ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. — Laurens County (S.C.) Speedway is the next racetrack lying in the crosshairs of competitors on the Crate Racin’ USA Thunder Bomber Shootout Series, and the division’s top drivers will be firing away at a $1,000 winner’s prize available at the facility on April 17, 2021, as the touring circuit hits the speedplant for the first of two visits this season.
A return engagement at the venerable facility will take place for the traveling circuit later this season with another $1,000-to-win event on Sept, 18, but drivers will be first focused on the initial trip to the oval with three different drivers already having visited the winner’s circle during the first three events of the year.
Drivers Blake Bentley, Jonathan Hinson and Grant Parr have shared the laurels, with Parr’s recent hard-fought victory over Bentley on March 26 at Travelers Rest (S.C.) Speedway producing a side-by-side and nose-to-tail thriller of a lead battle in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the 3/8-mile track.
Bentley opened the season with a win Feb. 27 at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, N.C., while Hinson grabbed a victory in the touring series’ second event of the season March 13 at Lancaster (S.C.) Motor Speedway.
The early-season points scramble has shifted directions a few times, and most recently featured three different drivers—Mattison Hoots, Hank Taylor and Jonathan Hinson—tied for the lead at the top of the points standings. After the most recent event at Travelers Rest, which Taylor skipped despite owning a share of the points lead, Mattison Hoots now holds the advantage in the chase for the touring circuit’s championship by a slim one-point margin over Hinson heading into the fourth race of a 12-event season at Laurens County.
Benji Knight is the reigning series champion, but missed the first two events while prepping a new car that made its first appearance at Travelers Rest. Knight debuted the machine with a solid third-place finish in a 22-car field.
2021 Thunder Bomber Shootout Series Schedule
Feb. 27: Carolina Speedway (winner-Blake Bentley)
March 13: Lancaster Motor Speedway (winner-Jonathan Hinson)
March 26: Travelers Rest Speedway (winner-Grant Parr)
April 17: Laurens County (S.C.) Speedway
May 29: Harris (N.C.) Speedway
May 30: Cherokee Speedway, Gaffney, S.C.
July 2: Carolina Speedway, Gastonia, N.C.
July 10: Harris (N.C.) Speedway
Sept. 5: Cherokee Speedway, Gaffney, S.C.
Sept. 10: Travelers Rest (S.C.) Speedway
Sept. 18: Laurens County (S.C.) Speedway
Oct. 2: Cherokee Speedway, Gaffney, S.C.
Article Credit: Brian McLeod