Spencer Hughes is ready to settle into this newly-developing chapter of his life.

Over the last two months, the 24-year-old Meridian, Miss., racer has departed his Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series ride at JCM Motorsports, become a father and built multiple street stocks through his growing business, 4Way Fab Shop, all in that order. And that’s not all.

Recently reuniting with longtime Dirt Late Model owner-racer Randy Thompson, conveniently located in Jackson, Miss., the former Lucas Oil Series campaigner is focused on reestablishing himself as a regional stalwart.

His first race aboard Thompson’s No. K3 Longhorn Chassis — a fourth-place finish behind Trey Mills, Jimmy Owens and Neil Baggett in Sept. 20’s Cotton Pickin’ at Columbus, Miss.’s Magnolia Motor Speedway — rekindled a partnership that Hughes looks forward to building upon.

“Randy gave me my first, probably, real opportunity in Late Model racing. Back in 2017, we ran a Crate car the first half of the season. And I think we raced, like, 13 times and won nine of them,” Hughes said in a phone interview this week. “And then we put together a brand-new Super Late Model. And we raced five times and won two of them,” including the Governor’s Cup at Magnolia over as a 16-year-old, making him the youngest Southern All Star winner ever, before he parted ways with Thompson before the end of ’17.

This time, Hughes is ready to hit the ground running with Thompson, a partnership that figures to drum up immediate success at this Friday and Saturday’s 19th annual Gumbo Nationals at Greenville (Miss.) Speedway, Oct. 10-11’s World of Outlaws event at Boothill Speedway in Greenwood, La., and Oct. 24-25’s Fall Clash at home track Whynot Motorsports Park.

Spending virtually three years chasing the Lucas Oil tour — two with PCC Motorsports from 2022-23 and from Jan. 17-July 19 this year with JCM — Hughes has learned that following a national series doesn’t suit him the finest. 

When pondering all the regional events he’d like to compete in around the Southeast, Hughes said "that’s what I enjoy doing more anyway.”

That won’t mean he’s indefinitely ruled out a potential third stint campaigning on a national tour — the more Hughes seems to race on road, the more he misses being closer to home. As a new father to 3-week-old daughter Wrenley, he doesn’t want to stray too far from Meridian.

“It just all worked out this time where, you know, all his stuff is sitting there ready to go race, and I'm wanting to spend more time around home now with the baby and all that,” Hughes said. “His stuff is 20 minutes to the shop right there in Meridian. It just kind of kind of worked out great right there, and we were able to put something together where we’re doing the races we want to do and make sense for us.”

Hughes’s business, 4Way Fab Shop, has plenty of momentum, too. Since his final event as a Lucas Oil regular for the JCM team July 19 at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., Hughes is finishing up his third fully-built street stock — a line of work that’ll keep him plenty busy. He has eight street stocks to build this winter, including cars for modified ace Tyler Nicely and Whynot Motorsports Park owner Rodney Wing. 

“To have four cars out as brand-new in my little deal right here, I don’t feel like that’s too bad. We’re doing the best we can,” said Hughes, who added that he’s “not interested in trying to compete with the Marks Richards” of the chassis-building world, but rather maintain enough business for a steady income.

“I just want to go make living and, you know, hopefully put up some nice cars,” Hughes said, although Late Models aren’t on the list.

“I have so much stuff on my plate right now, I don’t have time. Maybe one day I’ll build one just to say I did it,” Hughes said. “I don’t have any plans on getting into the Late Model chassis-building business. I might build one for myself one day, but I don’t have any plans on building a Late Model and selling a Late Model to the public or nothing.

“There’s a lot that goes into that, and they’re expensive to put together anymore. I’ll fix ‘em and put clips on them, bodies and decks, I’ll do that all day long, but I don’t wanna get into the Late Model chassis-building business, if I can help it.”

Overall, Hughes feels good about where life is taking him, even in the wake of June criminal charges in Myrtle Beach, S.C. When asked to address those legal matters, Hughes said that “I feel like everything is going to be all right, but I’d rather not comment further at this time.”

He’s thankful for supporters, including a rotation of crew members Kyle Mars, Josh Smith, Blaze Antony, Davis Taylor, Jaxon Moore and Jimmy Cliburn of Florence, Miss.-based Cliburn Tank Lines. Hughes is also receiving technical support from consultant Vinny Guliani, who services national touring drivers Devin Moran, Garrett Alberson and Brian Shirley, among others. 

“It’s mainly just me and my buddy Kyle Mars and Blaze Anthony helping with us so far. I had Davis Taylor. He came to help me at Magnolia and then my buddy Josh Smith that used to work for (Shane) Clanton, he came to help me. Josh is supposed to be able to get off work and go this weekend.

“It’s different. We’re not having to do it full time, so we're kind of assembling a little bit of a crew that can be consistent, you know, where everything's in the trailer and stuff like that to go run the races we want to.

“We’re getting it all put together, all that good stuff. Vinny’s been helping me on the car, building the shocks and whatnot,” Hughes said. “We’ve got a new Jay Dickens motor in it that runs great. I don't see any reason why we can't win a lot of races here in the near future.”

Ultimately, Hughes is focusing on winning special events for Thomas like this weekend’s Gumbo Nationals, WoO’s $50,000-to-win event at Boothill on Oct. 11 and the Fall Clash top prize of $20,000 at Whynot Motorsports Park. 

“Yeah, absolutely. I mean … nothing’s ever guaranteed or nothing like that, but if we don't feel like we got what it takes, or don't have our ducks in a row enough to go line up and go at least try to win, we’re not going to go,” Hughes said. “That’s the reason we didn’t go to Brownstown (Ind.) this past week” for the Jackson 100 on the Lucas Oil circuit.

He’d like to venture out of the Southeast occasionally in 2026, potentially with limited Georgia-Florida Speedweeks action over the winter.

“If I go down and run some Speedweeks stuff, it won't be the entire deal. I don't have plans on running the Lucas Oil Series as of right now for next year, nothing like that,” Hughes said. “We’ve been very fortunate and blessed that I've got several of those street stocks built. It’s been going well. On that side, I need to take care of my customers that spend their hard-earned money with me, and get their stuff ironed out.

“We probably won’t do much Speedweeks stuff unless something crazy happens. As far as that, I don’t know. Me and Randy are simply going to go race when it makes sense for the both of us, and where we feel we can win at. Hopefully we can go win some money and do it smart. This stuff is so expensive nowadays.

“Thanks to Randy and all his guys and all his sponsors, I’m happy to be in good equipment and that I get to pick and choose a little bit,” Hughes said. “We’re looking forward to a little comeback and winning a lot of races.”