Twin Top Fives For Denton In Second Late Model Outing

Cole Denton at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway. (Tina Denton photo)

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – In just his second weekend behind the wheel of a full-bodied stock car, Cole Denton earned a pair of top-five finishes in pro late model action at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.

Denton retook the wheel for Naake Motorsports, renumbered to No. 88 and carrying a new paint scheme highlighting the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation’s NED – No Evidence of Disease – messaging celebrating cancer survivors and offering hope to those still in the fight.

The 15-year-old standout from Pascagoula, Miss., posted the fifth-best qualifying time at 19.563 seconds, setting himself up nicely for the twin 40-lap features that followed.

Showing incredible poise for his limited amount of late model experience, Denton never ran lower than sixth place in either of the two main events, dueling the likes of class veterans Sean Woodside – a past champion of what is now the ARCA Menards Series West – and Tanner Huddleston along the way.

He ended the night filled with learning with a fourth-place finish in race one and a fifth-place result in race two, bringing a clean race car back to team owner Mike Naake and earning respect from many of his competitors along the way.

“Unloading super fast from the start of practice really helped my confidence after practicing [Friday] just to get used to a new track,” Denton said. “My second-ever time in the car was a lot of fun, especially having top-five pace all weekend. There was a lot of passing and the race was really enjoyable; I learned a lot in the first race and it was cool to come out fourth from that one.

“When they did an eight-car invert it put me starting fifth in the second race, and I worked my way up but just fell back a little bit later on,” he added. “Got to make one pass three wide on the outside in the marbles in [turns] one and two that was really crazy, and it’s for sure a moment I’ll remember for a while.

“I really learned a lot from all the CARS Tour [West] guys that competed, so it was a great experience overall with Naake Motorsports, Mr. Mike Naake and his whole crew. They’re a really amazing group to be a part of and learn from.”

Denton would like to thank Naake Motorsports, Race Face Brand Development, and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation for their partnership and support of his recent late model efforts.

He hopes to return to the late model Saturday, Nov. 15 for the CARS Tour West event at Kern Raceway.

About Cole Denton Racing

Nicolas “Cole” Denton is a 15-year-old Gulf South racer with dreams of racing at the top level of stock car racing. From Pascagoula, Miss., Denton began racing go-karts at the age of four and advanced into Bandoleros by the time he was eight years old, where his racing brand and nickname were born.

It was in Bandoleros where Denton, a fan of the iconic racing movie Days of Thunder, adopted the No. 46 as his car number and stylized his Bandolero scheme in black and neon green – akin to the same Mello Yello colors that Tom Cruise’s character Cole Trickle campaigned in the 1990 film.

Denton quickly picked up the nickname “Cole Trickle” at his races, and the persona stuck as his racing stock climbed, leading him to continue racing under the name Cole as he advanced and found success.

His breakout Bandolero season came in 2022, when Denton accrued 40 wins and 59 podium finishes in 62 starts en route to the INEX Bandolero national championship, leading him into his first year in Legend cars.

Denton’s Legend car exploits have been equally impressive since his move into the division two years ago, with two track championships at Cordele (Ga.) Motor Speedway – and four straight overall, going back to his Bandolero days – and a Thursday Thunder Young Lions division title at Atlanta Motor Speedway (now EchoPark Speedway) in 2024.

He also finished runner-up in the INEX Legend Car Young Lions national point standings in 2024 to Keelan Harvick, the son of 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick.

Away from the driver’s seat, Denton is an avid iRacer, cyclist, and push scooter racer. He also practices flying on a flight simulator and attends both local and NASCAR races as his schedule permits.

For more information on Cole Denton, visit his website at https://coledentonracing.com/.