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Tonight
Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Heavy and torrential downpours at times. Low 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
A tight championship battle at Nashville’s Fairgrounds Speedway could get even tighter after a surprise announcement that points leader Cole Williams has lost his ride — with three Wilson County drivers breathing down his neck in the 2-3-4 spots.
Lebanon’s Dylan Fetcho trails Williams by six points, Gladeville’s Hunter Wright is third at 14 points back, and Mt. Juliet’s Chase Johnson is fourth, with 33 points out of first.
The championship battle took a dramatic and unexpected turn with a Facebook post by Williams’ team: “Cole Williams has been released from his driving duties with Rackley W.A.R. Racing’s Driver Development Program. We sincerely wish Cole the very best in his future racing endeavors.”
Team co-owner Willie Allen could not be immediately reached for comment.
If Williams can land another ride, he will keep his points, but sources close to the situation say that’s doubtful.
Williams, who lives in southern Indiana, has competed at the Fairgrounds for several years, winning championships in 2014 and 2016.
If Williams is out permanently, as expected, a fifth local racer will also move up in the standings.
Veteran Bennie Hamlett of Mt. Juliet is 13th but still has time to make a run during the second half of the eight-race season.
Fetcho, meanwhile, is focused on protecting his points position as he chases his second championship.
“It’s been a pretty good season so far,” says Fetcho, who won the 2020 track title and, along with Wright, has notched a victory this year.
Last Saturday, Fetcho qualified on the pole and was running second to Williams when he clipped a lapped car. The damage took him out of contention.
The next race is not until July 8, and most drivers dislike such a long layoff — especially when they have built up momentum. Fetcho, however, shrugs it off.
“We can’t do anything about the schedule, so we’ll just make the best of it,” he says. “We’ll use the time to concentrate on making our car better.”
Fetcho would like to get in some practice for his big ARCA debut July 29 at Indianapolis Raceway Park if he can find a suitable track.
“Under ARCA’s rules we can’t practice on any track we race on, and since ARCA ran a race at the Fairgrounds, we can’t use that track,” he explains. “We’re trying to find one we can use.”
Fetcho’s ARCA car is fielded by Lebanon’s Mark Noble, a second-generation team owner.
During the offseason, Noble announced plans to compete in some ARCA Series races this year, and Fetcho’s Indianapolis run will be his second.
Tanner Arms drove Noble’s ARCA car to a sixth-place finish in its debut at the Fairgrounds.
Next month’s ARCA race is part of an IRP doubleheader with the NASCAR Camping World truck series. The Xfinity Series and Cup Series will race that same weekend at historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Hamlett brothers battle
Mt. Juliet brothers Dalton and Peyton Hamlett finished second and fourth, respectively, in last Saturday’s Limited Late Model feature.
