Josh Hicks appears to be serious about defending his Bandolero's Bandits championship at Atlanta Motor Speedway's Thursday Thunder summer racing series.
The 11-year-old East Coweta Middle School student raced to the checkered flag in week No. 1 of the summer series Thursday night.
Hicks took the lead on lap 14 of the 25 lap feature and held off pole sitter Chandler Smith for the victory. Early in the race, Zach Leonhardi and Smith took turns exchanging the lead before Hicks was able to take control off the race.
For Hicks, it was chance to grab early control of the Bandits Division points lead, and keep his momentum going after a solid winter.
Hicks captured his second straight Winter Flurry points title at AMS earlier this year.
Hicks father and crew chief Scott said at Thursday Thunder Media two weeks ago he senses his son is coming into his own as a young racer.
"About a year and a half ago, something just starte to click," he said. "It was during the fall and winter, and he just started gettng better."
Senoia's Tina Johnson ran into some bad luck in her quest to take the checkered flag in the first Masters Division race of the season. Johnson made contact with Brian Weimer on the second lap of the race and that pretty much knocked her out of contention. Skip Nichols, who has won has the career record for most Thursday Thunder victories, added to his record number of checkered flags with his 36 win.
In the Bandolero Outlaws Division, Newnan's Alton Clark finished in third place, but was unable to to chase down Taylor Jorgensen who led from start to finish.
Tim Bishop of Sharpsburg rounded out the day for local drivers with his sixth-place finish in the Buzz Car Division
Thursday Thunder will hold events through July 26. Drivers will have a chance to race twice in the same week on July 4-5.
