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JACKSONVILLE, NC – Aiden McConnaughey was one of multiple drivers who were able to take advantage of New River All-American Speedway’s championship playoff format and flip the script over the course of the weekend doubleheader.
The 17-year-old driver from Jacksonville had to outrun Raleigh’s Carson Haislip, who won the Legend Car championship at Wake County Speedway, in a winner-take-all showdown on Sunday to clinch the championship – a championship Haislip, who had seven wins on the 2023 season at New River, was heavily favored to win.
McConnaughey would answer the challenge in a thrilling 25-lap race, retaking the lead from Haislip on lap 13 after leading the field to the green flag. The two drivers had multiple side-by-side battles for position before McConnaughey ultimately drove away from Haislip to clinch the championship – his first.
“I can’t tell you about my feelings if I tried,” McConnaughey said. “This has been an incredible journey with Willie Ridenhour and Three Sixteen Motorsports the last year and a quarter. From starting and never finishing on the lead lap, I could never have imagined I would be here now against people as respectable as Haislip and all the other Dillon Spain cars. I just can’t thank everyone enough.”
Entering Saturday’s race, McConnaughey did not expect to be able to outduel Haislip, who has emerged as one of the top Legend Car drivers in the country, but he knew he what he had to do.
“I knew it was all going to come down to this and I gave it all I had, put it on pole, gave Haislip everything I had,” McConnaughey continued. “It was an incredible battle. This is amazing. I didn’t think we could get it. I knew nothing about today coming in. I didn’t think we’d get it, all I knew is that I was going to give it my all and wasn’t going to give up until it was over.”
Carson Haislip was disappointed with the runner-up result, but he took it in stride after congratulating McConnaughey.
“We don’t win them all,” Haislip stated. “We had a phenomenal year here. I’d say seven wins is pretty stout. We just missed it today.”
Playoff drivers Phoenyx Kimball and Raven Kimball finished eighth and ninth respectively in Sunday’s race.
Saturday night’s Championship Final for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model division produced another unexpected result.
Entering the race, T.J. Barron, with six wins, and Rusty Daniels, with five wins, were both the favorites to win the championship. However, mechanical problems plagued both drivers in the 60-lap race and, when the white flag flew, there was another gunslinger in the fight.
Kenansville’s Paul Williamson, who inherited a playoff spot when Michael O’Brien elected to sit the race out, battled back from adversity all race long. On the opening lap, he and Brian Thomas got together, which resulted in an on-track altercation during a red flag when Thomas’ car backed into Williamson and a kerfuffle among the teams on the spotter stand. After restarting in last, Williamson was able to take advantage of the attrition.
Williamson was trying to reel Daniels in for the win with 12 laps remaining when the motor on Daniels’ car let go, allowing Williamson to flash past to take the lead, win, and championship.
“We’re champions,” Williamson said. “The best thing is, we got to win a race on the last race of the season. I came on the radio and told dad that [Daniels] was getting bigger in my windshield and I got kind of excited. Then he got real big and I got kind of scared because I thought he was about to play games with me. [Barron], I hate that happened to him, he drove a good clean race too. We’re just happy man, we’re happy. It means the world to win a championship because we’ve been fighting for this for a long time and we finally got it.”
Williamson’s victory on Saturday was just the third Late Model win of his career, and his first since July 31, 2021 – which also came at New River All-American Speedway. He was one of two racers to win championships for legendary Kinston car owner and crew chief Wendell Davis. Tyler Chapman concluded his dominant Charger season with his 10th win, officially clinching the championship.
Josh Eubanks and Aaron Layden, who had been the dominant drivers in the NASCAR-sanctioned Champ Kart division with nine wins between them, were eliminated from championship contention in Saturday’s division semifinal. That set up a showdown on Sunday between eventual race winner and champion Corey Lucas, Keith Webb, Ashely Keaton, and Daniel Baker.
Andrew Jackson picked up the Bomber division championship with a victory in Sunday’s Championship Final over Richard Smith, who was eliminated from championship contention on Saturday night, and Eddie Humphrey.
“It means a lot man,” Jackson said. “All these guys out here have improved tremendously throughout the year, every single one in the Bomber division. That was a hard race. That was probably the hardest Bomber race that I’ve had, racing door-to-door for 15-16 laps and trying to stay where I didn’t break out was probably the toughest part.”
Curtis Lanier secured his second consecutive U-CAR division championship in a race won by Cornell Williams on Saturday, while Landon Burbage clinched his first career Bandolero championship on Sunday. The Mini Stock championship had previously been clinched by Travis Miller for the second year in a row.
New River All-American Speedway will return to action on Saturday, October 7, 2023 with the $2,200-to-win Gary Rochelle Memorial Street Stock race, which will also feature Mini Stocks, Legend Cars, Bandoleros, Bombers, and Champ Karts.
New River All-American Speedway is Jacksonville’s Action Attraction featuring racing and other events. For more information about New River All-American Speedway, check out the speedway’s website, like/follow “New River Speedway” on Facebook, follow @newriverswy on Twitter, or follow the track on Instagram.
Results for 9/16/2023 at New River All-American Speedway – Jacksonville, NC
Late Models | 60 Laps | 00:17:16.067
1. 29-Paul Williamson*; 2. 19-Chris Burns; 3. 1Y-Jamie York; 4. 13T-Luke Travis; 5. (DNF) 16-Rusty Daniels*; 6. (DNF) 44-T J Barron*; 7. (DNF) 40-Brian Thomas*
Bombers | 25 Laps | 00:08:57.788
1. 14-Eddie Humphrey*; 2. 3-Andrew Jackson*; 3. 11-Hunter Brown*; 4. 33-Nathan Hall*; 5. 88-Dale Drum; 6. 79-Dominic Baez; 7. 03-Cornell Williams; 8. 34-Michael Withrow; 9. 41-Kevin Wrenn*; 10. 66-Ronnie Kropp; 11. 97-Justin Brooks; 12. (DNS) 01-Ethan Findeisen; 13. (DNS) 00-Jonathan Thompson; 14. (DNS) 43-Kaleb Watson; 15. (DQ) 83-Robert Drum*; 16. (DQ) 5-Haley Brown*; 17. (DQ) 77-Richard Smith*
Champ Kart | 20 Laps | 00:07:28.180
1. 18-Keith Webb*; 2. 75-Dustin Phillips; 3. 10-Ashley Keaton*; 4. 1-Daniel Baker*; 5. 10M-Trey Massengill; 6. 28-Corey Lucas*; 7. 28E-Josh Eubanks*; 8. 01T-Jacob Tingen*; 9. 127-Jimmie Whitehurst; 10. 20-Herbert Keaton*; 11. 06-Brent Townsend; 12. 13-Miles Rochelle; 13. 01-Adam Riggs; 14. 7X-Tripp Dail; 15. 55-Tony Arnold; 16. 2-Aaron Layden*; 17. 18S-Carlton Sullivan
Chargers | 25 Laps | 00:07:26.734
1. 51-Tyler Chapman*; 2. 6-Mike Jones*; 3. 71-Gator Williams*; 4. 21B-Daniel Benton
U-Car | 25 Laps | 00:08:18.343
1. 03-Cornell Williams; 2. 2-Curtis Lanier; 3. 01-Robert Hall; 4. 22-Haiden Thomas; 5. 11-Abby Jolly
Unofficial Results for 9/17/2023 at New River All-American Speedway – Jacksonville, NC
Bombers | 25 Laps | 00:08:59.525
1. 3-Andrew Jackson*; 2. 77-Richard Smith; 3. 14-Eddie Humphrey*; 4. 11-Hunter Brown*; 5. 83-Robert Drum; 6. 33-Nathan Hall*; 7. 79-Dominic Baez; 8. 71-Devin Axton; 9. (DNF) 34-Michael Withrow; 10. (DNF) 88-Dale Drum
Legends | 25 Laps | 00:07:54.974
1. 71-Aiden McConnaughey*; 2. 08-Carson Haislip*; 3. 91-Dominic Chisholm; 4. 7-Levi Canup; 5. 23-Josh Lowe; 6. 2B-Aaron Linsky; 7. 9-Brody Rhodes; 8. 88-Phoenyx Kimball*; 9. 51-Raven Kimball*; 10. 99-Carsyn Gillikin; 11. 14-Mike Ridenour
Bandoleros | 15 Laps | 00:00:21.966
1. 3-Landon Burbage*; 2. (DNF) 84-Delaney Gray*; 3. (DNF) 38-Aidan Zschiedrich*
Champ Kart | 20 Laps | 00:06:56.246
1. 55-Corey Lucas*; 2. 18-Keith Webb*; 3. 127-Jimmie Whitehurst; 4. 01T-Jacob Tingen; 5. 10-Ashley Keaton*; 6. 20-Herbert Keaton; 7. 1-Daniel Baker*; 8. 7X-Tripp Dail; 9. (DNS) 10M-Trey Massengill
* Denotes playoff driver
(Toni Jolly photos)
