Housewright caps off season with win, track championship

KINGSPORT — Brad Housewright raced to the Kingsport Speedway track championship, while Zeke Shell earned the NASCAR Tennessee State title on Friday night. Housewright drove his No. 88 Chevrolet to his third win of the season in the Late Model class at the 3/8-mile concrete oval. Housewright was happy that he beat fellow Kingsport racer and 2024 track champion Keith Helton in the No. 29 Toyota in a photo finish for the race win. He was even happier to win his first track championship at the track nicknamed "The Concrete Jungle." "This is awesome. We didn't come over here to try to win the track championship this year," Housewright said. "We thought we'd do 8-10 races and then we got hung up in this thing battling with Zeke. We've worked hard, and had a good time. We came out here and won the race and the championship. It's pretty exciting." Georgia racer Colby Higgins finished third, ahead of North Carolina racer Darin Silver. Shell, a 13-time winner at the track this season, started at the back of the 13-car field. It was his own chance to double up as track champion, hoping he would win the race and pick up a bonus point for coming from the back. He was able to get to fifth in the 50-lap feature. The Bluff City racer felt an adjustment to the points needed to be made in the future. "We had the car to win so we took a gamble. We knew if we qualified bad and started in the back, we'd get the extra bonus points, but I'd have to win," Shell said. "I can't control how the track does their points. It's different than NASCAR, but it's their sandbox. Thirteen wins and you don't take the track, something's wrong. But, I'm very proud to have shared with Housewright. It was a fun year." It was also a big night for Fall Branch racer Scott Salmons, who was the track's Rookie of the Year. Salmons finished 10th in Friday's race. "We're tickled to death. It's been a long, hard road this year," Salmons said. "We went through three motors and were really struggling. But, we're glad to be here and to be leaving here with the car in one piece." SUPER FOURS Tristen Barnes scored his sixth win of the season when he held off brother, Kyle Barnes, for the Super Street win. The Virginia brothers also finished 1-2 in the points. Kirby Gobble, Marty Robinson and Austin Walters rounded out the top five in Friday's race. Church Hill racer Rusty Clendenin raced his No. 27 Camaro to his fifth win of the season in Street Stock. Rob Austin, who finished second in the race, wrapped up his second straight track championship. Daniel McMurray, Luke Fox and Tony Dockery finished third through fifth. Kevin Canter and Steven Watts finished off dominating seasons in Mod 4 and Pure 4. Canter from Abingdon drove the black No. 3 Ford to his 11th win of the season in Mod 4. His father, Rocky Yates, was second with Chris Amburgey, Nathan Amburgey and Clynis Phillips taking the next three spots. Watts scored his 12th Pure 4 victory at Kingsport and 18th overall at area tracks. He led fellow Kingsport racers Kenny Absher and Frank Womack to the finish line. Chad Jeffers from Blountville was fourth with Terry Welch fifth. OTHER RACES North Carolina driver Ashton Higgins won a 75-lap feature for the touring South Atlantic Pro Series. Kingsport drivers Josh Collins and Roger Wright came into the night tied in the Stock FWD points. Collins out-dueled Josh Ramsey for his sixth win of the season and the track championship. Dakota Collins, Landon Ellis and Sam Ferguson rounded out the top five. Wright finished sixth in the race and runner-up in the point standings. Tyler Conway, another Kingsport driver, won the race and wrapped up the championship in Crown Vic. Keith McMurray from Fall Branch was second in the race and the points. Josh Harrison, Michael Patterson and Mike Weaver were third, fourth and fifth. With the NASCAR Weekly Series season concluded, Kingsport Speedway has just one more day racing in 2026, the King Cobra 350 on Saturday, Oct. 18.