Dirt on Dirt - Owens edges Hornsby for $10,053 at Beckley

July 14

Beckley Motor Speedway,

Beckley, WV

Sanction: Schaeffer's Southern Nationals - $10,053

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac and series reports (last updated July 15, 1:40 pm)

Owens edges Hornsby for $10,053 at Beckley

Jimmy Owens
Henry Hornsby III
Kyle Hardy
Tyler Carpenter
Chris Ferguson
Kenny Collins
Logan Roberson
Ricky Weiss
Will Roland
Cory Hedgecock
Carson Ferguson
Cody Overton
Donald McIntosh
Mike Benedum
Jordan Koehler
Brenden Smith
John Llewellyn
Haiden Cowan
Payton Freeman
David McCoy
Chris Meadows
Kaede Loudy
Jeff Smith
Tyler Clem

presented by

Live video Feature highlights

What won the race: Leading all but the first circuit and repelling upset-minded hometown driver Henry Hornsby III in the closing stages, Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., came off the outside pole to capture Friday's 53-lap Schaeffer's Oil Southern Nationals opener at Beckley Motor Speedway. Owens pocketed $10,053 after turning back a challenge from eighth-starting Hornsby to beat the Beckley, W.Va., resident by 0.201 of a second.

Quotable: “I want to thank all of these fans for sticking through all the rain and stuff. It’s such a late night and it’s great to see such a crowd here,” said Owens, who took the checkered flag at 1:59 a.m. “It’s a tough field of cars, a bunch of great guys out there, and they raced us clean. I was afraid that bottom was going to come in there toward the end because the middle and the top just kept getting a little blacker.”

Key notes: Notching his sixth career Southern Nationals victory, Owens secured his second overall win of the season with both coming in the last 14 days. ... The 23-year-old Hornsby, who graduated from West Virginia University in May, reached second place on lap 40 and nearly overtook Owens heading to the white flag before settling for a runner-up placing. ... After pitting from third for a new right-rear tire on lap 27, Kyle Hardy rebounded to finish third. ... Tyler Carpenter advanced eight positions and finished fourth. ... After slowing to draw the race's second caution on the opening lap and the final caution on lap 48, Cory Hedgecock finished 10th. ... Pole-starting Carson Ferguson led the first lap and ran second for laps 19-39 before slipping to third and ultimately relinquishing the spot due to a flat right-rear on lap 46. The Schaeffer's Oil Spring Nationals champion returned and finished 11th. ... The race's biggest incident occurred on lap 27 when Jordan Koehler and John Llewellyn tangled, sending Owens and Haiden Cowan spinning to avoid contact; Owens retained his lead position because the caution flag was already out when he slid sideways to avoid the incident. ... The Southern Nationals' third-ever series visit to Beckley was slowed by six separate incidents and lasted 32 minutes, with 14 drivers completing all 53 laps. ... The race ended just before 2 a.m. local time after multiple rain showers delayed the start of the program; cars did not hit the track for hot laps until 10:10 p.m. ... After breaking while leading the consolation, Tyler Clem had a provisional but could not start the A-main.

On the move: Will Roland of Jasper, Ga., started 22nd and finished ninth.

Winner's sponsors: Owens drives a Koehler Motorsports Rocket Chassis powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsored by Reece Monument Company, Tim Short Auto Group, Red Line Oil, Georgia Arms Ammunition, Goodridge Fluid Transfer Systems, Five Star Metal Buildings, Capital Waste, Midwest Sheet Metal and Penske Racing Shocks.

Points chase: After Beckley: 1. Jimmy Owens (200); 2. Henry Hornsby III (196); 3. Kyle Hardy (194); 4. Tyler Carpenter (192); 5. Chris Ferguson (190).

Current weather: Scattered Clouds, 68°F

Car count: 32

Fast qualifier: Jimmy Owens

Time: 13.173 seconds

Polesitter: Carson Ferguson

Heat race winners: Carson Ferguson, Kyle Hardy, Jimmy Owens, Chris Ferguson

Consolation race winners: Jeff Smith

Provisional starters: David McCoy, Will Roland, Haiden Cowan, Tyler Clem

Next series race: July 16, Wythe Raceway (Rural Retreat, VA) $10,053

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

BECKLEY, W.Va. (July 14) — Live updates from Friday night’s $10,053-to-win Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals opener at Beckley Motor Speedway (results unofficial):

Feature

Leading all but the first circuit and repelling upset-minded hometown driver Henry Hornsby III in the closing stages, Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., came off the outside pole to capture Friday's 53-lap Schaeffer's Oil Southern Nationals opener at Beckley Motor Speedway. Owens pocketed $10,053 after turning back a challenge from eighth-starting Hornsby to beat the Beckley, W.Va., resident by 0.201 of a second.

Feature lineup

(53 laps)
Row 1: Carson Ferguson, Jimmy Owens
Row 2: Kyle Hardy, Chris Ferguson
Row 3: Ricky Weiss, Jordan Koehler
Row 4: Logan Roberson, Henry Hornsby III
Row 5: Cody Overton, Mike Benedum
Row 6: Kaede Loudy, Tyler Carpenter
Row 7: Kenny Collins, Payton Freeman
Row 8: Brenden Smith, Cory Hedgecock
Row 9: Jeff Smith, Donald McIntosh
Row 10: John Llewellyn, Chris Meadows
Row 11: David McCoy, Will Roland
Row 12: Haiden Cowan, Tyler Clem

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top four transfer)
B-main: Jeff Smith, Donald McIntosh, John Llewellyn, Chris Meadows, David McCoy, Will Roland, Shane Greco, Haiden Cowan, Rick Strattis, Tyler Clem. Scratched: Kenny Rucker, Rick Williams, Joey Tanner, Bryan Bernheisel, Jensen Ford, Zack Dohm

Heat race notes

Spring Nationals champion Carson Ferguson led all eight laps to win the first heat race by 2.440 seconds over Ricky Weiss. Kyle Hardy led green-to-checkered to win heat two by 1.327 seconds over Logan Roberson. Jimmy Owens repelled his Koehler Motorsports teammate in the early laps of heat three, leading the entire distance and winning by 1.693 over Jordan Koehler. Chris Ferguson dominated the fourth and final heat race, leading all eight laps and winning by 0.487 of a second over Henry Hornsby III.

Heat race results

(8 laps; top four transfer)
First heat: Carson Ferguson, Ricky Weiss, Cody Overton, Kenny Collins, Tyler Clem, Chris Meadows, Shane Greco. Scratched: Rick Williams

Second heat: Kyle Hardy, Logan Roberson, Kaede Loudy, Brenden Smith, Donald McIntosh, Haiden Cowan, Will Roland, Kenny Rucker.

Third heat: Jimmy Owens, Jordan Koehler, Mike Benedum, Payton Freeman, Jeff Smith, David McCoy. Scratched: Joey Tanner, Bryan Bernheisel

Fourth heat: Chris Ferguson, Henry Hornsby III, Tyler Carpenter, Cory Hedgecock, John Llewellyn, Rick Strattis. Scratched: Jensen Ford, Zack Dohm

Time trials

Driver (car no.), hometown, time
First group
1. Carson Ferguson (93), Concord, N.C., 13.210
2. Kyle Hardy (00H), Stephens City, Va., 13.290
3. Tyler Clem (58), St. Petersburg, Fla., 13.317
4. Logan Roberson (89), Waynesboro, Va., 13.383
5. Cody Overton (15K), Evans, Ga., 13.451
6. Brenden Smith (17SS), Dade City, Fla., 13.470
7. Ricky Weiss (7W), Headingley, Manitoba, 13.489
8. Kaede Loudy (126), Rogersville, Tenn., 13.521
9. Chris Meadows (33), Crab Orchard, W.Va., 13.523
10. Donald McIntosh (79), Dawsonville, Ga., 13.530
11. Kenny Collins (1C), Colbert, Ga., 13.542
12. Haiden Cowan (214), Rincon, Ga., 13.586
13. Rick Williams (12W), Beckley, W.Va., 13.695
14. Will Roland (22R), Jasper, Ga., 13.895
15. Shane Greco (60H), Midway, W.Va., 14.514
16. Kenny Rucker (457), Pond Gap, W.Va., 14.970
Second group
1. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 13.173
2. Henry Hornsby (39), Beckley, W.Va., 13.292
3. Jordan Koehler (114) Mount Airy, N.C., 13.363
4. Chris Ferguson (22), Mount Holly, N.C., 13.403
5. Payton Freeman (F1), Commerce, Ga., 13.425
6. Tyler Carpenter (28), Parkersburg, W.Va., 13.473
7. Mike Benedum (25), Salem, W.Va., 13.485
8. Cory Hedgecock (23), Sevierville, Tenn., 13.507
9. Jeff Smith (70), Dallas, N.C., 13.726
10. John Llewellyn (90), Knoxville, Tenn., 13.784
11. David McCoy (187), Franklin, N.C., 13.919
12. Rick Strattis (1S), Bradley, W.Va., 16.216
13. Joey Tanner (46), Portland, Ore., 30.379
14. Jensen Ford (83), Elizabethtown, N.C., no time
15. Bryan Bernheisel (119), Jonestown, Pa., no time
16. Zack Dohm (6T), Cross Lanes, W.Va., no time