Michael Hinde Scores First Major Super Late Model Win in Return of World Crown 300

Michael Hinde has spent more than two years looking for a landmark Super Late Model victory. On Saturday night at Cordele Motor Speedway, that win came in the return of a crown jewel event.

Hinde took the lead with 51 laps to go in the World Crown 300, scoring the win in a 31-car UARA National Tour field and joining the list of winners in the prestigious event with a history dating back to 1983.

"I'm speechless right now," said Hinde in victory lane. "I don't even know what to say. Thank you to all my guys. Thank you to Chris Cater. He brings a fast-ass race car to the track every week. We've had a lot of fast cars, led a bunch of laps this year. Just haven't had the luck go our way."

The Florida driver was fastest on practice day Friday, but started on the sixth row after qualifying 11th and finishing fourth in his 25-lap heat race. Then, Hinde fell to the rear of the field after just four laps after stopping to avoid an incident involving Connor Okrzesik and Derek Thorn.

"We had a really good car yesterday," said Hinde. "Qualifying didn't really show it. I figured we'd have a really good car for the race. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the race, we couldn't really go anywhere when there was a caution and we had to go to the back."

Thus, Hinde's march through the field began. He reached the top 10 before a caution on lap 71 for Michael Goddard coming to a stop in turn four. During that caution, Hinde stayed out when many of the leaders pitted, instead pitting at lap 107 during a yellow flag for a Grant Thompson spin.

This decision proved to be pivotal, as a green flag run of nearly 120 laps ensued and Hinde charged his way to second behind Johnny Sauter.

"I feel like some of them guys took tires a little too early. With no guaranteed cautions, you never really know when to come in. I feel like the cautions played out perfect."

The yellow flag on lap 226 for Dustin Smith spinning on the backstretch proved to be the final caution of the evening. Stephen Nasse took the lead from Sauter on lap 230, but soon found himself battling side-by-side with Hinde for the lead.

Finally, door-to-door contact between Hinde and Nasse ended the battle, with Hinde pulling ahead and distancing himself from the field.

"I'd like to apologize to the 51, getting into him a little bit. I was trying to race him hard. He raced me clean, so I appreciate that. This is a feeling like no other."

While Hinde won by more than three seconds, there were still some moments of apprehension in the closing laps.

"My transmission started popping out of gear. I was a little worried. I was just holding it in gear riding around. That was a blast."

One race remains for UARA National in 2024, the Bigley Memorial 128 at the Freedom Factory on November 29-30. Thanks to Hinde, part of his $35,000 payday on Saturday night will go to the winner of that event.

"I'd like to donate $5,000 of my winnings to the Bigley Memorial race for the Bigley family."

Hinde is a former winner at Cordele, as the 2022 victor of the Pro Late Model portion of SpeedFest. Now, he scores his breakthrough Super Late Model win at Cordele in the return of the World Crown 300.

The World Crown 300 was last contested in 2014 at Gresham Motorsports Park before that facility closed ahead of the 2015 season. The list of winners of the World Crown includes the likes of Darrell Waltrip, Rich Bickle, Gary Balough, Bobby Gill, Ronnie Sanders, and Chase Elliott.

Sauter finished second, followed by Okrzesik, Nasse and Seth Christensen.

-Photo credit: Will Bellamy, Racing America

World Crown 300 Unofficial Results