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Checkered flag for Thompson in Race for Hope 71 prelim

Cody Thompson made the long trek from Iowa to Batesville Motor Speedway (Locust Grove, Arkansas) to take part in the prestigious seventh annual Race for Hope 71 on Thursday through Saturday. The trip immediately paid dividends when he won on the event’s first night at the 3/8-mile speed plant.

Thompson’s No. 25c IMCA Modified was one of 46 in the class at the track during Thursday's lid lifter. The driver grabbed the win in his heat race and started the night’s 20-lap feature event from the fifth position. Thompson took over the lead with a last-lap pass and scored his eighth feature victory of 2023 with a 0.826-second advantage over Drake Findley. Jeff Taylor, Brandon Smith and Tim Ward rounded out the top five.

The following night saw 45 IMCA Modifieds in the pit area for another full program in advance of Saturday’s finale. Thompson had a part failure while leading his Friday heat and finished sixth, also leaving him unable to start his B-Main.

For the event's third and final evening on Saturday, 45 IMCA Modified competitors again descended on Batesville. Each sought the $10,000 first-place payout in the Race for Hope 71 feature. Having locked into the 71-lap main event via points earned the previous two nights, Thompson rolled off 15th. Despite steering challenges, he moved into the top 10 on the 17th circuit and ultimately finished in the seventh position.

Full results can be found at www.batesvillemotorspeedway.com.

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