LUICAMA, NC – Hunter Brown dominated Saturday’s season opening race at Southern National Motorsports Park, scoring his first and second wins in the Charger division at the Wilson County track.
Brown qualified on the pole, but surrendered the lead early to Wesley Johnson before retaking the lead on the seventh lap of the race and driving away for his first win at the Lucama track in a Charger. His main focus, once he got the lead, was saving tire for the second 35 lap feature.
“I’m very excited,” Brown said in victory lane. “I’ve never had a win at this track. This is one of my favorite tracks. To get a win for my team is huge in a new car that we don’t know anything about. I’m just extremely happy for my guys. All the hard work they put into this car, and me too, and this is just huge. This is a very good way to start the season. We’re very blessed.”
Hunter Brown in victory lane after winning at the 2025 season opener at Southern National Motorsports Park. (Andy Marquis photo)
After an invert, Brown started fifth in the second race and methodically worked his way through the field, taking the lead on lap 11 and surviving a challenge from veteran driver Michael O’Brien after multiple late race cautions.
“We tried to save some tires the first race and evidently it paid off for us,” Brown after the second race. “I don’t think the cautions hurt us that bad and I’m just happy that we were able to pull it off. [Michael] has sort of been my mentor so, when the caution came out, it was definitely in the back of my mind. I know he’s a little stronger on restarts than I am so I just tried to send it off in there and keep him on the outside and it worked.”
After finishing second, O’Brien expressed his respect for Brown.
“He says I mentored him and everything but, man, Hunter’s good and I won’t ever take that away from him,” O’Brien said. “First race, fourth. This race, second. We made improvements so we’re just going to go home, do our homework and see if we can come back and get them the next race.”
Davis Renfrow finished in the runner-up spot in the first race.
The Charger doubleheader also kicked off the six race “Six Pack Charger Series” between Southern National and Bobby Watson’s Carteret Speedway in Peletier, North Carolina. The two-track challenge will resume at Carteret’s season opener on April 5, and each of the top-finishers in Saturday’s race at Southern National plan to contest the series.
Robert Arch, a former Charger division champion at Southern National, picked up the victory in the Carolina Mini Stock Challenge feature race in dominant fashion, leading wire-to-wire and driving from the field.
Robert Arch in victory lane after winning at the 2025 season opener at Southern National Motorsports Park. (Andy Marquis photo)
“It’s always good to win,” Arch said. “I felt like we bring a really well prepared racecar to the racetrack each and every week and the results show for it. When you work on it and make it turn, it makes it look easy when you get to drive the steering wheel.”
Chuck Wall finished second while Jay Hemenway, David Barnes, and Kendall Lanier rounded out the top-five.
Andrew Watson went on to score the victory in the Any Car feature after Showtime Sammy Pacitti was sidelined on the race’s ninth lap with mechanical problems. Behind Watson, a thrilling battle ensued for just about every position, with P.J. Flowers ultimately finishing second and Duane Walker in third.
Andrew Watson (left) in victory lane after winning at the 2025 season opener at Southern National Motorsports Park. (Andy Marquis photo)
Saturday’s racing program kicked off Speedweek at Southern National, which resumes on Wednesday, March 12 with a 125-lap Late Model Stock Car headlining the race, along with Bandoleros and Legend Cars. The Late Model Stock Car race is part of the I-95 Showdown, sanctioned by the Ultra Racing Association (URA), between Southern National and Florence Motor Speedway in Timmonsville, South Carolina.
Unofficial Results
Chargers presented by KONI – Race #1
|
Finish |
Start |
# |
Competitor |
Hometown |
|
1 |
1 |
11 |
Hunter Brown |
Jacksonville, NC |
|
2 |
4 |
14 |
Davis Renfrow |
Kenly, NC |
|
3 |
2 |
J12 |
Wesley Johnson |
Tarboro, NC |
|
4 |
14 |
61 |
Michael O’Brien |
Mount Olive, NC |
|
5 |
3 |
42 |
London McKenzie |
Asheboro, NC |
|
6 |
7 |
41 |
Austin Ferrell |
Nashville, NC |
|
7 |
6 |
21B |
Gerald Benton |
Trenton, NC |
|
8 |
9 |
52 |
Greg Peterson |
Concord, NC |
|
9 |
5 |
50 |
Cody Griffin |
|
|
10 |
12 |
21 |
Sarah Whitesell |
Virginia Beach, VA |
|
11 |
8 |
10 |
Justin Mitchell |
Goldsboro, NC |
|
12 |
10 |
16 |
Brandon Head |
Goldsboro, NC |
|
13 |
11 |
33 |
Daniel Smith |
Timmonsville, SC |
|
DNS |
13 |
2 |
Jonathan Kluge |
Nashville, NC |
|
DNS |
15 |
98 |
Matt Morgan |
Gloucester, VA |
Chargers presented by KONI – Race #2
|
Finish |
Start |
# |
Competitor |
Hometown |
|
1 |
5 |
11 |
Hunter Brown |
Jacksonville, NC |
|
2 |
2 |
61 |
Michael O’Brien |
Mount Olive, NC |
|
3 |
4 |
14 |
Davis Renfrow |
Kenly, NC |
|
4 |
1 |
42 |
London McKenzie |
Asheboro, NC |
|
5 |
9 |
50 |
Cody Griffin |
|
|
6 |
6 |
41 |
Austin Ferrell |
Nashville, NC |
|
7 |
7 |
21B |
Gerald Benton |
Trenton, NC |
|
8 |
3 |
J12 |
Wesley Johnson |
Tarboro, NC |
|
9 |
8 |
33 |
Daniel Smith |
Timmonsville, SC |
|
10 |
10 |
21 |
Sarah Whitesell |
Virginia Beach, VA |
|
11 |
11 |
16 |
Brandon Head |
Goldsboro, NC |
Carolina Mini Stock Challenge
|
Finish |
Start |
# |
Competitor |
Hometown |
|
1 |
1 |
16 |
Robert Arch |
Clayton, NC |
|
2 |
3 |
81 |
Chuck Wall |
Lexington, NC |
|
3 |
7 |
12 |
Jay Hemenway |
Wake Forest, NC |
|
4 |
10 |
10B |
David Barnes |
Lucama, NC |
|
5 |
8 |
2K |
Kendall Lanier |
Beulaville, NC |
|
6 |
4 |
1 |
Shane Canipe |
Hickory, NC |
|
7 |
9 |
22 |
Josh Mozingo |
Pikeville, NC |
|
8 |
5 |
2 |
Curtis Lanier |
Beulaville, NC |
|
9 |
6 |
10 |
Landon Strickland |
Lucama, NC |
|
DQ |
2 |
98C |
Jimmy Crigger |
Lexington, NC |
Any Car
|
Finish |
Start |
# |
Competitor |
Hometown |
|
1 |
7 |
8 |
Andrew Watson |
Raleigh, NC |
|
2 |
3 |
22 |
P.J. Flowers |
Princeton, NC |
|
3 |
13 |
17 |
Duane Walker |
Grifton, NC |
|
4 |
8 |
91 |
T.J. Medeiros |
Richlands, NC |
|
5 |
9 |
83 |
Robert Drum |
Jacksonville, NC |
|
6 |
6 |
13 |
Mitchell Kerstetter |
Pine Level, NC |
|
7 |
12 |
88 |
Dale Drum |
Jacksonville, NC |
|
8 |
10 |
43W |
Travis Watson |
Jacksonville, NC |
|
9 |
5 |
82 |
Dylan Page |
Fuquay Varina, NC |
|
10 |
11 |
95 |
Kaleb Watson |
Jacksonville, NC |
|
11 |
2 |
75 |
James Barbour |
Waterford, MI |
|
12 |
1 |
45 |
Mike Sliger |
Kenly, NC |
|
13 |
14 |
34 |
Michael Withrow |
Jacksonville, NC |
|
14 |
4 |
43P |
Sam Pacitti |
Angier, NC |
