Denton Hoping To Close Out Thursday Thunder Title
HAMPTON, Ga. – Cole Denton is hoping to cap off the strongest Thursday Thunder season of his young career with a Young Lions division championship at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Denton and his familiar No. 46 City Chevrolet-branded Legend car have dominated the mini-series at the quarter-mile AMS Thunder Ring, winning four of the seven races so far and only recording one DNF all summer heading into the July 18 finale.
Despite that strong performance, however, Denton only has a six-point lead over longtime friend Bryce Sanders going into championship night – meaning he needs one more power play in order to wrap up the crown.
If he finishes third or better in Thursday’s 20-lap feature, Denton will lock up the crown no matter what anyone else in the field does, but the 13-year-old from Pascagoula, Miss., has his sights set on making the math irrelevant by securing his fifth Thursday Thunder win of the year.
“We know we’re capable of being at the front of the field, and that’s always the goal for our team every time we come to the racetrack,” said Denton. “We’ve had an incredible season – sometimes it’s still surreal to me to think what we’ve already accomplished – and to add a Thursday Thunder championship to that would be an amazing moment.
“It comes down to doing what we know we can do and closing the deal, and I’m excited to go after that Thursday night.”
Denton also noted that it’s “fitting” to have the battle for the Thursday Thunder title come down to himself and Sanders. The duo has raced against one another numerous times over the past two years between Atlanta and Cordele (Ga.) Motor Speedway, striking up a strong friendship in the process.
“You always want to have trust in the people you’re racing around, and Bryce and I have always raced clean and pushed each other to be better,” Denton explained. “I know he’ll battle me fair and that whoever comes out on top in points will have earned it. Now it’s just about getting to race time and settling our battle on the racetrack.”
What would a championship Thursday night mean to Denton, who has built his grassroots racing career at Atlanta Motor Speedway and stood in the track’s victory lane repeatedly over the past four years?
“It would be a huge moment, but we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves,” he said. “The focus has to be on the race, and if we perform, the points should take care of themselves.”
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 of his racing efforts.
Round eight of Thursday Thunder, when champions in all Legend car and Bandolero divisions will be crowned, begins June 18 at 7 p.m. ET and will be streamed live through US Legend Cars TV.
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.