Local drivers look for wins in 2nd race of Rockingham Speedway’s Crown 9 Series

ROCKINGHAM — When announcing the Crown 9 Champion Series at the Rockingham Speedway open house in July, Track Manager Dustin Russell said, “we wanted something way smaller, more grassroots that everybody can do.”

Two Richmond County drivers are taking advantage of the low-cost series and gearing up for the second race Saturday evening.

Steven Franklin and Eli Russell are both looking to make a name for themselves on their hometown track.

Franklin, of Franklin’s Rod Shop, came in 6th during the inaugural race last month, which he decided to enter after the topic was brought up by friend Alex Bradley.

“I had a blast,” Franklin said following the first race. “For the money invested it’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had.”

The race on the speedway’s infield road course was Franklin’s first time turning on a track. He does have experience behind the wheel with drag racing “since I could drive, really.”

Franklin said he has several more Ford Crown Victorias and plans to have a team of four in the 2025 season, with at least another one to enter before the end of this season, and Bradley behind the wheel.

As for Russell, the first Crown 9 race was his first ever.

“It was awesome,” Russell said, “hoping to be a little better (at) the next one.

“I grew up on racing and I’ve always been into it real heavy,” Russell continued. “I’ve got quite a few family members that do different kinds of racing and it’s just something that I’ve always wanted to do.”

Russell seemed to be a crowd favorite at the inaugural race, wearing a plaid shirt with the sleeves cut off — and running off the track several times, kicking up clouds of dust.

Announcer Steve Logan kept referring to Russell as “Otis,” a nickname the young driver said he was given about two years ago when he worked for the city of Rockingham.

“It stuck so I’m pretty used to it by now,” Russell said, adding that he told Logan about the nickname in an effort to “to build a local character … to get the crowd into it.”

Both Franklin and Russell had to bow out before the end of the race due to blown tires.

Another somewhat local driver was second-place finisher Mark Dysart of Aberdeen in neighboring Moore County.

Dysart qualified first and “made a mistake.”

“But that’s racing,” added Dysart, a Wisconsin native who grew up in Illinois and drove in regional road races from 1987-1996, before switching gears to dirt-track racing. His brother, Brett, is a former circle-track driver who now competes with MB Drift’s grassroots series.

“We were so close, we were lap time for lap time all day,” Dysart said in comparison to winner Sergio Pena.

Dysart said he got a little “overzealous” on the first lap.

“Drove off into the last turn … and got in a little too hot …it’s a Crown Vic, it’s not a race car … by the time I got it slowed down I fell off the track and Sergio had a clear shot to go right on by.”

The car Dysart was driving had been sitting in a field eight days before the race.

“We were looking for the right car … looking for a place to start,” Dysart said. “We brought it home, stripped it, put a cage in it, got some wheels and tires, changed the gear and brought it to the race track.”

Dysart wasn’t bitter about coming in second to Pena.

“He’s got hours in a Crown Vic … he knows what to do to make it do stuff and it was awesome to watch him drive and follow him,” Dysart said. “He really did a great job.”

The point standings heading into the second race are:

1- Sergio Pena – 40

2- Mark Dysart – 35

3 – Doug Horn – 34

4 – Jon Morton – 33

5 – Eli Russell – 32

6 – Steven Franklin – 31

7 – Robert Diaz – 30

Gates open at 9 a.m. for both drivers and spectators, with practices scheduled for noon and 2 p.m. Drivers are slated to start their three-lap qualifying runs at 3 p.m. and the first heat race will start at 4 p.m.

Ride-alongs will be offered by drivers with MB Drift, which recently crowned its 2024 season champion. Click here to read that story.

Tickets are available at thefoat.com or at the gate.