The Headline(s)
World of Outlaws late model regular Max Blair came up just short of scoring a rare “ringer” win at Beckley Motor Speedway, with local Jacob Hawkins winning the Beckley USA 100.
How it Happened
2022 Beckley USA 100 (Southern All-Stars Late Models)
Where: Beckley Motor Speedway – Beckley, W.V. (streamed on Flo Racing)
Winner’s Purse: $20,000
On a night that saw a number of national names in late model racing fall out early, current Rookie of the Year leader in the WoO ranks, Max Blair, came back from a flat tire on lap 32 and battled all the way back to the front of the field, only to fall short by a few car lengths as Fairmont, W.V.’s Jake Hawkins won the richest race in Beckley Motor Speedway history early Tuesday morning.
Jake Hawkins outduels @blairwon11 to win $20,000!
🎥: @FloRacing pic.twitter.com/FvJRm4xZpb
— Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series (@SASDIRT) July 5, 2022
Blair led the opening 31 laps of the feature that started Monday night, but gave up the lead under the race’s first caution that saw four different cars pit for flat tires and led to an extended yellow-flag period as the track surface was checked.
Hawkins would lead the rest of the way, holding off a side-by-side challenge for the lead from Carson Ferguson on lap 53, then from Blair in the closing laps.
Success Stories
It looked like the lower groove at Beckley had started to take rubber during the second half of the Beckley USA 100 feature, which would have made a challenge more difficult, but nonetheless Jake Hawkins didn’t put a wheel out of place in holding off determined charges from Carson Ferguson, Zack Dohm and Max Blair to score the richest win of his career. The mid-race exchange with Ferguson was the best action of the feature.
Hawkins v. Little Fergy for the lead! This is great stuff here in Beckley! pic.twitter.com/1A23GoiTEV
— Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series (@SASDIRT) July 5, 2022
And one more note on Hawkins, he won the first heat race of the evening in dramatic fashion, besting Tyler Erb by a nose with a last-lap pass.
Josh Putnam wasted no time bringing some fireworks to the Beckley USA 100 proceedings, going the wrong way on the track during the first heat race to block and stare down Hawkins after contact between the two sent him spinning. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and Putnam got back to business, rebounding to race his way into the feature.
“Ten years ago I would have…
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