HAMPTON, Ga. – Mother Nature threw just about everything she had at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but eight days and three stoppages later the fourth round of Thursday Thunder was complete, as well as the fifth round of action after doubleheader racing on Thursday night.
Among the drivers leaving the Thunder Ring the happiest Thursday night was Locust Grove’s Bill Plemons Jr., who took both checkered flags in the Masters division.
“On a couple of starts the track was a little slick,” Plemons said after his first victory. “I had some good restarts and some good competitors out here this year that are getting faster and faster, making my job a little tougher.”
Plemons cruised to victory in the Round 4 feature from the pole position and took advantage of a timely caution in the Round 5 feature to navigate around Phillip Young to get his second victory of the day.
Even more dominant than Plemons was Fayetteville’s Blaze Crawford. Crawford was elated two weeks ago when he earned his first Semi-Pro victory, but his performance Thursday night was even more satisfying.
“Today was probably the best day I’ve ever had out here on the quarter-mile,” Crawford said after winning his second feature of the day. “That car was the best car I’ve ever driven here. It was dominant and it showed.”
Crawford led 39 of the 40 laps run between the Round 4 and Round 5 feature races Thursday en-route to wins in both races.
In The Associates Group Pro division Caleb Heady took both checkered flags. Isaac Bevin will take a trophy back home to Kentucky after winning the Round 4 WJP Investments Young Lions feature, while the Round 5 trophy went to Florida driver Mason Maggio.
Four races from Round 4 were run on Wednesday night before lightning and rain relegated the remainder of the schedule to Thursday. In the Outlaws division Kelly Puckett was victorious, while Tristan McKee continued his dominance of the Bandits division with a win. Lanie Buice took the checkered flag in the Chargers feature and Carson Brown topped the charts at the end of the Rookie Bandoleros feature.
In those four divisions a new day yielded the same results in all but one feature: McKee, Buice, and Brown backed up their Round 4 victories with wins in Round 5. The lone exception was in the Outlaws division, where Bailey North earned her first Thursday Thunder victory in the Outlaws.
Here’s the full results from Thursday Thunder Rounds 4 and 5:
WJP Investments Young Lions Round 4:
Isaac Bevin (Louisville, KY)
Michael Gannon (Canton, GA)
Mason Maggio (Palm Beach Gardens, FL)
Parker Eatmon (Wilson, NC)
Gavin Graham (Lakeland, FL)
Nathan Jackson (McDonough, GA)
Bryce Applegate ()
Keaton Hendrix (Homerville, GA)
Preston Tatro (Brasleton, GA)
Justin Campbell (Griffin, GA)
Taylor Watson ()
Matthew Kade (Hampton, GA)
Jackson Reynolds (Marietta, GA)
Tony Yawn III (Roanoke, AL)
Semi-Pro Round 4:
Blaze Crawford (Fayetteville, GA)
Ashton Whitener (Monticello, GA)
Jason Treschl (Lagrange, GA)
Garrett Lowe (Gastonia, NC)
Ricky Springer (McDonough, GA)
Kenny Brady (Marietta, GA)
Jonathan Taylor (Roswell, GA)
Ian Hampton (Stockbridge, GA)
Max Brady (Marietta, GA)
Brandon Brock (Hampton, GA)
Graham Campbell (Braselton, GA)
The Associates Group Pro Round 4:
Caleb Heady (Shelbyville, KY)
Cody Hall (Griffin, GA)
Timothy Watson (Panama City, FL)
Christopher Clanton (Brooks, GA)
Gage Roberts (Milledgeville, GA)
Jensen Jorgensen (Stockbridge, GA)
Kenneth Henderson (Alto, GA)
Max Hennebaul (Monroe, GA)
Taylor Jorgensen (Stockbridge, GA)
Gauntt Hudgins (Savannah, GA)
Cale Hall (Griffin, GA)
Masters Round 4:
Bill Plemons Jr (Locust Grove, GA)
Mark Swan (Athens, GA)
Phillip Young (Dallas, GA)
Ronnie Wehunt (Canton, GA)
Wade Brewer (Locust Grove, GA)
Kevin Vaughn (Grovetown, GA)
James Meredith (Locust Grove, GA)
Benjamin Jones (Macon, GA)
Tony Armbruster (Covington, GA)
Bandits Round 4:
Tristan McKee (Williamsburg, VA)
Aiden Garcia (Easley, SC)
Luke Morey (Zeeland, MI)
Garrett Erwin (Covington, GA)
Lee Brown (Acworth, GA)
Mitchell Flater (Conyers, GA)
Nicolas Denton (Pascagoula, MS)
Nathaniel Harry (Concord, NC)
Baylor O’Neil (Grantville, GA)
Garrett Gumm (Brooks, GA)
Rookie Bandoleros Round 4:
Carson Brown (Moseley, VA)
Neal Dulin (Harrisburg, NC)
Sebastain Asztalos (Temple, GA)
Katelyn Hicks (Senoia, GA)
Kayli Kade (Hampton, GA)
Julia Buchanan (Senoia, GA)
Alex Ford (Atlanta, GA)
Emma Britt (McDonough, GA)
Carson Cauble (Salisbury, NC)
Claire Collins (Dallas, GA)
Conner Butler (Forsyth, GA)
Beckham Malone (Rock Hill, SC)
Bo Powers (Atlanta, GA)
Holden Allen (Deland, FL)
Outlaws Round 4:
Kelly Puckett (McDonough, GA)
Bailey North (Hampton, GA)
Clay Hocutt (Mobile, AL)
Joshua Horniman (Claremont, NC)
Bailey Buchanan (Senoia, GA)
Kyle Bacon (Buchanan, GA)
Briana Freeman (Bremen, GA)
Donovan Strauss (Marietta, GA)
Chargers Round 4:
Lanie Buice (Locust Grove, GA)
Kason Hill (Douglasville, GA)
Chance Frank (Griffin, GA)
Tyler Garretson (Centerville, AR)
Wyatt Philyaw (Fredricksburg, VA)
Cole Nelson (Jefferson, GA)
Lisa Scott (Dallas, GA)
Amanda Woodall (Canton, GA)
WJP Investments Young Lions Round 5:
Mason Maggio (Palm Beach Gardens, FL)
Parker Eatmon (Wilson, NC)
Michael Gannon (Canton, GA)
Nikita Johnson (Mooresville, NC)
Isaac Bevin (Louisville, KY)
Keaton Hendrix (Homerville, GA)
Preston Tatro (Brasleton, GA)
Nathan Jackson (McDonough, GA)
Justin Campbell (Griffin, GA)
Tony Yawn III (Roanoke, AL)
Taylor Watson
Bryce Applegate
Matthew Kade (Hampton, GA)
Jackson Reynolds (Marietta, GA)
Gavin Graham (Lakeland, FL)
Semi-Pro Round 5:
Blaze Crawford (Fayetteville, GA)
Jadyn Daniels (Harrisburg, NC)
Ashton Whitener (Monticello, GA)
Jason Treschl (Lagrange, GA)
Garrett Lowe (Gastonia, NC)
Kenny Brady (Marietta, GA)
Ian Hampton (Stockbridge, GA)
Brandon Brock (Hampton, GA)
Graham Campbell (Braselton, GA)
Jonathan Taylor (Roswell, GA)
Trey Tadrzak (Stockbridge, GA)
Max Brady (Marietta, GA)
Ricky Springer (McDonough, GA)
The Associates Group Pro Round 5:
Caleb Heady (Shelbyville, KY)
Gage Roberts (Milledgeville, GA)
Cale Hall (Griffin, GA)
Cody Hall (Griffin, GA)
Timothy Watson (Panama City, FL)
Christopher Clanton (Brooks, GA)
Jensen Jorgensen (Stockbridge, GA)
Gauntt Hudgins (Savannah, GA)
Taylor Jorgensen (Stockbridge, GA)
Nick Woodall (Canton, GA)
Max Hennebaul (Monroe, GA)
Kenneth Henderson (Alto, GA)
Masters Round 5:
Bill Plemons Jr (Locust Grove, GA)
Phillip Young (Dallas, GA)
Tony Armbruster (Covington, GA)
Wade Brewer (Locust Grove, GA)
Mark Swan (Athens, GA)
Ronnie Wehunt (Canton, GA)
Benjamin Jones (Macon, GA)
James Meredith (Locust Grove, GA)
Kevin Vaughn (Grovetown, GA)
Bandits Round 5:
Tristan McKee (Williamsburg, VA)
Garrett Erwin (Covington, GA)
Aiden Garcia (Easley, SC)
Luke Morey (Zeeland, MI)
Nathaniel Harry (Concord, NC)
Nicolas Denton (Pascagoula, MS)
Mitchell Flater (Conyers, GA)
Baylor O’Neil (Grantville, GA)
Bryce Sanders (Ola, GA)
Garrett Gumm (Brooks, GA)
Lee Brown (Acworth, GA)
Rookie Bandoleros Round 5:
Carson Brown (Moseley, VA)
Neal Dulin (Harrisburg, NC)
Beckham Malone (Rock Hill, SC)
Alex Ford (Atlanta, GA)
Katelyn Hicks (Senoia, GA)
Conner Butler (Forsyth, GA)
Holden Allen (Deland, FL)
Claire Collins (Dallas, GA)
Kayli Kade (Hampton, GA)
Carson Cauble (Salisbury, NC)
Emma Britt (McDonough, GA)
Sebastain Asztalos (Temple, GA)
Julia Buchanan (Senoia, GA)
Outlaws Round 5:
Bailey North (Hampton, GA)
Clay Hocutt (Mobile, AL)
Kelly Puckett (McDonough, GA)
Donovan Strauss (Marietta, GA)
Joshua Horniman (Claremont, NC)
Kyle Bacon (Buchanan, GA)
Bailey Buchanan (Senoia, GA)
Briana Freeman (Bremen, GA)
Chargers Round 5:
Lanie Buice (Locust Grove, GA)
Chance Frank (Griffin, GA)
Kason Hill (Douglasville, GA)
Wyatt Philyaw (Fredricksburg, VA)
Amanda Woodall (Canton, GA)
Tyler Garretson (Centerville, AR)
Hudson Bulger (Perry, GA)
Lisa Scott (Dallas, GA)
Thursday Thunder continues Thursday, July 23, with Rounds 6 and 7 on the Thunder Ring. Fans can catch all the action live on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Facebook page.
For more information on Thursday Thunder and the AMS Legends program, visit AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com or LegendsOfGa.com.