Benedum Banks $10,053 for Ray Varner Ford 53 Victory; Loudy Wins Southern Nationals Championship

(July 26, 2025) The 21st edition of the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing and fueled by Sunoco concluded on Saturday night at Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, Tennessee and it was Mike Benedum who emerged victorious after a wild ‘Ray Varner Ford 53!’ Mike was fast right off the trailer at the high-banked oval and earned Fast Time honors during FK Rod Ends qualifying prior to picking up the victory in the first heat race of the evening. After starting the main event from the pole position, Mike inherited the point on a lap seventeen restart when leader Dale McDowell broke a J-bar and dropped a driveshaft - also collecting second-running Jimmy Owens who rolled over in the incident. (MRM Racing Photo)

Once out front, the Salem, West Virginia native never looked back in leading the remainder of the 53-lap series finale to pocket the $10,053 first place prize money. Finishing a close second - only 0.794 of a second back - was seventh-starting Kaede Loudy. With other title contenders Garrett Smith and Jimmy Owens encountering trouble during the caution-filled race, Kaede capitalized on their misfortune and his runner-up performance locked up both Championship and Rookie of the Year honors for the young Rogersville, Tennessee ace.

Finishing third and rounding out the podium in the ‘Ray Varner Ford 53’ was thirteen-year-old Beckham Malone, who started in the fifth spot, but rallied from the tail after slowing to draw the first yellow flag on lap six. Josh Sneed earned Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Hard Charger honors for his 17th-to-4th place effort, while Jeff Neubert was able to improve nine positions to nab the final spot inside of the top five.

“I love Tazewell,” the winning Benedum simply stated in Schaeffer’s Oil victory lane. “The track was so rough there that I decided that I’d roll the outside and I’m sure glad I did because I would have been right in the middle of that lap 17 rollover crash. I hate it for those guys, I wanted to beat them fair and square. I didn’t want them to wreck, but I thought we had a pretty good hot rod anyway because I was holding on right there with them.”

Mike Benedum piloted a #25 Team Zero Race Car with sponsorship in part from BSI Well Service, Clarksburg Mack Sales and Service, Black Rock Enterprises, Burlile Performance Products, 1st Phorm, Shane McDowell Racing, Victory Seats, and Slicker Graphics.

The Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series season finale drew a 20 car field to Tazewell Speedway on Saturday to vie for the $10,053 payday in the ‘Ray Varner Ford 53.’ Garrett Smith topped the speed chart in MRP Fantasy Racing Hot Laps, while Mike Benedum laid down a lap of 11.265 seconds in FK Rod Ends qualifying to earn Fast Time honors. The three heat races were then won by Benedum, Camaron Marlar, and Garrett Smith.

Marlar led the opening seven circuits of the A-Main from the outside of the front row before suffering a flat right rear tire, which handed the lead to Jimmy Owens, who paced the field from laps 8-13. Dale McDowell then grabbed the point from Owens to lead laps 14-16 before hitting a hole in turn one on a lap 17 restart and breaking in front of the field. A total of 10 caution flags slowed the pace in the ‘Ray Varner Ford 53,’ which lasted just under an hour in length.

After the checkered flag flew and the points were tabulated, Kaede Loudy also celebrated in victory lane and was presented with both a $10,053 check for the Southern Nationals Series Championship and a $1,000 check for claiming the Rookie of the Year title. With only the top nine finishes for each driver counting towards the final series points, Garrett Smith and Jimmy Owens tied for the second spot with Smith winning the tiebreaker by virtue of his triumph at Screven Motor Speedway on July 19. Tazewell victor Mike Benedum finished fourth in the final series point standings, while youngster Beckham Malone placed fifth in Championship points and second in the Rookie of the Year tally.

Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing
Round 11 Race Summary
Saturday, July 26, 2025
Tazewell Speedway - Tazewell, Tennessee

Schaeffer’s Oil Feature Finish (53 Laps):
1. (1) Mike Benedum $10,053
2. (7) Kaede Loudy $5,000
3. (5) Beckham Malone $3,000
4. (17) Josh Sneed $2,000
5. (14) Jeff Neubert $1,500
6. (19) Jody Horton $1,000
7. (13) Dakota Smith $800
8. (6) Dale McDowell $700
9. (4) Jimmy Owens $675
10. (12) Zack Mitchell $650
11. (2) Camaron Marlar $625
12. (15) Dillon Daves $600
13. (8) Jensen Ford $575
14. (10) Kenny Collins $550
15. (3) Garrett Smith $525
16. (20) Josh Henry $500
17. (9) David Payne $500
18. (11) David Crabtree $500
19. (16) Forrest Trent DNS
20. (18) Steve Smith DNS

Entries: 20
Lap Leaders: Camaron Marlar (Laps 1-7), Jimmy Owens (Laps 8-13), Dale McDowell (Laps 14-16), Mike Benedum (Laps 17-53)
Caution Flags: 10
Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Hard Charger Award: Josh Sneed (+13)
Highest Finishing 525/Limited Engine Bonus: Jody Horton

MRP Fantasy Racing Hot Laps:
Fastest Lap Overall: Garrett Smith 11.147

FK Rod Ends Time Trials:
Fast Time Overall: Mike Benedum 11.265

Full Qualifying Results: 1. 25-Mike Benedum, 00:11.265[17]; 2. 57M-Camaron Marlar, 00:11.322[13]; 3. 10-Garrett Smith, 00:11.365[16]; 4. 101-Forrest Trent, 00:11.381[6]; 5. 23-Beckham Malone, 00:11.384[7]; 6. 17M-Dale McDowell, 00:11.414[3]; 7. 58V-Jimmy Owens, 00:11.463[10]; 8. 83-Jensen Ford, 00:11.467[4]; 9. 8-David Payne, 00:11.517[15]; 10. 126-Kaede Loudy, 00:11.526[20]; 11. C5-David Crabtree, 00:11.541[5]; 12. 57-Zack Mitchell, 00:11.543[8]; 13. 1C-Kenny Collins, 00:11.648[9]; 14. B00-Josh Henry, 00:11.720[14]; 15. 35-Dillon Daves, 00:11.877[11]; 16. 3D-Dakota Smith, 00:11.952[1]; 17. 28N-Jeff Neubert, 00:12.047[19]; 18. 3-Steve Smith, 00:12.397[12]; 19. 56J-Jody Horton, 00:12.416[18]; 20. 79-Josh Sneed, 00:12.837[2]

Sunoco Race Fuels Heat Race #1 Finish (8 laps): 1. 25-Mike Benedum[1]; 2. 58V-Jimmy Owens[3]; 3. 126-Kaede Loudy[4]; 4. 1C-Kenny Collins[5]; 5. 3D-Dakota Smith[6]; 6. 101-Forrest Trent[2]; 7. 56J-Jody Horton[7]

American Racer South Heat Race #2 Finish (8 laps): 1. 57M-Camaron Marlar[1]; 2. 23-Beckham Malone[2]; 3. 83-Jensen Ford[3]; 4. C5-David Crabtree[4]; 5. 28N-Jeff Neubert[6]; 6. 79-Josh Sneed[7]; 7. B00-Josh Henry[5]

E-Z-GO Heat Race #3 Finish (8 laps): 1. 10-Garrett Smith[1]; 2. 17M-Dale McDowell[2]; 3. 8-David Payne[3]; 4. 57-Zack Mitchell[4]; 5. 35-Dillon Daves[5]; 6. 3-Steve Smith[6]

Final Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series Point Standings (Only the Drivers’ Best NINE Races Count):
1. Kaede Loudy - 1694
2. Garrett Smith - 1688
3. Jimmy Owens - 1688
4. Mike Benedum - 1660
5. Beckham Malone - 1616
6. Dillon Daves - 1233
7. Kenny Collins - 1070
8. Zack Mitchell - 972
9. Jensen Ford - 925
10. Dale McDowell - 902

Current Coltman Farms Cup Point Standings (Spans Both Spring & Southern Nationals):
1. Garrett Smith - 1834
2. Jimmy Owens - 1666
3. Mike Benedum - 1440
4. Kaede Loudy - 1274
5. Wil Herrington - 1084
6. Cory Hedgecock - 1080
7. Jensen Ford - 1064
8. Beckham Malone - 975
9. Zack Mitchell - 940
10. Dale McDowell - 930

2025 Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series Schedule:
Friday, July 11 - Beckley Motor Speedway (Mount Hope, WV) - ROSS BAILES
Saturday, July 12 - Wythe Raceway (Rural Retreat, VA) - CHRIS MADDEN
Monday, July 14 - Volunteer Speedway (Bulls Gap, TN) - CHRIS MADDEN
Tuesday, July 15 - I-75 Raceway (Sweetwater, TN) - CORY HEDGECOCK
Thursday, July 17 - Senoia Raceway (Senoia, GA) - ASHTON WINGER
Friday, July 18 - Swainsboro Raceway (Swainsboro, GA) - CORY HEDGECOCK
Saturday, July 19 - Screven Motor Speedway (Sylvania, GA) - GARRETT SMITH
Tuesday, July 22 - Toccoa Raceway (Toccoa, GA) - ZACK MITCHELL
Thursday, July 24 - Sugar Creek Raceway (Blue Ridge, GA) - ZACK MITCHELL
Friday, July 25 - North Georgia Speedway (Chatsworth, GA) - SAM SEAWRIGHT
Saturday, July 26 - Tazewell Speedway (Tazewell, TN) - MIKE BENEDUM

For more information on the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing and fueled by Sunoco, please point your Internet browser to www.SouthernNationalsSeries.com or feel free to call series promoter Ray Cook at 828-360-5353. You can also follow us across social media platforms on facebook.com/southernnationalsseries and on Twitter @sonationals.

The tour would like to thank all of our valued marketing partners including: Schaeffer’s Oil & Specialized Lubricants, Coltman Farms Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, American Race Tires, American Racer South, Delph Communications, E-Z-GO, Spring Pro Precision Equipment, Arizona Sport Shirts, Capital Race Cars, Collins Signs, DirtCarLift.com, DirtonDirt.com, FK Rod Ends, Interstate Welding & Steel Supply, JM Custom Laser, Knowles Race Parts and Bodies, MasterSbilt Race Cars, MRP Fantasy League, SFP Performance Systems, The Joie of Seating, The Steering Buddy, Velocita-USA, Vic Hill Racing Engines, Vinson Sims Construction, and Wiles Driveshafts.

About Schaeffer’s Oil & Specialized Lubricants:
Schaeffer's Specialized Lubricants: synthetic motor oils, hydraulic fluids, and diesel fuel additives have achieved a world-class reputation for improving engine performance and fuel economy, but their diverse product line includes all types of industrial lubricants, industrial greases, and industrial oils as well as specialty items like their chain lubes and degreasers. Founded in 1839, their philosophy is to provide advanced lubricants for improved performance, reliability, and fuel economy. Learn more or find a rep near you at www.SchaefferOil.com.

Media Contact: Ryan Delph - Delph Communications
www.DelphCommunications.com

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