Lowe Masters the Icebreaker at Thompson

Thompson, CT — The Yesteryear Racing Tour Modified Series arrived at Thompson Speedway like a thunderclap in a steel canyon, and the “Icebreaker” delivered exactly what its name promised: a cold, unforgiving test of discipline, timing, and raw nerve. Modeled after the historic 2009 NASCAR Wheeled Modified Tour event, the 150-lap showdown turned the high-banked 5/8-mile oval into a gladiator’s arena, where one misstep meant being swallowed by the wall or stranded in the dreaded marbles.

From the drop of the green, the spotlight burned brightest on Luke Logan Allen, the points leader carrying the swagger of “Kid Lemon Lime,” and Eric “Teapot” Stout, who rocketed to pole but entered the night desperate to claw out of an early-season hole. Their duel didn’t simmer, it detonated. Allen wasted no time unleashing his high-line momentum, sweeping around Stout with authority to seize control as the field snapped into a tight, high-speed draft line.

For the opening stretch, the race resembled a coiled spring. Twenty-one drivers ran nose-to-tail, each probing for the smallest crack in the armor ahead while tiptoeing along the razor-thin groove. Venture half a lane too high, and the marbles waited like ball bearings underfoot. The tension finally snapped around lap 50 when Lloyd Moore slapped the wall navigating lap traffic, bringing out the first major caution and cracking open the strategy playbook.

Most of the leaders chose the conservative route, clinging to track position like it was gold bullion. But Kenny Allen and Jerry Isaacs rolled the dice, diving to pit road for fresh tires in a bold attempt to flip the race on its head later. It was a gambler’s move in a race that rewarded patience, but punished hesitation.

Up front, the pressure cooker intensified. Stout stalked Allen with surgical precision, waiting for the slightest miscue. When it came, it was dramatic. Allen got loose off turn four, the rear stepping out in a moment that could have ended his night. He caught it in a dazzling save, but the cost was steep. Momentum gone, positions lost, and suddenly the hunter became the hunted. Stout reclaimed the lead but now had James Lowe and Chris Worrell looming in his mirrors like storm clouds.

The race pivoted again during a late caution involving Kenny Allen and Isaacs, effectively neutralizing the alternate strategy. With about 45 laps to go, Stout faced a brutal decision. Stay out and risk being trapped on the inside line, or pit and surrender control. He chose fresh tires, a calculated gamble that dropped him deep in the field but armed him for a late charge.

That decision handed the front row to teammates James Lowe and Chris Worrell, who stayed out on worn tires, choosing track position over grip. What followed was pure short track theater. Cars slid, bumped, and clawed for every inch. Eric Essary surged into contention on fresher rubber, slicing through traffic with urgency before a late spin derailed his podium hopes.

Behind them, Stout carved through the field like a man on a mission, each pass a small act of redemption. And then, just as the race approached its final heartbeat, another twist: Brian Neff, who had quietly held a podium position for 147 laps, abruptly pulled off track on the brink of the white flag, vanishing from contention in one of the night’s biggest mysteries.

At the front, it was a test of resolve. Lowe, balancing a car on aging tires and sheer determination, held off his teammate in the closing laps to capture his first win of the season. The 1-2 finish stamped their authority on the night, while Stout’s bold strategy paid off with a hard-earned third after his relentless charge through the pack.

Todd Liston and Luke Logan Allen completed the top five, the latter recovering admirably after his earlier misstep but left to wonder what might have been.

In a race defined by razor-thin margins and high-stakes decisions, James Lowe proved that sometimes the winning move isn’t the flashiest one. It’s the ability to stay planted at the front, dance on the edge of control, and refuse to blink when the pressure closes in. At Thompson, that was the difference between surviving the Icebreaker and owning it.

Skelton’s Sunrise Surge Wins Souza Media 90 at Richmond

Richmond, VA — In a dramatic and strategy-filled opening to the playoffs, James “Bone” Skelton delivered a masterclass in patience and execution, using a bold late-race pit call to charge from the middle of the pack and win the Souza Media 90 at Richmond Raceway. The victory locks Skelton into the Round of 8 in the Red Light Racing Checker Flag Auto Supply Scrambler Series and continues a blistering stretch of form, marking his fourth win in the last six races. What made the performance even more impressive was the path it took to get there, as Skelton himself described much of his night as “awful” before the race flipped in his favor.

The event began under unique conditions, with a 6:25 AM sim-time start that cast long shadows across the track and forced drivers to battle heavy sun glare through their windshields. Visibility became an early storyline, turning braking zones into guesswork and making clean laps difficult to string together. Pole-sitter Max Tero led the field to green and paced the opening lap, but it quickly became apparent that his car was not up to the challenge. Struggling with handling issues, Tero drifted high and began to fall through the field, surrendering the lead to Chris Hammett.

Once out front, Hammett looked untouchable. He quickly settled into a rhythm and began to build a gap, showcasing both speed and consistency on a track that offered very little forgiveness. For 81 of the race’s 90 laps, Hammett controlled the pace, expertly managing a car that many drivers described as tight on entry and unwilling to rotate without aggressive downshifting mid-corner. While Hammett made it look manageable, the rest of the field wrestled with the same issues, and mistakes began to surface early. Just eight laps into the race, playoff nerves showed when David Odendahl and Ryan Oldani were involved in a spin that brought out the first caution of the morning.

As the race settled into longer green-flag runs, Richmond’s demanding nature began to take its toll. The reduced fuel capacity ensured that pit strategy would be a factor, but it was tire wear that ultimately dictated the pace of the race. Drivers had to carefully balance aggression with conservation, particularly when it came to the right-front tire. Too much brake pressure or a slight miscalculation on entry could lock it up instantly, leading to flat spots, loss of grip, and in some cases, disaster. Matthew Duvall found that out the hard way with a self-spin, while contact between Fred LeClair and Ken Allen served as another reminder of how fine the margin for error had become.

Throughout it all, Skelton quietly worked his way through the field, though not without frustration. Mired in traffic and struggling to find the right balance in his car, he spent much of the race searching for speed while others seemed to have things under control. At times, it appeared that a top-five finish might be the best he could hope for, especially with Hammett dominating out front and controlling every restart with confidence.

Then came the moment that changed everything. A late caution bunched the field back together and opened the door for strategy to take center stage. Teams were faced with a critical decision: protect track position or gamble on fresh tires. Hammett, along with Zach Mitchell and Sean Single, chose the safer route, staying out or opting for minimal service to maintain their positions at the front. Skelton and his teammate Trent Potter, however, saw an opportunity and took a risk, diving to pit road for fresh right-side tires.

It was a decision that would define the race.

Restarting in sixth, Skelton immediately showed the advantage of fresh rubber. His car came to life, allowing him to attack both high and low lines as he began carving his way forward. While others struggled to find grip on worn tires, Skelton was able to brake deeper, rotate better through the center, and accelerate off the corners with authority. Within just a handful of laps, he had closed the gap to the leaders and set his sights on Hammett.

The decisive moment came when Skelton recognized Hammett’s vulnerability. The dominant car of the race, now on older tires, simply couldn’t respond.

“I saw where his car was pointing and I was like, ‘Oh, his car is not turning,’” Skelton said. “I just hit the brakes more, and then I cut under him.”

With that move, the race’s narrative flipped completely. Skelton surged into the lead, while Hammett, who had controlled the event from the early laps, was left fighting a losing battle against tire wear. Over the closing laps, he slipped backward, ultimately finishing fourth in a result that hardly reflected how dominant he had been for most of the morning.

Behind Skelton, Trent Potter mirrored the strategy perfectly, charging through the field to secure a second-place finish and complete a strong 1-2 result for their camp. Connor Blasco also capitalized on the late caution, using a two-tire stop to recover from earlier struggles with tire wear and climb back onto the podium in third. Bill Benedict rounded out the top five with a steady and disciplined run, avoiding the mistakes that caught out many others.

The final running order saw James “Bone” Skelton take the victory, followed by Trent Potter in second, Connor Blasco in third, Chris Hammett in fourth after leading 81 laps, and Bill Benedict in fifth. It was a result that perfectly illustrated the balance between speed and strategy at Richmond, where having the fastest car doesn’t always guarantee the win.

As the series now turns its attention to Indianapolis, the playoff picture begins to take shape. The field of 13 Chase drivers continues its battle to advance, but Skelton has already secured his place in the next round, giving him both momentum and breathing room. More importantly, he has sent a clear message to the rest of the competition. At the most critical point in the season, when pressure is at its highest and mistakes are most costly, he is performing at an elite level.

If the Souza Media 90 proved anything, it’s that races aren’t always won by the driver who leads the most laps. Sometimes, they’re won by the one who makes the right move at exactly the right time—and right now, James Skelton is doing that better than anyone.

Lone Star Survival: Essary Conquers Texas Amid Chaos

Fort Worth, TX — The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series rolled into Texas Motor Speedway for Round 7, and what unfolded felt less like a race and more like a time machine with a temper. The Gen 4 stock cars, snarling with raw horsepower and dancing on a razor’s edge of grip, turned the freshly reworked corners one and two into a driver’s riddle wrapped in asphalt.

Dan Hill launched from pole alongside Josh Robinson, grabbing early control as the field quickly fell into line, drivers treating their tires like fragile currency. That calm didn’t last long. The opening 50 laps unraveled into a caution-filled gauntlet, featuring a multi-car chain reaction sparked by contact between Greg McDaniel and Jack Jagerman, plus a head-scratching high-speed wall strike from Ken Allen that had everyone raising eyebrows.

Restarts became chaos factories. Stack-ups, missed shifts, and accordion-style wrecks kept tempers simmering and radios crackling. Through it all, the race slowly began to find its rhythm, like a storm exhausting itself. Scott Negus briefly commanded the field in his retro McDonald’s scheme, but the spotlight soon shifted to a driver carving through the noise.

Eric Essary, starting deep in 32nd after a penalty, played the long game. While others burned their tires like cheap fireworks, he treated his Goodyears like heirlooms. Strategic pit calls during the caution-heavy opening phase vaulted him forward, setting the stage for a second half defined by a grueling 100-lap green flag run.

By lap 90, green-flag stops cycled through and Essary found himself leading, but the hunt was very real. Josh Robinson, armed with fresher tires, began reeling him in, shaving tenths lap by lap until the gap evaporated. What followed was pure racing theater. The two traded blows at speed, Robinson even sneaking low to briefly claim the lead.

But Texas demands a price. Robinson pushed just a touch too hard, scorching his right rear and wrestling a car that suddenly didn’t want to cooperate. That single misstep opened the door. Essary used the air like a sculptor uses clay, unsettling Robinson just enough to reclaim control and slip away.

From there, it was clinical. Eric Essary completed the charge of the season, storming from 32nd to victory in a performance that felt pulled straight from a 1990s highlight reel. Josh Robinson held on for second after his late-race fight, while Dan Hill capped off a strong night with a third-place finish after leading early.

Clay Walker secured fourth after a tight scrap with Tom Ogle, and Kevin Strandberg brought it home sixth following a night of steady, calculated progress. Only 11 of 36 starters remained on the lead lap by the end, a stat that tells the whole story of just how unforgiving Texas was under these conditions.

Essary’s celebratory burnout on the front stretch wasn’t just a victory lap. It was punctuation on a statement drive, turning early chaos into a lesson in patience, tire management, and old-school racecraft.

Defending Champ James Lowe Weathers Early Storm to Win BRL Opener at North Wilkesboro

North Wilkesboro, NC — The Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series opened its 34th season Saturday night with a race that felt less like a season opener and more like a pressure cooker, the kind where patience either pays off in gold or burns up in a cloud of tire smoke. When the dust finally settled at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway, it was defending champion James Lowe standing tall, completing a methodical comeback from the back of the field to secure the first win of the new campaign.

A 21-car field rolled to green with Chris Davis and Chris Haizlip pacing the pack, and it didn’t take long for Davis to establish control. Smooth, measured, and completely in sync with the track’s uphill-into-the-corner, downhill-off rhythm, Davis set the tone early and led the majority of the opening half, looking every bit like the driver to beat. Just behind the front runners, Ken Allen turned heads in a hurry. With a brand-new racing rig underneath him, Allen charged through the field like a driver making up for lost time, gaining 13 positions in just 13 laps and forcing his way into the conversation at the front.

But North Wilkesboro rarely lets a race unfold without a little turbulence. On lap 51, the battle for the lead reached its boiling point as Todd Liston closed in on Davis. The two made contact while fighting for the same strip of asphalt, a racing incident that instantly reshaped the race. What had been a dominant performance for Davis unraveled into an 11th-place finish, while Liston, who had been knocking on the door of the lead, slipped back to 13th.

That moment handed control to Ed Foster, the “Adelaide Blade,” who suddenly found himself leading the field with a golden opportunity. Foster rose to the occasion, pacing the race for 21 laps and managing the pressure as the laps wound down, looking poised to capture a breakthrough victory. Behind him, however, the tension was building. The field tightened, the tires wore thin, and every corner demanded just a little more restraint than most drivers were willing to give.

Late in the race, that tension finally snapped. Chris Worrell, running in close quarters and under increasing pressure from behind, made contact with Foster, sending the leader spinning down pit road in a heartbreaking turn of events. Worrell later owned the moment, calling it unintentional, but the incident abruptly ended Foster’s best shot at victory, dropping him to a 20th-place finish.

While chaos unfolded at the front, James Lowe had been quietly writing a completely different story. Early in the race, contact with Ruben Altice sent the defending champion to the rear of the field, a position that often spells the end of a driver’s chances at a short track like North Wilkesboro. Instead of charging back immediately, Lowe chose patience over panic. He backed down his pace, saving his tires while the rest of the field pushed hard to maintain track position.

That decision became the turning point of the race. As the closing laps approached and tire wear began to take its toll, the leaders started to fight a losing battle against grip, cars drifting up the track and struggling to hold the bottom. Lowe, by contrast, had something left in reserve. His car rotated cleanly, stuck to the preferred line, and allowed him to pick off positions one by one with surgical precision.

When the late-race incident between Worrell and Foster opened the door, Lowe didn’t hesitate. He slipped into the lead and, with fresher tires and total control, drove away from the field, turning what had been a recovery drive into a statement victory.

“I saw how everybody was pushing out towards the wall and I wasn’t,” Lowe said afterward, summing up the race in a single observation that doubled as a blueprint for success at North Wilkesboro.

Behind him, Chris Worrell recovered well enough to finish second after being at the center of the late incident, while Tre Blohm delivered an impressive drive from the rear of the field to finish third following an end-of-line penalty. Louis Flowers earned hard charger honors with a remarkable 17-position gain to fourth, and Mike Holloway completed the top five with a steady, late-race surge of his own. Ken Allen’s early fireworks faded in the final laps as tire wear caught up to him, leaving him sixth, followed by Brennan Myers in seventh and Lowell Jewell in eighth.

In a race defined by discipline versus aggression, it was Lowe who struck the perfect balance, turning adversity into opportunity and reminding the field exactly why he entered the season as the defending champion. He leaves North Wilkesboro with the early points lead, but with plans to miss the next round at Martinsville, the championship picture is already set for an early shake-up—and a guaranteed new winner when the series rolls on.

Worrell Conquers the Wilkesboro Chess Match to Open Season 27

North Wilkesboro, NC — The BRL Bushtalk Radio Super Late Model Series didn’t ease into Season 27… it threw the green flag into a blender. On a wide but slick North Wilkesboro Speedway, survival, patience, and tire whispering mattered more than outright speed.

With the top-13 invert in play, Steve Hilbert led the field to green alongside his brother Tom, while defending champ James Lowe lurked back in 13th like a storm cloud waiting for the right moment. Steve got the initial launch, but Chris Worrell wasted no time turning pressure into progress, eventually snatching the lead after an early restart.

The opening laps were a classic case of cold tires and hot tempers. Chris Davis brought out the first caution after looping it into the inside wall, and things escalated quickly from there. A violent multi-car crash involving Lol Juul, Benny Ellison, and Chris Haizlip brought out another yellow, with Juul taking the hardest hit against the attenuator.

Once the chaos cooled and the tires came alive, the race shifted into a strategic grind. With no tire changes allowed, managing wear became the golden rule. Kenny Allen, Ruben Altice, and Todd Liston traded punches inside the top five, each searching for that razor-thin edge of grip.

Then came another twist. A third caution erupted when Mark Hertzog and John Wilson tangled, collecting Louis Flowers and James Lowe. The defending champ’s night turned into a damage-control mission, picking his way forward despite nose and rear-end damage and even more contact later with a spinning Flowers.

The race’s defining moment came under caution when Todd Liston, who had surged into second, saw his night unravel with a mechanical issue or spin. Just like that, a prime contender vanished from the equation.

That opened the door for a 24-lap shootout between Worrell and Allen. Allen threw everything at it, searching high, low, and everywhere in between, “working both sides of the street” for grip. But clean air is a powerful ally, and Worrell drove like a man balancing a glass of water on the dashboard, smooth, controlled, and never overworking his tires.

Behind them, Jeffery Hardin quietly built a podium run in an autism awareness scheme, slipping into third late, while Chris Davis rebounded from his early spin to grab fourth from Altice in a strong recovery drive.

At the checkered flag, it was redemption for Chris Worrell, finally sealing the deal at a track that had denied him before. His post-race comments told the story: patience, discipline, and a little wisdom from James Lowe about keeping the tires under control made all the difference.

Kenny Allen came home second after a physically demanding run, while Jeffery Hardin completed the podium with a consistency-driven third-place finish.

Further back, Kurt Smith claimed sixth, and James Lowe salvaged a gritty seventh after a night full of adversity. Mark Hertzog climbed 11 spots to finish eighth, while pole-sitter Steve Hilbert faded to 13th, one lap down… but in a twist of the invert rules, that result hands him the pole for next week at Martinsville.

North Wilkesboro didn’t just host a race. It staged a 100-lap negotiation between drivers and their tires… and Chris Worrell struck the best deal.

Strategy Trumps Speed as AJ Hamel Wins The Bullring Battle in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV — Under the neon glow and constant pressure of The Bullring, AJ Hamel played the long game to perfection, using strategy over raw speed to claim victory in Round 11 of the Skitter Creek Modified Series.

Championship leader Eric Stout led the field to green with Dalton Williamson to his outside, and it didn’t take long for tempers and tight quarters to make their presence known. Early contact between Fred LeClair and Kenny Allen stacked up the field and forced multiple drivers to the rear, immediately turning the race into a survival test.

The chaos continued on the restart when Brian Bianchi got loose on cold tires and clipped Josh Buckley, sending the No. 13 hard into the outside wall and ending his night early.

Once the race found a rhythm, the spotlight shifted to the front. Williamson, showing the composure of a four-time champion, began closing in on Stout with consistently faster lap times. Just past halfway, he made his move, slipping by to take the lead and briefly taking control of the race.

Then came the pivotal moment.

A caution at halfway split the field on strategy. Williamson and Stout stayed out, committed to track position, while Hamel and Bianchi rolled the dice and came down pit road for fresh right-side tires. It was a gamble that turned the race on its head.

Restarting seventh, Hamel surged forward with a clear advantage, carving through traffic and quickly erasing the gap to the leaders. With momentum building, he dove underneath Williamson and took the lead in a decisive move that ultimately sealed the race.

Bianchi followed the same path, charging into second with fresh rubber, but ran out of time before he could mount a serious challenge for the win.

At the checkered flag, it was AJ Hamel taking a statement victory, with Brian Bianchi finishing second and Dalton Williamson holding on for third. Eric Stout came home fourth after leading early.

In the championship fight, Williamson gains a point and now sits just seven back from Stout heading into Concord, where the intensity is only expected to ramp up.

The chess match is tightening… and every move matters.

The Kid Takes Sobo: Luke Logan Allen Outlasts the Field in Strategy Masterclass

South Boston, VA — Under the humming glow of South Boston’s lights, a 12-year-old driver turned tire wear into a weapon and patience into poetry. Luke Logan Allen, better known as “Kid Lemon Lime”, delivered a fearless, calculated drive to win Round 2 of the 2026 Yesteryear Racing Tour Modified Series, conquering 150 laps without ever touching pit road.

The race barely had time to settle before chaos struck. Points leader Eric “Teapot” Stout, starting from the pole, lost control in the opening laps and triggered a multi-car pileup that also collected AJ Hamel and Roger Hurley. Chris Haizlip was among those caught in the early turbulence as drivers scrambled to avoid the spinning machines. Stout attempted to continue after towing to the pits, but the damage left him 13 laps down and effectively out of contention, flipping the script on the championship picture almost immediately.

In the wake of the early incident, the race found a rhythm, and Luke Logan Allen quickly established himself as the dominant force at the front of the field. With smooth inputs and consistent lap times, he began to build a gap, leading a large portion of the opening green-flag run. Behind him, drivers like Kenny Allen and James Lowe settled into a patient pace, knowing that tire wear would become the deciding factor as the laps clicked away.

That factor came sharply into focus at the halfway point when a caution flag waved, forcing teams into a critical strategic decision. Nearly every lead-lap car peeled off onto pit road for fresh rubber, opting for short-term speed over long-term track position. Luke Logan Allen, however, made the bold and defining call of the race by staying out on worn tires. It was a gamble that immediately shifted the pressure onto the young driver, as he would now have to defend against a field stacked with fresher, faster cars.

The closing stages turned into a dramatic and emotional showdown, particularly as his father, Kenny Allen, used his fresh tires to slice through the field and rejoin the fight at the front. Multiple late-race cautions reset the field and created a series of high-stakes restarts, each one presenting a new challenge for the younger Allen. The intensity only grew as the laps wound down, with drivers pushing the limits of grip and patience.

A major incident added to the drama when Todd Cousins was turned and sent upside down following contact with Chris Haizlip, bringing out another caution and further bunching up the field. The repeated restarts created a relentless cycle of pressure, as Luke Logan Allen was forced to nail every launch and defend aggressively into the opening corners while managing rapidly fading tires.

Despite the mounting challenges, Allen remained composed beyond his years. He consistently protected the inside line, minimized wheel spin on corner exit, and denied any opportunity for his challengers to capitalize. In the final 10-lap run to the finish, Kenny Allen and James Lowe both mounted serious challenges, searching high and low for a way around, but Luke Logan Allen delivered a near-perfect defensive performance, refusing to yield.

When the checkered flag finally waved, Luke Logan Allen crossed the line first after leading 114 of the 150 laps, completing a remarkable wire-to-wire effort without ever visiting pit road. Kenny Allen secured second place in a memorable father-son finish, while James Lowe completed the podium with a strong third place run, positioning himself well in the championship standings following Stout’s early misfortune.

The victory stands as a defining moment for Luke Logan Allen, showcasing not only his raw speed but also his racecraft, discipline, and strategic awareness. On a night where fresh tires seemed like the obvious path to victory, it was the courage to do the opposite—and the skill to execute it—that ultimately conquered South Boston.

Oldani Hits the Jackpot at Daytona and Crashes the Playoff Party

Daytona Beach, FL — In a high-stakes regular-season finale that lived up to the “World Center of Racing” reputation, Ryan Oldani gambled everything and won, clinching a playoff berth with a thrilling victory at Daytona International Speedway. The Round 10 broadcast of the Red Light Racing League’s Checkered Flag Auto Supply Scrambler Series delivered pure superspeedway theater, as Oldani led a dominant 1-2-3 finish for 4x Racing and flipped the playoff picture on its head in the final moments of the season.

The 60-lap showdown kicked off under the Florida sun on March 30, 2026, with Bill Benedict leading the field to green. From the drop of the flag, the conversation centered on survival and strategy. ARCA cars danced on a razor’s edge in the draft, where side drafting could stall momentum and overheating engines lurked like a silent saboteur. Meanwhile, the playoff bubble loomed large. Tony Strano entered the night clinging to the final transfer spot, but with multiple winless drivers needing a miracle, the math was simple: win, or sweat.

Before long, a six-car breakaway formed what the booth dubbed the “Ridiculous Six,” featuring Ryan Oldani, Zach Mitchell, Tony Strano, Devin Visnaw, Fred LeClair, and Connor Blasco. Like a well-rehearsed orchestra at 190 mph, the group rotated the lead with precision, stretching their advantage to several seconds while the rest of the field scrambled to organize. Behind them, a second pack led by Trent Potter, along with Ken Allen and Luke Logan Allen, struggled to find harmony in the draft.

Fuel strategy added another layer to the chess match. With a tight fuel window forcing green-flag pit stops, the leaders executed their cycles cleanly, but the gap began to shrink as the second pack found speed late. By the halfway point, Potter had become the hunter, dragging the trailing group back into contention. A messy second round of pit stops disrupted the once-smooth lead pack, merging the field into a tense, seven-car brawl barreling toward the finish.

The final lap unfolded like a slot machine hitting max spin. Oldani and Mitchell controlled the inside lane for 4x Racing, while the outside line surged with momentum. Ken Allen, shoved forward by his son Luke Logan Allen, rocketed into contention in a last-ditch charge. But in the closing corners, a late defensive move from Allen triggered chaos, sending cars spinning in a cloud of smoke and shattered hopes.

Through it all, Oldani stayed planted on the bottom, threading the needle with ice in his veins to take the checkered flag. Mitchell followed him home in second, with Chris Hammett completing a statement-making 1-2-3 sweep for 4x Racing.

The win was more than just a trophy. It was a golden ticket. Entering the night outside the cut line, Oldani victory vaulted him into the playoffs and slammed the door on several hopefuls, including Strano, who was left just short despite a valiant effort.

After the race, Oldani admitted the pressure didn’t fully hit until the closing moments, but once he crossed the line, the realization set in. Against the odds, with everything on the table, he had turned one final hand into a winning one.

Now, with the regular season in the books, the playoff grid is locked and the intensity is about to boil over. If Daytona was any indication, the road to the championship won’t just be a battle. It’ll be a full-blown spectacle.

Lowe Seals Dynasty with Dominant Southern National Victory and Third Title

Lucama, NC — The final chapter of Season 33 read like a coronation. James Lowe put an emphatic stamp on his championship campaign Saturday night, winning the season finale at Southern National Motorsports Park and securing his third Bootleg Racing League Late Model Invitational Series title in the last four seasons.

Entering the night with an 18-point cushion over Ed Foster, Lowe started 13th due to the inversion, needing only a steady performance to lock up the championship. Instead, he delivered a masterclass.

The stage was set with Foster on pole, a gift from the inversion that kept his slim title hopes alive. At the green flag, Foster launched cleanly and took control early, leading Chris Worrell while Lowe began his steady climb through the pack. By lap 10, Lowe had already cracked the top ten, quietly positioning himself to capitalize on whatever chaos the tight 4/10-mile oval would produce.

And chaos came calling. Southern National lived up to its reputation, serving up a series of incidents that reshaped the race. Mark Hertzog and Tre Blohm tangled, sending Blohm spinning after a tight inside move. Later, a multi-car wreck erupted when Todd Liston bounced off the inside wall and collected Lowell Jewell and John Wilson, creating one of the night’s biggest pileups.

Then came the strangest moment of all. In what the broadcast dubbed a “ghost” incident, Bobby Hayes suddenly snapped into the outside wall while running near Hertzog, despite appearing to have clear space. The bizarre crash ended Hayes’ race on the spot and, more importantly, mathematically sealed the championship for Lowe before the checkered flag had even fallen.

Through it all, Lowe lived up to a new nickname coined in the booth: the bullet dodger. Time and again, he slipped through wrecks unfolding directly ahead of him, keeping his car clean while others fell away.

Up front, the battle for the race win intensified. Worrell led a race-high 56 laps, but Ruben Altice, “The Quiet Man,” surged late using the high line to challenge for the top spot. As the laps wound down, Lowe entered the fray, turning the fight into a three-driver showdown.

A late caution for a Chris Davis spin set up one final Green-White-Checker restart. Lowe chose the inside lane and executed flawlessly. With Worrell and Altice pressing from behind, Lowe held his ground, finding grip where it mattered most. When the checkered flag waved, he crossed the line first, completing the sweep of race win and championship in commanding fashion.

Foster’s night ultimately fell short of the miracle he needed. An eighth-place finish secured him second in the final standings, a strong campaign that simply ran into a historic season from Lowe.

Further back, a season-long sibling rivalry reached its conclusion as Tom Hilbert finished ninth, narrowly edging Steve Hilbert in their personal points battle.

With the victory, Lowe joins rare company in BRL history as one of only two drivers to claim three or more Late Model championships, trailing only the legendary JR Shepard. It’s a run defined not just by speed, but by survival, strategy, and an uncanny ability to be in the right place when everything else goes wrong.

“I just kind of hung out there,” Lowe said with a grin in victory lane. “At the end, I had some really good tires.” He even set his fastest lap on the final circuit, a fitting exclamation point.

Season 33 closes with Lowe firmly atop the mountain. The rest of the field now faces a daunting task heading into the next campaign. The king isn’t just wearing the crown. He’s tightening the bolts on it.

Lowe Puts an Exclamation Point on Season 26 with Southern National Victory

Lucama, NC — If Season 26 was a symphony, James Lowe chose to end it with a cymbal crash. Already crowned champion a week prior, Lowe stormed from deep in the field to capture his eighth win of the season in the Bootleg Racing League SteelCraft Structures Super Late Model Series finale at Southern National Motorsports Park, sealing one of the most dominant campaigns in series history with authority.

The 4/10-mile bullring wasted no time living up to its reputation. Ruben Altice and Lewis Flowers brought the 17-car field to green, but the tight corners and unforgiving banking quickly turned the opening laps into a survival test. An early caution flew when Ken Allen was spun around after contact involving John Wilson, the ever-notable “Canadian Goose,” setting the tone for a race where patience would be as valuable as outright speed.

That patience was immediately tested again on the restart. Altice and Flowers tangled in a heavy battle for the lead, their contact sending Flowers spinning hard into the infield and ending his night in a plume of frustration and dust. In the aftermath, Jeffery Hardin emerged at the front, inheriting the lead and positioning himself as the early favorite to challenge for the win. But looming in the background, like a slow-building storm, was Lowe.

Starting 13th due to the invert, Lowe spent the opening portion of the race quietly observing the chaos ahead. While others burned their tires trying to conquer the tricky surface, Lowe played the long game. As the cautions faded and a rhythm finally took hold, he began his charge. Using the high side with surgical precision, he carved through the field one car at a time, his momentum building with each lap.

By the midpoint, the hunt had turned into a takeover. Closing rapidly on the leaders, Lowe made his decisive move by slipping underneath Todd Liston, completing the pass with the kind of efficiency that had defined his entire season. Once out front, he never looked back. Clean air became his canvas, and he painted the final laps with total control, stretching his advantage while the rest of the field battled in his wake.

Behind him, the race within the race added a layer of tension that refused to let the night settle. The fight for second in the championship between Chris Worrell and Todd Liston was razor-thin entering the finale, and every position mattered. Liston appeared poised to steal the spot after putting Worrell a lap down during the long run, but a timely late caution brought opportunity back into play. Worrell managed to hold on just enough to secure second in the final standings by a mere two points, winning the tiebreaker on the strength of more top-five finishes—a margin so thin it could fit between a tire and the inside wall at Hickory.

Further back, Chris Davis delivered one of the most unexpected drives of the night. Struggling early and openly admitting his car felt off, Davis turned to a bold, almost chaotic adjustment strategy—cranking his brake bias forward in search of stability. The gamble paid off. As others faded, Davis surged, slipping past both Hardin and Kurt Smith in the closing laps to steal third in a move that felt equal parts desperation and brilliance.

When the checkered flag finally waved, it was Lowe standing tall once again, followed by Liston in second and Davis completing the podium. Hardin and Smith rounded out the top five, capping off a race that mirrored the season itself—unpredictable behind, untouchable at the front.

Eight wins in eleven races. A championship clinched early. And a finale that left no doubt. As the lights dim on Season 26, the rest of the field is left chasing a benchmark that felt almost mythic at times. But racing never sleeps for long. With the next season set to begin at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the question now shifts from who won… to who, if anyone, can stop James Lowe’s encore.