One Last Event in 2024! Thanksgiving Thunder!

(October 22, 2024) Smoky Mountain Speedway will host the final race of the 2024 season with the inaugural Thanksgiving Thunder on Saturday, November 23. The Thanksgiving Thunder event will feature seven divisions of racing action. Limited late models, sportsman late models, open wheel modifieds, Tennessee mod lites, street stocks, front wheel drive, and Crown Vics. All divisions will see increased purse money highlighted by the limited late models racing for $2,500 to win.

Pit gates will open at 9:00 a.m. and grandstand and tier parking gates will open at 10:00 a.m.. The driver’s meeting is scheduled for noon followed by hot laps at 12:30. General admission tickets are $20 for adults. Pit passes and tier parking tickets are $35. Kids 11 and under are $5 everywhere.

There will also be an open practice on Friday, November 22 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Pit gates will open at 5:00. Admission is $20 per person. Any division is welcome to participate!

Skip Arp is the Master at the Mountain!

(September 14, 2024) Skip Arp showed why he’s the one to beat by winning Saturday’s Topless Outlaws feature. (MRM Racing Photo)

The 40-lap feature started with Jordan Rodabaugh and Skip Arp on the front row via setting fast time in their respective qualifying group. Rodabaugh took the lead on lap 1 as the field raced into turn 1. Arp fought back with a power move on the outside to take the lead on lap 2. Rodabaugh slid back through the field just past the halfway point as Rusty Ballenger took the second spot on a lap 5 restart. Cory Hedgecock would later wrestle third away from Rodabaugh after a lengthy battle with Riley Hickman for the fourth spot. Ballenger made a bid for the lead on a lap 28 restart but could not get the drive on the low side to complete the pass. Arp cruised to the win in the closing laps with Ballenger and Hedgecock rounding out the top 3.

Jason Welshan held off Zach Shannon in the closing laps to win the sportsman late model feature. The race went caution free with Shannon giving a peak to the outside of Welshan in the closing laps. Welshan was too strong in taking the win over Shannon. Adam Mitchell finished third. | full results

Arp, Orr, Duncan, and McGill Get Makeup Race Wins!

(September 13, 2024) Smoky Mountain Speedway returned to action on Friday night with the makeup features from the June 1st rain out. (MRM Racing Photo)

Skip Arp led all 25 laps in taking the limited late model feature. Hayden Ownbey and Chad Alley finished second and third respectively. Eric Orr got the win in the sportsman late model division. Orr took the lead from pole sitter Colby Horner. Horner finish second and Adam Mitchell came from 9th to finish third.

Dustin Duncan dominated the front wheel drive feature. Duncan lapped all but second place car Travis Weeks, Shaylee Hinds finished third. Joseph McGill held off Opie Barndt to win the crown vic feature. Amber Gilpatrick finished third. | full results

Cale Cozad Gets First Carolina Sprint Tour Victory!!

(August 24, 2024) Cale Cozad held off late challengers to get his first win with the Carolina Sprint Tour. Dillan Baldwin got the early lead from the outside of the front row. Baldwin looked to be in control of the race until Cozad took the lead just before the halfway point in the race. Jadan Bowling made a late charge to move into third place before getting around Baldwin for second. Bowling took the spot on the high side, but Baldwin fought back as the two raced side-by-side for second. Bowling finally took the spot and was challenging Cozad for the lead. Bowling spun out in turn 3 with a few laps remaining. Jake McLain took second from Bowling and pressured Cozad for the lead in the closing laps. Cozad held on to take the win over McLain and Baldwin. (MRM Racing Photos)

Chandler Hickman took advantage of Colby Horner’s inability to start the race to win the sportsman late model feature. Horner qualified for the pole with Mitchell Childress logging in the second fastest time and Chandler posting the third fastest time. Horner damaged his car on his final qualifying lap and could not make the call for the feature. That allowed Childress to start from the pole and Hickman to start second. Hickman took the initial lead with Childress in tow. With two laps to go, Jason Welshan moved from fourth to second on a restart. That restart was waved off because of a spin. Childress made a final charge on the next restart and tried to move alongside Hickman. But Hickman held his line and held on for the win. | full results

Smoky Mountain Speedway Announces HoF Inductees

(July 8, 2024) The Smoky Mountain Speedway Hall of Fame committee has selected the 2024 inductees. The committee recently met to discuss many candidates and narrowed it down to these five individuals. Kevin Coffey, Gusty Christenberry, Sonny Huskey, David Bryant, and Carson Branum have been selected for this year’s class. Kevin Coffey was a multi-time track champion and won many features during his career at Smoky Mountain Speedway, Atomic Motor Speedway, and other tracks in the area. Coffey also revived Smoky Mountain Speedway in 2007 after the track had been shut down for several years.

Gusty Christenberry was another track champion and won numerous races across the area. Christenberry also contended for wins in the Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Racing Series and the STARS racing series. His father, Clayton Christenberry, is already in the hall of fame. Sonny Huskey was a dominant force in the late 80’s and through most of the 90’s with wins at numerous tracks in the area. He was known for being one of the few drivers who ran, and won, in a Ford power plant.

David “Fatboy” Bryant has been a successful crew chief for over 30 years. Bryant was part of many wins, track championships, and series championships for drivers such as Scott Sexton, Mark Vineyard, Mark Douglas, Tommy Kerr, Billy Ogle Jr., and Donald McIntosh. Carson Branum revitalized racing in East Tennessee during his time as owner of Atomic Motor Speedway. Branum paid big purses, put races on local TV, and promoted races that drew thousands of race fans and attracted many drivers to race at Atomic. Branum also owned Crossville Raceway and Smoky Mountain Speedway.

The new class of the hall of fame will be inducted at the speedway on September 14 as part of the Hall of Fame Night and the 60th anniversary celebration!

Overton Banks $50k in Mountain Moonshine Classic!

(June 15, 2024) Brandon Overton cashed in by winning the Mountain Moonshine Classic before a packed house at Smoky Mountain Speedway. Overton held off Ricky Thornton Jr. on the final lap and collect $50,000. (MRM Racing Photos)

Overton took the lead over Ryan Gustin on the first lap of the race. Gustin would later close up to the rear of Overton’s car. Gustin dove under Overton in a bid for the lead. But Overton maintain the spot using the outside line for momentum down the back stretch.

Following a caution on lap 25, the field got reshuffled when the race went back to green. Devin Moran shot past Dale McDowell to take over third. A few laps later, Jonathan Davenport moved by McDowell for fifth. | full results

RTJ Dominates Mountain Moonshine Classic Opener

(June 14, 2024) Ricky Thornton Jr. padded his points lead in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series by winning night one of the Mountain Moonshine Classic. Thornton swept the night by setting fast time in time trials, won his heat race, and led all 40 laps to claim the $10,000 winner’s check. (MRM Racing Photos)

Thornton seemed to be on cruise control until Dale McDowell closed to gap by the race’s midway point. As Thornton encountered slower traffic, McDowell moved to just a couple of car lengths of the lead. A caution on lap 25 allowed everyone at another shot to improve their positions. Tim McCreadie used the outside line on the restart to take second place from McDowell. McDowell then had to hold off Devin Moran for third. | full results

Courtney and Clark Claim Wins Before Rain Hits

(June 1, 2024) The next round of the Saturday Night Shootout was to take place with racing in six divisions. The weather had other plans. Michael Courtney won the modified mini feature. Courtney battled Derik Duggan at the start of the race to take the lead. Nathan Davis would take second from Duggan and Hayston Collett charged from the 14th starting spot to finish third.

David Clark dominated the street stock feature in the Michael Lewis owned #51. Bradley Lee came from 4th to finish second and Greg Huskey came from 5th to finish third.

With off and on mist, followed by a more persistent rain, the decision was made to postpone the remainder of the event with 4 divisions remaining and the curfew getting closer. A decision will be made soon on when the remaining features will be completed. Everyone is asked to hold on to their ticket stubs and armbands. | full results

Ryan Gustin Reaps $15,000 Hunt the Front Win!

(April 27, 2024) Ryan Gustin held off a mid-race challenge from Brandon Overton to win the Hunt The Front King of the Mountain feature. Gustin drew the pole position for the heat race winner to start the 50-lap race from the pole. Dale McDowell started alongside Gustin on the front row. Gustin took the early lead before a caution waved after the first lap when Scott Bloomquist jumped the cushion in turn 3 and slide down the banking off the track. The field went back to green with Overton getting second from McDowell. The top 3 cars distanced themselves from the rest of the field as the next 41 laps were run under green. (MRM Racing Photo)

Overton challenged Gustin for the lead around the midway point of the race as the leader dealt with slower traffic. Gustin fought off the challenge and maintained the lead. Following a lap 42 caution, McDowell took second from Overton and tried to chase down Gustin. But Gustin was too strong and won the race. McDowell and Overton rounded out the top 3 with Chris Ferguson came from 11th to finish 4th and Donald McIntosh was fifth. | full results

Russell Erwin Dominates for Steel Block Bandits Win

(April 13, 2024) Russell Erwin dominated the Rockin’ With The Stars Vision Wheel Steel Block Bandits race on Saturday night. Erwin took the initial lead from pole sitter Blake Craft. Craft gave chase to Erwin before Erwin pulled away for a sizeable lead. Rusty Ballenger would take second from Craft past the halfway point of the race. As the leader got into slower traffic, Ballenger tracked down Erwin. Ballenger cut the lead to car lengths as Erwin got caught behind two cars racing for position at the end of the lead lap. Ballenger could not take advantage as Erwin stretched the lead back out to five car lengths at the finish line. Craft held off Tyler Bare for third and Tyler Arrington finished fifth. (MRM Racing Photo)

The sportsman late model feature got off to a rowdy start. It took three attempts to get the feature under way. One of the attempted starts saw pole sitter Dustin Ward and Jake Whitehead made contact on turn 2. Others were involved with Ward receiving significant body damage. Both Ward and Whitehead were able to continue. Once under way, Ward shot out to the lead over Whitehead. On a lap 5 restart, Whitehead made a bid for the lead only to see Ward hold onto the lead on the back straightaway. Whitehead took advantage of a lap 15 restart to finally pull alongside Ward for the lead. Whitehead took the lead as the field raced into turn 3. Whitehead went on for the win. Michael Courtney finished second, Tyler Price rallied for 8th starting spot to finish third. Ward fell to fourth and Chandler Hickman finished fifth. | full results

Skip Arp Among Opening Night Winners

(March 30, 2024) Skip Arp came from the outside front row to win the Mountain Late Model feature on opening night at Smoky Mountain Speedway. Arp took the lead over Layne Clifton to win the 25-lap feature. Terry Poore came from the 5th starting spot to finish third. (Travis Haston Photo)

Michael Courtney got the lead over Colby Horner to win the sportsman late model feature. Adam Mitchell would get by Horner to finish second. Austin Atkins outdueled Robby Comer to get the street stock win. Eric Hughes passed Comer to finish second. Comer finished third.

Dustin Duncan dominated the front wheel drive feature. Travis Weeks grabbed second while Travis Taylor could come home in third. Johnny Grooms came from 4th starting spot to win the crown vic feature. Grooms took the lead from Troy Davenport in getting the win. Coby Scott was the third place finisher. The next race at Smoky Mountain Speedway will be Saturday, April 13 when the Vision Wheel Steel Block Bandits visit for the $3,000 to win race. Sportsman late models, street stocks, and front wheel drives will also be racing. | full results

 

 

 

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