Late Incident Hampers Kelly’s Pensacola Pro Truck Debut

Colton Kelly (18K) battles Kyler Bean in Pro Truck action at Five Flags Speedway. (Daniel Vining photo)

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Georgia Pro Truck racer Colton Kelly was on pace for a strong night Friday at Five Flags Speedway before a late incident cost him a potential top-five finish.

After qualifying fourth for the 25-lap feature at the half-mile paved oval, Kelly worked his way up as high as third on the opening lap before a slight slip dropped him back to seventh in the early going.

Settling in there, however, Kelly began to feel out the handling of his No. 18K Pave America-sponsored machine before setting his sights steadily forward.

Kelly made the move to take sixth place on lap 11 and was closing in on fifth beyond the halfway point when he went high to pass a slower lap truck and was squeezed into the outside wall as a result.

The damage was enough that it eliminated Kelly from the race seven laps short of the checkered flag, leaving him 11th in the results. It also prevented him from completing the second leg of a planned Gulf Coast doubleheader, as Kelly was originally scheduled to race at Mobile (Ala.) Int’l Speedway Saturday.

However, the 13-year-old from Villa Ricca, Ga., was upbeat despite the disappointing finish on paper, feeling that he “learned a great deal” and was gaining pace before the incident that put him behind the pit wall.

“The ending was disappointing, but we did have a great truck in practice and qualifying,” said Kelly. “I had a good move at the start to go forward for a minute, but a couple of trucks got around me after that and I had to keep calm to make sure I didn’t put myself in a bad position.

“I started picking off positions one by one … but when I came up on lap traffic, I thought one of the trucks ahead of me was going to go low, so when I went high to try and get around him, he came up and I ended up hitting the wall pretty hard,” Kelly continued. “It destroyed the rear of my truck and I’m really bummed about that because I feel like we were finding a ton of speed as the long run went on.”

Originally credited with 12th place, Kelly was elevated to 11th after original second-place finish Carson Green was disqualified for an infraction in post-race technical inspection.

“I didn’t finish last … so we’re going to look at that positive, get this truck put back together, and look toward our next race. I really believe that we’re going to have a shot to win before long!”

That enthusiasm is something Kelly hasn’t lacked in the month since his overall Pro Truck debut.

“I feel like I’ve been confident in myself throughout this process, but it’s nice to see that belief reflected on the racetrack in the speed that we’ve had in our first few races,” Kelly noted. “To finish second our first time out … and have top-five pace this past weekend, it’s a great feeling for how few races I have in these full-size trucks compared to a lot of the veterans.

“I know my driving style has fit well already in the bigger vehicles … which makes me feel good that we can start to focus on more of the little things to make gains going forward.”

Kelly would like to thank Pave America, Southern Protection Agency, Southern Drywall, Grant and John Thompson, Race Face Brand Development, and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation for their partnership and support of his racing efforts.

The next planned race for Kelly Is Saturday night, May 10 at Mobile’s half-mile paved oval.

About Colton Kelly

Colton Kelly is a 13-year-old racer from Villa Rica, Ga., who has been fulfilling his need for speed on the racetrack since 2017, when he began quarter midget racing at the age of five.

Kelly’s resume in motorsports features more than 100 quarter midget victories, as well as 10 track championships in his home state of Georgia.

A four-time runner-up in the Southeast-based Dixie Shootout Series point standings, Kelly also has two national quarter midget victories with the NASCAR Youth Series and was the 2023 NASCAR Youth Series Senior Honda division champion.

For 2025, Kelly will graduate out of quarter midgets and turn his focus to Pro Truck racing, where he’ll drive the No. 18K with sponsorship from Pave America, Southern Protection Agency, and Southern Drywall, under the mentorship of Grant and John Thompson.

When not behind the wheel or at a racetrack, Kelly enjoys fishing, skeet shooting, and playing soccer. He is recognized as a top youth skeet shooter in the state of Georgia, all while maintaining honor-roll and Dean’s List status in school. On the charitable front, Kelly is a supporter of the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation’s efforts to better the quality of life for children battling pediatric cancer and their families.

Follow Kelly’s career at his new website, https://www.coltonkellyracing.com/, or on Facebook by searching CLK Motorsports.