Make It Eight Wins In A Row For Cole Denton
CORDELE, Ga. – Three-time Cordele Motor Speedway track champion Cole Denton raced to victory for the second time in as many Legend car races at the three-eighths-mile oval over the weekend.
Denton, who competed against an 18-car, combined-class field of Semi-Pro and Young Lions division drivers, took the lead on lap seven and never trailed again en route to the checkered flag in a time-shortened feature.
Originally scheduled for 20 laps, the main event was declared complete at lap 17 after a myriad of yellow flags pushed the race to more than 25 minutes of on-track time.
Denton started the day off by qualifying on the pole, but lost the lead on the initial start when third-starting Kyle Bacon made a three-wide move to the bottom and pushed the No. 46 City Chevrolet machine out of the preferred groove.
The 13-year-old Mississippi native then stayed patient until lap seven, when he drove back past Bacon to reclaim the top spot for good after drifting back as far as third in the early stages.
It marked Denton’s eighth straight feature win overall across four different racetracks.
He’s won twice at Cordele, three times on the Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway Thunder Ring, twice at Caffeine and Octane Lanier Raceway in Braselton, Ga., and once at Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway on that track’s quarter-mile inner oval during his extended winning streak.
Denton also earned a winner’s check of $500 – double the normal payout – for his win Saturday, as well as a second winner’s decal for his neon-green and yellow race car from the track formerly known as Crisp Motorsports Park.
“This race was all about driving smart,” Denton noted. “I knew our car was really fast and that if I drove my line, we could have another strong run. Losing the lead on the start wasn’t what we hoped for, but once I settled down into third, I knew that I could pass them both back. We were able to do that and then hung on through all those restarts.
“The restarts were really aggressive all race, and it took a good race car to be able to keep everyone behind me,” Denton added. “I’m just really thankful to be driving this No. 46 right now, and it’s amazing that we’ve got another trophy this early in the season.”
Denton would like to thank 77 Speed Shop, Matt Jones Motorsports, Race Face Brand Development, Race Face Digital, the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, Myers Construction Co., and City Chevrolet for their continued partnership and support.
Denton’s next planned race is April 20 at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway on the track’s quarter-mile Thunder Ring, where he’s been victorious three times this year, most recently on March 16.
About Cole Denton Racing
Nicolas “Cole” Denton is a 13-year-old Gulf South racer with dreams of racing at the top level of stock car racing. From Pascagoula, Miss., Denton began racing go-karts at the age of four and advanced into Bandoleros by the time he was eight years old, where his racing brand and nickname were born.
It was in Bandoleros where Denton, a fan of the iconic racing movie Days of Thunder, adopted the No. 46 as his car number and stylized his Bandolero scheme in black and neon green – akin to the same Mello Yello colors that Tom Cruise’s character Cole Trickle campaigned in the 1990 film.
Denton quickly picked up the nickname “Cole Trickle” at his races, and the persona stuck as his racing stock climbed, leading him to continue racing under the name Cole as he advanced and found success.
His breakout season came in 2022, when Denton accrued 40 wins and 59 podium finishes in 62 starts en route to the INEX Bandolero national championship, leading him into his first year in Legend cars last season.
Away from the driver’s seat, Denton is an avid iRacer, cyclist, and push scooter racer. He also practices flying on a flight simulator and attends both local and NASCAR races as his schedule permits.