What won the race: Racing on the eve of his 59th birthday, Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., outdueled Jimmy Owens to emerge victorious in Saturday night’s 50-lap Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series-sanctioned King of the Mountain feature at Smoky Mountain Speedway. He swapped the lead with Owens midway through the race before claiming the $15,000 top prize by 0.493 of a second over his fellow veteran racer.

Quotable: “I had a little bit different right-front tire on, so I was definitely better on long runs and not as good on the short runs,” McDowell said. “I just had to play defense there at the end, but the longer runs I could kind of get away, or (his brother) Shane (McDowell) would tell me I’d get away.”

Key notes: McDowell came off the outside front-row to lead laps 1-21 before Owens hustled past to assume control; Owens’s stint in front was short-lived as McDowell regained command for good on lap 28, but the 53-year-old stayed close and nearly edged McDowell at the line several times. … McDowell tallied his second win of 2025 with both coming in Hunt the Front action; his previous score was on April 5 at Alabama’s Talladega Short Track, worth $8,000. … It was McDowell’s third career HTF Series victory. … Owens settled for second one night after topping McDowell in Friday's opener at Sugar Creek Raceway in Blue Ridge, Ga. ... Owens ran his streak of podium finishes to six in a row and also closed to within eight points of series leader Zack Mitchell, who finished third. … Mike Marlar debuted a new Infinity Race Car with a fourth-place finish. ... The feature lasted 23 minutes, with 17 starters completing 50 laps and 20 running at the checkers.

On the move: Pierce McCarter of Gatlinburg, Tenn., started 12th and finished sixth.

Winner's sponsors: McDowell’s Shane McDowell Racing Team Zero Race Car has a Clements Chevrolet engine and sponsorship from Reece Monument Company, Cometic Gaskets, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, Bath Masters, Connected Strategy Advisors, Northeastern Fabrication, Campbell Insulation Specialists, M&S Motors, Black Rock Enterprises., BSI Well Service, S&H Systems, Be Cool Radiators, Spring-Pro and Fox Racing Shox.

Points chase: After Smoky Mountain: 1. Zack Mitchell (450); 2. Jimmy Owens (442); 3. Ricky Weiss (432); 4. Sam Seawright (428); 5. Dalton Cook (418).

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 75°F

Car count: 34

Fast qualifier: Jimmy Owens

Time: 16.116 seconds

Polesitter: Zack Mitchell

Heat race winners: Jimmy Owens, Dale McDowell, Zack Mitchell, Ricky Weiss

Consolation race winners: Jackson Hise, Luke Morey

Provisional starters: Cory Hedgecock, Kaede Loudy, Mario Gresham, Bobby Giffin

Next series race: May 30, Swainsboro Raceway (Swainsboro, GA) $8,000