15-year-old wins Bowman Gray Stadium race on Saturday night

It might have been strange to see 15-year-old Jayden Cordell in Victory Lane at Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday night in the Street Stock Division.

But for Cordell and his family, it was a familiar sight.

"Well, he's won about 200 or so Go-Kart races in his career, so he's been there before," said Cordell's father, Adam.

Jayden is in his first season at Bowman Gray Stadium and after getting the lead in the 20-lap Street Stock race with three laps to go, he knew exactly what to do. "I just hit my marks and kept going and just stayed calm," Cordell said sounding like a veteran who has been around for years.

Adam said that his son wasn't even 4 years old, yet when he set him up with a Go-Kart. It wasn't that long after that he started racing and loved every minute of it.

"There are national races and Jayden won four of those in his Go-Kart career, so he's pretty well known in those circles," Adam said.

The Cordell's live in Rockwell, which is near Salisbury, and Jayden attends early college at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and is entering the 10th grade this fall.

Jayden said winning at Bowman Gray Stadium is something he won't soon forget.

"My spotter (and car owner Brad Smith) was so happy after we won and I've never really seen him that happy before," said Jayden, who has the No. 98 car that is set up by Billy Gregg Racing. "And then seeing all the guys running down there (to Victory Lane) from Billy's race team it was so cool."

While Billy Gregg Racing is having an outstanding season in the Sportsman Division, Gregg was one of the first to hug Jayden in Victory Lane.

"Billy Gregg Racing has been tremendous for us and Brad owns the car and Billy's team sets it up," Adam said.

It was several years ago when Jayden was tearing it up on the Go-Kart circuit that Smith told Adam that he would one day sponsor Jayden in a car.

"I can't remember how old Jayden was, but Brad just says, ‘He's going to race for me one day,'" Adam said. "And it's been great and I really think Jayden is having a good time learning all about Bowman Gray Stadium."

You can't get your second win until you get that first, and Jayden says his confidence level is high.

Zac Cogar was second, Bryant Robertson was third, Brandon Brown was fourth and points' leader Brad Lewis was fifth on Saturday night.

"It was definitely a team effort and I'm so thankful for all the help," Jayden said. "It was a lot of fun being in Victory Lane."

It was a familiar spot, but at a higher level of racing.

Other winners from Saturday

Danny Bohn loves to show up for the longer races in the Modified Division, and he also loves to win those races. Bohn won his second 100-lapper of the season, and it was his 21st of his career.

The second half of the 18-week season has started, and this Saturday will be the final night of races before the traditional Fourth of July break.

Bohn moved up to a tie for 25th in the all-time wins list in the Modified Division in the 78-year history of the weekly series.

Also winning on Saturday night were Zack Ore and "Tiger" Tommy Neal in the Sportsman Division. It was Ore's fifth win of the season and the 60th win for Neal.

In the Stadium Stock, Billy Andrews got to celebrate in Victory Lane after winning the time-shortened nine-lap race, but his win didn't last long. He failed the post-race inspection, and Jacob Hayes was declared the winner.

AJ Sanders won the other 15-lap second Stadium Stock race.

Luke Smith, who was disqualified two weeks ago after a post-race inspection, was the points leader going into Saturday night after winning five races, but he did not race this past Saturday. Austin Shuford, the general manager of the weekly series, did not return a text message to the Journal as to why Smith was not racing.

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