What won the race: Flying by early leader Chris Madden as he was held up by a lapped car on the 12th circuit, third-starting Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C., repelled Madden on multiple late restarts to lead the rest of Saturday's 26th annual Grassy Smith Memorial at Cherokee Speedway. Ferguson beat Madden in the 50-lap feature by 0.345 of a second for the $15,000 paycheck and his first career Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series victory.

Quotable: “Chris (Madden) drove his butt off and he’s the man to beat here, so luckily I was able to be a little better tonight,” Ferguson said. “Man, I’m just so thankful to win this race. Freddy and Grassy (Smith) meant a lot to my family and to finally get the Grassy — I’ve led it I don’t know how many times, but never sealed the deal. Them cautions at the end had me a little worried, but I’m just tickled to death about it.”

Key notes: Ferguson led the final 39 laps for his first win since last Nov. 16's Freddy Smith Memorial at Cherokee. ... Fergy nabbed his first career Grassy Smith Memorial and 16th Cherokee special dating back to June of 2010, earning more than $120,000 over that span. ... Madden, a nine-time winner of Cherokee's Blue-Gray 100 event, led the opening 11 laps from the pole before Ferguson powered around as Madden was held up in lapped traffic. Madden pressured Ferguson for the rest of the distnace but could never draw alongside. ... Points leader Ashton Winger, seeking his fifth straight Hunt the Front Series victory, took third on a lap-36 restart but didn't quite have enough for Madden or Ferguson over the race's final third. ... Trent Ivey nearly spun on a lap-28 restart and slipped as low as eighth until he reclaimed fourth from Joseph Joiner on a lap-47 restart, relegating 10th-starting Joiner to a fifth-place finish. ... The race was slowed by six incidents, none bigger than a lap-36 restart pileup that eliminated Gray Parton, Dillard Hatchett and Beckham Malone. Hatchett pressured Parton for 10th, sending both drivers spinning in turn one and sitting broadside to the field; Malone was committed to the outside and slammed into both cars with a serious fire immediately igniting, but all drivers were OK following the incident that necessitated a 10-minute red flag for cleanup. ... Other notable cautions included lap 28 when 10th-running Braden Jones hit the turn-two wall and coasted to a stop. ... Ben Watkins slowed from 15th with a flat right-rear tire on lap 32 before pitting and rallying to finish eighth. ... Jake O'Neil slowed from fourth with a flat right rear on the 46th lap and soldiered to a 13th-place finish. ... Josh Putnam spun in turn four for the final stoppage after contact from Layton Sullivan and expressed displeasure with Sullivan under the lap-47 yellow. ... The event honored Clarence “Grassy” Smith, the late father of National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Freddy Smith; Grassy died on Jan. 14, 1999, at the age of 79. ... The feature lasted 40 minutes with 16 starters completing 50 laps and 18 running at the finish. ... Casey Roberts scratched.

On the move: Ashton Winger started 18th and finished third.

Winner's sponsors: Ferguson’s Stinger Race Car is sponsored by Live Oak Aesthetic and Family Dentistry, Spartan Transportation, Gentry Used Auto Parts & Recycling, Animal Care Clinic, Splitz Bowling, Carolina Roofing & Gutters, Spray Foam Technologies, Heckle’s Plumbing, New Point Lighting & Design, Rosewood Assisted Living, K&K Trucking, Fox Racing Shox, Schaeffer’s Racing Oil, Sweet Victory Apparel, Victory Seats and Big A’s Custom Graphics.

Points chase: After Cherokee: 1. Ashton Winger (668); 2. Joseph Joiner (600); 3. Jadon Frame (580); 4. Dalton Cook (574); 5. Zack Mitchell (540).

Current weather: Clear, 81°F

Car count: 31

Fast qualifier: Braden Jones

Time: 15.151 seconds

Polesitter: Chris Madden

Heat race winners: Jadon Frame, Chris Ferguson, Chris Madden, Jake O'Neil

Consolation race winners: Anthony Sanders, Ashton Winger

Provisional starters: Jason Lively, Beckham Malone

Next series race: July 31, Duck River Raceway Park (Wheel, TN) $8,000