THE SETUP – 2025 David “Lightning” Saunders Memorial At Caraway Speedway

“Every master was once a beginner. Every pro was once an amateur.”

Robin S. Sharma

I’m going to be honest. The crowd could have been better. The entry list for the $3,000 to win 100 lap Limited Late Model feature could have been longer. But truth be known, the racing could not have been better. I had this deep feeling once I arrived at Caraway Speedway and crossed the infield gate that I was definitely in the right place. It was early, but the majority of the teams were already working hard at adjusting their cars in a search for speed, learning each lap of practice in each session they were given. These guys weren’t just here for a casual Saturday afternoon. They were here to race. Their intentions were to win. The sun was hidden behind the clouds but it was still a nice 72 degrees, leaving the track itself in great racing condition. I mean I could feel it. It was just in the air. There was going to be a showdown tonight.

By the time single lap qualifying came around, it was clear that both points leader Grant Davidson and member of the youth brigade Bryson Brinkley had very fast cars for the main event. But Annabeth Crum, London McKenzie, and Rusty Daniels was in the 16 weren’t far off. The race played out that way as well. In the end however, it came down to a battle between Davidson and Brinkley after Brinkley had led a good deal of the race and looked like he had it all in hand. What he didn’t know however was that there was some high speed chess being played. Davidson fell back to 3rd early in the race while Brinkley went on out. And when he started his march back to the leader, he kept himself just enough in Brinkley’s mirror to keep his attention, but never truly showing his hand. He eased up on him and started dancing in his mirror a little bit. A little psychological warfare if you will, slowly ramping up the pressure.

And then like a master, when the pressure couldn’t have been more at it’s peak coming down to the win, when Brinkley’s tires were as bad as they were going to be for this particular race, Davidson took advantage of what he’d been waiting on when Brinkley left the door open just a little bit, allowing him to slip past him coming to the line for the victory and the $3,000. It was Grant Davidson’s 4th win of the year but it was a hard pill for Bryson Brinkley who was clearly emotional after what had to feel like a devastating loss. Later on however, I suspect he won’t feel that way about it anymore. Brinkley is young. And Davidson just taught him something that he will improve upon. Something that will make Brinkley better in the long run. Something he’ll teach another up coming racer when he’s the veteran and the “kid” is challenging him for a win. That my friends is why this is one of the very best regions in the country for developing young talent and teaching them how to win against other tremendous talent. It’s the legacy of this region, and it’s been happening for generations here at Caraway.

And as a perfect example of how great a region the central east coast is for developing young talent, Caraway Speedway had a visit from young Keelan Harvick in the midst of this. We’ve been waiting to talk about this young man for a bit now but we’ve been watching his growth intently. Kevin Harvick has spoken on a few occasions of how and where you develop the future of the sport if you want to do it the right way. And he’s implemented his plan, so far to great success, in his son’s early racing career, proving he knows what he’s talking about. Of course, it helps when you have an eager student who also possesses the core talent and desire needed for optimum improvement. But while everyone else has been fawning over the kid for who he is, we’ve been more interested to see if he has the skills needed to go along with the hype. We saw him first in person at Florence Motor Speedway in a Legend car. He finished just outside the top 10 in 11th, but we saw his dedication and his want to succeed, and so we immediately realized he’s in it for all the right reasons. Since then we watched him grow into a winner, grabbing an INEX Young Lion National Championship as well. Legends are tough, and we’ve found them to be a very good tool in training young talented drivers in not only how to drive, but how to win. Winning in Legends’ highest ranks is no means an easy task, but Keelan’s starting to master it.

19 Legends showed up with Keelan and in the race he practiced his patience while the #16 of Sam Macedo and the #81 of Hunter Jordan settled it out up front until Harvick saw an opening and went to the lead. The hard charging #12 of Colton Hale and Hunter Jordan applied the pressure at the end but it was Harvick holding the flag in victory lane. Honestly though, it wasn’t this win that’s impressed us the most about Harvick’s improvement over the past couple of years. For me, the moment I saw the true talents of this young man was at Orange County just a few weeks ago in a CARS Tour Pro Late Model. No, he didn’t win the race due to an incident not of his making. But early in the race, he was looking to find his way to the lead while running 2nd to Tyler Reif when Baldwin gave him a determined shot from 3rd. Luke also put Harvick in a bad place on the track coming by, and I’ve seen enough to know that Luke Baldwin was testing the kid to see how he’d respond. Keelan responded with intelligence as he took the shot and settled in just inches behind Baldwin’s bumper, letting him know he wasn’t going anywhere and he’d wait for his time when it counted. That opportunity didn’t come, but Keelan showed great speed and poise in a moment hardly anyone noticed. But for me it was a clear indication of Keelan Harvick’s talent and his demeanor. He’s the real deal and pretty soon, the Late Model Stock ranks in the region and beyond are going to have to deal with it.

Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Matthew Smith carries his iconic grandfather’s name, Lowe Smith into victory lane for his 4th win on the season over Brody Duggins in the 40 lap Charger feature while a little bit of controversy decides the win in the 602 Modified feature. Joel Belanger is declared the winner after Rylan Lowder and team refuse the engine dyno according to track officials, with Brian Weber scored in 2nd. Charlie Evans takes the Bandolero win over Carson Cauble and Brody Zacharias. Jason Gallimore takes the victory over Daniel Hughes in the UCARs, and Dean Levi was class of the field in the Crown Vics. And with $1,000 on the line in an Enduro/Any Car showdown, there was no catching Darren Free in his old school hotrod XSINNER numbered Camero.

IN CONCLUSION

From the moment I got to the track to the moment I left, I was reminded of why I love short track racing, the root of American stock car racing. Tracks like this are the core of the sport. Bobby Labonte, Dennis Setzer, Greg Marlowe, Mike Skinner, Stephen Grimes, among many others were Late Model Champions here at Caraway. Dale Earnhardt, Jack Ingram, and Butch Lindley won NASCAR Xfinity Series races here. And on Saturday, the bluest of blue collar racers, local hotshoes, and young drivers training on a track that will test you to become the future of the sport. Keelan Harvick was out perfecting his winning craft. And Grant Davidson set up young Bryson Brinkley. Not just for the win, but for an experience that’ll leave Brinkley hungrier than ever. And with a bit of knowledge that’ll make him an even better driver going forward. Brinkley has nothing to hang his head about. He had pure speed and great car control. And although it was a field of just 7 cars, those cars were controlled by drivers like Davidson, Brinkley, proven winner Annabeth Crum, a fast Rusty Daniels, and 2 ARCA development drivers in London McKenzie and Jayson Alexander in Ross “Boo Boo” Dalton equipment. As you might imagine, it was a great race that came down to the wire leading to an exciting finish, in a night filled with great racing and family bonding, and with respect shown on and off the track. Yeah, as an avid short track racing fan, there was no doubt that I was right where I needed to be. Until next time, as always, See You At The Track!