09/06/2026
WEEK RECAP!
As I sit here typing this at 2:30 AM on Sunday morning, I’m realizing just how much there is to say. I’m practically writing a book, so I’ll do my best to condense it into the important stuff. It’s a long one!
As most of you know, Billy Dawson didn’t compete in the King of Compacts this weekend. Once he decided he was going to sit this one out, he made the decision that this would be the year he used his time to help others.
Billy and his dad immediately opened up their yard to local racers, giving them a place to camp and allowing them to use the garage to work on their cars.
Then last weekend at Wayne County Speedway, a good friend of our team, Peyton Davis, got caught up in a racing incident. The result left him without a car to run for the biggest race of the year, just one week before the event.
Peyton and his team didn’t waste any time. By Tuesday night, they had the drivetrain pulled from the old car and dropped into a new roller. The new car was sent off to Platinum Designs for a fresh wrap, but there was one major problem. Time…
Peyton realized they weren’t going to be able to finish the car on their own in time, so they did something a lot of racers hate to do, they asked for help.
And that’s where this story really begins.
Peyton picked the car up from the wrap shop Wednesday night and had it sitting at our shop early Thursday morning. What we thought would be a 2–3 hour job quickly turned into a three-day, nonstop project.
Every newly built race car has bugs that need worked out. This one seemed to have found every single one.
At one point, we had six people working on the car at the same time. The teamwork was absolutely unreal.
Thursday was a grind. Billy went to work welding everything that needed welded. Peyton was getting the new axles installed. I started mounting the belts and seat. Brian Dawson began tackling the wiring, which Quinn Cornwell and I eventually took over for several hours.
When Quinn left around 1:30 AM, the car still hadn’t even fired.
The remaining guys kept grinding, and by 3:00 AM Friday morning, we finally had a running race car.
Friday morning, while most of us were at work, Peyton and Billy were running around picking up the last few things we needed. Slowly, everyone started showing back up at the shop like some kind of redneck Avengers.
Bruce Racing had all three of their cars at the property working on things after Mansfield’s open practice the night before. Peyton’s crew showed up to help Brian, Billy and Uncle P finish getting his car ready.
By the time I got there after work, I hooked up the in-car camera, we loaded everything up, and headed to Mansfield.
FRIDAY NIGHT — KING OF COMPACTS NIGHT 1
To say the first night was hectic would be an understatement.
The show was moving extremely fast, and we were bringing an untested car to the biggest event of the year.
Peyton came back from the tech shed and his crew guy, Jon, immediately noticed the radiator was leaking.
We didn’t have a spare. Thankfully, Garry Hensle Jr. had one on hand and was willing to let Peyton use it. By the time we got the radiator changed, the loudspeaker was already calling cars to hot laps.
Peyton got in line, only to discover that the alternator was junk and the battery was dying. Just like that, our chance to get some practice laps in was gone.
He got pushed back to the pits, we strapped a jump box to the car, and suddenly he was being called for qualifying. Peyton went out and laid down his first two laps in a car he had never driven before, at a track he had never been to before.
He qualified 40th out of 55 cars in Group 2, putting him 8th in the final heat race of the night.
We knew the alternator needed changed, so the second he came off the track, the crew went straight to work.
Then came the heat race. And Peyton absolutely exceeded every expectation we had. Starting 8th, he worked his way forward to 6th and was getting ready to go to war for 5th when the transmission started kicking out of 3rd gear.
That problem cost him several positions, and he ultimately finished 10th, putting him 9th starting in the second D-Main Saturday.
SATURDAY NIGHT — KING OF COMPACTS NIGHT 2
Saturday morning sounded simple.
We needed to make sure the transmission stayed in 3rd, swap the steering wheel, and replace the alternator belt that decided to shed itself during the heat race.
Easy enough, right? Wrong.
Four hours. Three different parts stores. Five different-sized belts. And eventually, we found one that worked.
Our “quick and easy” morning turned into us pulling into the track 45 minutes after the drivers meeting. From that point forward, though, things finally started to settle down.
Our man Valek Menough Sr. went out for his D-Main and put on one hell of a show, fighting hard to try and earn a transfer spot.
Peyton went out right after him, and he absolutely sent it. He was making passes, fighting hard and giving everything he had, but ultimately came up a few spots short of transferring.
And honestly? It may not be a win in the record books, but it sure as hell feels like one to us.
Valek has dealt with an endless list of problems with his car all season, so seeing that thing finally run balls to the walls was incredible.
And Peyton? His car went from a rolling chassis with a cage to a fully assembled race car competing at the King of Compacts in less than a week.
Both of these guys should be incredibly proud of what they accomplished this weekend.
I know I am.
This weekend was a perfect example of what local racing is supposed to be about. People putting their own stuff on hold to help someone else.
Guys showing up after work, staying up until 3 AM, making trips to parts stores, lending parts, turning wrenches, welding, wiring, troubleshooting and doing whatever needed to be done to get another racer to the track.
That’s what makes this community special.
And I want to give a HUGE shoutout to every one of our sponsors who has helped us build a racing program strong enough that we’re able to turn around and help local talent when they need it most.
None of this would be possible without you.
Our sponsors:
Dusty Stroud — Lynnys Auto
Junior Howell — Amsoil
DJ Directional Services
Buckeye Indoor Golf
Lorain Ohio KartPlex
Eagle Stores
Alan Bair — Bair’s Lawn Care
Portz Performance & Machine
CS Show Cattle
Tim Hawkins
The Glenmont Tavern
Roger Dingee — 750 Clear
Triple S Energy Management LLC
Trash Talk Dumpsters
Pleasant Hill Detailing LLC
Dirt Behind The Scenes
Iracing Dirt Memes
James Chrystal Hickman — 227 Motorsports
Snyder Hot Shot Truck & Trailer
Steve & Michelle Hinton
Todd Brennan Racing #20
Chris Carpenter Racing
Kryptonite Race Cars
STAKT Products
Elite Artworks
Auto Revive Mobile Detailing
An Old Family Friend
Thank you for believing in us and giving us the ability to give back.
And to everyone who turned wrenches, loaned parts, made phone calls, stayed late, showed up early or simply offered a helping hand this weekend. Thank you.
This is what racing is supposed to be.
If you have made it this far. Goodnight, and Good Morning!
- Gage
