing Products, Brucebilt Performance and Schaeffer's Racing Oil.

Points chase: Before Smoky Mountain: Dalton Cook (528); 2. Trey Mills (424); 3. Beckham Malone (376); 4. Zack Mitchell (340); 5. Joseph Joiner (292).

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 88°F

Car count: 30

Fast qualifier: Michael Leach

Time: 16.333 seconds

Polesitter: Jadon Frame

Consolation race winners: Beckham Malone, Landon Gentry

Provisional starters: Fletcher Wulff, Dakota Smith

Next series race: August 22, Tri-County Racetrack (Brasstown, NC) $5,000