Story by: Langley Austin ~ langley@RACE22.com

Gastonia, NC(January 24, 2010) -- Before the start of the 2009 season, this writer proclaimed Andy Mercer as the "New King" of Hickory Motor Speedway and while he didn't win every race, he came pretty close in one of the most dominant runs in recent memory by any Late Model Stock Car driver.

Mercer's season didn't start out looking like it was going to be the dominant season that many industry experts thought before the drop of the green flag as Mercer fell just short of winning the season opening race. In that race he missed winning the race by only one position after battling side by side with up and coming star, Jesse LeFevers, but he was off to a good start for a run at the tracks championship, an honor he fell just short of in 2008.

On the heels of that second place finish, Mercer was hungry, hungry for a victory and just two weeks later in the second race of the season it was go time. Mercer certainly was on the go and turned out the first great performance of what would be many during the 2009 season. Mercer took home that first win in just the second race and the rest of the field seemed to be running in slow motion compared to the veteran driver.

From there Hickory Motor Speedway fans were treated to one of the greatest seasons ever put together by one driver as he ripped off nine more wins in a row leading up to the seasons biggest race. It was ten wins in a row, something very few drivers at any level have ever accomplished and to come at a time when Late Model Stock Car racing is viewed as the most competitive form of short track racing in the country was a real feat.

With ten wins in a row and the mid-season special event, the Dwight Huffman Memorial on tap at the historic 3/8 mile track and Mercer was going to have to stand up to all kinds of outside challengers. Many people thought that Mercer would play second fiddle with many UARA touring and other NASCAR weekly track competitors making the start in the 177-lap race, but Mercer and his team, led by his brother, David Mercer from Mercer Race Car Engineering stood up to the challenge.

A third place qualifying effort against 42 of the best Late Model Stock Car drivers showed that Mercer's reign at Hickory was for real and shortly into the race, he found himself at the head of the pack. Mercer led many laps in the event, but just under fifty laps from the finish he began to fade and soon everyone found out why as he parked his car up by the wall and limped to pit road with a cut tire. Mercer still had a chance to rally back, but a crash with just 14-laps remaining left Mercer with radiator damage and relegated him to a 16th place finish.

With that race out of the way and a solid showing in the books against the best Late Model Stock Car racers in the business and a week later he returned to victory lane for win number eleven. It looked as if he was going to go right back to dominating, but in Late Model Stock Car racing, it's never that easy. A week later, LeFevers returned to victory lane and stopped Mercer from going on another win streak, but a week later Mercer returned to victory lane and showed that he wasn't going to go away.

Mercer then won his 13th race a week later before getting interupted in the first of twin races the next week and getting his 14th and final win of the 2009 season in the second twin race. A week later he celebrated his 2009 Hickory Motor Speedway championship, culminating a life long dream and completing one of the greatest seasons in the 27-year history of Late Model Stock Car racing.

Mercer also fell just short of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series North Carolina State Championship to friend, Travis Swaim after Mercer qualified on the pole in the season finale at nearby Tri-County Motor Speedway and was taken out of the race on the first lap, handing the eventual win and State Title away. Mercer completed his season with a first career start at Myrtle Beach Speedway in the season ending, Myrtle Beach 250 and after a solid performance including leading laps in the second half of the race, he would finish a strong third.
 

Mercer's 2009 Hickory Season at a Glance:

Date ... Finishes(Starts Not Available)
March 21st ... 2nd
April 4th ... 1st
April 11th ... 1st
April 18th ... 1st
April 25th ... 1st
May 2nd ... 1st
May 9th ... 1st
May 23rd ... 1st
May 30th ... 1st
June 6th ... 1st
June 20th ... 1st
July 11th ... 16th
July 18th ... 1st
August 1st ... 3rd
August 8th ... 1st
August 15th ... 1st
September 5th ... 2nd/1st
September 12th ... 6th
October 11th ... 2nd

Average Finish - 2.15

Mercer's Quick Stats 2009:

~Hickory Motor Speedway Champion
~Wins: 14
~Ten Wins in a Row from April 4th to June 20th

*Mercer also finished a close second in the NASCAR North Carolina State Championship Rankings
*Mercer also had a third place finish in the Myrtle Beach 250 at Myrtle Beach Speedway