HANKS TAKES POLE POSITION, FINISHES 2ND IN BEST APPEARING CAR

Keeton Hanks and his Zaxby’s #09 Race Team were at New Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA again this past weekend for Keeton’s debut appearance with the Pro All Star Series (PASS) South for the super late model Dixie 150.

Keeton and the Zaxby’s team started off the weekend by being the fastest on the speed charts in the second practice session. Then the team proved to everyone in qualifying that they knew they had a fast car by blistering the speed charts and setting the car on the pole position. Unfortunately, they draw for inversion and Keeton started the race from the sixth position at the drop of the green flag.

It took just twenty two laps for North Carolina’s Preston Peltier to make his way to the front Saturday night at Georgia’s New Senoia Raceway in route to his second consecutive Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South super late model win in the Dixie 150 while two drivers Bubba Pollard and Keeton Hanks methodically made their way to the front of the field. It took about thirty laps for Keeton to make his way toward the front where he settled in second to ride out behind the leader and cruise for the long race. A lap eighty caution brought the field back together for just the second of three times that night and allowed Wakefield, Blaney and others to bring their cars to pit road, opting for chassis adjustments over track position.

Double file restarts put Keeton on the outside causing him to fall to third on the green flag where he was patiently content to ride until his crew chief, Wayne Hansard told him with forty laps to go “It’s time to pull the trigger, tighten your belts and take it to the front”. This was when the intense battle started between Pollard and Hanks. The two battled side by side over the next several laps before contact was made bringing out the night’s final caution. Keeton made the pass and was then spun in the next corner by Pollard. The contact sent both competitors to the pits for minor repairs and opened the door for Mitchell to take his shot at the top spot. Hanks told his crew “since we are starting the race from the rear lets make a track bar adjustment and go to the front”.

The final twenty two laps proved to be some of the best racing of the night as the fans watched Hanks shoot his way through the field to finish second and saw two and even three wide racing right down to the strip between Pollard, Wakefield, and a hungry Mitchell.

Keeton Hanks, making his PASS South debut, finished second followed by Texas native Trey Mitchell who grabbed his first career podium finish. A pair of Georgia natives, Justin Wakefield and Bubba Pollard, rounded out the top five at the inaugural series event.

To wrap up the exciting race weekend, Keeton’s Zaxby’s #09 Ford Fusion also took honors in receiving the Best Appearing Car award.

This weekend’s race schedule will find Keeton making his debut appearance at Lanier International Raceway in Braselton, Georgia for the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour for his second appearance of the season with the series.

Race fans can stay up to date with Hanks and his Zaxby’s race team by logging onto www.zaxby’s.com or www.keetonhanks.com.