Ray Cook, the promoter of the Southern All Stars, Spring Nationals, Southern Nationals, and Red Clay 602 Late Model Series, announced a rule change that will be implemented in 2027 for all four of the series regarding signal sticks.
Cook shared ahead of the Blue Gray 100 at Cherokee Speedway that all signal sticks must be pool noodles.
He told StockCarReport.com, “We’ve decided that for 2027 that all signal sticks in the pit area will be made out of pool noodle sticks and that’ll be it. So, that way if somebody gets mad at their neighbor and wants to hit them, it won’t hurt as bad.”
As for why he’s making the decision, Cook elaborated, “Summertime, weather’s hot, everybody’s tempers flare. We had an altercation earlier this year and had another one last night, so we’re just trying to protect people. That’s the simplest way to do it.”
“Any color, 22 inches long. That’s the rule,” he declared.
The altercation earlier in the year took place at Volunteer Speedway and was between Will Hicks and Billy Franklin during the 3rd Annual Scott Bloomquist Memorial Scorcher. When Hicks attempted to confront Franklin in the infield while he was still in his car, Franklin’s stick guy intervened.
Hicks shared his perspective on what happened, “He thinks he can run over everybody whenever he wants to. He’s ran over us more times this year and ran his mouth and we just got sick of it. He spun us going down the straightaway, hit the wall, and he thinks that’s it’s everybody else’s fault.”
“We went down there. Just went down there to confront him and I got pulled off of him by somebody else, started hitting me, got in a fight down there and that’s about where it ended at honestly. … He just had it coming all year and I’m glad that we got it in. I am.”
The second altercation happened on Saturday night at Modoc Speedway during the 602 Red Clay portion of the night. Cass Fowler’s sister and crew chief Chrissie Fowler confronted a member of Luke Cooper’s team while she had her signal sticks in hand.
Tempers flare during the 602 late model feature at Modoc!
Cass Fowler and Luke Cooper raced hard into turn 3 on a restart and the pair tangled together into the outside wall! Crews for the two drivers had some pushing and yelling in the infield! Brayden Chavous now the leader! https://t.co/fvIHQjuNwu
— Ralph Greene (@Ralph_Greene945) October 25, 2026
Fowler reacted to the news from Cook ahead of the race at Cherokee on Sunday night. She wrote on Facebook, “You’re welcome!! Pool noodles all ready to go for tonight’s race
”
She had a pink pool noodle that had been cut and turned into a pair of signal sticks.
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