What won the race: Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, Tenn., scored a wire-to-wire victory in Saturday night's Tar Heel 53 at I-75 Raceway. He beat Florida's Brody Smith to the finish line by 3.415 seconds for a $10,053 paycheck on the Southern All Star Series season finale.

Quotable: “We had a good car. Those cautions at the end weren’t real fun, but we’ll take them any way we can get them and bag this race at home,” Hedgecock said before later adding, “it’s good to get a Tar Heel 53. We tried it once over there in Tri-County (Racetrack in Brasstown, N.C.), but we can’t get our butts down there. Glad to get it at home, like I said, just ready for the year to be over with.”

Key notes: Controlling the action off the pole position, Hedgecock registered his third Southern All Stars win of 2025 and sixth of his career. He also won the tour’s season opener on Feb. 1 at I-75. ... Hedgecock tallied his fourth feature win since debuting a new Longhorn Chassis Sept. 20 at Chatsworth's North Georgia Speedway. … Brody Smith reached second on lap 42 and stayed there to the finish for a career-best run on the series. His brother, Brenden Smith, finished eighth. … Bobby Giffin advanced steadily from 17th starting spot to take third on the 49th lap. … Billy Franklin, who finished one lap down in 11th, clinched his second career SAS championship. He also captured the title in 2020; Franklin entered Saturday 92 points behind Ronnie Johnson with a racer's worst finish set to drop off its season points total at race's end. Johnson, seeking his fourth career series title (1985, '87-'88), retired on lap 17 and was credited with 19th. ... Michael Luna wrapped up the series Rookie of the Year honors.

On the move: Bobby Giffin of Maryville, Tenn., started 17th and finished third.

Winner's sponsors: Hedgecock's Longhorn Chassis 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, and Schaeffer's Racing Oil.

Points chase: SAS 2025 final: 1. Billy Franklin (3,304); 2. Ronnie Johnson (3,220); 3. Kendall Franklin (3,196); 4. Michael Luna (3,050); 5. Dillon Tidmore (2,205).

Current weather: Overcast, 52°F

Car count: 27

Fast qualifier: Garrett Smith

Time: 14.136 seconds

Polesitter: Cory Hedgecock

Heat race winners: Cory Hedgecock, Brody Smith, Payton Stevenson

Consolation race winners: Ronnie Johnson

Provisional starters: Michael Luna, Will Hicks