MERIDIAN, Miss. — It would have been easy for Spencer Hughes to get discouraged. In fact, considering the tumultuous season the Meridian, Miss., native had with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, it would’ve been downright understandable.

When things didn’t go perfect during preliminary action for the 28th annual Coors Light Fall Classic at Whynot Motorsports Park, Hughes wasn’t ready to hit the panic button. Hughes didn’t set a fast time during qualifying. He didn’t win a heat race Friday or Saturday. And his hope of winning a $2,500 preliminary feature on Friday were thwarted by Brian Rickman and a run-in with an infield tire barrier, a blow that denied the rising star a shot at winning his first-ever Super Late Model race at his home track.

But there are few places where Hughes is as comfortable as he is at Whynot, so panic he did not. Instead, after salvaging a runner-up finish to Columbus, Miss.’s Rickman in Friday’s opening 20-lap prelim feature, Hughes rolled up his sleeves and went to work, repairing his damaged car and focusing on Saturday’s 60-lap, $12,000-to-win finale.

His attitude and resilience paid off handsomely. Surging forward from his seventh starting position, Hughes took the lead from fellow Lucas Oil Series campaigner Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, on lap 19 and led the rest of the way for his first victory of the season for car owners Craig and Shannon Sims of PCC Motorsports.

“I knew we had a good enough car to get the job done, but, you know, some stuff didn’t play out in our favor there (Friday),” Hughes said. “Me and Brian (Rickman) got together and I ended up clipping a skidder tire. I knew for as bad as it tore my car up, I was still pretty good … right there on him. So yeah, I was disappointed we didn’t win, but at the same time I knew we had a really good car and felt like we could put together a good piece for tonight.”

Hughes said that despite starting seventh, he wasn’t overly concerned. A double winner at Whynot in Crate Late Model and modified action on March 5, Hughes not only had confidence in own car, but he was certain that the Rodney Wing-prepared track wouldn’t let him down. He quickly advanced through the field, moving into third on lap 12 and grabbing second three laps later.

“I knew I needed to pass some cars right there at the beginning and put myself in position to be able to run the last 20 or so laps, but at the same time, you can’t do it if you’ve got your left front knocked off either,” Hughes said. “I just knew I had to be smart through there on all the restarts. I think I was lucky enough to be in the right spot on every one of those restarts (before I got the lead). When I’d restart on the bottom I was able to get by two of ’em before the next caution because it was just a little bit better restarting there early in the race off (turn) four because you could leave in the traction.

“Some places I don’t feel like you’d have a shot starting that far back, but I knew here it was gonna be just fine. I just made sure I let everything work out in our favor right there and made real smart choices through that race and just saved something right there for the end. Hat’s off to Rodney and the crew here. I know (the preferred groove) ended up being kinda around the bottom right there, but you could still move out and pass. Overall, I think all weekend long through both of them features and all the heat races and stuff it put on a hell of a show.”

It was certainly enough to thrill the partisan crowd, which roared with approval when the soft-spoken driver just seven days shy of his 22nd birthday climbed from his car in victory lane. Though he’s been a winner with a three regional tours, captured the Baltes Classic at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, in 2021 and has enjoyed success in a modified on national stages like Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., and Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway, Hughes said is was especially gratifying to win in front of the home faithful.

“We’ve been after one of the big ones now for a real long time,” Hughes said. “You know, to get it done at Whynot, all my family’s here and probably half the grandstands or whatever at least was a Spencer Hughes fan at some point. Just to get it done in front of my family and all my friends and the fans here and Meridian, man it feels good. I’ve won a lot of races here in a street stock and a Crate car, but you know I’ve never even actually won a (Super) Late Model race here, so to just finally pull it off and to win one of the big races too, it means a lot.”

His 88th career victory across four divisions also helps ease the pain of an up and down season that resulted in a ninth-place finish in the Lucas Oil Series points chase while netting just five top-five finishes with the national tour. (Hughes also had one top-five with the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series.) He has two Crate Late Model victories and a modified triumph in 2022 — all in Mississippi — as well.

“It feels good. I think we’ve got beat down in just about every way you can, from equipment breaking to bad runs to just getting in freak wrecks and stuff,” Hughes said. “I can’t thank Craig and Shannon Sims enough. They stood by us all year, last year and this year and I know this year has been definitely a trying year. To have them be able to stick behind us like that and not give up and give us everything so we can go up the road it means a lot.”