Kelly Notches Runner-Up Finish In Pro Truck Debut

Colton Kelly (18K) battles Steven Davis Saturday at Mobile Int'l Speedway. (Daniel Vining photo)

MOBILE, Ala. – A level head and steady speed allowed Colton Kelly to notch an impressive runner-up finish in his Pro Truck debut Saturday at Mobile Int’l Speedway.

Though Kelly lacked a bit of speed early in the day at the half-mile paved oval, he still managed to post the third-best lap in group qualifying of 19.816 seconds. That lined him up inside the second row for a 30-lap main event, after a straight-up start was pulled during the inversion draw.

The initial start of the race saw Kelly slip back as far as fifth place, as the outside lane rolled better against him initially, but he stabilized in fourth by the end of lap three and began to focus on stringing together consistent laps over the course of a run.

Ten straight laps within two tenths of a second on the stopwatch was evidence of that mindset, allowing Kelly and his white-and-blue No. 18K to slowly reel in a podium position near the halfway point.

He worked past David Herndon for third place with 13 laps left, and seemed destined to finish there before a final-lap miscue by then second-running Jason Welch, who got loose and spun in the final corner coming to the checkered flag.

Diving low to avoid Welch allowed Kelly to steal the runner-up honors at the finish, behind only race winner and longtime Pro Truck veteran Steven Davis.

Colton Kelly (right) debriefs with mentor Grant Thompson at Mobile Int'l Speedway. (Daniel Vining photo)

Not only did Saturday’s event give Kelly his first experience in the full-size truck at race speed, it was the latest step in his continued evolution as a driver since graduating out of quarter midgets.

“After all the practice we put into getting ready, it was exciting to finally get to race the Pro Truck at Mobile,” said Kelly. “Finishing second is just about all we could have asked for; the goal was to keep the truck clean and continuously learn every time I hit the track through the day, and I feel like we did that.

“The race itself gave me some good opportunities to learn how to work over trucks and make passes during the run, and then on the last lap, I knew I just had to go for it when I saw the (No.) 21 (Welch) get loose just before the finish,” Kelly added. “I feel like the whole day was great experience for me and I’m excited to keep it going in a few weeks when we get to run back-to-back races in a weekend.”

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 race weekend for Kelly Is April 25-26, when he’ll make his Five Flags Speedway debut in Pensacola, Fla., on Friday night before returning to Mobile on Saturday.

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.