9/20/2024
Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series
Payton Freeman scores first-career Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series victory at Thunderhill Raceway Park
SUMMERTOWN, TN – The scoresheets may show that Payton Freeman of Commerce, GA led every lap to win the Mark Fields Memorial 30 on Friday night at Thunderhill Raceway for the Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series, but his journey to pick up the $5,000 top prize was anything but a snoozer. The top three cars were side-by-side-by-side in heavy lapped traffic on the final lap.
When the lead trio took the Behrents Performance One-To-Go white flag, Freeman held the lead over Hunt The Front point leader Bradnon Overton of Evans, GA and third-place Tanner English of Benton, KY. But just after taking the white flag, Freeman got into the back of a lapped car, and Overton pounced to the leader’s outside, and English dove to the bottom of turn one.
Just when it looked like Overton would take the lead, he had a lapped car spoil his run off the second turn, and Freeman regained the lead. While Overton negotiated around the lapped car, English got a run on Big Sexy in turn three.
Freeman took the checkered flag for the win, and English continued his outside run on Overton to take the second spot by a half car length. Sam Seawright of Fort Payne, AL finished fourth and Ashton Winger of Hampton, GA took the fifth spot. Defending Hunt The Front National Champion Josh Putnam of Florence, AL was sixth, and Trey Mills of St. Augustine, FL drove to a seventh-place finish.
Shane Clanton of Zebulon, GA finished eighth, and ninth went to Jadon Frame of Winchester, TN. Dalton Cook of Salem, AL rounded out the top ten. Joseph Joiner of Milton FL took a provisional and started 23rd on the grid. He finished 13th to earn the MD3 Hard Charger of the Race Award.
In preliminary action, Putnam was the My Race Pass Fastest Qualifier among the 36 entrants from seven states with a lap round the high-banked speed bowl in 11.944 seconds. The two Last Chance Qualifying Races were won by Seawright in the Augusta Aquatics LCQ 1, and Haiden Cowan of Rincon, GA in the Hoosier Racing Tire LCQ 2.
Overton padded his point lead over Seawright and Winger in the battle for the $50,000 2024 Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series National Championship. Overton has a 70-point lead over Seawright, and a 98-point lead over Winger. Joiner is fourth 142 points behind Overton, and Zack Mitchell of Enoree, SC is fifth in the point standings, 152 points behind Overton.
The Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series returns to Thunderhill Raceway on Saturday night for the $15,000-to-win Mark Fields Memorial Race. The race will be live steamed at huntthefront.tv. For more information, visit the series website at www.htfseries.com, or on Facebook at Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series.
Article Credit: Roby Helms | Ryan Roberts
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