Rusty Daniels scores sixth consecutive win at Carteret County Speedway

Rusty Daniels leads a field of Chargers to a late race restart during the New River Harley Davidson Shootout by the Sea at Bobby Watson's Carteret County Speedway. (Andy Marquis/Honey Badger Entertainment photo)

PELETIER, NC – Rusty Daniels continued dominating in the Charger division at Bobby Watson’s Carteret County Speedway in Saturday night’s New River Harley Davidson Shootout by the Sea.

Gator Williams was able to take the lead from Daniels on the initial start of the race, but his time out front was short-lived.  Daniels was able to quickly chase Williams down to retake the top spot before driving away and surviving a late race restart to pick up his sixth consecutive win at Carteret and his 10th win overall.

​“I just can’t thank everybody that helps us enough,” Daniels said in victory lane. “We get several small sponsors, everybody that helps us at the racetrack. 100 degrees, it's hard to hang out with your friends. This ain’t heavy duty weather, but we’re surviving and we’re going to keep on digging. We’ve got a pretty good hot rod and will keep taking what they give us.”

Daniels has dominated the division in 2025, having won every single race so far at Carteret County along with his four wins at Southern National Motorsports Park.

“I ain’t going to be doing this much longer so we got to get all we can,” Daniels stated.

Brandon Clements returned to victory lane for the second time in 2025 in the Battlefield Tire Pros Mini Stock division, leading wire-to-wire from the pole.

“With the work I do now, we don’t get to race very much,” Clements explained.  “The more you don’t race, the more you fall behind, and the more you have to work on it when you do go racing.  These new Cobra tires have thrown us for a loop.  I’ve been here since eight o’clock this morning trying to make it work.  We got it a little better, been chipping away at it, but definitely got more work to do.”

Clements now has his sights set on Rusty Daniels in the Charger division.

“We did break out the Charger car this week,” Clements continued.  “Hanging a body on it.  Hopefully, next race out here, we’ll have it and see if we can’t give Rusty a little run for his money.  If not, maybe make it a little harder for him.”

Scotty Benford picked up his fifth Carteret County Speedway victory of 2025, dominating once again in Legend Car competition over Oliver Missner and Austin Eckert.  Shortly after that win, he competed in the Charger feature – finishing fourth.

“It’s been quite tough today,” Benford stated.  “I’m not quite used to doing double duty.  Good thing the car was as fast as what it was.  The pressure is on me now to learn the [Charger] car and see what it can do.  During qualifying, between the two, I felt a little stressed out trying to convert from one to the other.  When I get into the Charger, it feels more soft, and the Legend, it takes a lot.  More than what I’m used to.”

Other winners included: Mike Cooper (Street Stock), Mitchell Kerstetter (U-CAR), Johnny Johnson (East Coast Flathead Ford Modified), Wayne Lawson (East Coast Flathead Ford Sportsman), Sammy Pacitti (Down East Homes Bomber A-Main), and Justin Rountree (Bomber B-Main).

Members of The Fallen Outdoors participated in pre-race ceremonies ahead of the race.

Bobby Watson’s Carteret County Speedway’s summer season continues on Saturday, July 5 with the ClarkCo Construction Firecracker Clash.  On Thursday, June 26, Rare of Breed will hold a live concert performance at the track, followed by Overdrive Monster Trucks action on Friday and Saturday night, June 27 and June 28.

For more information on upcoming races, visit carteretspeedway.com.

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Results

Charger (40 Laps): 1. 16-Rusty Daniels; 2. 71-Gator Williams; 3. 21-Gerald Benton; 4. 3-Scotty Benford; 5. 21W-Sarah Whitesell

Legend Car (25 laps): 1. 51-Scotty Benford; 2. 28-Oliver Missner; 3. 6-Austin Eckert; 4. 6A-Keagan Abrams; 5. 52-Daniel Dean; 6. 97-Michael Bivens; 7. 14-Roy Combs

Down East Homes Bomber A-Main (25 Laps): 1. 43P-Samuel Pacitti; 2. 91-Timothy Medeiros; 3. 9B-Bradley Morgan; 4. 43-Juan Mejia; 5. 48S-Simon Stroud; 6. 72-Harry Artemisio; 7. 23-Logan McCallister; 8. 9-Deanna Stancill; 9. M19-Kayla McCallister; 10. 15-Brandon Tartanian; 11. 11-Travis Watson; 12. (DNF) 14P-Tom Palmer; 13. 14-Joey Vereen

Down East Homes Bomber B-Main (15 Laps): 1. 87-Justin Rountree; 2. 11-Travis Watson; 3. 77-Richard Smith; 4. 19-Carrie Piercey; 5. 55-Kaleb Watson; 6. 15-Brandon Tartanian; 7. 3-Alexis Steffan; 8. 67-Edward Piercey

Street Stock (25 Laps): 1. 07-Mike Cooper; 2. 51-Tyler Smith; 3. 9-John Sharp; 4. 42-Lenny Spence; 5. 94-Michael Ludwig

Battlefield Tire Pros Mini Stock (25 Laps): 1. 7C-Brandon Clements; 2. 7-Nolan Walker; 3. 99-Travis Miller; 4. 11-Abby Jolly; 5. 36-Austin Long; 6. 9-Trace Raynor; 7. 48-Duane Walker; 8. 54-Tom Hutson

East Coast Flathead Ford Racing Association (25 laps): 1. 99-Johnnie Johnson; 2. 45-Wayne Lawson; 3. 6-Donovan Freeman; 4. 4-Dennis Andrews; 5. 14-Kerri Wikle; 6. 9-Jerry Stroud; 7. 53-Richard Wikle

U-CAR (19 Laps): 1. 13-Mitchell Kerstetter; 2. 17-Brian Gooden; 3. 55-Ronnie Kropp; 4. 33-Nathan Hall; 5. 34-Matthew Newman; 6. 22-Haiden Thomas; 7. 43-Joe Wade