Dylan Fetcho Joins Elite Company in Nashville Record Books With Third Title

Dylan Fetcho won the battle and the war on Saturday night in the Pro Late Model All American 100 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

Locked in a fierce battle for the Pro Late Model track championship with Jackson Boone and Dawson Sutton, Fetcho took the checkered flag in the 100-lap race on the eve of the All American 400. By finishing just ahead of second-place Boone, Fetcho claimed the championship by one point.

The turning point in the championship battle came on lap 73, as Fetcho passed both Boone and Chase Burda to move from fourth to second. Fetcho took the lead three laps later en route to the victory.

“The car was really good all night,” said Fetcho in victory lane. “We had a vibration I was worried about halfway through the race. I saw an opportunity to get in there once they started dicing it up and it worked out for us.”

While the championship battle remained tight all evening long, the objective was simple in Fetcho’s eyes. Win the race, and the rest would take care of itself.

“I knew I had to beat [Boone],” said Fetcho. “I knew if I won the race, I would wrap it up. I went in just trying to win the race, and that’s what we did.”

Fetcho joined elite company in the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway history books with the championship. He is now a three-time champion at the track, tying him with Sterling Marlin and Andy Kirby, Jr. Only Coo Coo Marlin and Joe Buford, with four, have more championships.

Fetcho also added his name to the list of drivers to win back-to-back championships at the track. That feat was most recently accomplished by Wade Allen Buttrey in 2004 and 2005. Joe Buford, Andy Kirby, Jr. Bobby Hamilton, Sterling Marlin, Flookie Buford, and Coo Coo Marlin have also won consecutive championships at Nashvile.

“That’s big time for us,” said Fetcho. “We’re definitely a small team compared to who we race with. I just can’t thank everybody enough. There are so many people that help us do this and help us get to the track.”

While Fetcho celebrated his championship, Jackson Boone ended his season on the podium in the finale, but one spot short in the title hunt. However, Boone’s spirits remained high despite the disappointment.

“Frustrating night. I wouldn’t say frustrating, moreso heartbreaking,” sadi Boone. “This team’s been through a lot this year, and we’ve been through a lot of adversity. Obviously, we wanted this championship really bad, but that’s part of it. This is racing.

“Congrats to them, man. They’ve worked hard all year, everyone knows they’ve worked hard. This is an extremely tough field to race against, so we’re proud to come out here and be successful.

“We’ve had a really great year and gotten a ton of wins between here and Pensacola, and we’ve made a lot of strides at every track we’ve been to. We can’t sit back and say we’ve had bad weekends. This isn’t a bad weekend. It’s a successful weekend and a successful year.”

Augie Grill rounded out the podium while Kyle Steckly and Michael Hinde rounded out the top five. Chase Burda had initially crossed the line in fourth place but was disqualified following post-race technical inspection for a left-side weight violation.

Saturday's racing sets the stage for the big race on Sunday, the All American 400. Along with being one of the crown jewels of the season, this year's event will crown the inaugural ASA STARS National Tour champion in a battle between Ty Majeski and Cole Butcher.

-Photo credit: Will Bellamy/Racing America

ALL AMERICAN 100 UNOFFICIAL RESULTS