Kade Brown, who captured the Hickory Motor Speedway track championship last year before moving on to CARS Tour competition this year, returned to the Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars and won the third annual Jack Ingram 111 on Saturday evening.
The driver of the Matt Piercy Racing No. 23 captured the pole, ran his own pace as other passed him early, and let the race come to him before leading the final 55 laps of the race.
“I thought a lot of those guys were going too hard there at the beginning,” Brown said in Victory Lane. “I knew what pace I wanted to run based on what we talked about as a team, and that’s what we executed.
“We had a game plan and executed it, let them burn their stuff up, and this was a Matt Piercy hot rod that had short run and long run speed, qualified on pole too. We needed this because it’s been a year.”
Brown led the first 10 laps before Charlie Watson shoved him out of the way on Lap 11. Michael Bumgarner followed into second too and Brown continued to run that pace.
The entire race was contested over 111 green flag laps and Watson got out to nearly a half track lead. Eventually Brown came back around and was there by the halfway point and methodically made his move.
This was an important win because Brown and Piercy have taken their lumps and learned a great deal about tour racing but this is also a win that eluded them last year.
“It’s about the only one we didn’t win last year,” Brown said. “This is one I wanted to come back and go get.”
Bumgarner and Watson completed the podium.
“I just got a little too free by around Lap 30,” Bumgarner said. “I just went too hard. I didn’t know how the race was going to shake out so I just followed (Watson) up through there and then Kade started pushing.
“I wish they had got to knocking each other around but I’m proud of this run. We have a pretty small team and small budget so I can’t hang my head low.”
For Watson, it’s a familiar story for his part-time operation.
“We just need to test more, get to the track more,” he said. “This is one our new cars, first time out and I’m pretty pleased with it.”
Jack Ingram Memorial 111
Hickory Motor Speedway
June 8 2024
- Kade Brown
- Michael Bumgarner
- Charlie Watson
- Landon S Huffman
- Thomas Beane
- Brody Monahan
- Landon Huffman
- DJ Canipe
- Landon DeVaughn
- Zack Miracle
- Matthew Gould
- Skyler Chaney
