Denton Collects A Victory In Cordele Semi-Pro Debut

Cole Denton in victory lane at Cordele Motor Speedway. (Tina Denton photo)

CORDELE, Ga. – In a late return to his home racetrack, Cole Denton picked up his first Cordele Motor Speedway Legend car win of the season Saturday in the Semi-Pro division.

The 20-lap feature, a combined class event featuring Chargers, Young Lions, and Semi-Pros, saw Denton take the lead from polesitter Dylan Bongiovanni on lap three after starting second.

From there, Denton led the rest of the way in his familiar Friends of Jaclyn Foundation/City Chevrolet-sponsored No. 46, taking the checkered flag in front by .807 seconds over Bongiovanni.

Carson Youngblood, Emma Britt, and Bowen Mayhue completed the top five finishers.

Saturday was Denton’s first race in the Semi-Pro division at Cordele since moving up a class during the offseason. He noted afterward that slower traffic made his job as the leader slightly more difficult as the laps wound down.

“For it being my first race in Semi-Pro at Cordele, we couldn’t be happier with the end result,” Denton said. “With the combined field, though, I had to pass several lap cars in the second half and that was something I’m a little less used to at this racetrack. I think my parents might have been more nervous watching than I was behind the wheel; they said it was a little scary to watch me weaving through traffic at those speeds!”

In addition, Denton set his career-best lap time at the three-eighths-mile oval, with a time of 18.301 seconds (73.766 mph average speed) on lap 14 of the feature.

“I was super excited that track conditions and weather allowed me to set my personal fast time at Cordele during the main Saturday,” he added. “But I have to say I was a little disappointed, only because I was really shooting for a two (18.2-second lap). Still, the (18.)301 was a big accomplishment, as I had no draft, so that was a true time all alone. There’s some pride to be taken in that, for sure.”

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

The next race on Denton’s schedule is Saturday, April 5, back at Cordele in the Legend car.

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 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 last season.

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/.