Altice Steals Season 33 Opener in North Wilkesboro Carnage

North Wilkesboro, NC — The Bootleg Racing League opened Season 33 of the Late Model Invitational Series with a bruising, controversy-soaked 100-lap feature at the virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway. The race carried historical weight, arriving 4,284 days after the league’s inaugural event, and much of the pre-race focus centered on James Lowe’s pursuit of becoming only the second driver in league history to win three championships. Instead, the night unraveled into a survival test defined by tire decay, hard racing, and a final-lap wreck that handed victory to the last driver anyone expected.

With the top 13 finishers from the previous season inverted, Allen Wannamaker rolled off from the pole and immediately asserted control. Using the preferred inside lane, Wannamaker led the opening 41 laps and looked every bit like the driver to beat. As the run stretched past lap 20, the track began to widen just enough for the high line to come alive, allowing drivers like Mike Holloway and Rubin Altice to start probing for momentum. Under strict “run what you brung” rules with no tire changes and no fast repairs, every lap demanded restraint. Pushing too hard early would leave rear tires feeling like melted butter by the closing stages.

The tone of the race shifted sharply once Chris Davis, living up to his “Mr. Aggressive” reputation, began leaning on Steve Hilbert. The pressure boiled over into a multi-car incident that swept up Hilbert, defending champion James Lowe, and Altice, instantly scrambling the running order and igniting debate over racecraft. North Wilkesboro’s layout only amplified the tension, with the downhill plunge into Turn 1 and uphill charge into Turn 3 punishing impatience and magnifying mistakes. Amid the chaos, a moment of sportsmanship stood out when Tre Blohm made contact with Adam Schoen, triggering a spectacular save that kept Schoen off the wall, even as Blohm’s own race soon unraveled.

As the race entered its final third, a new star emerged. Rookie Chris Worrell, making his series debut, methodically worked his way to the front and appeared to have the field covered on pace. Lap after lap, Worrell looked poised to cap his first BRL start with a statement win. That confidence evaporated when a late caution involving Kyle Feimster and Davis set up a green-white-checker finish, a sequence that drew sharp criticism from the broadcast booth as tempers flared and lines blurred between hard racing and retaliation.

On the final restart, Worrell controlled the field and powered through the final lap with the checkered flag seemingly in sight. Then everything went wrong. Allen Wannamaker, still circulating after earlier troubles, was caught in a collision and left stationary in the middle of Turn 4. With nowhere to go, Worrell slammed into the stopped car just yards from the finish line, a crushing end to what had been a brilliant debut.

Out of the smoke and debris emerged Rubin “The Quiet Man” Altice. Scarred from earlier incidents but still rolling, Altice threaded his way through the wreckage and crossed the line first, later admitting he simply found himself in the “right spot at the right time.” Behind him, Adam Schoen completed a remarkable drive from 22nd to finish second, while Brennan Myers climbed from 21st to claim third, both navigating the chaos with patience and timing.

What began as a milestone celebration ended as a reminder of North Wilkesboro’s unforgiving character, where speed alone is never enough and sometimes the quietest survivor is the one who takes the trophy. The series now turns to Martinsville Speedway for Round 2, where another inverted grid promises fresh drama and very little forgiveness.

Lowe Survives Late Chaos at North Wilkesboro to Claim Super Late Model Opener

North Wilkesboro, NC — The Bootleg Racing League launched Season 26 of the SteelCraft Structures Super Late Model Series with a tense, strategy-heavy 100-lap opener at a freshly resurfaced North Wilkesboro Speedway. What the new surface gave in smoothness, it took away in mercy. With no tire changes allowed, drivers were forced to balance aggression and restraint, and when the night spiraled into late-race chaos, it was James Lowe who kept his composure to emerge with the victory.

Lowe led the field to green from the pole in a striking black-and-green scheme, flanked by Louis Flowers on the outside. While the repave erased many of North Wilkesboro’s traditional bumps, it introduced brutal tire degradation, turning the race into a long exercise in patience. Trouble arrived almost immediately when Flowers slapped the wall on the opening lap, briefly inviting Tre Blohm to challenge for the lead. Behind them, defending champion Kurt Smith endured heavy contact early and was sent tumbling down the order, his night instantly turned into a recovery mission.

The first major caution arrived around lap 11 after Lowell Jewel spun, but the real damage unfolded moments later. Jeffery Hardin, last season’s runner-up in points, entered Turn 3 too aggressively, triggering a multi-car stack-up that involved five machines. Under yellow, Hardin summed up the night’s defining challenge perfectly, warning that overheated rear tires would “turn to butter” and leave drivers helpless. From that point on, survival and tire preservation became inseparable goals.

As the race settled into its middle phase, the charge of Adam Schoen became one of the standout stories. Starting shotgun on the grid, Shane carved through traffic, gaining 11 spots in just 26 laps. At the same time, Rubin Altice, the ever-calculated “Quiet Man,” put on a defensive clinic, using a wide, fading entry to blunt faster cars behind him, including Shane and Hardin, forcing them to burn precious tire life just to stay close.

One of the night’s most talked-about moments came courtesy of Tre Blohm. While battling Schoen, Blohm made slight contact that nearly sent Schoen around in what the booth dubbed the “save of the year.” Rather than press on, Blohm immediately brought his car to pit road and parked it, serving himself a voluntary penalty. The gesture drew widespread respect and underscored the sportsmanship that still defines the series, even in its most competitive moments.

Up front, Lowe appeared firmly in control. With laps winding down, he had stretched his advantage to nearly two seconds over Kyle Feimster, who had finally worked his way past Flowers into second. Then everything unraveled. With only a handful of laps remaining, a violent collision between Joe Segalla and Kurt Smith scattered cars across the racing surface. Shockingly, the caution flag never flew. Lowe, sensing danger, checked up hard to avoid the wreckage, instantly erasing his hard-earned gap.

Feimster pounced. What had been a comfortable margin vanished in an instant, and on the final lap he was glued to Lowe’s rear bumper, closing to within two tenths of a second. Lowe later admitted his “Spidey senses were tingling” as he anticipated trouble ahead and backed off early. That instinctive decision proved decisive. Despite immense pressure through Turns 3 and 4, Lowe held the preferred line and dragged his worn tires across the finish line first, sealing a win that was anything but routine.

After the race, Lowe credited awareness and restraint for the victory, even taking a moment to thank his Aunt Mary Alice for tuning into the broadcast. Feimster, while frustrated by the lack of a late caution, acknowledged that he had more tire left but praised Lowe’s ability to manage the situation under pressure. Flowers rounded out the podium in third, thrilled with a strong result in his first season despite admitting his car grew too tight too early in the run.

Behind the top three, Hardin recovered to finish fourth, followed by Altice, Schoen, Jewel, Chris Worrell, Jeff Sharp, and a battered but determined Kurt Smith in tenth. The series now turns its attention to Martinsville Speedway next Friday, where an inverted top 13 will shake up the grid once again and set the stage for another unpredictable night.

Forsythe’s “Chronic Fuel Saving” Pays Off in Photo Finish at Fontana

Fontana, CA — The ISRA Sim Gaming Expo Open Wheel Series opened its third season with a blistering, brain-burning duel at the virtual Auto Club Speedway, where raw speed took a back seat to discipline, patience, and technical precision. What unfolded over 125 laps was less a sprint and more a high-speed chess match, one that ended in a jaw-dropping three-wide drag race to the line. When it was over, Craig Forsythe emerged victorious by just 0.01 seconds, edging out two-time defending champion Kyle Klendworth in one of the closest finishes the series has seen.

Mason Mitchum led the field to green from the pole under warm Southern California skies, guiding a tightly packed group of Dallara IR-18s into an early rhythm defined by restraint. The draft was so strong that the field quickly formed a peloton, nose-to-tail and wheel-to-wheel, with the lead pack punching a hole in the air that kept everyone locked together. Klendworth and Hugo Galaz traded looks at the front, but the real story early was not who was leading, it was how little anyone wanted to. Drivers deliberately ran lean fuel maps, sacrificing short-term speed in hopes of stretching their windows far enough to unleash full power at the end.

That careful balance was shattered on lap 43 when the race’s only caution flew. A four-wide squeeze on the front stretch turned chaotic when contact between Garry Lovern and Matt Taylor cascaded into Jim Herrick being sent hard into the outside wall. The yellow flag triggered a pit cycle that instantly reshaped the running order, and for several contenders, it was catastrophic. David Sirois, Mike Rigney, Mason Mitchum, and Chris Stofer all picked up pit road speed penalties, effectively erasing their chances in a race where track position and clean execution were everything.

As the field regrouped, one of the most impressive charges of the night took shape. Mark Murphy, who had started deep in 20th, committed to the high line that many others avoided and began carving through traffic with confidence and momentum. In just a handful of laps, Murphy gained 17 positions, muscling his way into the lead pack and proving that Fontana still rewarded bravery when paired with control.

Complicating matters further was the IR-18’s hybrid system, which demanded constant attention. Klendworth later explained that brake bias management was critical, as regenerative braking could abruptly shift stopping power rearward if the driver wasn’t proactive, a mistake that could easily snap the car around, especially entering pit road. Those who managed the system well stayed alive; those who didn’t quietly fell back.

By the final ten laps, the race had distilled itself into a five-car showdown featuring Craig Forsythe, Kyle Klendworth, Mark Murphy, Richie Hearn, and Chris Ragan. Forsythe, self-described as a “chronic fuel saver,” had played the long game all night, sitting in the draft, sipping fuel, and refusing to show his hand. That patience paid off when it mattered most, allowing him to run full power for the final sprint while others were still rationing.

The last lap was pure theater. The leaders went three-wide through Turns 3 and 4, Klendworth glued to the bottom, Murphy charging the high side, and Forsythe threading the needle in the middle. With the finish line rushing toward them, Forsythe found just enough momentum to surge ahead at the stripe. Four cars crossed the line within 0.05 seconds, but it was Forsythe who claimed the win by the slimmest of margins.

The victory was a masterclass in restraint and execution, a reminder that in modern open-wheel racing, intelligence can be just as lethal as outright pace. With the season now underway, the series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Round 2, and the rest of the field will be tasked with finding an answer to the quiet, calculated approach that just rewrote the script at Fontana.

Lowe Navigates Late-Race Chaos to Claim Inaugural Winterfest Derby Title

Lakeland, FL — The 2026 racing season roared to life with a firecracker of an opener as the Bootleg Racing League and Yesteryear Racing joined forces for the inaugural Winterfest Derby at the virtual USA Speedway. The 200-lap ARCA stock car feature was a relentless test of tire discipline, patience, and survival, and when the smoke finally cleared, it was veteran standout James Lowe who emerged victorious, capturing the first Winterfest crown.

Kyle Feimster, the reigning BRL Late Model Rookie of the Year, set the early tone after earning the pole in qualifying. Although Chris Worrell briefly grabbed the lead on the opening lap, Feimster quickly reclaimed control and began stretching the field, eventually building a lead of more than a second and a half. His pace was rooted in careful tire conservation, though Feimster acknowledged early that several drivers behind him were likely saving even more aggressively for the long haul. The opening stages never truly settled into a rhythm, however, as cautions repeatedly interrupted the flow. Early incidents included a lap-nine spin by Chris Haizlip and a heavy wall strike on lap 14 involving Ed Foster and Allen Wannamaker, setting the tone for a night where survival would matter as much as speed.

As the race crossed the halfway mark, tire wear became the defining factor. Most of the field committed to a mandatory four-tire stop around lap 110, shuffling the running order once again. During that sequence, Lowe managed to slip ahead of Feimster on pit exit, briefly taking control before Feimster fought back on the restart. Around them, long-run strategy continued to shape the contenders. Tre Blohm, known as “The Caveman,” showed impressive pace over extended runs, but his charge was complicated by an improper pit exit penalty that dropped him to the rear. Blohm responded with a determined recovery drive, slicing back through traffic and reestablishing himself inside the top five before the closing laps.

The complexion of the race changed entirely with just 11 laps remaining. A fierce battle for second place involving Dalton Williamson, Feimster, and Worrell erupted into the night’s defining moment when contact sent Feimster and Williamson hard into the wall. The “Big One” eliminated the fastest car in the field and abruptly handed the advantage to Lowe, who inherited the lead as the field lined up for a late sprint.

The Winterfest Derby ultimately came down to a dramatic green-white-checker finish. On the final restart, Lowe and Worrell thundered side by side into Turn 1, while Blohm attempted a bold, all-or-nothing move to the inside. The gamble didn’t stick, as Blohm looped the car, allowing Lowe to break free. With clean air finally in front of him, Lowe pulled away and took the checkered flag to secure the inaugural Winterfest Derby victory.

Lowe was joined on the podium by Worrell in second and Jerry Isaacs in third, the latter rebounding impressively from an earlier solo spin. In victory lane, Lowe admitted he felt he had more of a second-place car for much of the night and credited a timely caution and a bit of racing luck for swinging the result in his favor. The win earned him the unique “Soaring Freedom Eagle,” also known as the Baldi Trophy, a 24-inch handmade steel statue crafted by Metal Art of Wisconsin.

Behind the headline result, several performances stood out. Lloyd Moore charged forward to gain 19 positions and finish eighth, while Glenn Jamieson spent much of the night inside the top five before late-race contact derailed his podium hopes. In the end, the Winterfest Derby delivered exactly what it promised: a brutal, unpredictable marathon where patience was priceless, mistakes were costly, and survival proved just as powerful as outright speed.

Lowe Dominates Nashville Finale to Cap Off Second Championship Season

Nashville, TN — The Bootleg Racing League closed the book on Season 32 of the Late Model Invitational Series with a festive yet fierce 100-lap finale at the historic Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. While James Lowe had already mathematically secured his second career series championship before the green flag ever waved, the finale served as a resounding exclamation point on a season defined by control, patience, and relentless pace.

With holiday-themed liveries and plenty of seasonal cheer in the air, the starting grid was set by inverting the top 13 finishers from the previous round. That format placed Ruben “The Quiet Man” Altice on the pole, flanked by Bruce Pearson, and Altice wasted no time making the most of the opportunity. He paced the field confidently through the opening stages, leading the first 36 laps while the pack behind him sorted itself out. The early rhythm was briefly shattered on lap 9 when defending champion Kurt Smith was caught up in a heavy incident after contact with Kyle Feimster, sending Smith spinning and effectively ending his night and his reign as titleholder.

From 11th on the grid, Lowe began another familiar march forward, calmly carving through traffic with the same precision that had powered his championship run. By the midpoint of the race, Lowe had worked his way into the top three, setting up a decisive side-by-side battle with Altice. Using the preferred inside line, Lowe completed the pass for the lead and, once in clean air, asserted full control. From that moment on, the finale belonged to the champion, as he methodically stretched his advantage and left little doubt about who owned the night.

Behind him, the fight for the remaining podium spots delivered the race’s most chaotic moments. A tense three-wide battle involving Chris Davis, Altice, and Todd Liston unraveled when tire wear finally took its toll. Davis, fighting a car that had gone away late in the run, slowed the momentum of the group just enough for the situation to stack up. Liston was the unfortunate victim, getting turned into the wall and eliminated from contention in a flash.

Feimster rebounded impressively from his early-race contact to claim second place, continuing a standout rookie campaign that earned him Rookie of the Year honors. Despite admitting the car felt tight after the incident, Feimster managed his equipment well enough to keep the champion in sight and secure a strong runner-up finish. John Wilson, the ever-consistent “Canadian Goose,” completed the podium in third, drawing smiles in the booth with his upside-down No. 75 that looked suspiciously like “SL,” a choice he claimed was purely lap counter’s convenience.

The remainder of the top ten reflected the depth of the field, with Darryl Wineinger finishing fourth, followed by Pearson, Altice, Ryan Senneker, Davis, Chris Haizlip, and Mike Holloway. As the checkered flag fell, it marked not just the end of the race, but the close of another memorable BRL season.

For Lowe, the Nashville finale was a perfect bookend to a dominant year, reinforcing why he has become the benchmark in the Late Model Invitational Series. As the league turns its attention toward Winterfest and the next campaign, the question is no longer whether Lowe belongs among the greats, but whether anyone can stop him from making a serious push at a third championship and a place atop the BRL record books.

Davis Triumphs in Thrilling Five Flags Showdown as Points Leader Lowe Fades Late

Pensacola, FL — The Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series rolled into Five Flags Speedway on Saturday, December 13, 2025, for the penultimate round of Season 32. While the championship picture was largely settled in favor of points leader James Lowe, the 100-lap feature delivered a night of sharp elbows, strategic gambles, and a dramatic late-race reversal that saw Chris Davis charge to his second win of the season.

The event unfolded under freshly updated iRacing track conditions, with increased rubber buildup and aggressive tire degradation reshaping the racing surface lap by lap. Those changes placed tire management squarely at the center of the story and punished anyone who leaned too hard on their equipment too early.

An inverted grid for the top baker’s dozen put Tom Hilbert on the pole alongside Chris Haizlip, but the early spotlight quickly shifted to Kyle Feimster, the rookie who started third and wasted no time making noise. Feimster powered to the lead and looked every bit like a seasoned veteran, pacing the field for the opening 22 laps and establishing himself as a legitimate contender.

James Lowe, rolling off 10th, began his familiar march forward, but trouble struck around the 20-lap mark. Going three-wide with Brennan Myers, Lowe made contact and spun the No. 99, bringing out the race’s first caution. Though he avoided terminal damage and rejoined the fight, the incident left Lowe with a wounded nose and a long night ahead. Still, the reigning champion clawed his way back toward the front, refusing to fade quietly.

As Feimster and Myers traded blows up front, the most compelling story developed deeper in the pack. Chris Davis, the hard-charging driver of the No. 7 and aptly nicknamed “Mr. Aggressive,” began carving through the field. Starting well back, Davis leaned on the higher groove, newly viable thanks to the updated track model, and advanced relentlessly. By the three-quarter mark, he had gained 14 positions and laid down the fastest lap of the race, a blistering 17.283 seconds, signaling his intent loud and clear.

At halfway, the race crystallized into a tense three-car fight between Myers, Lowe, and Davis. Myers, in the No. 11, was in command through the middle stages and ultimately led 65 laps, but the creeping effects of tire wear were impossible to ignore as the laps ticked away.

The turning point came when Davis muscled past Lowe for second, exposing just how far Lowe’s tires had fallen off. What had looked like another late-race charge instead unraveled into a stunning fade. Lowe slipped backward rapidly in the closing laps, eventually finishing 14th.

With Lowe out of the equation, the battle for the win became a duel between Myers and Davis. Davis applied relentless pressure, driving the car, as the broadcast commentator colorfully put it, “tighter than a scuba suit on a fat man.” Myers, who had been strongest on the middle-to-high line in Turns 3 and 4, struggled to fend off the charge as his tires surrendered their grip.

With 11 laps remaining, Davis finally forced the issue, nosing ahead of Myers to seize the lead. From there, he stretched the gap to two car lengths with six to go and never looked back, crossing the line to secure a hard-fought and well-earned victory.

Davis’ march from deep in the field to victory lane capped one of the standout performances of the season. Myers settled for second, later admitting his tires “completely fell off really hard the last like eight laps or so,” leaving him defenseless at the end. Feimster rounded out the podium in third, an impressive result after leading early, though he acknowledged that his tire-saving approach didn’t translate to late speed under the new build.

Just off the podium, Ryan Senneker delivered one of the drives of the night. Starting in 18th, the VGN broadcast team member stormed forward 14 positions to finish fourth, narrowly missing out on a podium finish. Tre Blohm also impressed with a late charge, starting from pit road and climbing to sixth. Meanwhile, the Hilbert brothers endured a rough finish, with Tom and Steve Hilbert fading to 19th and 18th after running near the front early.

In victory lane, Davis emphasized that patience was the key ingredient, noting he had to show “a lot of restraint” to make the move stick. He also praised the new track model, saying the added realism and rubber buildup had him “loving what iRacing is doing here,” a sentiment echoed by a field that learned, the hard way, just how unforgiving Five Flags can be when tires run out of mercy.

Lowe Dominates New Smyrna, Secures Fifth Win En Route to Second BRL Championship

New Smyrna Beach, FL — James Lowe, the reigning Season 30 champion, reinforced his status as the driver to beat in the Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series, claiming victory in Round 9 at New Smyrna Speedway. Lowe, who led a commanding 65 laps after starting eighth, picked up his fifth win of Season 32, further positioning himself to become only the fourth multi-time BRL late model champion.

The 18-car field utilized the BRL tradition of inverting the top 13 from the previous race to set the grid. This inversion placed Mike Holloway on pole, flanked by “The Caveman”, Tre Blohm. However, the favored inside line proved decisive immediately. Mark Hertzog, starting third, quickly snatched the lead on the first lap, pulling away from the front-row starters. Todd Liston, starting fifth, also capitalized on the preferred inside groove to move into second. Early race analysis noted that the cars were tight entering the corner but loose coming off, forcing drivers to carefully manage throttle on exit to avoid spinning.

Liston spent the early laps relentlessly pressuring Hertzog for the lead, using a late turn-in and early throttle style to try stretching the straightaways. This aggressive approach caused Liston’s car to get loose often, putting strain on the right rear tire.

Tre Blohm eventually displaced Liston for second. While Blohm drove hard on the bottom, Hertzog played the long game, rolling the outside and maintaining momentum.

The race saw its first interruption around Lap 20 when Bruce Pearson and Kurt Smith made contact down the back straight. Under caution, Blohm admitted that his early efforts to run down Hertzog may have already taxed his tires and hinted at the need to settle into the inside line on the restart.

On the restart, points leader James Lowe quickly climbed to second, clearing Liston. Lowe then zeroed in on Hertzog, working the leader’s bumper with relentless precision. Using the same late turn-in, early throttle technique he’d observed earlier, Lowe methodically built runs underneath Hertzog through the corners.

Lowe completed the decisive pass around Lap 35. Once in clean air, he showed superior pace, stretching his lead to nearly 20 car lengths. Observers noted Lowe was driving intelligently, saving tires in case cautions later erased his margin.

The middle stages featured several cautions, including incidents involving John Wilson and Kyle Feimster, and later Allen Wannamaker and Tom Hilbert. These resets allowed tire-conscious competitors like Brennan Myers and Matt Hoose to regroup. Hertzog admitted he had been saving tires early because New Smyrna “tended to eat up the late model tires,” though his conservative approach soon made him the “cork in the bottle” as Liston searched desperately for a way by.

A tense podium fight brewed late. Tre Blohm and Rubin Altice waged a prolonged side-by-side battle, with Altice determined to hold the top line even as traction faded. Meanwhile, Darryl Wineinger delivered one of the night’s standout climbs, surging from P15 into the top five.

On the final restart, Hertzog made an assertive move to hold onto second, dropping from the outside lane to defend against Altice and Liston. But out front, Lowe remained untouchable over the last six laps, cruising to his fifth victory of the season. Hertzog took second after leading 34 laps early, while Altice secured third after finally prying the spot away from Liston, whose tires were spent. Liston finished fourth, with Blohm completing the top five. Wineinger settled for sixth, followed by Myers and Holloway.

Lowe later credited the winning pass to being stronger off Turn 2 than Turn 4 and emphasized the urgency of completing passes quickly to avoid overheating his tires. Hertzog concluded that to beat Lowe, the field would likely need the No. 99 to slip because “he’s the guy to beat right now.”

A Champion Crowned, A Sponsor Victorious: Mark Hertzog Wins at Rockingham

Rockingham, NC – The TBP ARCA Series 2025 Season came to a dramatic close Tuesday night at Rockingham Speedway, where the Turkey Trot 140 delivered a storyline-rich finale filled with dominance, disaster, and the crowning of a deserving champion. Race sponsor Mark Hertzog stole the show with a commanding performance over the final 73 laps to take the victory, while Alan Kundman survived a chaotic night to officially secure the championship. It was a fitting conclusion to a season built on consistent excellence rather than single-race heroics.

Kundman entered the finale with a comfortable 23-point lead over his nearest rival, Adam Bosse, backed by three wins and a flawless record of single-digit finishes in every counted race. The math only required Kundman to finish 17th, assuming Bosse swept the night and collected all possible bonus points. Instead, the championship drama fizzled almost immediately as Bosse, starting deep in 28th, disconnected before Lap 44 and was scored 35th. The sudden exit effectively sealed the title for Kundman before the race had truly settled into rhythm.

But even with the championship clinched, Kundman still had to survive Rockingham—never an easy task. His night unraveled early when a connection issue for Keith Handlon caused Ryan Hyatt to slide up into Kundman, sending the points leader into the grass. Later, a separate incident left Kundman sitting sideways on the track, where he was clipped by Cory Silva. Fortunately, Kundman was able to nurse the car home to a 23rd-place finish—more than enough to lock down his well-earned crown.

While the championship narrative settled early, the front of the field put on a strong performance, highlighted by long green-flag runs and an emphasis on mastering Rockingham’s notorious tire wear. Justin Baxter led the opening 22 laps from the pole before Brad Cress surged forward using the top lane to seize control, leading 20 laps of his own. Meanwhile, drivers like Steve McLendon and Nicholas Deal sliced through the field with big gains, and Hertzog established himself as a constant presence among the leaders. Hertzog eventually worked his way into the top spot by executing a strong, patient move through Turns 1 and 2, signaling that the No. 57 was only getting better as the track loosened up.

As the first half of the race unfolded, tire strategy became the defining element. Hertzog and several others pitted around Lap 70—giving up track position in hopes of catching a caution. That gamble paid off when the first major incident erupted near Lap 95, involving Deal and others, cycling Hertzog to the front. From there, his strategy and pace aligned perfectly.

The cautions that followed reshaped the running order again, with Matt Harmon emerging as a late-race threat. Starting 23rd, Harmon charged through the field using what he estimated was a 15-lap tire advantage. His preference for the bottom lane when the tires were fresh allowed him to move past Chad Winstead and Dakota Floyd, positioning him as the last real obstacle between Hertzog and a storybook win for the race sponsor. Hertzog’s finesse on the high side proved too much to overcome, and Harmon simply ran out of tire and time.

Hertzog, who said Rockingham was a track he “gets along with pretty well,” never faltered in the closing laps and powered to victory, leading a race-high 73 laps. Harmon’s remarkable charge from 23rd ended in second, while Winstead claimed his fifth third-place finish of the season.

When the dust settled, Alan Kundman officially became the TBP ARCA Series Season 9 Champion—an earned honor built on consistency, discipline, and the ability to avoid major mistakes over the long haul. His 23rd-place finish mattered little in the context of a season defined by smart racing and near-perfect execution.

Rockingham reminded the field why it remains one of the toughest tracks in stock car racing. It rewarded tire management, punished impatience, and, in the end, crowned the two drivers who played the long game best: the race winner who mastered the strategy and the season champion who mastered everything else.

Honeycutt Controls Nashville, Kundman Retakes Championship Lead in ARCA Series Thriller

Nashville, TN – James Honeycutt was the class of the field Tuesday night at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, leading a dominant 108 laps to win Round 13 of the TBP ARCA Series Season 9. Starting from the pole, Honeycutt used a late-race tire strategy to hold off Alan Kundman, who finished second and — most importantly — reclaimed the championship points lead. The 150-lap event served as the penultimate race of the season, run under traditional league rules that allow two sets of tires and one fast repair. While the format can create chaos, the field raced with surprising discipline.

The championship storyline overshadowed everything else, with Kundman entering the race just four points ahead of Adam Bosse. Bonus points for pole, leading a lap, and leading the most laps made every moment critical. Honeycutt started P1, Kundman P2, and Bosse buried back in P12, putting pressure on Bosse to charge forward early.

At the green, cold track temperatures helped Kundman surge around the outside to lead Lap 1 — earning a vital bonus point — before Honeycutt quickly reclaimed the top spot. Honeycutt settled into a strong rhythm, describing his preferred style as “arcing it and then flooring it on exit,” which fit Nashville perfectly. Bosse, meanwhile, climbed methodically through the field, reaching fifth by Lap 32. That long opening run ended when Marc Jarrell looped his car, bringing out the first caution.

As the race wore on, pit strategy grew more important. Caleb Brown was among those who pitted near halfway, noting that tire wear wasn’t terrible and his stop was primarily for fuel, though he did take fresh rubber. Honeycutt had led 64 laps when Kundman slipped past around Lap 65. With Honeycutt fading slightly, commentators wondered if he had burned up his equipment dominating the early run.

Then the championship picture exploded. Around Lap 96, Curtis Mitchell got loose and slammed the inside wall, triggering a multi-car incident. Bosse initially threaded the chaos perfectly, restarting second behind Matt Harmon. But moments later, Bosse made hard contact with Harmon taking the lead briefly, then hit the outside wall hard getting significant damage to his right front before disconnecting from the session. The DNF was disastrous — with his lowest drop race being just 26 points, Bosse was locked into a brutal score. Kundman, meanwhile, escaped the carnage and stood poised to regain the points lead.

Honeycutt inherited the lead after Bosse’s exit and soon faced pressure from Chad Winstead and Kundman. A late caution on Lap 117 set up a tense closing run. Honeycutt revealed afterward that he had taken only two tires on his final stop, a move that made the car “turn into the corner so much better.” Winstead struggled to fire off on the last restart, giving Kundman a clear shot at Honeycutt. Winstead later noted that Kundman had four tires while he had just two, making the No. 3 significantly faster.

Kundman closed a 12-car-length gap to just four in the final 10 laps, even slapping the wall as he pushed to catch the leader. But Honeycutt drove flawlessly, holding on to take the win by a slim margin. Kundman, who finished second, said he wished he’d been more aggressive earlier and had hoped for a long green run to take advantage of his tire-saving style. Winstead completed the podium in third.

The race dramatically reshaped the championship outlook: Kundman now leads heading into the season finale at Rockingham. In a race filled with strategy swings, late-race chaos, and title implications, the lesson was clear: speed matters, but survival matters more. Bosse’s championship hopes were shaken not by pace, but by the unpredictable chaos — proof that sometimes, the championship is decided simply by staying out of the wrecks.

Allen Rises from the Back: Thanksgiving Thunder Delivers a Stunning Strategy Upset at Phoenix

Avondale, AZ — The 2025 Thanksgiving Thunder at Phoenix Raceway brought together the best of Red Light Racing’s Monday and Thursday divisions, but few expected the season’s most dramatic twist to come from deep in the field. Ken Allen, who didn’t even take part in qualifying and rolled off from the tail end of the 30-car grid, executed one of the most daring off-sequence strategies in recent memory to charge all the way to the win in the 125-lap shootout. On a night defined by a punishing green-flag stretch, chaotic late-race cautions, and clashing agendas between two series sharing one racetrack, Allen’s climb of 30 positions became the story of the event.

Qualifying set the tone early, rewarding consistency over outright aggression. Zach Mitchell captured the pole with a 27.268 lap time, while Eric Stout lined up alongside him on the front row. When the green flag dropped, the mixed-series field displayed crisp execution, fanning out across the dogleg and making use of Phoenix’s sweeping apron. Mitchell quickly established control, pacing the field through the early laps. But the opening drama struck around Lap 14, when Stout and Sean Single tangled entering Turn 3. Stout pounded the outside wall and limped to an early exit, while Single soldiered on with what appeared to be a badly bent front end that cost him more than a second per lap.

As the long green-flag run continued, the race evolved into a war of attrition, with tire wear and clean air dictating every decision. Mitchell set the pace through the first third of the race before Andrew Lewis muscled his way to the lead around Lap 42. Maxime Theriault then added his name to the rotation by taking the front shortly after Lap 60. While the leaders traded positions up front, the middle of the pack became a swirl of divergent strategies as drivers wrestled with the razor-thin balance between running hard and saving enough tire for the eventual pit cycle. The unique “Honor Your Father-in-Law Lap” at Lap 63 briefly shuffled the focus when Chris Hammet earned a $10 bonus for holding the sixth position, a running joke in the booth as he enjoyed what was called the “most comfortable seat in the house” thanks to a generous buffer around him.

It was during this long, grueling stretch that Allen made the race-winning call. After missing qualifying entirely at the start, he ducked onto pit road around Lap 64—well before anyone else—and gave up two laps in the process. It was a gamble that only works when the yellow flag appears at exactly the right time, and with more than 60 laps of uninterrupted racing underway, it felt like a desperate swing. Yet as the leaders delayed their stops and the laps wound down, the race tightened just enough to bring Allen’s strategy back into view. Mitchell executed the cleanest pit stop among the contenders and briefly retook the advantage over Lewis and Theriault, with the three running nose-to-tail in a tense half-second cluster.

After more than a hundred straight laps of uninterrupted green racing, the first caution finally arrived with roughly 15 laps remaining when Louis Flowers and Allen Wannamaker made contact. The caution upended everything. Mitchell, Theriault, and Trent Potter were swept up in the scramble that followed, leaving their once-dominant machines battered and suddenly vulnerable. The new order elevated four drivers who had stayed out on older tires—Bill Benedict, Fred LeClair, Brian Neff, and Allen—catapulting Allen from 27th to fourth in one stroke. The next restart immediately triggered more chaos when Neff suffered catastrophic suspension damage in a multi-car stack-up, forcing another yellow.

With the field shuffled and tensions high, the race marched toward its inevitable Green-White-Checker phase, with up to three attempts available under Red Light Racing rules. On the restart with five laps remaining, Benedict led the field to green, but Allen—suddenly in prime position—pounced instantly. He swept past Benedict with four laps to go, just moments before another caution flew when Benedict and Allen briefly came together, sending LeClair spinning and setting up a two-lap shootout.

In the final dash, Allen planted his car firmly on the preferred inside line and never gave Benedict a chance to reclaim the lead. The battle behind him erupted into a frantic three-wide fight for second as drivers fanned out across the dogleg trying to get one final run. Allen, calm and composed, powered out of the final corner and crossed the line ahead of Benedict to complete one of the single greatest positional gains in the league’s history. Jeff Aho slipped through the late-race chaos to grab the final podium spot after climbing ten positions of his own.

For Allen—whose race nearly unraveled before it even began—the victory was a perfect marriage of bold strategy, tire discipline, and the well-timed caution he desperately needed. It was the type of win that turns an off-sequence gamble into legend, proving once again that even on a mile-long stage surrounded by speed, sometimes the sharpest tool a driver can bring is patience and a perfectly timed roll of the dice.