06/29/2026
We finally picked up the win last night at Woodhull Raceway in front of an absolutely PACKED facility! The biggest night of the year, with the huge fireworks show for the Jim Williams Memorial.
We started outside the front row, taking the lead right from the start and never looking back. We held on to the lead through a restart at lap 9 and some late race pressure from the 88, 5K and 2B. We needed a good bounce back after the previous race, in which a mechanical failure put me out of the feature race before it even started. Ultimate low to the ultimate high, that’s how racing can be sometimes.
It was great seeing the huge turnout of fans, surprisingly many of them I know through all ways of life, even outside of racing. I especially appreciate the messages, support and respect from so many current and past competitors. I think it’s a win that everyone could agree was very long overdue, and most everyone happy to see it.
The casual observers may not fully appreciate the effort, money, sacrifices and frustration that goes into showing up week after week for so many years. Although we’ve come close many times, it’s taken 20 years to finally get it done with a win in the modified. I’ve seen many guys go their whole racing career without a win in this class, so I fully appreciate the accomplishment for what it really means. It has not been easy, especially this season, with my father’s health and strength still not what it used to be. This whole racing operation has always been very largely self-funded, with no car owner other than myself, no generous benefactor, family money, or army of people helping out in the shop and the pits. Just my father putting in 99% of the work on the car and motors, and me paying for it and picking up the last 1% of the work. If he hadn’t made it through the operation this past spring, I wouldn’t have been able to race and this win never would have happened.
Thanks for all the support through so many years of racing. Now it’s back to work, business as usual, and to do our best to be sure the next one doesn’t take another 20 years.
Maybe I could get some new tires now. Or maybe not…those 5 year old tires held up pretty well last night 🤷♂️
John Mills Electric
Easydoesthat Automotive
Lowery Family Farms
Gary Hotelling
📸Erica Rotsell Buchanan
Shannon Bryington and Tom Bryington, thanks for being there and coming down to victory lane