SEYMOUR, Tenn. — After starting on the pole of a heat race but failing to win it Friday at 411 Motor Speedway, Cory Hedgecock knew he let a golden opportunity to start up front slip away.

"I know I kind of got behind there in the heat and everything," the 28-year-old Loudon, Tenn., driver said, "and I told Dad, 'We're going to win this thing somehow.' "

Rallying from his seventh starting spot in the 53-lap Schaeffer's Southern Nationals feature, the inside-running Hedgecock raced to the front, overtaking polesitter Ross Bailes of Clover, S.C., on the 14th lap and dominating the rest of the way for his third career series victory. He took the checkers 4.127 seconds ahead of ninth-starting Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn., in becoming the eighth winner in eight miniseries races.

Behind Weaver, Pierce McCarter of Knoxville, Tenn., overcame a poor start to grab the last podium spot while series points leader Donald McIntosh of Dawsonville, Ga, finished fourth after challenging Bailes for the lead on the high side early. Cody Overton of Evans, Ga., rounded out the top five.

Bailes, who led the first 13 laps and was seeking his second series victory, ended up seventh.

"Man, I'm just glad we've finally got us another Super (Late Model) win. It's been a long time," Hedgecock said in victory lane. "We've worked our ass off on this new car, a Black Diamond. Ronnie Stuckey, (Anthony) Burroughs, B.J. Robinson, man, just everybody (from Stuckey Enterprises) that's helped on this car. It's a brand new Eagle powerplant and everything, and it drove real smooth."

Hedgecock added: "Dad was giving me some good signals and everything. I just kept looking up to that (lap counter) and I'd run a couple of laps, and it felt like 10. It's just been a long time, man. It feels like it's our first one again. I'm tickled to death, $10,000 definitely helps the race team."

Weaver, like Hedgecock, wished he'd have started closer to the front.

"I'm sure Cory's dad was giving him good signals, and when you can get to the front like that quick and set the pace, it's a lot easier. But hat's off to them. I know I've lucked up and beat him here a couple of times, and he definitely gave it back to us tonight," said Weaver, a series winner at Rome (Ga.) Speedway. "I just dug us a hole qualifying, starting ninth and having to get our way up through there. It's just part of the program, you know? I'm not one of them guys who said we needed a caution or need whatever. I just should've done a better job early tonight."

McCarter lined up third, but a poor start dropped him as far back as seventh before he started heading forward in the race's final 20 laps.

"I stepped on my you know what on that first lap. I thought I took Cory out. I thought I took the whole field out, really," McCarter said. "I needed to step on the gas pedal instead of the brake, I guess. We fell back there and we came back through pretty good. We had a great car. Congrats to Cory. He's good around this place. Man, any time he can jump out front like that, he's tough to (catch)."

The race's lone slowdown came on Ryan King's spin on the initial start and 10 of 24 starters completed 53 laps.

The final points race of the series is scheduled for Saturday at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway with another $10,053-to-win race while Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., wraps up the tour with a non-points makeup event Sunday paying $4,053-to-win.

RESULTS

1. Cory Hedgecock
2. Randy Weaver
3. Pierce McCarter
4. Donald McIntosh
5. Cody Overton
6. Dale McDowell
7. Ross Bailes
8. Michael Chilton
9. Jensen Ford
10. Dalton Cook
11. Sam Seawright
12. David Payne
13. Dalton Polston
14. Kenny Collins
15. Stacy Boles
16. Garrett Smith
17. Benjamin Cranford
18. Ryan King
19. Ahnna Parkhurst
20. Jeff Neubert
21. Heath Hindman
22. David Crabtree
23. Mack McCarter
24. Vic Hill