Justin Allison

Donnie Allison

Bobby Allison

Taylor Stricklin

SALISBURY, N.C. (November 12, 2019) – With a runner-up finish at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday, 15-year-old Luke Akers solidified hist first-ever Allison Legacy Race Series championship.

Heading into the season finale at Hickory Motor Speedway, Akers entered the weekend only six points ahead of fellow North Carolinian, Cole Wagner, but before Akers could take the green flag, he had to first complete his duties as a sophomore at West Davidson High School. On Monday, Akers had band auditions where he earned second chair, and then he also played in a JV football game. He took the PSAT on Tuesday, played in another football game on Thursday and then it was time for the biggest race of his career.

Akers qualified fourth and ran up front all race long at Hickory. Running in second for the majority of the race, Akers kept pace with race leader, Ethan Elder. On the final lap, Akers and Elder battled it out for the win. Akers’ runner-up finish secured him enough points to capture the 2019 Allison Legacy Race Series championship. The title marked the first of his career, and it came in his debut season.

“In the second race of the season, we actually found something, and it sped us up a whole bunch,” Akers said. “We just kind of went on from there, and towards the end, we thought that we were in contention to win the championship, so we just had our mindset towards that, and luckily, it worked out for us.”

Throughout the 2019 season, Akers captured two wins, four poles and 12 top-five finishes. Akers’ wins came at Hickory Motor Speedway and Orange County Speedway. On seven occasions this season, Akers was named the Rookie of the Race.

“It was crazy,” Akers said about earning his first win at Hickory. “We didn’t expect to win it, but once we got that pole, we felt confident in what we were doing.”

Akers continued and said, “When we went to Orange County, that was our second win, and it was in a row. We didn’t qualify on the pole, but we qualified third. We just came out of a cannon. The car felt great.”

Akers joins current and former NASCAR national series stars, John Hunter Nemechek, Trevor Bayne, Chad McCumbee, Regan Smith, Timmy Hill and others as Allison Legacy Racing Series champions.

This year’s Allison Legacy Race Series championship battle was one of the closest in its history. Five drivers visited Victory Lane during the 14-race schedule. Elder’s fifth victory at Hickory on Saturday catapulted him to the winningest driver of the 2019 season. Cole Wagner won four races, followed by Akers and Jantzen Stirewalt with two and Matthew Davey with one.

About Allison Legacy Race Series

The Allison Legacy Series offers a professional to intermediate racing program. This unique and innovative program attracts drivers, new and old, with or without experience, and has proven to be a valuable stepping stone for drivers looking to further a racing career. Check the website out at www.allisonlegacy.com for more info, and call the shop at (704) 278-0174 with any questions.

P2 Luke Akers and Crew	P3 Camryn Rice

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