April 20, 2025

Chatsworth, GA — When Sam Jones rolled into North Georgia Speedway on Saturday night, he didn’t expect to have the pits all to himself, or at least not in his division.

“When I showed up, I was the only Street Stock to sign in,” Jones said. “North Georgia had only added Street Stocks to the schedule that morning, and since the track is just ten minutes from my house, we decided to go.”

The division rather shockingly did not draw any other cars. That meant, according to track policy, Jones was technically the winner by default. However, that wasn’t enough for Jones, who was itching to get behind the wheel.

“They asked if I wanted to make some laps, and I told them, ‘Hell no, I want to race.’ They told me they’d just give me my money back so I could head on to Fort Payne. I said, ‘Hell, I want my feature decal!’ They just laughed and told me, ‘Hurry, and good luck at Fort Payne.’”

Fort Payne Motor Speedway was already in Jones’ sights. With the facility being geographically close to Jones, he wanted to return to defend his victory from when he last attended. Jones also possessed respect for the facility and how they’d treated him in the past, making it an easy choice for a last minute pilgrimage.

Showing up late to Fort Payne didn’t shake his focus too much, though it did add an extra layer of pressure. Jones would have to start the feature in the rear of the field.

“It always bothers me a little, but I kind of like starting in the rear,” he admitted. “You learn more that way. There’s no skill in starting up front and just staying there. I feel better when I have to race my way to the front.”

By the end of the night, Jones had claimed wins at two different tracks in two different states in a matter of hours, something few drivers can say they’ve done.

“It feels good. I’m always thankful for any win,” he said. “One of them was more of a ‘participation win’—kind of just handed to me—but hey, I’ll take it. It’s a win to me anytime I can take the car home in one piece and be safe while doing it.”

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Cover photo: Daniel Vining