Cody Kelley picked up his first I-95 Showdown victory in Friday night’s Sun Fun 101 at Florence Motor Speedway.
Kelley, who started on the outside of the second row, made the race-winning pass on the fourth lap of the race, roaring past Matt Cox on the outside. Kelley never looked back as he drove away from the rest of the field to score his seventh win of the year at Florence.
This victory was one of the biggest in Kelley’s young career.
“This is a bigger Late Model win than just a regular local race,” Kelley said in victory lane after the race. “That’s pretty cool. I grew up watching all them races at Myrtle Beach and dreamed of winning some of these races. I can make that one off the book. That’s pretty cool.”
Once Kelley took the lead, his immediate focus shifted to saving tires on Florence’s abrasive track surface.
“I was up there on the high side and didn’t see where I could get down,” Kelley continued. “I wanted to save. I rode the outside, got out front, and just tried to control the race. I’m proud of my brother. He did a great job. It’s pretty cool, finishing 1-2.”
His twin brother, Casey, worked his way up to the runner-up spot after having trouble on the initial start of the race from the pole. Matt Cox, who has two wins in the I-95 Showdown, finished third while Dylan Newsome and Tyler Matthews rounded out the top five.
Friday’s race closed out the opening round of the I-95 Showdown championship.
Unofficially, based on Short Track Scene’s calculations, Matt Cox, Dylan Newsome, Andrew Grady, and Tyler Matthews would round out the top four in the opening round, automatically advancing to the final round in the I-95 Showdown.
Being in the final round locks them into both the South Carolina 400 at Florence on November 22 and the Thanksgiving Classic at Southern National Motorsports Park on November 30. The four drivers will also receive free entry and free pit pass for both year-end majors.
The two-race Battleback Round begins on September 6 at Southern National and then concludes on October 11 at Florence. The final round consists of the South Carolina 400 and the Thanksgiving Classic.
Unofficial Results
- Cody Kelley
- Casey Kelley
- Matt Cox
- Dylan Newsome
- Tyler Matthews
- Jamie Weatherford
- Artie Adams, Jr.
- Andrew Grady
- Ryan Glenski
- Jamie Griffin
