Weekly Notebook presented by FK Rod Ends
Notes: Mississippi driver hitting his stride
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt managing editor
Chace Pennington (Zackary Washington/Simple Moments Photography)
Chace Pennington of Steens, Miss., fell just shy of capturing last season’s Crate Racin’ USA 602 Late Model weekly title, but he’s in position to take another run at the championship.
The 10th-year driver in the division has been at his best the last two seasons, winning 14 races in 2025 and this season capturing 10 of his first 18 starts, mostly at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, Miss., with single victories at Pine Ridge Speedway in Guntown, Miss., and Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, Miss.
The 27-year-old Pennington, along with his father and crew chief Robert Pennington, wasn’t a big winner early in his career, but the team has hit its stride.
“Here recently, in the last few years, we've finally been able to hit on something and kinda knocked off a few of them,” Pennington said. "I guess we finally just got super comfortable in the car. Finally, it seemed like the adjustments that we were looking to make, we finally made them, and they actually worked in our favor. It seemed like a lot of shop work.
“Me and my dad got a pretty good maintenance program going through the week, and I mean, I ain't gonna say that's what won us the races, but it definitely hasn't hurt us, that's for sure. When we show up to the track we're not really worried about other minor things … we're focused on making the car go faster. We're not just worried about fixing stuff that we had taken care of through the week.”
The Penningtons aren’t from a long line of racers, but they were longtime spectators, especially at the old Columbus (Miss.) Speedway across town from Magnolia.
“It was five minutes up the road from our house,” Pennington said, recalling his days of watching home-state standouts like David Breazeale, Anthony Rushing and the Rickman brothers grab checkered flags. “That's why we were there it seemed like every weekend when I was younger.”
For a while, Pennington served as pit help for New Hope, Miss., driver Blake Koeningsberger, and in Pennington’s late teens he and his dad decided to give racing a try.
“It just seemed like, probably the most, I guess you could say, economical class for us,” Pennington said of the 602 Crate division. “I’d helped a guy for a couple of years, and that's kind of what we learned to do some adjustments on and we just kind of started from there. We had a little bit of experience with it, so that was the best option for us at the time.”
While Koeningsberger eventually quit racing — “He may be a little bit smarter than all of us anyway,” Pennington quipped — Pennington was finding his way, first with a 2007 MasterSbilt Race Car and three years later in a 2016 Rocket Chassis he’s still driving today. The piece isn't Rocket’s latest and greatest — it was the first year the Shinnston, W.Va., manufacturer produced its XR1 line — but the car formerly driven by Mississippi State Championship Challenge Series champion Chad Thrash has “been a good to us for sure,” Pennington said.
"It hasn't been updated not one time. It's still got the same original — I mean, not original spindles — but same style of spindles that they was running in 2016 and 2017 on them. It ain't been clipped or nothing — knock on wood, I hope it never has to be — but it's still the same car that come off the jig.”
Pennington won three times with it in 2021, had a couple of winless seasons, but it’s still producing as he’s among the winningest drivers in CRUSA competition the last two seasons.
While he’s a hobby racer, Pennington is also behind the wheel in his 9-to-5 job. Formerly a truck driver, now he’s employed at the Columbus Air Force Base that hosts the 14th Flying Training Wing for future pilots. Pennington's an aircraft tug driver, moving the T-38 Talon training planes to the flightline or maintenance hangars using a specialized vehicle.
“If you pictured a (Ford) F-350, but you cut literally the middle out of it. So it's like the front cab of an F-350 and literally the back axle, you're pretty much sitting on top of it,” Pennington said. “It’s a very short little truck and it's got a big long towbar behind it and it hooks to the front of the airplane.”
Just like when he’s behind the wheel of his No. 54 Late Model, he’s careful about not getting into any tight spots.
"I guess you could say you definitely got to keep, be aware of your surroundings big time, cause you’re hauling around a several million-dollar plane,” Pennington said, although there’s not much crossover from his day job to his Saturday nights at the track. “Other than the driving aspect of it, probably not much, I wouldn't say. Because we’re barely moving out there and it's completely opposite. I guess we're barely moving in a in a 602 Late Model, but you get what I'm saying.”
A wreck on the tarmac would not be good, and Pennington doesn’t even like making contact on the racetrack.
"Every now and then you're gonna bump and rub with other people, and I can't even stand doing that,” he said. “I just I don't like to add any other work than what we've got to do through the week, so body damage is definitely one thing I don't want to have to deal with. But we try to definitely not race (focused) on the hoodpin, so we try to keep a lookout so we don't run into things that are happening in front of us for sure.”
Along with his 40 hours a week at work, Penniungtin figures he and his dad put in another 40 hours in the race shop. It’s a family thing for Pennington, who met his wife Marley at Whynot. During a recent family vacation to the Alabama coast, the Penningtons ended the day by watching the livestream of racing back in Mississippi.
“We're pretty bored if we're not racing,” Pennington said.
While he’s been leading CRUSA’s points in recent weeks, Pennington knows he still has work to do to secure the title.
"I'm trying to stay pretty consistent anyway. It gets a little tough, so we're gonna enjoy (the wins) while we can for sure,” he said. “I'm definitely not comfortable where I'm at right now by no means. I would like to definitely go win some more for sure to try to clinch it. We do have a little bit of a lead, but it can definitely close towards the end, like I think we got six or seven weeks left, it can definitely be closed. That gap can be closed up in a hurry, so we just got to keep our foot on the gas anyway.”
And if he wins the 602 title, would he be interested in moving up to the competitive 604 Crate Late Model division or higher? It’s on the radar, but no sure thing.
"I'd be lying to say I didn't want to move up, but it just seems like definitely how my job is and the sponsors that I have right now, it seemed like (602 Crates) are our best option,” Pennington said. “I definitely feel like we could compete pretty good in 604s and I've talked to Dad about it here recently and this last year about moving up to 604s, And just seeing how we would fare out with them. That's a bunch of good guys that race that class, but I feel like we would, it would take some time, but I feel like we could be competitive in that. I don't necessarily think we could be as competitive as we are now, but it would take some time.
"I guess that's always your dream. You wanna move up and just keep on moving up the ladder and race with the best guys in the country for sure.”
Weekly highlights
• Winning twice in three nights at Plymouth (Wis.) Dirt Track, Mitch McGrath of Waukesha, Wis., earned $3,000 on Aug. 20 in the Independence 30 makeup and captured the track’s Super Six finale on Aug. 22.
• In Aug. 24's Davenport (Iowa) Speedway points finale, Logan Veloz of Colona, Ill., entered the event with an 18-point lead on Cruz Birkhofer but lost a rear wheel and axle in his heat race. Borrowing a car from Rob Guss, Veloz salvaged a 15th-place finish in the feature to narrowly hang on for the points title despite Birkhofer winning from the pole over 11th-starting Tommy Elston.
• Earning $2,500, David Payne of nearby Murphy, N.C., captured Aug. 22’s Limited Late Model feature at Tri-County Racetrack in Brasstown, N.C.
• Zach Zeitner of Bellevue, Neb., swept a pair of Late Model features Aug. 22 at Shelby County Speedway in Harlan, Iowa.
• Winning his first Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park feature in more than three years, Ryan Missler of Bellevue, Ohio, led all but one lap of Aug. 21’s Super Late Model feature. Missler notched his 21st career Attica victory.
• Braden Johnson of Taylorville, Ill., on Aug. 21 made it six Crate Late Model victories in a row at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway.
• Winning Aug. 22 at Greenville (Miss.) Speedway, Nick Thrash of Meridian, Miss., earned $2,000 in Crate Late Model competition for the second time in eight days.
• Brett Marlatt of Canisteo, N.Y., won his sixth Crate Late Model feature of the season and third in a row Aug. 22 at Woodhull (N.Y.) Raceway.
First things first
Recent first-time occurrences at the dirt track:
• Winning Aug. 22 at Shadyhill Speedway in Medaryville, Ind., Chris Joseph of Kewanna, Ind., posted his first career Late Model victory.
• Dylan Lewis of Oakland, Md., notched his first Super Late Model victory Aug. 21 at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex in Markleysburg, Pa., earning $2,000 in the Ernie Jones Memorial. He previously won Limited and Crate events at Roaring Knob.
• Winning Aug. 22 at Electric City Speedway in Great Falls, Mont., hometown driver Joey Price scored his first Late Model triumph.
• Coy Chappell of Waverly, Tenn., won Aug. 22 at Camden (Tenn.) Speedway for his first career 602 Crate Late Model victory.
• Winning Aug. 14 at Dog Hollow Speedway in Strongstown, Pa., 19-year-old Leo Iarrapino of Butler, Pa., captured his first Crate Late Model feature victory.
• Tate McCollum of Ball Ground, Ga., notched his first Limited Late Model victory Aug. 14 at Sugar Creek Raceway in Blue Ridge, Ga., and followed that up with another win Aug. 15 at Chatsworth’s North Georgia Speedway.
• Capturing Aug. 21’s feature at Mid-Michigan Raceway Park in Fenwick, Mich., Nick Fenner of Morenci, Mich., scored his first Super Late Model victory.
• WISSOTA Late Model rookie Dexton Koch of Becker, Minn., won his first division feature Aug. 21 at Fiesta City Speedway in Montevideo, Minn.
• Marcos Tobar of Amarillo, Texas, won his first Late Model feature Aug. 22 at his hometown Route 66 Raceway, ending the four-race winning streak of Kenton Sanders.
Weekly news briefs
• Newly reopened this season, Thunder Valley Speedway in Glenmora, La., has added a Crate Late Model event for Sept. 12. The event will mark the first Crate Late Model event at the track since April 1, 2023.
• The Dirt Track at Genesee in Batavia, N.Y., has released details for Sept. 24-26's Topless Nationals, a weekend highlighted by a $4,000-to-win Super Late Model event on the final night. Practice is set for opening night with $1,000-to-win RUSH Crate Late Model features Friday and Saturday.
• Saying it's time to close a chapter for the track-owning Caltagarone family, 62-year-old Hummingbird Speedway in Reynoldsville, Pa., will close for good at the conclusion of the season. The track, built on a tract of land beneath a hill frequently visited by hummingbirds, was built by the late Louis Caltagarone in 1964 and operated through 1975 and again from 2000-26 with Super Late Models regularly part of the program. The track’s closure announcement comes less than a year following the passing of Louis Caltagarone at age 97 last October. It also comes amid a challenging season with 10 rainouts and just four completed events with the track planning two more events, including Sept. 19's $4,000-to-win Dave Srock Memorial for Super Late Models.
• Closed since mid-May after an ownership change, Hartwell (Ga.) Motor Speedway reopened on Aug. 21 with Chris Woods of Statham, Ga., winning a $1,500 Limited Late Model feature and Justyn Jacobs winning the 602 Crate Late Model feature.
• Beginning Aug. 29, Hidden Valley Speedway in Clearfield, Pa., is shifting to Saturday nights for the rest of the season, including an Oct. 24 Super Late Model event.
• Recovering from heavy rains and flooding, Midway Speedway in Crooksville, Ohio, cancelled its Aug. 29 event. The track is considering adding makeup dates for lost races.
• Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa, has added the Oct. 31 Shiverfest to the schedule, an event promoted by Brian and Marcie Gaylord (the Weisinger family recently announced it will step away from the track's promotions). Divisions and details of the Halloween event haven't been revealed.
• Super Bee Speedway in Chatham, La., remained dark on Aug. 22 while making repairs to its water truck and other track preparation equipment. The track plans to return to action Sept. 5.
• This year’s version of the Punky Manor Challenge of Champions at Red Cedar Speedway in Menomonie, Wis., will return to its traditional format with heat races on opening night and feature races for the finale. The WISSOTA Late Model portion of the event will pay $4,057-to-win and $400-to-start. The event is set for Sept. 25-26 with practice set for Sept. 24. USRA Late Models are among four other divisions.
• Idle since last August, Crossville (Tenn.) Speedway will host two nights of October racing under a lease by Wartburg (Tenn.) Speedway promoters Raymond and Libby Shepard. Crossville's Oct. 16 event is scheduled for a five-division program including 604 Crate Late Models while details for an Oct. 24 race program will be announced. Crossville has been dark since an Aug. 29, 2025, event and only two race programs were completed in 2025.
• Highway 72 Speedway in Corinth, Miss., has shifted to Saturday nights for the rest of the season to avoid conflicts with Friday high school football games. The track's next event is scheduled for Sept. 5.
• Without a water pump for the track’s well, Tri-County Speedway in Pollard, Ala., cancelled Aug. 22’s race program. Delivery of a new pump is scheduled for Aug. 24 and the track plans to return to action Aug. 29.
Weekly points
DIRTcar (Supers): Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., has 2,273 points to lead Tanner English (2,180) and Mike Spatola (1,996).
IMCA (Limiteds): Zach Zeitner of Bellevue, Neb., has 785 points to lead Tommy Elston (782) and Drew Baker (767).
WISSOTA (Limiteds): Tyler Peterson of Hickson, N.D., has 1,568 points to lead Shane Sabraski (1,566) and Kevin Burdick (1,555).
American All-Stars (Crates): Brandon Fouts of Kite, Ky., has 596 points to lead Logan Walls (554) and Dalton Brown (466).
Crate Racin’ USA (602 Crates): Chace Pennington of Steens, Miss., has 599 points to lead Landon Mathews (592) and Spencer Moore (581).
Crate Racin’ USA (604 Crates): Brady Walton of Greenwell Springs, La., has 591 points to lead Waylon Vining (587) and Shannon Lee (586).
DIRTcar (Crates): Braden Johnson of Taylorville, Ill., has 949 points to lead Chase Wilson (838) and Ryan Miller (763).
Gen X (Crates): Trevor Walsh of Watertown, S.D., has 1,346 points to lead Blake Swenson (1,335) and Parker Gilbertson (1,317).
RUSH (Crates): Devin Brannon of Winchester, Va., has 1,336 points to lead Jeremy Wonderling (1,331) and Davin Kaiser (1,310).
Ultimate (Crates): T.J. Salango of Glen Daniel, W.Va., has 289 points to lead T.J. Hicks (249) and Brandon Adkins (233).
USRA (Crates): Lucas Peterson of Stockholm, Wis., has 5,438 points to lead Jason McFadden (5,238) and Josh Wahlstrom (4,882).
Upcoming weekly specials
Among non-touring and independent special events coming up for Late Models at dirt tracks around the country:
300 Raceway, Farley, Iowa (Aug. 28-29): The Yankee Dirt Track Classic weekend includes Late Model programs (under Premier rules) paying $2,000- and $3,049-to-win.
County Line Raceway, Elm City, N.C. (Aug. 29): The season’s finale Fast Five Late Model Challenge event pays $3,000-to-win in topping an 11-division program.
