Rain Won’t Dampen Denton’s Thursday Thunder Momentum

The hot grid Thursday just before inclement weather moved in at EchoPark Speedway. (US Legend Cars photo)

HAMPTON, Ga. – The scheduled fifth round of EchoPark Speedway’s Thursday Thunder Series for Legend cars and Bandoleros was rained out Thursday night, but despite the wet weather, Cole Denton still has sizable momentum entering the back half of the summer.

The 14-year-old standout from Pascagoula, Miss., sits just six points back of Sam Butler for the lead in the hotly-contested Semi-Pro division, with two wins and an average finish of 2.0 through the first four races.

It’s a record that has Denton eyeing his second straight Thursday Thunder championship in a Legend car, after capturing the crown in the Young Lions class one year ago.

“We’ve got the speed, and Matt Jones Motorsports and 77 Speed Shop have given us all the tools we need to succeed and bring home another title,” said Denton of his familiar, green-and-yellow No. 46.

“I’m definitely bummed out, because this week’s racing was going to be a big deal and potentially put a lot of eyes on us because of the crowd coming in for the NASCAR weekend, but you can’t control the weather and we just have to roll with the punches. We’re still going to have an exciting weekend with the fans and enjoy the Xfinity and Cup Series action just as much as they will.”

Most recently, Denton contested double features at EchoPark’s frontstretch quarter-mile oval, starting and finishing second in the first half of the twinbill and advancing from second to win the nightcap.

The two races served as rounds three and four of Thursday Thunder at the facility formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Denton will be in attendance during the remainder of Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart weekend to interact with the fans before preparing himself for the resumption of the Thursday Thunder season.

His next scheduled race is July 3 back at EchoPark Speedway for the next round of Thursday Thunder.

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.

Denton’s Legend car exploits have been 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/.