Monahan Rebounds at Florence with Drive to a P6 Finish
Florence Motor Speedway looked like it might deliver a tough points night for Monahan Motorsports. By the end of Friday, September 4, it became a reminder of why racers never give up on a weekend too early.
Brody Monahan entered the CARS Tour event behind the wheel of the team’s #31 Whelen Engineering sponsored Pro Late Model, but Friday practice did not bring the speed or confidence the team wanted. After the session, Brody summed up the mood plainly.
“We are cooked.”
That was the feeling before qualifying. It was not the result.
A Difficult Start Put the Team on Defense
Monahan Motorsports has built a reputation for balanced short-run and long-run speed with strong qualifying efforts, but Florence did not follow that usual script. The #31 did not have the sharp pace the team is used to showing early in a race weekend.
Qualifying left Brody starting P13 for the 100-lap CARS Tour feature. On a night when track position matters, that could have easily set up a frustrating finish and a costly points hit.
Instead, the race became a steady recovery drive.
Starting mid-pack meant Brody had to be smart from the drop of the green flag. There was no quick fix available. The team needed patience, clean air when possible, and a car that would come alive as the run went longer.
That is exactly what happened.
Brody Found Speed When It Mattered
Once the race settled in, Brody began working his way forward. The #31 was not the fastest car on a short run, but it started to show real strength over longer stretches.
That long-run speed changed the tone of the night. As other cars began to fade, Brody kept pace and continued gaining ground. Every pass mattered, and every position gained under green showed the car had true race pace.
The most impressive part of the run was how it came together. Brody made all of his passes under green flag conditions, not from chaos, not from attrition, and not from a lucky restart shuffle.
He had to earn each spot.
By the end of the 100-lap race, the #31 had climbed from 13th to P6, turning a difficult start into one of the more important recovery performances of the season, next to his recovery at Hickory last month.
The P6 Finish at Florence Keeps the Championship Picture Alive
A sixth-place finish may not sound flashy from the outside, but context makes this one count.
This was a night that could have hurt badly. Starting P13 after a rough practice session put Monahan Motorsports in a position where losing points was a real concern. Instead, the team recovered, stayed composed, and brought home a consistent finish.
That matters even more with the season winding down. With only three races remaining, every position carries extra weight. A poor night at Florence could have changed the championship tone. A P6 finish keeps the campaign moving in the right direction.
The run from 13th to 6th was not just a solid result. It was the kind of rebound that keeps a title push alive.
Tri County Speedway Comes Next
Monahan Motorsports will not have much time to reset. The next CARS Tour race is next weekend at Tri County Speedway on September 12th.
Florence proved that the #31 team can fight through a difficult start and still leave with a result. That kind of toughness can make the difference late in a championship season.
Brody Monahan and Monahan Motorsports left Florence with more than a P6 finish. They left with momentum, points saved, and proof that even when the day starts with “we are cooked,” the race can still end with a rebound.
About Monahan Motorsports Driver Development
Monahan Motorsports is a dedicated Pro Late Model development team based in Mooresville, NC. Our team is passionate about motorsports and strives for excellence in every competition. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of performance and achieving success on and off the racetrack.
With top-of-the-line equipment and a veteran crew chief, we are prepared to win races and championships from the moment the racecar unloads from the hauler.
Contact us to explore opportunities as a funded driver to race full time for Monahan Motorsports in 2026.
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