Fierce Battle Leads Kelly To Seventh In Five Flags Return

Colton Kelly in action Friday at Five Flags Speedway. (Tonia Kelly photo)

PENSACOLA, Fla. – In his long-awaited return to Five Flags Speedway Friday night, Colton Kelly put together a gritty and consistent race to earn a seventh-place finish in Pro Truck action at the half-mile paved oval.

After qualifying his familiar No. 18K Pave America-sponsored machine in eighth place with a lap of 18.914 seconds – just a tenth and a half off the top five – Kelly spent the duration of the 25-lapper battling wheel to wheel with multiple veterans.

He dropped back as far as ninth early on before working his way forward, making his final pass for position on Kenny Gibson with eight laps left and holding serve to the checkered flag.

It was a solid rebound from Kelly’s prior appearance at Five Flags this season, when a late crash relegated him to 11th place and a DNF on April 25.

“To come back here and build my confidence with a top 10, put the truck back on the trailer with no damage, and make noticeable improvements on our speed from when we were here in the spring … those are all things I can be really proud of,” said the 14-year-old native of Villa Ricca, Ga.

“We know there’s still a lot of work to do at this racetrack, but for my rookie season in Pro Trucks and racing at a really tough venue with a lot of great competition, this was a solid night for our team.”

Friday night marked Kelly’s fourth straight finish of seventh or better dating back to June 28.

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

He will return to action Saturday night, Sept. 6 for the final race of the season at Mobile (Ala.) Int’l Speedway, where he recently locked up Pro Truck rookie-of-the-year honors and a fourth place finish in the season point standings.

The race is a non-point event after the track champions were crowned in mid-August.

About Colton Kelly

Colton Kelly is a 14-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.

For more information, visit his website at www.coltonkellyracing.com.