Summer – and the Cook Out Summer Shootout – has just begun at America’s Home for Racing, but local television and radio personalities were taken back to school in a no-holds-barred school bus grudge match during Tuesday night’s fan-favorite Media Mayhem.
In the much-anticipated event, WCCB/Bahakel Sports anchor Jeff Taylor reigned triumphant over a frenzy of opponents after pulling ahead of the pack early in the race.
“I thought, ‘get to Turn 1; get inside; beat ‘em to one, and then hold everybody off,” Taylor said of his strategy. “I had no mirrors, so I didn’t have any idea about anyone behind me. I just kept pushing the gas.”
Hold them off he did, crossing the finish line nearly a quarter-lap ahead of his competitors.
The school bus slobberknocker was not without excitement as Queen City News’ Carla Gebhart and the stripped-down Purple Reign bus battled to a second place finish, nearly rolling over twice in Turn 2 before eventually finishing fifth.
Taylor had to fight off hard-charging Chris Rozak (106.5FM WEND) in second and third place Mark Smith (Spectrum News) to earn the title of best in class. WGHP’s Jenna Vitamanti finished fourth with WFNZ’s Kyle Bailey rounding out the field in sixth in his yellow Rubber Ducky machine.
Bollman Goes Back-to-Back
Hitting the deadline at the checkered flag, Pro Driver Jake Bollman raced his way into Victory Lane, going two-for-two to kick off the season.
Bollman quickly put some distance on his competitors, dialing up a three second lead. The true undercover battle took place further back in the field, as Jensen Jorgensen (who finished runner-up) and third place Brenden Ruzbarsky were the headline battle.
“This car is just so good,” Bollman said on his performance. “I came into Summer Shootout this season and said, ‘I’m gonna win all 10 races’… my confidence is up, I know I can do it.”
It was all in the details for Jorgensen as he strategically maneuvered around the field to solidify his spot behind Bollman, improving on yesterday’s third place finish to second, inching closer to No. 1 with eight rounds of racing remaining in the Summer Shootout season.
Coffey Breaks the News to the Bandits with Second Win of Summer
Bandit national points leader, Wyatt Coffey, posted a jaw-dropping win in Round 2 of Cook Out Summer Shootout.
The race was fierce from the outset as a caution on Lap 4 produced a red flag, bunching up the field and putting pressure on leader Jack Smith to hold off the competition.
In the final four laps, a determined Coffey showed his dominance once again, closing in on Smith creating a social media moment with side-by-side action. Coffey’s ride was tuned to just the right frequency as he pulled away to secure part two of his double-header wins.
"I overdrove every corner at the end," said Coffey, describing his perspective on the race's final laps. "I was just trying to catch him [Smith]. I want to thank him for racing me clean."
Delaney Gray finished third, while Camden Truett and Taegen Knowland rounded out the top five.
In other news, Corbin Cannon (Night Owl Companies Beginner Bandits), TJ Moon (Bojangles Outlaws), Jordan Plummer (Chargers), Max Reaves (Night Owl Companies Young Lions), Michael Crafton (VP Fuels Semi-Pro) and Kevin Rollins (Masters) were all in our top stories of the night claiming wins in Round Two’s Media Mayhem.
ABOUT COOK OUT SUMMER SHOOTOUT:
Cook Out Summer Shootout is a 10-race showcase of speed among eight different divisions of Legend Cars and Bandoleros. Races are held each Tuesday night, with drivers accumulating points throughout the summer towards a season-ending championship.
TICKETS:
Racing returns next Tuesday night with a full slate of Legend Car and Bandolero action and a celebration of Lug Nut, the world’s fastest mascot’s, 30th birthday. Tickets are $10; kids 12 and under get in FREE. For tickets, schedules and more details about all the happenings at Charlotte Motor Speedway, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets.
KEEP TRACK:
Follow all the thrilling Cook Out Summer Shootout action at Charlotte Motor Speedway on X, Facebook and Instagram.
