Back To Back: Another Thursday Thunder Title For Denton

Cole Denton (third from right) celebrates with the other Thursday Thunder Series champions at EchoPark Speedway. (USLCI photo)

HAMPTON, Ga. – Cole Denton successfully defended his Thursday Thunder Legend car championship Thursday night at EchoPark Speedway, going back-to-back despite advancing up a division on the ladder.

After moving from the Young Lions class into the ultra-competitive Semi-Pro field, Denton continued his longtime dominance of the facility’s quarter-mile track built into the frontstretch of the 1.54-mile quad-oval.

The 14-year-old from Pascagoula, Miss., won half of the events on the 10-race summer schedule, never finishing outside the top five and winning the final three features to clinch the title with authority.

Thursday night’s finale was by far the most chaotic round all summer, however. Though he qualified on the pole, Denton was tagged in the rear and shuffled out of the groove in turn three of the opening lap.

That dropped him back into traffic, and Denton spent the rest of the 20-lap feature working to rebound. He was as low as fifth at the midpoint, but Denton got back to third by the final lap behind leader Mitch Wright and runner-up Garrett Erwin.

At that point, Denton became a spectator as Erwin turned Wright coming to the finish, with Erwin initially crossing the finish line first before being sent to the rear of the lead-lap cars for rough driving.

With Denton getting to the checkered flag second, the post-race decision elevated him to the win and allowed him to celebrate his second straight Thursday Thunder championship in victory lane.

“We were fast all race long; just the circumstances of the start set us back and we had to fight throughout just to get ourselves back in contention,” said Denton. “I had a front-row seat to the mess there on the final lap, and I couldn’t quite get through … but ultimately it didn’t end up mattering. You have to be in the mix to take advantage when things like that happen, though, so I’m proud of the whole 77 Speed Shop team for giving us what we needed to be up there when it mattered.

“We always want to take the checkered flag first on the racetrack, but at the same time, you’re never going to pass up a trophy no matter how it ends up going your way,” he added. “This is the best way possible to end what’s been an incredible Thursday Thunder season … and I couldn’t be prouder to be able to represent my team, our partners, and our fans with another championship on a big stage.”

When the summer started, a points championship wasn’t even on Denton’s radar. He just wanted to manage the move into Semi-Pro as best he could and contend for clean, top-five finishes.

What the summer turned out to be – a coronation on a grand stage – was more than the teenager and his family could ever have imagined.

“This has meant everything to us,” Denton admitted. “We didn’t expect this kind of a year against the kind of competition that Semi-Pro brings to the racetrack on a regular basis. Guys like Sam Butler who also have late model experience, I wasn’t sure exactly how we’d stack up in this field, but we worked hard to keep a lot of the same speed we’ve had over the past year or so, and it all paid off for us.

“To be able to compete with some of the top drivers right now, even while I feel like I’m still learning how to race them, is an honor and I’m just trying to stay humble and appreciative of what I get to do right now in racing.”

Denton would like to thank 77 Speed Shop, Matt Jones Motorsports, Race Face Brand Development, and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation for their continued partnership and support of his racing efforts.

About Cole Denton Racing

Nicolas “Cole” Denton is a 14-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/.