Parsons Scores ‘Hat Trick’ In World Short Track Championship Pro Mods
Story By: COLBY GORNIEWICZ / DIRTCAR – CONCORD, NC – Twenty-nine-year-old Jeff Parsons had a career weekend at the OneDirt World Short Track Championship as the Union Grove, North Carolina driver completed the “Hat Trick” by winning the Fast Qualifier award, his Qualifier Heat Race and the 25-lap Feature in the Hoosier Racing Tire DIRTcar/SECA Pro Modified division.
Parsons took the lead on the second lap and never looked back en route to the biggest win of his career and the $1,000 payday for his efforts. The perfect weekend comes one year after finishing fourth in the inaugural event.
“Man, this Ron Hornaday Race Car was hooked up. I can’t thank everyone enough. Everybody comes to the shop every week to help me get this thing ready. My sponsors, my family, everyone,” said the driver of the #44 after climbing out of the car in Victory Lane. “I followed those guys the first lap or so, and I figured I wasn’t going to be able to pass them on the bottom. But I knew there was some moisture up top from the last race. So, I just drove to the top, and it stuck. I’m so appreciative to everyone who put this on for us small town guys to be able to get up here and be seen on the big stage,” he added.
Chris Steele and Buck Stevens would lead a stellar 26-car field to the green flag for the Hoosier Racing Tire Pro Modified 25-lap Feature, and it would be Stevens taking the early lead. That was short-lived as Parsons, from his third starting spot, drove around both front row starters to take over the top spot. Parsons was on a mission throughout the weekend in his bid to sweep every race entered, and the Tar Heel State native from just north of Charlotte would go on to complete the clean sweep of the weekend.
Steele settled for second ahead of Stevens as both drivers finished second and third for the second year in a row. 2016 OneDirt World Short Track Championship winner Slade Parsons was fourth, ahead of Kevin Pangrazio, who completed the top five. Morgan Widener was sixth as Robert Poole, Jeff Robinson, Tom Topham and Chris Taylor finished off the top 10. Jason Wallace earned the Hard-Charger Award with his 26th- to 12th-place run after taking a provisional to get into the Feature.
On Friday, Parsons began his “Hat Trick” for the weekend by timing in the fastest of the 33Hoosier Racing Tire DIRTcar/SECA Pro Modifieds on the property in Qualifying with an 18.526. He also won his Qualifier Heat. Pangrazio and Stevens also scored Qualifier Heat Race triumphs. Dylan Smith, who was the original fast qualifier on Friday, but had his time disallowed after being light at the scales, salvaged a part of his weekend by winning the Last Chance Showdown. Also on Saturday, Brandon McClure was awarded the Pro Modified Sportsman of the Year Award.
HIGHLIGHTS
Feature – Hoosier Racing Tire 25 (25 Laps): 1. (3) 44 Jeff Parsons, 2. (1) m7 Chris Steele, 3. (2) 23 Buck Stevens, 4. (6) 96 Slade Parsons, 5. (4) 42 Kevin Pangrazio, 6. (5) 15 Morgan Widener, 7. (11) 25 Robert Poole, 8. (7) 14 Jeff Robinson, 9. (8) 10t Tom Topham, 10. (13) 8 Chris Taylor, 11. (9) 00 Preston Blalock, 12. (26) 12w Jason Wallace, 13. (24) 23k Ryan Ayers, 14. (10) 14m Nick Macmillan, 15. (21) 92 Larry Martin, 16. (14) 52 Chris Stowe, 17. (12) t13 Johnny Stovall, 18. (20) 78 Landon Mitchell, 19. (18) 1 Dylan Davis, 20. (16) 25r John Robinson, 21. (17) 117 Chris Smith, 22. (23) f5 Richard Clew, 23. (22) 73 Austin Brooks, 24. (15) 50 Justin Blevins, 25. (19) 03 Dylan Smith, 26. (25) 419 Jesse Rockett
Qualifying: 1. 44 Jeff Parsons 18.526, 2. 42 Kevin Pangrazio 18.558, 3. 23 Buck Stevens 18.578, 4. 92 Larry Martin 18.592, 5. m7 Chris Steele 18.608, 6. 15 Morgan Widener 18.621, 7. 96 Slade Parsons 18.638, 8. 25 Robert Poole 18.645, 9. 23k Ryan Ayers 18.695, 10. 14 Jeff Robinson 18.774, 11. 10t Tom Topham 18.816, 12. 00 Preston Blalock 18.835, 13. 9 Steve Dietrich 18.903, 14. 12w Jason Wallace 18.944, 15. t13 Johnny Stovall 18.973, 16. 8 Chris Taylor 19.038, 17. 52 Chris Stowe 19.046, 18. 1 Dylan Davis 19.049, 19. 14m Nick Macmillan 19.050, 20. 117 Chris Smith 19.118, 21. 50 Justin Blevins 19.138, 22. 25r John Robinson 19.217, 23. 78 Landon Mitchell 19.245, 24. 419 Jesse Rockett 19.268, 25. 64 Mike Fain 19.337, 26. f5 Richard Clew 19.343, 27. 3t Dustin Thompson 19.362, 28. 90 Eli Davis 19.538, 29. 0 Brandon McClure 19.823, 30. 69 Harley Stanley 20.422, 31 52d Duke Bare 20.546, 32. 73 Austin Brooks No Time, 33. 03 Dylan Smith No Time
Last Chance Showdown 1 (8 Laps / Top 6 Transfer): 1. (6) 03 Dylan Smith, 2. (2) 78 Landon Mitchel, 3. (1) 92 Larry Martin, 4. (4) 73 Austin Brooks, 5. (3) f5 Richard Clew, 6. (15) 23k Ryan Ayers, 7. (7) 9 Steve Dietrich, 8. (5) 90 Eli Davis, 9. (14) 64 Mike Fain, 10. (13) 3T Dustin Thompson, 11. (11) 52d Duke Bare, 12. (10) 69 Harley Stanley, 13. (12) 419 Jesse Rockett, 14. (9) 0 Brandon McClure, 15. (8) 12w Jason Wallace
Heat 1-Group A (6 Laps / Top 6 Transfer): 1. (1) 44 Jeff Parsons, 2. (3) 96 Slade Parsons, 3. (4) 14 Jeff Robinson, 4. (7) 14m Nick Macmillan, 5. (6) 8 Chris Taylor, 6. (8) 25r John Robinson, 7. (2) 92 Larry Martin, 8. (9) 73 Austin Brooks, 9. (5) 9 Steve Dietrich, 10. (11) 69 Harley Stanley, 11. (10) 3t Dustin Thompson
Heat 2-Group B (6 Laps / Top 6 Transfer): 1. (1) 42 Kevin Pangrazio, 2. (2) m7 Chris Steele, 3. (4) 10t Tom Topham, 4. (3) 25 Robert Poole, 5. (6) 52 Chris Stowe, 6. (7) 117 Chris Smith, 7. (8) 78 Landon Mitchell, 8. (10) 90 Eli Davis, 9. (5) 12w Jason Wallace, 10. (11) 52d Duke Bare, 11. (9) 64 Mike Fain
Heat 3-Group C (6 Laps / Top 6 Transfer): 1. (1) 23 Buck Stevens, 2. (2) 15 Morgan Widener, 3. (4) 00 Preston Blalock, 4. (5) t13 Johnny Stovall, 5. (7) 50 Justin Blevins, 6. (6) 1 Dylan Davis, 7. (9) f5 Richard Clew, 8. (11) 03 Dylan Smith, 9. (10) 0 Brandon McClure, 10. (8) 419 Jesse Rockett, 11. (3) 23k Ryan Ayers
