4/26/2026
Crate Racin' USA
Mathis Masters Hendry County with Flag-to-Flag Victory
Clewiston, FL – April 25, 2026) — Weekly racing returned to Hendry County Motorsports Park on Saturday night, and it was Steven Mathis Jr. who put together a dominant performance in the Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Models, leading all 16 laps enroute to the feature victory.
A solid field of 10 competitors signed in for the night’s program, but once the green flag dropped on the main event, Mathis quickly asserted control from his front-row starting position. The Florida driver set a blistering pace early and never relinquished the top spot, navigating traffic and restarts to perfection on the smooth, multi-groove racing surface.
While Mathis paced the field out front, the battle behind him was anything but settled. Kevin Strife put together one of the drives of the night, charging from the 10th starting position to finish second, slicing his way through the field in impressive fashion. James Haynes secured a strong third-place finish after running inside the Top-5 throughout the feature, while Ron Dubeau and Christian Augspurger rounded out the Top-5.
Early race contender Colin Strife, who started on the pole after winning his heat race, slipped back to a seventh-place finish after battling handling issues throughout the feature. Meanwhile, Travis Varnadore—a heat race standout—faded to ninth at the finish. Mechanical trouble sidelined Tim Dowling, who was credited with the only DNF of the event.
Mathis’ victory capped off a strong night after the drivers worked through a pair of competitive heat races to set the field. Colin Strife captured Heat 1, while Mathis Jr. picked up the win in Heat 2, setting the stage for his eventual feature domination.
Feature Results – CRUSA Dirt Late Models (16 Laps)
1-95 – Steven Mathis Jr.
2-46S – Kevin Strife
3-41H – James Haynes
4-11 – Ron Dubeau
5-18I – Christian Augspurger
6-33 – Robert Pettet
7-6S – Colin Strife
8-91 – Tim Barron
9-414 – Travis Varnadore
10-(DNF) 29 – Tim Dowling
Lap Leader: Mathis Jr. (1–16)
Heat Race Results
Heat 1: Colin Strife, Travis Varnadore, Tim Barron, Ron Dubeau, Christian Augspurger
Heat 2: Steven Mathis Jr., James Haynes, Tim Dowling, Robert Pettet, (DNS) Kevin Strife
Hendry County Motorsports Park returns to action on Saturday, May 2nd, as the Top Gun Sprints invade the South Florida oval. Fans will also see a full slate of local divisions including 4.6 Fords, Mod Lites, Outlaw Non-Winged Micros, and 4.6 Fords B-Class.
Article Credit: Cody Earley
