September 14, 2024 | By John Rittenoure

ughes picks up career leading 40th Sooner Late Model win

CANEY, Kans. — Saturday’s APEX Healthcare Partners Sooner Late Model Series victory at Caney Valley Speedway had special meaning to Kip Hughes. It was his 40th Sooner Series victory.

The four-time champion sits on top of the Sooner Series career wins list.

“That was number 40. I was itching to get 40,” said Hughes of his fourth victory of the season.

In order to get a 40th career victory Hughes had to battle past early leader Eli Ross. Ross drove off the pole into the early lead and Hughes was climbing his way from eighth. Hughes caught Ross and the two battled side-by-side for several laps before Hughes finally powered into the lead on lap 11.

“We ran 6 or so laps side-by-side then we rolled by him,” said Hughes. “I felt the bottom was going to stay pretty good and the middle would wear out.

“We were able to run the top harder and when the track slowed down we could run the bottom pretty good. We got lucky and hit everything just right.”

Hughes felt coming from eighth was an advantage over starting on the pole.

“Starting eighth and picking and choosing where to go,” Hughes said of not starting on the pole. “He started on the pole and did not know what was going on behind him.”

“I just missed judged a little bit,” said Ross. “I started running the top a little more and my car was kind of loose, especially in the middle of the track.”

However the second place finish was enough to give Ross the series points lead. Zach Nickell came into the night holding a slim 45 lead over Ross and was running third when he became involved in a lap 18 crash that saw Adam Popp flip his late model. Popp was not hurt, but Nickell was towed to the pits with extensive damage. Nickell now trails Ross by 15 points.


Sooner Late Model Series Results
Caney Valley Speedway - Caney, Kansas

September 14, 2024

APEX Healthcare Partners A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 60-Kip Hughes[8]; 2. 66-Eli Ross[1]; 3. 229-Damian Patocka[3]; 4. 10W-John Willard[2]; 5. 28H-Andy Gerstenkorn[7]; 6. 10J-Lynn Jones[14]; 7. 55-Zach Nickell[6]; 8. 10 4-Adam Popp[4]; 9. 8-Troy Bynum[10]; 10. 2B-Jordan Barbee[13]; 11. 33S-Mike Schierlman[12]; 12. 71-Jim Body[5]; 13. 27X-Ron Brown[11]; 14. 6-Tyler Griggs[9]

Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 10 4-Adam Popp[2]; 2. 66-Eli Ross[4]; 3. 71-Jim Body[3]; 4. 28H-Andy Gerstenkorn[1]; 5. 6-Tyler Griggs[7]; 6. 27X-Ron Brown[5]; 7. 2B-Jordan Barbee[6]

Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 10W-John Willard[1]; 2. 229-Damian Patocka[2]; 3. 55-Zach Nickell[3]; 4. 60-Kip Hughes[5]; 5. 8-Troy Bynum[4]; 6. 33S-Mike Schierlman[6]; 7. 10J-Lynn Jones[7]

Lap Leaders:1-10 Eli Ross, 11-25 Kip Hughes.

Margin of victory: 1.505.

2024 Winners: 4/6 - Kip Hughes, Enid Speedway; 4/13 - Jon Herring, Jr., Beaver County Raceway; 5/11 - Joe Godsey, Caney Valley Speedway; 5/17 - Kip Hughes, Longdale Speedway; 5/18 - Eli Ross, Oklahoma Sports Park; 5/26 - Geoff Aitken, Crawford County Speedway; 6/8 - Brandon Conkwright, 81 Speedway; 6/28 - Hudson O’Neal, Thunderbird Speedway; 6/29 - Brett Hansen, Salina Highbanks Speedway; 7/5 - Kip Hughes, Beaver County Raceway; 7/6 - Eli Ross, Enid Speedway; 7/26 - Clayton Stuckey, Thunderbird Speedway; 7/27 - Jon Kirby, Tri-State Speedway; 8/3 - Jon Herring, Jr., Enid Speedway; 8/31 - Eli Ross, Red Dirt Raceway; 9/14 - Kip Hughes, Caney Valley Speedway.  

2024 Top 10: 1. Eli Ross, 5945; 2. Zach Nickell, 5930; 3. Troy Bynum, 4790; 4. Dakota Dellinger, 4210; 5. Ron Brown, 4175; 6. Kip Hughes, 4125; 7. Dalon Helm, 3825; 8. Damian Patocka, 3615; 9. Jon Herring, Jr., 2680; 10. Richard Shepler, 2600.