Thursday Thunder produces new winners in Rd 2 at AMS

HAMPTON, Ga. — The second round of Thursday Thunder at Atlanta Motor Speedway brought a fresh set of race winners, with plenty of exciting action across all eight divisions. Several drivers who came up short a week ago returned to the front of the field as they began to chase their division’s season championship.

“I felt like I was flying around the track,” said a confident Carson Cauble (Salisbury, N.C.) after parking his #37 car in victory lane in the Adrenalin Powersports Outlaws Division feature.  Cauble and Lilly Impellizzeri (Munroe Falls, Ohio) battled for the lead several times late in the race before Cauble pulled away for the win. Bryson Nichols (Hampton, Va.) started on the pole and led early in the feature but succumbed to mechanical issues before he retired from the race. 

The Bandits Division also saw multiple passes for the lead. Wyatt Coffey (Waynesboro, Va.) made the one that mattered most with a three-wide pass for the lead on the backstretch. The division’s defending champion would go on to score the victory.

The Legends Car divisions also saw close battles on track, with Masters, Semi-Pro, and The Associates Group Young Lions features filled with lead changes throughout the night.

 In Masters racing action, Locust Grove’s Bill Plemmons Jr. had his bid for back-to-back wins spoiled early. Last week’s runner-up, Phillip Young (Dallas, Ga.), would make a pass for the lead on the second lap and dominate the rest of the feature in his orange #7 car. It was just his second victory in the division, and he credited the support from his wife Lisa, who herself finished fourth in the race, saying, “It’s amazing to be racing with her.”

While Missouri’s Aiden King earned the pole for The Associates Group Young Lions feature, it was the long run speed of Cole Denton (Pascagoula, Miss.) that would be the difference.  After the final restart, Denton made an inside pass in turn 1 and would never look back, taking his vibrant #46 throwback to victory lane. 

The Semi-Pro division featured one of the two repeat winners of the night. Buchanan’s Kyle Bacon scored a second straight win, passing polesitter Mitch Wright (Curtis, Ontario) and holding off multiple quick runs over the duration of the race to finish first.

Other divisions in action included Rookie Bandoleros, where Zebulon’s Casen Tate started on pole and led flag-to-flag for a dominant victory. In Chargers action, a late restart allowed Addyson King (Mooresville, N.C.) to make an inside pass for the lead to allow her to collect her second straight victory in the #74 car. The night was capped off by a caution-free WJP Investments Pro division feature. Stockbridge’s Jensen Jorgenson led every lap from the pole and held off Garrett Gumm (Roswell, Ga.) for the victory. It was the defending champion’s eighth career win in the Pro Division.

Next week features two rounds of Thursday Thunder action, as the Thunder Ring comes to life on both Wednesday, June 19th, and Thursday, June 20th, to get the series to the halfway point of the season.