Tucked away in the watermelon fields of Crisp County, Georgia lays one of the last vestiges of asphalt racing in Georgia, Cordele Motor Speedway. There, on August 1st, the ASA Southern Super Series is set to contend the 2026 Georgia Summer Nationals in a combination event with the speedway’s SuperFest schedule.
As of the time of publication, there are 24 drives entered for the 125 Super Late Model main event, which headlines a jam-packed day of racing. In addition to Super Late Models, seven different classes are on the racing docket, including the Modifieds of Mayhem with a 50 lapper.
Leading the list of contenders in this year’s edition of the midsummer battle in the Peach State are Georgia natives Bubba Pollard, Jake Garcia, and Spencer Davis.
Pollard is the winningest driver in Cordele, amassing 14 wins in late model competition over the span of 47 starts and his last win in a Super Late Model was in last year’s September doubleheader.
Garcia was the other winning driver in last year’s doubleheader, and used that race as a stepping stone to winning the World Crown 300 in October. He comes into this summer’s visit to Cordele with a Southern Super Series victory under his belt, winning at Montgomery in April.
Davis was nipping at the heels of Garcia’s win in Montgomery, and is also on the verge of taking command of the Southern Super Series points standings. He sits only three markers behind current leader Tristian McKee, who is not entered in this weekend’s event. Davis has a pair of wins so far in 2026, both coming during the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna to begin the season. He is still looking for his breakout victory in the Southern Super Series.
Beyond the powerhouse names from Georgia is another hard charger in Matt Craig, who is fresh off of a runner up finish with the ASA STARS Tour last weekend in Newport, Tennessee. Craig sits third in the standings, 24 behind McKee. A strong run in Cordele could seriously elevate Craig’s bid for the 2026 championship.
Reigning Snowball Derby Champion Stephen Nasse rolls into Cordele with two wins on the season, both dating back to his back-to-back wins at Five Flags in June. Nasse has three wins at Cordele. His most recent coming in the Pro Late Model portion of the 2024 SpeedFest.
Jake Garcia isn’t the only NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver looking to smash a watermelon on Saturday. Kaden Honeycutt is behind the wheel of a Super Late Model powered by the same JC Motorsports team that has fueled dominating Pro Late Model performances in the CARS Tour this year. This will mark Honeycutt’s first start in Cordele, and in addition to racing the Super Late Model, he will also race a modified in the Modifieds of Mayhem.
Friday, July 31st is set at practice day with all the racing action taking place on Saturday, August 1st.
Pit gates open at 11am, while the grandstands open at 4pm. Practice begins at 1:30 with local division qualifying set to start at 4:45. Qualifying for the Southern Super Series is scheduled for 6pm with pre-race ceremonies and racing to follow.
Those that cannot attend in person can see every lap on Racing America.
Entry List: 14th Georgia Summer Nationals:
1 – Aaron Anderson
6 – Brandon Lopez
10 – George Gorham
17 – Hudson Bulger
20 – Jett Noland
22 – George Phillips
22 – Ryan Herbert
24 – Jade Avedesian
26 – Bubba Pollard
28 – Timothy Watson
29 – Allen Gordon
30 – Jesse Dutilly
33 – Daniel Webster
33 – Dustin Smith
35 – Jake Garcia
37 – Michael Goddard
51 – Stephen Nasse
51 – Carson Ware
54 – Kaden Honeycutt
54 – Matt Craig
67 – Colin Allman
69 – Michael Hinde
71 – Johnny Brazier
96 – Spencer Davis
