7/5/2025
Southern All Stars
Rusty Ballenger Dominates Mountain View Raceway for First Career Southern All Stars Victory
(SPRING CITY, TENNESSEE) For the first time in his career, Rusty Ballenger is a Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series presented by Franklin Enterprises winner! The Seymour, Tennessee native was dominant on Saturday evening in front of a huge crowd at Mountain View Raceway. After clicking off the fastest lap in Group A during VP Racing Fuels qualifying to earn the pole position for the 50-lap headliner, Rusty controlled the field for each and every circuit of racing action at the Spring City, Tennessee bullring.
At the checkered flag, Rusty was 0.370 of a second ahead of runner-up Heath Hindman to secure the $4,000 first place prize money. Hindman improved two positions during the course of the contest to bag $2,000 for the second place finish, while eighth-starting Jordan Rodabaugh rounded out the podium in third. Ninth-starting Jason Manley came home in the fourth spot and California invader Dylan Thornton ran as high as second before fading to finish fifth in the 50-lapper.
Winner Rusty Ballenger also picked up the engine bonus money, as he was powered by a steel block motor. The extra $1,000 winning bonus upped his total earned for the evening to $5,000. The highest finishing driver on four American Racer Tires was Hayden Ownbey, who drove his #18 machine to a sixth place performance to pocket an extra $500 in bonus money.
Ballenger’s winning Warrior Race Car was powered by a DJ’s Performance Racing Engine with sponsorship in part from Titan Trailer Repair, East Tennessee Electric, Sail Away Vacation Rentals, Agape Construction Services, Ultimate Contracting, The Pipe Doctor, Whitted Bus Lines, Ogle’s Excavating, Fox Racing Shox, VP Racing Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tire South, and Fast Lane Signs & Graphics.
A strong field of 38 competitors was on hand at Mountain View Raceway on Saturday for round eleven of the Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series presented by Franklin Enterprises schedule. Jordon Horton topped the speed chart in MRP Fantasy League Hot Laps with his quick time of 11.261 seconds. Kendall Franklin then went fastest overall in VP Racing Fuels qualifying with his time of 11.672 seconds to earn an extra $100 courtesy of Orr Construction. With the top six from Group A & B locked into the feature through time trials, John Ownbey and Addison Cardwell recorded the victories in the pair of B-Mains. The main event lasted 43 minutes with fifteen starters completing the entire distance.
Next up for the Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series presented by Franklin Enterprises will be a visit to Sugar Creek Raceway in Blue Ridge, Georgia on Saturday, August 16 for the 4th Annual ‘Russell Thomas Memorial.’ This year’s version of the race will shell out a $10,057 winner’s check. Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Ronnie Johnson will bring the SAS point lead into The Creek on August 16, as he leads Joe Denby, Dillon Tidmore, Michael Luna, and Billy Franklin in the latest point tally. More information on Sugar Creek Raceway can be found online at www.racesugarcreek.com.
Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series presented by Franklin Enterprises
Round 11 Race Summary
Saturday, July 5, 2025
Mountain View Raceway - Spring City, Tennessee
American Racer Tires Feature Finish (50 Laps):
- (1) Rusty Ballenger $5,000
- (4) Heath Hindman $2,000
- (8) Jordan Rodabaugh $1,200
- (9) Jason Manley $1,000
- (3) Dylan Thornton $900
- (12) Hayden Ownbey $1,300
- (13) John Ownbey $700
- (10) Hunter Jenkins $680
- (7) Jeff Jackson $640
- (15) Michael Smith $600
- (11) T.J. Brittain $580
- (21) Ronnie Johnson $560
- (6) Josh Henry $550
- (16) Ruben Mayfield $540
- (22) Joe Denby $530
- (24) Michael Luna $70
- (23) Dillon Tidmore $60
- (14) Addison Cardwell $500
- (5) David Payne $500
- (20) Ellery Leake $500
- (2) Kendall Franklin $600
- (19) Billy Franklin $500
- (17) Jordon Horton $500
- (18) Clint Hodges $500
Entries: 38
Lap Leaders: Rusty Ballenger (Laps 1-50)
$1,000 Engine Bonus: Rusty Ballenger
$500 American Racer Tire Bonus: Hayden Ownbey
$100 Orr Construction Fast Time Award: Kendall Franklin
MRP Fantasy League Hot Laps:
Fastest Lap Overall: Jordon Horton 11.261
VP Racing Fuels Time Trials:
Fast Time Overall: Kendall Franklin 11.672
Qualifying - Group A (Top Six Locked into Feature): 1. 29-Rusty Ballenger, 00:11.767[3]; 2. 13-Dylan Thornton, 00:11.857[8]; 3. 8P-David Payne, 00:11.878[10]; 4. 8-Jeff Jackson, 00:11.972[1]; 5. 32-Jason Manley, 00:12.022[7]; 6. 05-TJ Brittain, 00:12.083[9]; 7. 44-John Ownbey, 00:12.089[17]; 8. 24G-Bradley Goodman, 00:12.162[18]; 9. 15S-Michael Smith, 00:12.185[12]; 10. 38-Dillon Tidmore, 00:12.190[13]; 11. 56H-Jordon Horton, 00:12.199[6]; 12. 63-Michael Luna, 00:12.214[16]; 13. 17-Billy Franklin, 00:12.227[15]; 14. 60-Brandon Boyd, 00:12.298[2]; 15. 1G-Dylan Barrow, 00:12.383[11]; 16. 24-Barry Goodman, 00:12.489[19]; 17. 27-Joe Denby, 00:12.857[5]; 18. 3D-Dakota Smith, 00:12.975[4]; 19. (DQ) 28-Jeff Neubert, 00:12.586[14]
Qualifying - Group B (Top Six Locked into Feature): 1. 317-Kendall Franklin, 00:11.672[3]; 2. 91-Heath Hindman, 00:11.896[13]; 3. B00-Josh Henry, 00:11.990[9]; 4. 66-Jordan Rodabaugh, 00:12.042[6]; 5. H7-Hunter Jenkins, 00:12.054[2]; 6. 18-Hayden Ownbey, 00:12.155[1]; 7. 00-Ruben Mayfield, 00:12.157[12]; 8. 07A-Addison Cardwell, 00:12.187[7]; 9. 8M-Chad Miller, 00:12.188[16]; 10. 757-Kelby Norwood, 00:12.205[15]; 11. 18E-Eric Orr, 00:12.233[10]; 12. 83H-Clint Hodges, 00:12.237[8]; 13. 97-Bobby Giffin, 00:12.272[11]; 14. 134-Ellery Leake, 00:12.317[14]; 15. 5-Ronnie Johnson, 00:12.359[18]; 16. 16-Josh Walker, 00:12.444[4]; 17. 15-Will Hicks, 00:12.864[17]; 18. (DNS) 43-Tom Maddox, 19. (DNS) 45-Billy Denby
J&J Construction B-Main #1 Finish (Top Four Transfer): 1. 44-John Ownbey[1]; 2. 15S-Michael Smith[3]; 3. 56H-Jordon Horton[5]; 4. 17-Billy Franklin[7]; 5. 38-Dillon Tidmore[4]; 6. 1G-Dylan Barrow[9]; 7. 63-Michael Luna[6]; 8. 24-Barry Goodman[10]; 9. 60-Brandon Boyd[8]; 10. 3D-Dakota Smith[12]; 11. 24G-Bradley Goodman[2]; 12. 28-Jeff Neubert[13]; 13. 27-Joe Denby[11]
Southern Racing Enterprise B-Main #2 Finish (Top Four Transfer): 1. 07A-Addison Cardwell[2]; 2. 00-Ruben Mayfield[1]; 3. 83H-Clint Hodges[6]; 4. 134-Ellery Leake[8]; 5. 16-Josh Walker[10]; 6. 15-Will Hicks[11]; 7. 8M-Chad Miller[3]; 8. 757-Kelby Norwood[4]; 9. 5-Ronnie Johnson[9]; 10. (DNS) 18E-Eric Orr; 11. (DNS) 97-Bobby Giffin; 12. (DNS) 43-Tom Maddox; 13. (DNS) 45-Billy Denby
Provisionals: Ronnie Johnson, Joe Denby
Emergency Provisionals: Dillon Tidmore, Michael Luna
2025 Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series Schedule of Events:
Saturday, February 1 - I-75 Raceway (Sweetwater, TN) - CORY HEDGECOCK
Saturday, February 22 - Buckshot Speedway (Clanton, AL) - RAINED OUT
Friday, March 21 - Southern Raceway (Milton, FL) - JOSEPH JOINER
Saturday, March 22 - Southern Raceway (Milton, FL) - RYAN CRANE
Friday, April 11 - Penton Raceway (Lafayette, AL) - CORY HEDGECOCK
Saturday, April 12 - Winder-Barrow Speedway (Winder, GA) - DILLON
TIDMORE
Friday, May 16 - West Alabama Speedway (Winfield, AL) - BILLY FRANKLIN
Saturday, May 17 - North Alabama Speedway (Tuscumbia, AL) - DILLON
TIDMORE
Saturday, June 14 - Lavonia Speedway (Lavonia, GA) - POSTPONED TO 8/29
Friday, June 20 - North Georgia Speedway (Chatsworth, GA) - ZACK
MITCHELL
Saturday, June 21 - Sugar Creek Raceway (Blue Ridge, GA) - TUCKER
ANDERSON
Thursday, July 3 - I-75 Raceway (Sweetwater, TN) - GARRETT SMITH
Saturday, July 5 - Mountain View Raceway (Spring City, TN) - RUSTY
BALLENGER
Saturday, August 16 - Sugar Creek Raceway (Blue Ridge, GA) - $10,057 to
win
Friday, August 22 - To Be Announced
Saturday, August 23 - Lake Cumberland Speedway (Burnside, KY) - $12,000
to win
Friday, August 29 - Lavonia Speedway (Lavonia, GA) - $4,004 to win
Saturday, August 30 - Volunteer Speedway (Bulls Gap, TN) - $4,000 to win
Sunday, August 31 - Tazewell Speedway (Tazewell, TN) - $5,000 to win
Saturday, September 13 - Wartburg Speedway (Wartburg, TN) - $5,000 to
win
Friday, September 19 - Anderson Motor Speedway (Anderson, SC) - $12,000
to win
Saturday, October 11 - Dixie Speedway (Woodstock, GA) - $TBA to win
Saturday, October 25 - I-75 Raceway (Sweetwater, TN) - $10,053 to win
Current Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series Point Standings:
- Ronnie Johnson - 1952
- Joe Denby - 1912
- Dillon Tidmore - 1889
- Michael Luna - 1759
- Billy Franklin - 1678
- Kendall Franklin - 1580
- Josh Henry - 1296
- Jordon Horton - 1036
- Cory Hedgecock - 784
- David Payne - 700
The Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series presented by Franklin Enterprises would like to thank all of our 2025 marketing partners including Franklin Enterprises, American Racer Tires, J&J Construction, VP Racing Fuels, Coltman Farms Racing, Southern Racing Enterprise, Thirteen34 Racing Media, Fullmoon Graphics, Gentry Used Auto Parts & Recycling, RockAuto.com, Knowles Race Parts & Bodies, Olivia Gentry Real Estate, MD3 Body Panels, Delph Communications, and Rugged Radios. More information on the tour can be found online at www.SASDirt.com or by accessing the series Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SouthernAllStarDirtRacingSeries.
Media Contact: Ryan Delph - Delph Communications
www.DelphCommunications.com