The talk of the racing community throughout the Southeast was the return of a major touring series to the Montgomery Motor Speedway for the first time since re-opening at the beginning of the 2009 season after remaining dormant for the last three years. With a packed grandstand section watching thirty cars taking the green flag the hype lived up to what it was worth.
Fans saw a familiar face at the top of the speed charts all day long as Georgia native Jason Hogan, who has claimed his fair share of wins at the half mile facility in years past, set the fastest time in qualifying. Hogan qualified his #92 Hogan Lumber Chevy Impala more than a tenth quicker than his next closest competitor, easily showing his knowledge of how to get around the Alabama speed plant as compared to many younger racers who have never laid eyes on the place. After the series’ mandatory redraw, Hogan would take the green flag from the eighth position for the 100 lap event.
It was a conservative yet swift trip to the front for Hogan as he took the lead a third of the way into the event. While it was a familiar sight to see the #92 machine out at the front of the field, the track itself was anything but familiar when it came to tire wear according to Hogan. “I was just focused on saving my tires all race long. I made it to the front pretty easily but I kept telling myself that this place doesn’t have the grip it used to and it can eat your tires in a hurry, so I have to play it safe and just save my stuff.”
With around twenty laps to go while Hogan was still saving his stuff for the finish, a fellow Georgia native T.J. Reaid passed Hogan for the lead. With the hopes that the younger driver would have gone for the win a bit too early Hogan didn’t panic staying on his team’s game plan for the finish. Unfortunately, it was the move of the race for Reaid as he went on to win the Gateway 100 with Hogan notching his ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour season best finish of second. The runner up finish, along with setting the fastest time in qualifying and leading the most laps throughout the event, all awarded bonus points which catapulted Hogan back into the series points lead after former leader Max Gresham was relegated to a twenty-fifth place finish.
“I thought we were finally going to get us one, but it didn’t work out the way we wanted it to. I saved and saved all race long to try to have something for the end just in case we had to race someone hard for the win but I just didn’t have a right rear left at the end of the night. T.J. was just better than us and had more than we did at the end, plain and simple. Overall though it was a great points weekend for us, we picked up as many bonus points as possible and got a much needed good finish on a night when (Max) Gresham didn’t, so we’ll take it,” added Hogan, the new series points leader.
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