EASTABOGA, Ala. (Jan. 8th) — Booger Brooks of Chattanooga, Tenn., has a background in short track racing that has made him one of the better-known and most successful drivers in support divisions across his home region.
While Brooks’ driving career has steadily expanded and he has gotten a few opportunities in the Super Late Model division over the past couple years, he remains a solid threat in nearly every division known to man.
Running his own equipment in the Crate Racin’ USA 602 Late Model Sportsman portion of the 31st annual Ice Bowl Saturday night at Talladega Short Track, Brooks posted yet another victory worth $1,500, defeating a 24-car field. It came on the heels of his win earlier in the afternoon in the 30-lap Crate Racin’ USA Street Stock portion of the multi-division extravaganza, giving him two victories during a weekend in which he competed in three different classes.
“We showed up Friday and unloaded the [602] car for practice, and it was good,” Brooks said. “It was fast from the start, and we were the quickest qualifier and won a heat race. We just poured some fuel in it, and went out and raced it.”
Numbers-wise, the division was the strongest of eight which participated in the annual weekend at the third-mile oval. More than 350 cars turned out during the three-day presentation, led by the 60 drivers who registered to compete in the Late Model Sportsman class. Brooks topped time trials with a lap clocked at 15.148 seconds.
They all ended up chasing Brooks in the main event. He led every lap and crossed the stripe ahead of last year’s winner Seth Wimpey, Adam Cummings, Mario Gresham and Don Jenkins.
“You want it to happen that way, but you can never expect it to go as smoothly as it did this weekend,” Brooks said. “Everybody will tell you this is one of the hardest races to win, and you have to have a little luck on your side. Draw, qualifying, tires…it all has to come together, and it rarely happens. Everything has to land perfect. It doesn’t usually happen that way, but it was a really good weekend for us.”
Brooks’ margin of victory was 0.515 seconds over Wimpey at the high-banked facility that is now owned by Adam Stewart and David Miller. It was the duo’s first Ice Bowl weekend as the owners after purchasing the track in April, 2021.
Sponsors on the car included Racecar Engineering, Biggen’s Masonry, Haugh’s Flooring, Weeks Tire, John’s Recycling, Dustin Dickson Racing, Competition Racing Equipment, Sugar Creek Raceway and Stealth Racing Carburetors.
Ice Bowl (602 Late Model Sportsman): 1. Booger Brooks, 2. Seth Wimpey, 3. Adam Cummings, 4. Mario Gresham, 5. Don Jenkins, 6. Doodle Lowe, 7. Silas Hamm, 8. Tucker Anderson, 9. Steve Kirk, 10. Haden Duncan, 11. Dillard Hatchett, 12. Jeff Helms, 13. Carson Nicholson, 14. Robert Lunsford, 15. Hayden Swaney, 16. Jake Hollis, 17. Mark Haddon, 18. Michael Courtney, 19. Erik Hogsed, 20. Tim Merritt, 21. Justin Winters, 22. Brandon Crosby, 23. David Singleton, 24. Eric Hughes.
Total entries: 60
Fast qualifier: Booger Brooks, 15.148 seconds
Lap leaders: Booger Brooks 1-25
Cautions: 6
Margin of victory: 0.515 seconds
Heat winners: Booger Brooks, Don Jenkins, Michael Courtney, Seth Wimpey, Justin Winters, Adam Cummings.
B-main winners: Hayden Swaney, Silas Hamm, Tucker Anderson.
Article Credit: Brian McLeod