8/19/2025
Crate Racin' USA
Williamson Captures Inaugural MS Crate Late Racing Series Victory at Pine Ridge
(Eastaboga, AL – August 19, 2025) – The Mississippi Crate Late Racing Series rolled into Pine Ridge Speedway for the first time on Saturday night. Fans packed the stands to witness the $2,000-to-win debut, and the night did not disappoint as side-by-side battles and high drama kept everyone on edge until the checkered flag fell.
The evening began with a strong turnout of late models filling the pits, many seeing the surface for the very first time. Finding the right adjustments proved crucial, but it was David Williamson who quickly showed speed by setting quick time in Group B, winning the Dash, and earning the pole for the A-Main. Meanwhile, Eric Cooley topped Group A qualifying.
The 40-lap feature turned into a thriller right from the drop of the green flag. A three-wide battle between Chris McElhenney, Tyler Hudson, and Sid Scarbrough ignited the opening laps before a caution slowed the field after contact left Hudson with a flat tire and a trip to the tail. From there, the focus shifted to the fight at the front between Cooley and Williamson.
As the racing surface slicked off, the two swapped lanes and traded momentum while weaving through traffic. Ultimately, Williamson hugged the bottom and made it work, pulling ahead by half a second to claim the inaugural Pine Ridge Speedway victory. He was followed closely by Cooley in second, with series points leader McElhenney crossing the line third. Russell and Oakley Gillespie completed the top five.
The Hard Charger Award of the night went to Morgan Lambert, who stormed from the 20th starting position to finish 7th in the feature.
Pine Ridge Feature Results: (30-laps)
- 28-David Williamson[1]
- 33-Eric Cooley[2]
- 27-Chris McElhenney[5]
- 72S-Steve Russell[3]
- 1-Oakley Gillespie[9]
- 97-Robert Moore[10]
- 77-Morgen Lambert[20]
- 5E-Eli Thomas[7]
- 11-Brody Williams[11]
- 0-Christopher Showah[12]
- 33S-Sid Scarbrough[4]
- 54-Richard Cox[8]
- 01-Tyler Hudson[6]
- 31-Easton Bollinger[14]
- 27J-Jake Elam[16]
- 10M-Derek Thornburg[19]
- 17F-Felix George[15]
- (DNF) 17-Johnny Faucett[13]
- (DNF) 3D-Justin Jacobs[18]
- (DNF) 21C-Ryan Colby[17]
B Feature 1 Winner: 1. 5E-Eli Thomas
B Feature 2 Winner: 1. 54-Richard Cox
Dash Winner: 1. 28-David Williamson
Qualifying A: 1. 33-Eric Cooley - 14.155
Qualifying B: 1. 28-David Williamson - 13.967 (Fastest Overall)
With just one race remaining, all eyes now turn to the season finale on September 6th at Greenville Speedway, home of the prestigious Gumbo Nationals. A $5,000 points championship is still up for grabs, and the best of the Mississippi Crate Late Racing Series will look to close the season in thrilling fashion.
MS Crate Late Racing Series Points
1-27 Chris McElhenney | 810
2-5E Eli Thomas | 740
3-33 Sid Scarbrough | 740
4-28 David Williamson | 715
5-0 Christopher Showah | 595
6-01 Tyler Hudson | 525
7-818 Hayden Cliburn | 520
8-888 Jason Cliburn | 420
9-B11 Brody Williams | 350
10-221 Drew Lafontaine | 245
All events are sanctioned under the Crate Racin’ USA Weekly Late Model division. Tech rules can be found at: www.crateracinusa.com/rules
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: Wall 2 Wall Performance Engines, Cliburn Tank Lines, Onshore Companies, Allstar Performance, Hoosier Racing Tire, Lookout Graphix, Jackson Industrial Services, Brunini Attorneys at Law, M&G Enterprises, INC., and Lawson, PLLC
Article Credit: Cody Earley