Carteret County Speedway Delivers Thrills, Triple Crown Excitement and a First Time Winner!

Photo: Kimi Lynn Smith

PELETIER, NC — Another exciting night of short-track racing is in the books at Carteret County Speedway, and fans were treated to edge-of-your-seat action, the opening round of the Charger Triple Crown, and a memorable first-career victory for Deanna Stancill.

The Islander Spring Showdown on Saturday, May 9th featured six divisions of racing, each delivering plenty of side-by-side battles and dramatic finishes.

Vintage Lites Open the Night

The Vintage Racing League Vintage Lites kicked off the action with Shane Irving in the No. 3 machine taking home the win.

Fans were treated to a thrilling battle among Shane Irving, Ryland Mason, and Bobby Arthur, with all three drivers trading paint and positions throughout the feature. After recovering from a mid-race spin, Tom Hutson charged back through the field to secure third place. Bobby Arthur finished second.

Michael Ludwig Wins Hard-Fought UCAR Feature

The UCAR division saw Juan Mejia start from the pole, but it wasn’t long before Eddie Humphrey and Michael Ludwig worked their way to the front.

One of the best battles of the night featured Duane Walker and Juan Mejia, who raced side-by-side for more than half the event. On the final lap, Walker completed a dramatic pass to claim third place. Eddie Humphrey finished second, while Michael Ludwig captured the victory.

Keith Webb Prevails in Champ Karts Thriller

The Champ Karts once again put on an incredible show, turning 20-second laps at average speeds exceeding 57 mph around the 4/10-mile oval.

Keith Webb, Josh Eubanks, and Curtis Lanier raced nose-to-tail for much of the feature. As the trio took the white flag, Eubanks made one last charge for the lead, but Webb held strong to secure the win. Eubanks finished second, with Lanier rounding out the podium.

Rusty Daniels Claims Opening Round of the Charger Triple Crown

The spotlight was squarely on the Charger division as drivers battled in the first race of the highly anticipated Triple Crown series.

Rusty Daniels added another trophy to his collection, but the road to victory was anything but easy. After contact with a lapped car brought out the B&S Body Shop caution flag, the field tightened for a series of tense restarts.

Daniels remained composed and drove to victory, earning an early advantage in the Triple Crown standings. Cody Griffin surged into second late in the race, while Michael O’Brien completed the top three.

Deanna Stancill Scores Emotional First Career Win in the Bomber Division

The feel-good story of the evening belonged to Deanna Stancill, who captured her first-ever feature victory in the Bomber division.

Stancill battled wheel-to-wheel with Harry Artemisio in the opening laps and skillfully avoided an early spinning car that could have ended her night. In the closing laps, the pressure intensified as Olivia Wade made contact with the wall in Turn 3 bringing out the caution resulting in Harry ‘s car breaking loose and tangling with Nathan Hall in a separate incident, setting up a dramatic final restart.

With the field stacked tightly behind her, Stancill held off a determined charge from Artemesio and Baez to score an emotional first win.

The Bomber division also featured two promising newcomers making their racing debuts. Olivia Wade showed impressive determination in her first-ever start, while Dustin Mercer turned heads with a remarkable fourth-place finish in a competitive field of 10 cars.

Harry Artemisio finished second, and Dominic Baez rounded out the top three.

Scotty Benford Dominates the Legends

Oliver Missner led the Legends field to green for 25 laps, but after an opening-lap spin involving Haiden Thomas, Scotty Benford took complete control.

Benford dominated the remainder of the race to add another victory to his impressive season. Missner drove a steady race to finish second, while Keagan Abrams rounded out the top three.

Official Feature Results

V8 Chargers

1. 16 – Rusty Daniels

2. 03 – Cody Griffin

3. 61 – Michael O’Brien

4. 21 – Gerald Benton

5. 84 – Delaney Gray

6. 18 – Matthew Gurganus

7. 29 – Daniel Benton

8. 2 – John Fitzhugh

   
   

UCAR

1. 13 – Michael Ludwig

2. 14 – Eddie Humphrey

3. 17 – Duane Walker

4. 43M – Juan Mejia

5. 77 – Richard Smith

6. 5J – Joe Lazarczyk

7. 27 – Kaleb Watson (DNS)

   
   

Legend Car

1. 51 – Scotty Benford

2. 28 – Oliver Missner

3. 6 – Keagan Abrams

4. 97 – Michael Bivens

5. 22 – Haiden Thomas

6. 14 – Brody Sciortino

7. 99 – Carsyn Gillikin

   
   

Bombers

1. 9 – Deanna Stancill

2. 72 – Harry Artemisio

3. 79 – Dominic Baez

4. 01 – Dustin Mercer

5. 87 – Justin Rountree

6. 15 – Brandon Tartanian

7. 88 – Carrie Piercey

8. 34 – Michael Withrow

9. 33 – Nathan Hall

10. 42 – Olivia Wade

    
    

VRL Vintage Lites

1. 3 – Shane Irving

2. 99K – Bobby Arthur

3. 54 – Tom Hutson

4. 2 – Greg Farley

5. 54F – Jack Fleeman

6. 97R – Ryland Mason

7. 52 – Daniel Dean

   
   

Champ Karts

1. 8 – Keith Webb

2. 2 – Josh Eubanks

3. 08 – Curtis Lanier

4. 72 – Harry Artemisio

5. 7 – Logen Martin

   
   

Coming Up Next: May 24th Brings a $5,000 Limited Late Model Purse

The action continues on Saturday, May 24, with one of the most anticipated events of the season! Fans will see the return of the Limited Late Models competing for a $5,000 purse, along with the Southern Ground Pounders, Mini Stocks, the Star Super Stock Tour, and the Jr. Mini Cups. With big money on the line and a packed racing program, it promises to be another unforgettable night at Carteret County Speedway.

Confederate Railroad with special guests Down South Thunder take the stage on Saturday May 30th!

For tickets, schedules, and more information, visit carteretspeedway.com

Article Credit: Ryland Trull with Tracie Wade-Cronkhite