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Delaney Gray shines in Davey Allison Memorial


Delaney Gray celebrates after winning the Davey Allison Memorial at Bobby Watson's Carteret County Speedway. (Andy Marquis photo)
Delaney Gray celebrates after winning the Davey Allison Memorial at Bobby Watson's Carteret County Speedway. (Andy Marquis photo)

PELETIER, NC – Delaney Gray stole the show in Saturday night’s Adams Beverages Davey Allison Memorial at Bobby Watson’s Carteret County Speedway.


Gray, 12, from La Grange, North Carolina, qualified in second but was shuffled back to the fifth position on the initial start of the 30-lap Allison Legacy Race Series feature.  Throughout the green flag run that started the race, she worked her way into contention for the win, eventually taking the lead before a flurry of late race cautions reset the field.


After bypassing Gray in the closing laps, Bobby Mares and Ethan Elder tangled while racing for the lead, allowing Gray to rocket past both drivers.  The incident between Mares and Elder set up an overtime finish, with Gray in the lead over Dustin Phillips.  On the restart, Gray held Phillips off and cruised to her first career Allison Legacy Race Series victory.


“This is special,” Gray said in victory lane.  “First big car win in the series.  I didn’t expect to win one this early in the season, so it’s just awesome.  I was so scared (on the final restart).  I missed a lot of shifts before.  I just knew and was hoping not to miss.  This means a lot and I feel like I did really good tonight.”


Gray, who has amassed multiple wins in a Bandolero at Coastal Plains Raceway and Southern National Motorsports Park, also gave the invocation during pre-race ceremonies.


Mitchell Kerstetter held on in a wild U-CAR feature to return to victory lane after he and Haiden Thomas tangled in the closing laps battling for the lead.  When Thomas spun off the front bumper of Kerstetter, both drivers had to race the way back up through the field, eventually doing so with Kerstetter holding on for the win.


“I hate winning that way,” Kerstetter said.  “I also got to apologize to Robert Drum, pushing them on that restart.  It was sloppy.  I’m just doing what I can and I apologize to those guys.”


Juan Mejia appeared to have the win in hand in the Down East Homes Bomber feature, but a late race incident would knock him out and hand the lead, and the win, to Sammy Pacitti.  Rusty Daniels picked up his ninth win of the season in Charger competition, while Scotty Benford scored his eighth Legend Car win of 2025 and Zac Reimer cruised to victory in the Battlefield Tire Pros Mini Stock feature.


The 2025 racing season at Bobby Watson’s Carteret County Speedway resumes on Saturday, August 16 with Grandmaster Dong’s Martial Arts Kids Night presented by KONA Ice of the Crystal Coast.

Delaney Gray (84) leads Dustin Phillips (75) through turns one and two during an overtime finish in the Davey Allison Memorial at Carteret County Speedway. (Andy Marquis photo)
Delaney Gray (84) leads Dustin Phillips (75) through turns one and two during an overtime finish in the Davey Allison Memorial at Carteret County Speedway. (Andy Marquis photo)

Unofficial Results


Charger (40 Laps): 1. 16-Rusty Daniels[1]; 2. 71-Gator Williams[2]; 3. 18-Matthew Gurganus[3]; 4. 21-Gerald Benton[5]; 5. 29-Daniel Benton[4]


Legend Car (25 laps): 1. 51-Scotty Benford[4]; 2. 97-Michael Bivens[2]; 3. 6-Austin Eckert[7]; 4. 32-Brady Price[6]; 5. 6A-Keagan Abrams[1]; 6. 52-Daniel Dean[3]; 7. 99-Carsyn Gillikin[5]


Down East Home Bomber (25 Laps): 1. 43P-Samuel Pacitti[12]; 2. 91-Timothy Medeiros[13]; 3. 5-Jack Kress[4]; 4. 9-Deanna Stancill[2]; 5. 72-Harry Artemisio[6]; 6. 11-Travis Watson[5]; 7. 77-Richard Smith[11]; 8. 15-Brandon Tartanian[7]; 9. 3-Alexis Steffan[8]; 10. 77MW-Marion Williams[3]; 11. 34-Michael Withrow[10]; 12. 43-Juan Mejia[1]; 13. (DNS) 55-Kaleb Watson


Battlefield Tire Pros Mini Stock (25 Laps): 1. 99-Zac Reimer[4]; 2. 48-Duane Walker[2]; 3. 03-Cornell Williams[1]; 4. 11-Abby Jolly[3]


U-CAR (19 Laps): 1. 13-Mitchell Kerstetter[2]; 2. 22-Haiden Thomas[1]; 3. 34-Matthew Newman[3]; 4. 83-Robert Drum[4]; 5. 66-Ronnie Kropp[6]; 6. 17-Brian Gooden[5]


Allison Legacy Race Series (30 laps): 1. 84-Delaney Gray[3]; 2. 75-Dustin Phillips[8]; 3. 23-Eric Miller[7]; 4. 47-Luke Fisher[2]; 5. 01-Bobby Mares[6]; 6. 44-Kyle Siler[9]; 7. 03-Ethan Elder[5]; 8. 5-Weston Freeman[4]; 9. 60-Chris Torrence[10]; 10. 55-Riley Campbell[1]

 

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