Saturday’s conclusion of the fifth annual Drydene Performance Products World Short Track Championship offered up three Last Chance Showdowns, a 30-lap feature, and a bonus All-Star Invitational race for the FOX Racing Shox Pro Late Models.
In the end, John Ruggiero Jr. of Lincolnton, N.C. walked away as top dog, banking $4,000 and becoming a World Short Track Champion with a dominating flag-to-flag performance. Redrawing the pole position with Thugg Nasty Logan Roberson to his outside, Ruggiero declined the Drydene Double Down Challenge to double his winnings from the tail, backing his decision up with an unchallenged 30-lap run.
Halted by several cautions in the early running, Ruggiero survived a handful of restarts to score the DIRTcar Racing victory at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Following Ruggiero to the stripe was Killer Kyle Bronson in second, Gray Parton in third, Clay Haris in fourth, and Lil Sexy Cody Overton in fifth. Rounding out the top ten in the Pro Late Model feature was Timbo Magnum, Justin Hudspeth, Donald Bradsher, Brett Hamm, and Layton Sullivan.
In the bonus All-Star Invitational race, Wil Herrington of Hawkinsville, Ga. cashed in for the $600 prize. Corey Gordon, a World of Outlaws iRacing winner with Drydene sponsorship, commanded the opening lap before Herrington, the 2020 Sportsman of the Year, drove around him and led until the checkered flag.
Matt Long hounded Herrington for the win before ultimately finishing second in the All-Star Invitational, while Kyle Bronson, Mark Whitener and Layton Sullivan closed out the top five.
Drydene Feature (30 Laps) – 1. 44-John Ruggiero [1]; 2. 18B-Kyle Bronson [5]; 3. 18P-Gray Parton [3]; 4. 6-Clay Harris [18]; 5. 97-Cody Overton [4]; 6. T1-Timbo Mangum [24]; 7. 27H-Justin Hudspeth [15]; 8. 75-Donald Bradsher [13]; 9. 32-Brett Hamm [6]; 10. O8-Layton Sullivan [19]; 11. 215-Jamison McBride [10]; 12. 29-Dale Moore [20]; 13. 5R-Lucas Ruark [14]; 14. 55-Matt Long [9]; 15. OOJR-Richard Kuiken [21]; 16. 67-Bryan Mullis [16]; 17. 82-Gary Dillon [17]; 18. 3815-Garrett Mosley [23]; 19. O3-Jody Knowles [25]; 20. 17R-Logan Roberson [2]; 21. 1E-TY Ellis [26]; 22. 18-T.J. Salango [8]; 23. 6B-Dillon Brown [11]; 24. 14H-Wil Herrington [7]; 25. 14-Braeden Dillinger [22]; 26. 7-Justin Smith [12]. Drydene/Fox Racing Shox Hard Charger Award: T1-Timbo Mangum[+18]
All-Star Invitational Feature (15 Laps) – 1. 14H-Wil Herrington; 2. 55-Matt Long; 3. 18B-Kyle Bronson; 4. 385-Mark Whitener; 5. 08-Layton Sullivan; 6. 00-Dalton Polsten; 7. 00JR-Richard Kuiken; 8. 14C-Chuck Bowie; 9. 11-Cole Apple; 10. 12-Cody Cubbage; 11. 1E-Ty Ellis; 12. 23G-Corey Gordon; 13. 03-Jody Knowles; 14. 28S-Bob Schwartzmiller; 15. 22-Jeremy Steele.
Last Chance Showdown 1 (8 Laps) – Top 2 Transfer – 1. O8-Layton Sullivan [1]; 2. 14-Braeden Dillinger [4]; 3. 11-Cole Apple [3]; 4. 618-Kevin Wilson [9]; 5. OO-Dalton Polsten [5]; 6. 23-Ahnna Parkhurst [7]; 7. 12-Cody Cubbage [8]; 8. 5-Colby Quick [2]; 9. 20G-Chub Gunter [6]; 10. 117-Jeremiah Johnson [10]; 11. 6JR-Parker Martin [11]
Last Chance Showdown 2 (8 Laps) – Top 2 Transfer – 1. 29-Dale Moore [1]; 2. 3815-Garrett Mosley [2]; 3. 22-Jeremy Steele [3]; 4. 14S-Sylvan Schuette [5]; 5. 89-Timmie Harrelson [9]; 6. 20-Owen Osteen [4]; 7. 54-Justin Wofford [7]; 8. O3-Jody Knowles [10]; 9. 1E-TY Ellis [8]; 10. 39-Greg Clark [6]; 11. 17-Jeff Johnson [11]
Last Chance Showdown 3 (8 Laps) – Top 2 Transfer – 1. OOJR-Richard Kuiken [1]; 2. T1-Timbo Mangum [4]; 3. 5F-Forrest Trent [2]; 4. 23G-Corey Gordan [3]; 5. 14C-Chuck Bowie [5]; 6. 15S-Jeremy Strunk [8]; 7. 28S-Bob Schwartzmiller [7]; 8. 11F-Jamies Fountain [11]; 9. 99-Lance Finn [10]; 10. 911-Tommy Turner [6]; 11. 385-Mark Whitener [9]
