Story By: BEN SHELTON / ASHTON WINGER RACING – HAMPTON, GA – For the fifth-straight race weekend Ashton Winger parked his No. 12 entry in Victory Lane.
His latest trip to the Winner’s Circle came on Saturday night with a $15,000 triumph in the finale of the 29th annual Coors Light Fall Classic at Whynot Motorsports Park with his Jeff Mathews Motorsports No. 12 Johnny Doan Plumbing / Recreational Vehicle Select / XR1 Rocket Chassis / Durham Racing Engine Super Late Model.
His 16th win of the season didn’t come easy though as the Georgia traveler had to search to find the preferred line around the tricky Mississippi oval.
“I kind of rode there for the first 20 laps or so, and then I think I got so conservative that I actually made myself tight through the center of the corner down here,” Winger said in Victory Lane. “It was really thin before they moved the (uke) tires down and Dennis got by me. I went pretty hard for a few laps and I figured I could stay with him, and then when I realized I could stay with him I just needed to wait till it got dirty out there (to make a winning pass).
“I always love coming to Whynot (Motorsports Park), and it’s cool to now be a two-time champion of this event.”
With the scheduled World of Outlaws (WoO) Case Late Model Series events in Georgia washed out, Ashton Winger trekked to Whynot (Miss.) Motorsports Park on Friday afternoon with his Mathews Motorsports crew for the 29th annual Coors Light Fall Classic.
With a pair of $3,000-to-win preliminary features slated for Friday evening, Winger was leading his feature when contact from another competitor cut his tire down and sent him spinning. After pitting for fresh rubber, Ashton charged from deep in the field to finish sixth in the 30-lap main event.
On Saturday, Ashton topped his time trial group before streaking to a heat race victory. Rolling off from the front row in the $15,000-to-win finale, Winger led a handful of laps before slipping to third for much of the 60-lap feature.
With 15 laps remaining, Ashton moved to the middle groove and blew by race-long leader Dennis Erb Jr. on lap 50. Winger led the final 10 laps to secure his second-career Fall Classic triumph and the $15,000 payday. Winger also won the event back in 2019.
Ashton will look to continue his winning ways this Friday and Saturday with a trip to All-Tech Raceway (Ellisville, Fla.) for the $28,000-to-win, 28th annual Powell Family Memorial. The weekend is sanctioned by the Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series.