Story by Toby Christie, Racing America - (Dan Vining Photo)
Jake Garcia's Ricky Turner prepared No. 35 FR8 Auctions sponsored machine came to life in the closing laps of Saturday night's ASA Southern Super Series Georgia Summer Nationals 125 at Crisp Motorsports Park in Cordele.
With 19 laps remaining in the 125-lap event, Garcia worked his way around Stephen Nasse for the lead after several laps of hounding the driver of the No. 51N.
The 18-year-old hotshoe wouldn't look back, and he would go on to beat Jake Finch to the finish line by 2.266 seconds for his second victory in as many ASA Southern Super Series starts in 2023.
"It's been a really good year for us in the late model," Garcia stated on the Racing America broadcast. "Gotta thank Ricky for giving me a great car. We've been improving constantly. Every race we go out and get something a little bit better."
With the win, Garcia pocketed a cool $10,000 payday.
Garcia, who is a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, says he's thankful to get to run late models when he can and that he hopes to run more of them soon.
"Really fortunate to get to do the ones I get to do," Garcia explained. "Gotta thank God for the opportunity to go out and do these whenever I do get the chance. Certainly, I'd like to run some more this year. Hopefully, we can get back out here."
Gio Ruggiero, who qualified on the pole for Saturday night's race, but would be relegated to an eighth-place starting spot after the re-draw, would rally to finish in third spot behind Garcia and Finch.
Nasse, who still is searching for his first win in 2023 in ASA Southern Super Series competition, faded to fourth in the closing laps.
Michael Hinde, who led the bulk of the early portion of Saturday night's 125-lap feature, would come home in fifth.
The George Summer Nationals 125 featured breathtaking action, as there were several three-wide battles throughout the evening between the dominant players in the race.
In the end, it was the local Georgia short tracker turned NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racer who took the checkered flag on Saturday night.
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