Cory Hedgecock Hustles To $7,000 Sammy Cooper Classic Victory At Penton Raceway
Story By: RYAN DELPH / SOUTHERN ALL STAR DIRT RACING SERIES – LAFAYETTE, AL – For the second time in 2025, Cory Hedgecock celebrated in Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series presented by Franklin Enterprises victory lane on Friday night at Penton Raceway in Lafayette, Alabama.
Cory knocked down the quickest lap in Group A during VP Racing Fuels qualifying and later started the 40-lap Sammy Cooper Classic from the pole position. After pacing the field for the first two circuits, the Loudon, Tennessee ace drove back around Dillon Tidmore to regain the point for good on the fourteenth lap.
From there, Hedgecock kept Tidmore at bay to win by 2.103 seconds and was awarded the $7,000 first place prize money. Dillon Tidmore, who started fourth on the grid and led laps 3-13 of the contest, claimed his second straight runner-up performance in SAS competition along with a $3,500 consolation prize. Montana invader Michael Leach started and finished third to round out the podium. Wil Herrington picked off a handful of competitors to land in the fourth position, while Bo Slay nabbed the final spot inside of the top five after starting sixth on the feature grid.
“We were just a little tight early in the race and (Dillon) Tidmore was able to bend around that bottom and took off there,” quoted the winning Hedgecock in victory lane. “I was hoping the racetrack would kind of clean back up and come to us and thankfully it did. I really appreciate Tidmore and everyone out there for racing me clean. We had a good night here – it has probably been seven or eight years since I’ve been to Penton Raceway. The place has improved a bunch and I definitely want to come back!”
Hedgecock’s #23v BMF Race Car was powered by an Eagle Racing Engine with sponsorship in part from Best Plumber, K&P Used Cars, Base Fuels, Integra Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, SFP Performance, Currin Construction, Circle H Services, CH Enterprises, Pro-Fabrication, Viper Motorsports, Arizona Sportswear, CDE Electric, Majestic Mobile Detail, Winters Performance, Quickcar Racing Products, Brucebilt Performance, Top Notch Kustom Koncepts, Stakt, Wiles Driveshafts, Wieland, Wilwood Engineering, Allstar Performance, KRC, Delph Communications, Schaeffer’s Oil, Hypercoils, XS Power, and Hoosier Racing Tire.
A field of 20 Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series competitors piled into the pit area at Penton Raceway on Friday for round four of the tour. Dillon Tidmore went quickest in MRP Fantasy League Hot Laps with his quick time of 13.027 seconds, while Ryan Crane officially set a NEW TRACK RECORD during qualifying with his fast time of 13.165 seconds. With a few stray early evening showers delaying the action, the entire feature field was set solely from time trials. A total of six caution flags slowed the pace including a yellow for the initial start of the race.
The Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series presented by Franklin Enterprises will head to the Peach State on Saturday evening, April 12 for a $5,000 to win shootout at Winder-Barrow Speedway in Winder, Georgia. The SAS tour will be joined by the 602 Late Models ($800 to win), Stock 8 ($500 to win), Modified Street ($500 to win), and Mini Late Models ($500 to win). The gates will open at 2:00pm and the drivers meeting will get underway at 6:30pm. Hot laps will light up the racetrack starting at 7:00pm with racing action to quickly follow.
Grandstand admission for adults will be $25.00, while adults will be allowed into trackside parking and into the pit area for $45.00. Winder-Barrow Speedway is located at 330 Dunahoo Road NE in Winder, Georgia. The track phone number is 770-867-6327.
Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series presented by Franklin Enterprises
Round 4 Race Summary
Friday, April 11, 2025
Penton Raceway – Lafayette, Alabama
American Racer Tires Feature Finish (40 Laps):
1. (1) Cory Hedgecock $7,000
2. (4) Dillon Tidmore $3,500
3. (3) Michael Leach $1,500
4. (9) Wil Herrington $1,000
5. (6) Bo Slay $900
6. (18) Oliver Gentry $700
7. (8) Jordy Nipper $600
8. (12) Billy Franklin $575
9. (16) Joe Denby $550
10. (11) Ronnie Johnson $525
11. (7) Allen Styck $500
12. (15) Kendall Franklin $480
13. (13) Bill Mahan $460
14. (17) Chad Marchman $440
15. (14) Shay Miller $420
16. (5) Matt Dooley $400
17. (2) Ryan Crane $400
18. (20) Todd Morrow $400
19. (10) JR Moseley $400
20. (19) Michael Luna $400
Entries: 20
Lap Leaders: Cory Hedgecock (Laps 1-2), Dillon Tidmore (Laps 3-13), Cory Hedgecock (Laps 14-40)
Caution Flags: 6
MRP Fantasy League Hot Laps:
Fastest Lap Overall: Dillon Tidmore 13.027
VP Racing Fuels Time Trials:
Fast Time Overall: Ryan Crane 13.165 (New Track Record)
Qualifying – Group A: 1. 23V-Cory Hedgecock, 00:13.340[7]; 2. 09-Michael Leach, 00:13.342[5]; 3. 18-Matt Dooley, 00:13.489[9]; 4. 11-Allen Styck, 00:13.524[2]; 5. 15K-Wil Herrington, 00:13.580[3]; 6. 27J-Ronnie Johnson, 00:13.721[10]; 7. M1-Bill Mahan, 00:13.777[6]; 8. 317-Kendall Franklin, 00:13.938[4]; 9. 27M-Chad Marchman, 00:14.115[8]; 10. 63-Michael Luna, 00:14.514[1]
Qualifying – Group B: 1. 10-Ryan Crane, 00:13.165[3]; 2. 38-Dillon Tidmore, 00:13.218[1]; 3. 2-Bo Slay, 00:13.337[2]; 4. 1N-Jordy Nipper, 00:13.448[10]; 5. 99-JR Moseley, 00:13.520[6]; 6. 17-Billy Franklin, 00:13.584[7]; 7. 21-Shay Miller, 00:13.695[4]; 8. 27-Joe Denby, 00:13.713[5]; 9. 03-Oliver Gentry, 00:13.875[8]; 10. T1-Todd Morrow, 00:14.010[9]
