Chris Madden Victorious in Rain-Shortened March Madness at Cherokee Speedway

Over the past twenty plus years, Chris Madden has racked up big win after big win at the nearby Cherokee Speedway and the Gray Court, South Carolina superstar added one more trophy to his collection on Saturday night, as he won his fifth career ‘March Madness’ title!  Chris swept the racing program, as he earned fast time honors during the qualifying session, won his heat race, and later led all 41 circuits of the rain-shortened featured event.  The 60-lap ‘March Madness’ headliner was halted twice by inclement weather before officials made the call to deem the race official.

The popular driver known as “Smokey” celebrated the $20,053 triumph in the rain, as the huge grandstand crowd exited the storied facility.  Zack Mitchell moved up a spot to finish second in the contest and was awarded $10,000 in earnings.  Tucker Anderson hung around the front throughout the race and ultimately rounded out the podium in third.  Brandon Overton, who was victorious on Friday evening at Modoc Speedway, passed a pair of competitors to place fourth, while Ben Watkins started and finished fifth.

“We had a great car last weekend and me and Brandon (Overton) just had a freak deal that happened at the end of the race and took us both out,” said the winning Madden in victory lane on Saturday at Cherokee Speedway.  “It took us out of a great run there (at Smoky Mountain Speedway), but we’re back here in victory lane tonight.  That says a lot about our team and we’ll keep working hard.  We’re going to get better and better throughout the year!”

Chris Madden netted his 53rd career Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series and 7th career Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series victory aboard a Wells & Sons Motorsports #44 Infinity Race Cars house car with sponsorship in part from Henderson Amusement, Millwood Plumbing, Convenient Lube, Velocity Manufacturing Group, Hardison Suspension Technologies, Penske Racing Shocks, VP Racing Fuels, STAKT Racing Products, Clements Racing Engines, and Topnotch Kustomz.

A strong field of 31 Super Late Model competitors were on hand at the Gaffney, South Carolina speedplant for Saturday’s annual running of ‘March Madness,’ which was co-sanctioned by the Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series presented by Showtime Properties and the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing and fueled by Sunoco.  Chris Ferguson started off the evening by laying down the quickest time in hot laps before Chris Madden stopped the clock fastest in qualifying.

The three heat races were won by Chris Madden, Tucker Anderson, and Zack Mitchell, while the lone consolation event was captured by Alex Vance.  Series provisionals went to Payton Stevenson, Billy Franklin, Garrett Smith, and Dillon Daves, while emergency provisionals were granted to Cruz Skinner and Will Hicks.

Next up for the Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series will be a doubleheader in the Peach State on April 10-11.  Up first will be a stop at Hartwell Speedway in Hartwell, Georgia on that Friday for a $4,000 to win shootout.  The weekend will then conclude on that Saturday evening at Winder-Barrow Speedway in Winder, Georgia with a $5,000 payday up for grabs.  Tucker Anderson will bring the SAS point lead into the weekend over Kendall Franklin, Dillon Daves, Billy Franklin, and Payton Stevenson.

Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series presented by Showtime Properties
Round 5 Race Summary
Saturday, March 21, 2026
Cherokee Speedway - Gaffney, South Carolina

American Racer Tires Feature Finish (41 Laps):
1. (1) Chris Madden $20,053
2. (3) Zack Mitchell $10,000
3. (2) Tucker Anderson $6,000
4. (6) Brandon Overton $4,000
5. (5) Ben Watkins $3,000
6. (8) Layton Sullivan $2,000
7. (12) Willie Milliken $1,500
8. (11) Kendall Franklin $1,400
9. (19) Alex Vance $1,300
10. (15) Benji Hicks $1,200
11. (14) Carson Ferguson $1,150
12. (17) Kale Green $1,090
13. (13) Gray Parton $1,080
14. (21) Payton Stevenson $1,070
15. (22) Billy Franklin $1,060
16. (9) Jeremy Steele $1,050
17. (23) Garrett Smith $1,040
18. (10) Dylan Thornton $1,030
19. (25) Cruz Skinner $95
20. (24) Dillon Daves $1,010
21. (26) Will Hicks $75
22. (7) Steve Banal $1,000
23. (4) Chris Ferguson $1,000
24. (18) Trent Ivey $1,000
25. (20) Jake Jackson $1,000
26. (16) Anthony Sanders $1,000

Entries:  31
Lap Leaders:  Chris Madden (Laps 1-41)
Caution Flags:  6
Deatherage Opticians 4th Place Finisher ($50.00 Product Certificate):  Brandon Overton
Deatherage Opticians 13th Place Finisher ($50.00 Product Certificate):  Gray Parton

MRP Fantasy Racing Hot Laps:
Fastest Lap Overall:  Chris Ferguson 15.433

VP Racing Fuels Time Trials:
Fast Time Overall:  Chris Madden 15.432

J&J Construction Heat #1 Finish (Top Six Transfer):  1. 44-Chris Madden[1]; 2. 22-Chris Ferguson[3]; 3. 8B-Steve Banal[4]; 4. 13-Dylan Thornton[5]; 5. 18P-Gray Parton[2]; 6. 421-Anthony Sanders[7]; 7. 95-Alex Vance[10]; 8. 11-Cruz Skinner[9]; 9. 10-Garrett Smith[6]; 10. (DNS) F1-Payton Freeman; 11. (DNS) 618-Kevin Wilson

Southern Racing Enterprise Heat #2 Finish (Top Six Transfer):  1. 22-Tucker Anderson[1]; 2. 16-Ben Watkins[2]; 3. 2-Layton Sullivan[5]; 4. 317-Kendall Franklin[3]; 5. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 6. 4-Kale Green[7]; 7. J1-Jake Jackson[6]; 8. 21-Devon Morgan[8]; 9. 48-Hunter Kohn[9]; 10. 35-Dillon Daves[10]

Showtime Properties Heat #3 Finish (Top Six Transfer):  1. 57-Zack Mitchell[2]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 3. 79-Jeremy Steele[5]; 4. 1-Willie Milliken[7]; 5. 55-Benji Hicks[4]; 6. 88-Trent Ivey[3]; 7. 24-Payton Stevenson[6]; 8. 17-Billy Franklin[9]; 9. 16B-Ross Bailes[8]; 10. 15-Will Hicks[10]

American Racer South B-Main Finish (All Transfer):  1. 95-Alex Vance[1]; 2. J1-Jake Jackson[2]; 3. 24-Payton Stevenson[3]; 4. 21-Devon Morgan[5]; 5. 17-Billy Franklin[6]; 6. 10-Garrett Smith[7]; 7. 16B-Ross Bailes[9]; 8. 11-Cruz Skinner[4]; 9. 48-Hunter Kohn[8]; 10. 15-Will Hicks[12]; 11. 35-Dillon Daves[11]; 12. (DNS) F1-Payton Freeman; 13. (DNS) 618-Kevin Wilson

Provisionals:  Payton Stevenson, Billy Franklin, Garrett Smith, Dillon Daves
Emergency Provisionals:  Cruz Skinner, Will Hicks

Current Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series Point Standings:
1. Tucker Anderson - 766
2. Kendall Franklin - 714
3. Dillon Daves - 690
4. Billy Franklin - 688
5. Payton Stevenson - 666
6. Payton Freeman - 609
7. Brandon Overton - 592
8. Will Hicks - 575
9. Garrett Smith - 552
10. Cruz Skinner - 506

2026 Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series Schedule:
February 5 - Screven Motor Speedway (Sylvania, GA) - RAINED OUT
February 6 - Screven Motor Speedway (Sylvania, GA) - BRANDON OVERTON
February 7 - Screven Motor Speedway (Sylvania, GA) - BRANDON OVERTON
March 6 - Penton Raceway (Lafayette, AL) - TUCKER ANDERSON
March 7 - North Georgia Speedway (Chatsworth, GA) - PPD TO 3/12
March 12 - North Georgia Speedway (Chatsworth, GA) - RAINED OUT
March 20 - Modoc Speedway (Modoc, SC) - BRANDON OVERTON
March 21 - Cherokee Speedway (Gaffney, SC) - CHRIS MADDEN
April 10 - Hartwell Speedway (Hartwell, GA) - $4,000 to win
April 11 - Winder-Barrow Speedway (Winder, GA) - $5,000 to win
May 1 - West Alabama Speedway (Winfield, AL) - $5,000 to win
May 2 - Buckshot Speedway (Clanton, AL) - $7,500 to win
May 15 - Golden Mountain Speedway (Sparta, TN) - $5,000 to win
May 16 - Duck River Raceway Park (Wheel, TN) - $5,000 to win
June 12 - Cochran Motor Speedway (Cochran, GA) - $TBA to win
June 13 - Senoia Raceway (Senoia, GA) - $7,500 to win
July 3 - I-75 Raceway (Sweetwater, TN) - $5,000 to win
August 14 - To Be Announced
August 15 - Thunderhill Raceway (Summertown, TN) - $5,026 to win
August 28 - Ponderosa Speedway (Junction City, KY) - $7,500 to win
August 29 - Lake Cumberland Speedway (Burnside, KY) - $12,022 to win
September 4 - Lavonia Speedway (Lavonia, GA) - $5,004 to win
September 5 - To Be Announced
September 6 - Tazewell Speedway (Tazewell, TN) - $5,000 to win
September 17 - Volunteer Speedway (Bulls Gap, TN) - $10,018 to win
October 9 - North Georgia Speedway (Chatsworth, GA) - $TBA to win
October 10 - Dixie Speedway (Woodstock, GA) - $TBA to win
October 25 - Cherokee Speedway (Gaffney, SC) - $30,000 to win

The Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series presented by Showtime Properties would like to thank all of our marketing partners including Showtime Properties, American Racer Tires, J&J Construction, VP Racing Fuels, Coltman Farms Racing, Southern Racing Enterprise, Deatherage Opticians, 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.

Media Contact:  Ryan Delph - Delph Communications
www.DelphCommunications.com

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