Sixteen-year-old Brown Holds off 15-year-old Phillips in Allen Turner Hyundai PLM 100 #3

By Chuck Corder
5flagsspeedway.com reporter
It felt like two entirely different races rolled into one 100-lap feature Friday at Five Flags Speedway.
The Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Models were shot out of a cannon early, as the green flag dropped on the series’ third of four 100-lappers in 2024. The 24-car field saw the lead exchange hands five times in the first 16 laps. The chaotic pace changed over the course of the final 84 laps once Carson Brown’s youthful, but more than capable hands took the point.
The 16-year-old from North Carolina put an Anthony Campi Late Model back in Victory Lane at Five Flags and got his first career win at Pensacola’s high banks.
“It feels great,” a jubilant Brown said. “Me and Anthony have been working hard on this car. We were sick of second place finishes. We were just going for it.
“Anthony coaches me a lot and helps me a lot. It’s cool to conquer this place. It’s really tough.”
Fifteen-year-old George Phillips and Zach Dixon finished second and third, respectively.
Brown will go into the Sept. 28 regular season finale with a 14-point lead against Seth Christensen, who showed resiliency on a tough night.
Christensen came into Friday as the car to beat after winning the first two PLM 100 features this season. His ninth-place finish was yeoman’s work after struggling in qualifying and getting caught up in several cautions in the first half of the race.
Phillips, down from Charlotte, started sixth and earned a runner-up result after passing Jim Wall on Lap 61 at the start-finish line.
“I can’t wait to come back here,” Phillips said. “This was an amazing night for us. I love this sport and racing hard with everybody.”

Modifieds of Mayhem
It was an all-too-familiar sight Friday night at Five Flags Speedway.
Cody Stickler piloting his open-wheeled Modified wherever he wanted, chewing up and spitting out rivals en route to Victory Lane.
Last year’s Modifieds of Mayhem champion, Stickler was a force once again Friday. The Pinellas Park driver captured the 50-lap Modifieds of Mayhem feature by more than six seconds against runner-up Jeremy Williams. Jeff Letson rounded out the podium.
Stickler passed Letson on the high side on Lap 22 and was in the wind quickly, as he navigated a slew of lapped Mods.
“The car was really fast,” Stickler said. “(The team) makes me look good. It’s easy to drive these cars when they’re that fast.”
Stickler dominated en route to the 2023 series title, culminating with a Mods Snowball Derby victory last December.
This year, he has split time between Mods and a blossoming Late Model program. Success hasn’t waned for Stickler despite expanding his focus. He has four Mods wins and five Super Late Model victories at tracks in central Florida.
“This is like a win when you finish second to Cody,” Williams said. “It was an awesome night for us. It gave us the preview we needed for the Derby.”
Stickler was a tenth off the track record in qualifying, setting the fast time at 17.392 seconds. Letson started on the pole following the die roll that set the invert.
Letson, a three-time Mods Derby champ himself, set a blistering early pace.
“When it goes green, whoever can petal through there will come out on top,” Letson said. “Those guys (Stickler’s and Williams’ teams) are good. Hats off to them. I can’t complain.”

Gulf Real Estate Group Pro Trucks
Treyce Capers’ quest for perfection along the Gulf Coast remained intact Friday.
The 22-year-old has won all three Gulf Real Estate Group Pro Trucks features at Five Flags Speedway and has recorded victories in all six Pro Trucks events at Mobile International Speedway.
Capers started sixth Friday at Five Flags but chased down eventual runner-up Presley Johnson on Lap 20 of 25 to secure the win. He will carry a 21-point lead into next month’s Night of Champions, the regular season finale for most local divisions.
“It’s been a good season,” said Capers, who has now won the last four regular season features at the famed half-mile asphalt oval dating back to 2023. “We’ve had a couple hiccups, but we’ve put all that past us. We’re trying to get two championships, and it’s been a lot of fun. We’ll see if we can keep it rolling.”
Jacob Clayton rounded out the podium after Johnson.
Johnson led every lap until Capers got by him.
“We’ve got this thing a lot better than it has been,” Johnson said. “This thing is bad-fast.
Treyce gave me a run for my money.”

Story & Bleich Roofing Crown Stocks
Zachary Curtis made his first 2024 appearance at Five Flags Speedway worthwhile.
The Palm Bay driver took the lead on Lap 5 of 20 in the Story and Bleich Roofing Crown Stocks’ 10th and penultimate feature of the season. The Crown Stocks will crown its second track champion Sept. 28 during the Night of Champions conclusion a week after the other local classes decide their champs. Doug Thorpe Jr., who finished runner-up Friday, leads Braeden Kitchen by 19 points going into the finale.
Curtis’ seven-plus-hour drive up from the Space Coast yielded a first career victory at Five Flags.
“We came up here on the same old tires we ran the Derby with,” an ecstatic Curtis said. “We came up here to watch a great Late Model race, and knew I had my work cut out for me.”
He made it work, maintaining his lead despite several cautions and challenges from Alabama driver Chris Salter, who finished fourth, and Thorpe.
Seven different drivers have now won feature races in the class that continues to gain in popularity, as evidence by Friday’s 24-car field—the same number as the Pro Late Models in the Allen Turner Hyundai PLM 100, the race that proceeded the Crown Stocks feature.
Thorpe’s three victories are a series-best this season. He nearly had a fourth Friday but couldn’t get the runs he needed exiting Turn Nos. 2 and 4.
“Second place is better than third and not as good as first,” Thorpe said. “I had a great time. I love this class.”
Salter and brother Adam Salter each own a win apiece. Chris Salter won back in June and led early Friday before Curtis passed him on the high side following a restart.
“These guys do a good job,” Chris Salter said toward Curtis and Thorpe. “Tonight, I got beat. We’ll come back and try again.”

Finish

Gulf Real Estate Group Pro Trucks 25
1 1 Treyce Capers, Moss Point, MS
2 82 Presley Johnson, Huntsville, AL
3 17 Jacob Clayton, Dayton, TN
4 54 Nick Loden, Stanley, NC
5 56 Darryl Rudd Chipley, FL
6 23 Carter Whalen, Cumming, GA
7 18 Zach Lopez, Atlanta, GA
8 777 Matthew Weaver, Houston, TX

Modifieds of Mayhem 50
1 46 Cody Stickler, Pinellas Park, FL
2 81 Jeremy Williams, Dora, AL
3 131 Jeff Letson, Madison, AL
4 2 Jaxon Bishop, Toney, AL
5 45 Jason Allen, Parrish, FL
6 72 L. J. Grimm, Seffner, FL
7 7 Parker Pugh, Madison, AL
8 57 Tim Moore, St. Petersburg, FL
9 31 Brad Stell, New Market, AL
10 96 Jarad Maupin, West Loco, TX
11 54 Diego Moscoto, Bahia, Brazil
12 2 Brad Bowman, Clearwater, FL
13 86 Bubba VanDevender N. Ft. Myers, FL

Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late 100
1 81 Carson Brown, New London, NC
2 55 George Phillips, Charlotte, NC
3 67 Zack Dixon, Lawrenceville, GA
4 91 Jim Wall, Madison, AL
5 18 Jake Finch, Lynn Haven, FL
6 50 Jett Noland, Groveland, FL
7 2 John Bolen, Jasper, AL
8 97 Isaac Kitzmiller, Mt. Storm, WV
9 45 Seth Christensen, Pendergrass, GA
10 62 Casey Roderick, Pulaski, MS
11 407 Jason Vail, Clermont, FL
12 67 Colin Allman, Plant City, FL
13 5 Memphis Villareal, Corpus Christi, TX
14 9 Antony Cataldi, Umatilla, FL
15 17 Hudson Bulger, Ft. Valley, GA
16 8 Spencer Bragg, Enterprise, AL
17 54 Clayton Green, Marble Falls, TX
18 38 Boston Oliver, Murfreesboro, TN
19 82 Grant Thompson, Mobile, AL
20 73 Korey Ruble, Headland, AL
21 43 Nick Loden, Stanley, NC
22 4 Elliott Massey, Lucedale, MS
23 32 Stuart Dutton, Tallahassee, FL
24 46 Cole Williams, Memphis, TN

Story and Bleich Roofing Crown Stock 20

1 63 Zachary Curtis, Palm Bay, FL
2 62 Doug Thorpe, Pensacola, FL
3 6 Chris Salter, Andalusia, AL
4 2 Justin Ross,
5 0 Okie Mason, 8 Mile, AL
6 71 Spencer Reynolds, Bessmer, AL
7 10 Brandon Kitchen, Pensacola, FL
8 4 John Taylor, Pensacola, FL
9 12 Dee Davis, Walnut Hill, FL
10 5 Brian Musgrove, Andalusia, AL
11 75 Colton Rutherford, Cantonment, FL
12 25 Cody Hobbs, Milton, FL
13 17 Ryan Maxwell, Pensacola, FL
14 3 Adam Salter, Andalusia, AL
15 83 Noah Carter, Cantonment, FL
16 42 Brandin Sidner, Pensacola, FL
17 26 Blaise Boykin, Pensacola, FL
18 1776 Hollywood Sidner, Cantonment, FL
19 98 Payton Guy, Pace, FL
20 19 Garrison Story, Pensacola, FL
21 11 Cody Griggs, Pensacola, FL
22 1 Caleb Burkett, Pensacola, FL