(April 27, 2024) Gaffney, SC- Ben Watkins of Rock Hill, South Carolina, dominated at the 40th annual Stick Elliott Memorial race held at Cherokee Speedway. Despite facing seven cautions throughout the 40-lap event, Watkins secured a commanding victory, leading flag-to-flag in a race that lasted 50 minutes.
Watkins, driving a Longhorn by Wesley Page Chassis powered by a Clements Racing Engine, clinched his second Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series victory of the season and the 14th of his career, earning a $5,000 prize. Notably, this marked his second consecutive triumph at the Stick Elliott Memorial event.
Casey Roberts, starting second, briefly dropped to fifth but managed to claw his way back to finish as the runner-up, 1.740 seconds behind Watkins. Dillon Brown, in a rare Super Late Model appearance, settled for third place after trailing Watkins for several laps.
Several drivers made notable advancements during the race, with Adam Yarbrough and Dennis Franklin each gaining five positions to finish fourth and fifth, respectively. However, Beni Hicks and Kenny Collins saw their races cut short while battling for a top-10 position.
The event, honoring Gene “Stick Elliott” Daves, paid tribute to the late racer who amassed over 400 career feature victories before his passing in 1980 at the age of 46.
With this victory, Ben Watkins solidifies his lead in the points chase, ahead of Adam Yarbrough and Michael Brown.
The next race in the series is scheduled for May 18 at County Line Raceway in Elm City, North Carolina, with a prize of $5,000 up for grabs.
Results:
- Ben Watkins
- Casey Roberts
- Dillon Brown
- Adam Yarbrough
- Dennis Franklin
- David McCoy
- Gray Parton
- Luke Morey
- Michael Brown
- Carson Brown
- David Yandle
- Ricky Greene
- Jimmy Johnson
- Mark Greene
- Brad Basey
- Benji Hicks
- Kenny Collins
- Dale Timms
- John Price
- Anthony Sanders
- Steve Banal
- Jordan Koehler
