Story By – Larry Woody (The Wilson Post)
NASHVILLE — One of the tightest championship battles in the storied history of Nashville’s Fairgrounds Speedway resumes Saturday night with a pair of Wilson County frontrunners trying to fend off a sizzling challenger.
Lebanon’s Dylan Fetcho, the defending and two-time track champ, and second-place Hunter Wright of Gladeville, suddenly have a rear-view mirror full of Jackson Boone.
The Franklin driver has rattled off three straight wins going into Saturday’s 100-lap Pro Late Model feature, with only three races remaining.
“It’s going to be close, probably right down to the wire,” Fetcho says of the title fight.
“Jackson is a good driver with a good car, and he’s hit it perfect the last three races. He seems to get faster as he goes on.”
“It’s been pretty incredible,” says Boone, the 2019 champion. “I’ll continue to ride the momentum.”
Fetcho and Wright split the first two races of the season while Boone got in an early hole with car problems. But his three consecutive wins have closed the gap.
Wright trails Fetcho by 13 points, with Boone just four points further back. Lebanon rookie Dawson Sutton is also in the championship mix in fourth place, but will need all three drivers ahead of him to stumble down the stretch.
Sutton, 17, has notched three straight top-three finishes to virtually clinch Rookie of the Year honors.
Saturday’s race marks the return of Mt. Juliet’s Chase Johnson, another talented 17-year-old, who was suspended for one race by track officials for intentionally spinning out another driver.
At age 12, Johnson became the youngest driver to win a championship in any division when he captured a mid-level title, but is still chasing his first victory in the premier series.
Another Mt. Juliet racer, Bennie Hamlett, is 9th in the standings and enjoying one of his best seasons in recent years.
Hamlett’s sons, Dalton and Peyton, are 5th and 7th in the Limited Late Models.
Lebanon’s Troy Hall is 29th in the Pro Late Models and 9th in the Super Trucks.
In addition to the local duels, the 5 p.m. schedule includes races in the 500 Sprint Car Tour and CRA All-Stars Tour.
The complete schedule, starting times and ticket information are posted on the Fairgrounds Speedway website – nashvillefairgroundsspeedway.racing.
PLM Points Standings
through 5 of 9 races
1 Dylan Fetcho 241
2 Hunter Wright 228
3 Jackson Boone 224
4 Dawson Sutton 222
5 Bryson Shaffer 195