Story By: BEN SHELTON / JOSH PUTNAM RACING – FLORENCE, AL – After several near-misses in his career at the Mississippi oval, Josh Putnam finally busted through with a victory at Magnolia Motor Speedway on Saturday night aboard his Zippy Auto Sales No. 212 Randle Chupp Race Consulting / Morris Brothers Construction / XR1 Rocket Chassis / Jay Dickens Racing Engine Super Late Model.
The triumph came in the 20th annual Governor’s Cup, which was sanctioned by the Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series and Mississippi State Championship Challenge Series. Josh had to overcome challenging track conditions for the win.
“Man, I felt like I was screwing up every lap down there on that bottom, but I knew early we were good out on the racetrack,” Putnam said. “I mean I hate that for Wil (Herrington) down there, that was an unfortunate break for him. I don’t know that we’d ever got by him, I think me and him had two good race cars, for what we had here.
“When I got the lead there, I made up my mind I was gonna stay on the bottom and however slow I had to get into the bottom and try to keep my wheels on my race car and keep the driveline in it, that’s what we was gonna do. You know, it paid off.”
After Friday’s opener succumbed to persistent rain, Josh Putnam entered his Zippy Autos No. 212 Super Late Model into battle with the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series on Saturday at Magnolia Motor Speedway (Columbus, Miss.) for the 20th annual Governor’s Cup.
With 45 Late Models packed into the pit area for the rain-shortened program, Putnam stopped the clock third-fastest in his qualifying group before placing first in his heat race.
Grabbing the lead on lap 13 of the feature after leader, Wil Herrington, got turned around, Josh won by more than a four-second margin in the 25-lapper to capture his first win of the season and a $10,000 payday.
He took the checkers ahead of Joseph Joiner, John Henderson, Wil Herrington, and Ryan Crane.
With the win Josh is now tied for the top spot in the series points with Joseph Joiner.
Putnam now turns his attention to a Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series doubleheader in Georgia. Action opens on Friday night at Swainsboro Raceway with a $10,000-to-win program before invading Senoia Raceway on Saturday evening for the $10,044-to-win Roscoe Smith Classic.