Two Peach State pilots took home top honors over the weekend in Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series action at Georgia’s Lavonia Speedway.
Cody Overton scored the victory on Friday night at the 3/8-mile clay raceway, while Kenny Collins inherited Saturday night’s feature win after apparent victor Brent Dixon weighed in light at the scales in post-race inspection.
On Friday night, Overton led all 40 laps en route to the victory, but it came down to a green-white-checkered finish for the Evans, Georgia racer.
“This is awesome,” Overton said. “I’ve dreamed of winning a Super race, especially at a place I’ve raced at a long time. Man, I love this place.”
The win was worth a $5,000 payday for the 24-year-old, who has competed regularly at Lavonia for several seasons in years past.
“I really just can’t thank Jeff (Matthews, team owner),” Overton said. “That guy – he does everything for me. Anything I say I need – the man doesn’t hesitate, he gets it for me. He knows what it takes to win, and he’s given me the best opportunity he can.”
Dalton Cook finished in second, with Ben Watkins in third, Carson Ferguson in fourth, and Payton Freeman in fifth.
On Saturday night, pole sitter Brent Dixon led all 40 laps and was flagged the winner, but it was Colbert, Georgia’s Kenny Collins that went home with the $5,000 winner’s pay check.
Dixon weight in 20 pounds light at the scales in post-race procedures, disqualifying him and handing the victory to Collins, who cleared the 2,350-pound weight requirement.
“I hate to see Brent lose it that way,” Collins said. “But, if somebody’s gotta be the beneficiary, we’ll take it.”
While Dixon grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag, Collins rolled off from the seventh place starting spot, quickly picking up two positions by avoiding a lap 2 melee.
Collins continued to move his way forward, but could not close on Dixon to challenge for the top spot.
“I got free with about five or six-to-go, and I felt like I was losing ground on (Dixon) and I couldn’t clear the lapped cars,” Collins said. “I was afraid I was gonna get passed for second. But I held on.”
In the end, though Collins couldn’t catch Dixon by the checkered flag, he was declared the winner after Dixon’s disqualification at the scales.
“It’s really awesome to get one at home, I’ve raced here my whole life,” Collins said. “A lot of people here we know, a lot of fans, a lot of my customers.”
Watkins crossed the line third but moved up to second after clearing the scales, with Cla Knight, Ross Bailes, and Daulton Wilson rounding out the top five.
For more information on the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series, visit XtremeDIRTCar.com.
Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series
Lavonia Speedway – Lavonia, GA
Race Results – February 25, 2022
1. 97-Cody Overton
2. 44D-Dalton Cook
3. 16-Ben Watkins
4. 93F-Carson Ferguson
5. F1-Payton Freeman
6. 121-Pearson Lee Williams
7. 18D-Daulton Wilson
8. 79-Ross Bailes
9. 2X-John Henderson
10. 1C-Kenny Collins
11. 1D-Brent Dixon
12. 421-Anthony Sanders
13. 18E-Ethan Wilson
14. 42-Cla Knight
15. 57-Adam Yarbrough
16. 93-Cory Lawler
17. 21-Will Harris
18. 05-Corey Roulette
19. 17V-Tim Vance
20. 1N-Jordy Nipper
21. 03-David Yandle
22. 109-Eli Beets
Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series
Lavonia Speedway – Lavonia, GA
Race Results – February 26, 2022
1. 1C-Kenny Collins
2. 16-Ben Watkins
3. 42-Cla Knight
4. 79-Ross Bailes
5. 18D-Daulton Wilson
6. 18E-Ethan Wilson
7. 2X-John Henderson
8. 97-Cody Overton
9. 421-Anthony Sanders
10. F1-Payton Freeman
11. 57-Adam Yarbrough
12. 93-Cory Lawler
13. 03-David Yandle
14. 17V-Tim Vance
15. 121C-Blake Craft
16. 21-Will Harris
17. 44D-Dalton Cook
18. 05-Corey Roulette
19. 109-Eli Beets
20. 121-Pearson Lee Williams
21. 93F-Carson Ferguson
DQ: 1D-Brent Dixon
