Worrell Wins Phoenix Thriller as Late Two-Tire Gamble Pays Off

Avondale, AZ — Round 9 of the RLR Checkered Flag Auto Supply Scrambler Series Season 22 rolled into Phoenix Raceway for the penultimate race of the regular season, with the NASCAR trucks taking center stage on the unique one-mile oval. The open dogleg on the front stretch created multiple opportunities for drivers to attack, defend and search for clean air, while the abrasive Arizona surface promised a long evening of tire management. Championship leader Maxime Theriault started from the pole alongside Zach Mitchell, with the pressure mounting as the regular season neared its conclusion.

Theriault immediately established control when the green flag dropped, but the first caution arrived on Lap 5 after the No. 59 truck spun coming off Turn 2. Once the field returned to green, Theriault quickly opened a gap of roughly eight-tenths of a second while James Skelton and the rest of the lead pack battled behind him. The long green-flag run that followed placed tire management at the center of the race as the Phoenix surface steadily chewed through rubber. With a two-stop strategy expected to be the quickest way to the finish, the leaders eventually gathered for a “pit party” around Lap 30, with Theriault, Mitchell and Connor Blasco among those making their stops.

As the race passed halfway, Theriault continued to dictate the pace, but Skelton remained within striking distance, occasionally closing to less than two-tenths of a second. The trucks’ lower horsepower and relatively light rear ends made passing difficult, forcing drivers to protect their momentum through the corners and carefully choose when to attack. Chris Worrell, piloting the No. 06 truck, became one of the most entertaining figures in the field as he repeatedly pushed the limits of grip while working his way through traffic.

The strategy picture changed dramatically when Randy Schuler brought out a late caution in the No. 00 truck during a critical pit cycle. The yellow flag erased much of the advantage built by the leaders and set up another restart with 22 laps remaining. Theriault led Zach Mitchell and Trent Potter back to green, but the compressed field quickly became volatile. A multi-car incident involving Sean Single, Chris Hammett and Tim Combs produced another caution and eventually pushed the race toward a green-white-checkered finish.

During the final round of pit stops, Worrell made the gamble that ultimately decided the race. Instead of taking four fresh tires, he elected to take only two, sacrificing fresh rubber on one side of the truck in exchange for track position. The gamble placed him at the front for the final restart, and Worrell executed the launch perfectly. Despite running on used left-side tires, he maintained control as the field charged toward the final lap.

Maxime Theriault wasn’t ready to surrender the victory. On the final lap, the points leader made a desperate attempt to reclaim the lead with a send into Turn 3, but he carried slightly too much speed into the corner and couldn’t complete the move. Worrell held the line and powered toward the checkered flag, securing his second victory of the season by approximately four-tenths of a second over Theriault. Trent Potter completed the podium, while the late-race strategy gamble transformed Worrell from a contender into the winner.

Worrell credited the unlikely path to victory to his earlier pit stop, which had originally been motivated by a flickering computer mouse rather than some grandmaster racing calculation. That unexpected detour ultimately put him in position to make the decisive two-tire gamble when the race mattered most. With Phoenix in the books, the Scrambler Series now heads to Irwindale for the regular-season finale, where the final playoff positions will be decided in the ARCA cars.

Watkins Takes Michigan Victory as Heat, Strategy and Chaos Shape Race 23

Brooklyn, MI — The OBRL YesterYear Cup Series arrived at Michigan International Speedway for Race 23 of the 2026 season, bringing 37 drivers to the two-mile oval for a high-speed, high-stakes 90-lap battle under a clear sky and a scorching 106-degree track temperature. With the regular season drawing toward its conclusion, every position carried added importance, and the combination of extreme heat, tire wear and Michigan’s wide racing surface promised a race where strategy would be just as important as raw speed.

Ben Sheppard started from the pole in his No. 69 machine, but the advantage was short-lived as Josh Robinson and Bobby Goetz immediately applied pressure when the green flag waved. Goats quickly established himself at the front, while the field settled into the kind of frantic, three-wide racing Michigan is known for. The first caution came on Lap 4 when Greg Hammond slammed his No. 88 into the inside wall through Turn 2, ending his night and also involving Lloyd Moore in the incident.

As the race settled into a long green-flag run, commentators described the tightly packed field as a “bees nest,” with drivers constantly jockeying for position and using the draft to gain momentum. The 106-degree track temperature made tire management particularly important, with the right-front tire taking a beating as the cars circulated the two-mile oval. Around Lap 33, the first cycle of green-flag pit stops began. Goetz came to pit road from the lead, while Matt Watkins and Cortney Nelson elected to stay out longer in an attempt to gain track position and potentially reduce the number of stops they would need. Eric Essary, who started at the rear of the field, also stretched his opening stint and briefly inherited the lead as the pit cycle unfolded.

The green-flag rhythm was eventually broken when a second caution flew following a heavy collision between Ben Sheppard and Jack Jagerman. Sheppard’s night came to an end in the Turn 2 incident, while Jagerman was able to continue. The ensuing restart on Lap 53 produced the biggest accident of the afternoon. Allen Wannamaker, running on older tires after staying out, became a bottleneck for the field, triggering a massive 10-car pileup on the backstretch. Cortney Nelson was among those caught up in the wreck, and after reaching the league’s nine-point incident limit, he was disqualified from the event.

With the field shaken up, the final quarter of the race became a battle between Bobby Goetz and Matt Watkins. On a restart with 17 laps remaining, Watkins nailed the launch and drove underneath Goetz to take the lead. Another caution, this time following a hard hit by Tom Ogle, set up a final 10-lap sprint to the checkered flag. Watkins, piloting the No. 20 “Bazooka bubblegum” machine, held his nerve as championship leader Dwayne McArthur and Josh Robinson chased him down. McArthur was particularly disciplined through Turn 2, but despite his best efforts, he could not find a way around Watkins.

Matt Watkins held on to score the victory, earning a crucial win as the championship picture tightened heading toward the playoffs. Watkins credited the performance to pushing a little harder than he had on previous trips to Michigan and executing the final restart perfectly. Dwayne McArthur finished second, followed by Josh Robinson in third and Bobby Goetz in fourth, while Eric Essary completed the top five. Scott Negus came home sixth, Sean Foltz seventh, Kevin Strandberg eighth, Bill Martin ninth and Lloyd Moore rounded out the top ten.

The OBRL YesterYear Cup Series now turns its attention to the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway for Race 24 before closing out the regular season at Auto Club Speedway. With the championship battle entering its final stretch, the Michigan victory could prove to be a particularly valuable piece of the playoff puzzle.

Ruben Altice Wins at Oxford Plains as James Lowe Charges Back to Second

Oxford, ME — The seventh round of the Bootleg Racing League (BRL) Late Model Invitational Series Season 35 took place at the uniquely challenging Oxford Plains Speedway. The doughnut-shaped short track delivered a grueling 100-lap test of patience and tire conservation, with drivers constantly turning the wheel around the compact oval that Ricky Hardin described as a “giant circle.”

The starting lineup was set by inverting the top 13 finishers from the previous race, putting Tom Hilbert on the pole alongside Jeff Sharp. Michael Goodman, John Wilson, Ruben Altice, Donnie Moore, Lowell Jewell, Mike Holloway, Chris Worrell and championship leader James Lowe rounded out the top ten. From the drop of the green flag, Hilbert immediately established himself as the driver to beat, leading the opening 41 laps. He attacked the track with a “drive it like he stole it” mentality, building a strong early advantage while the rest of the field struggled to make the outside groove work.

The tight confines of Oxford Plains eventually produced several cautions as drivers fought for limited real estate. Jeffery Kemper and Joe Segalla were among those involved in early incidents, while an accordion-effect check-up created another disruption. Donnie Moore also took an unexpected trip through the grass before eventually making his way back toward the pits. The biggest championship storyline came when points leader James Lowe became involved in a collision with Joseph Snyder, the “Butcher of Baton Rouge.” Lowe hit the wall after a check-up and found himself buried as deep as 14th, forcing the championship leader to begin another long recovery drive.

The race began to turn on Lap 42 as Hilbert’s aggressive opening stint finally caught up with his tires. After spending the first portion of the race at the front, Hilbert was shuffled toward the outside and rapidly lost ground. Ruben Altice, meanwhile, had taken a much more measured approach. The “Quiet Man” maintained his tires and inherited the lead, quickly showing that his patience could pay dividends over the long run.

Behind Altice, the fight for second remained intense. John Wilson, the “Canadian Goose,” used the outside lane effectively on restarts, while Worrell and Holloway stayed within striking distance. Lowe was quietly making his way through the field, picking off competitors one at a time. What initially looked like a disastrous night for the championship leader was becoming another impressive recovery performance.

As the laps wound down, tire wear became increasingly important. Chris Davis and Worrell both saw their competitive runs deteriorate as their tires gave up, with Davis eventually limping his car toward the pits. Kurt Smith, the “Cucumber,” went in the opposite direction, finding additional speed late in the race as other drivers faded. Smith moved into podium contention while Lowe continued his charge toward the front.

In the closing laps, Lowe completed the final stage of his comeback by passing both Smith and Wilson to take second place. But Altice had already built too much of an advantage. Having carefully preserved his right-rear tire through the first 80 laps, Altice entered the final 20 laps with roughly 50 percent of that tire remaining and maintained a gap of approximately 1.9 seconds over Lowe.

Ruben Altice crossed the finish line to claim his first victory of the season after leading the final 59 laps. James Lowe completed a remarkable recovery to finish second, while Kurt Smith secured third. Smith’s podium was particularly meaningful as the race marked his 100th consecutive start in the BRL Late Model Invitational Series, a remarkable streak spanning approximately nine seasons.

Altice’s victory demonstrated the value of patience at Oxford Plains, while Lowe’s runner-up finish allowed the championship leader to minimize the damage from his mid-race setback. With tire conservation once again proving to be the difference between victory and defeat, the BRL Late Model Invitational Series continues to show that at Oxford Plains, sometimes the fastest way to the finish is knowing when not to push.

Lowe Wins Again at Oxford Plains as Tire Patience Pays Off

Oxford, ME — The seventh round of the BRL Bushtalk Radio Super Late Model Series at Oxford Plains Speedway delivered a remarkable 100-lap display of patience, tire management and short-track precision. With championship leader James Lowe entering the event holding a seven-point advantage over teammate Chris Worrell, the race provided an opportunity for Lowe to widen that margin. Instead of the usual caution-filled short-track battle, the field completed the entire distance without a single yellow flag, leaving tire conservation and traffic management to determine the winner.

The grid was set by inverting the top 13 finishers from the previous race, putting Steve Hilbert on the pole alongside John Wilson, the “Canadian Goose.” Lowe and Worrell started deeper in the field in 10th and 11th, respectively. The opening lap immediately produced drama when Charles Roth made contact with Hilbert, but the incident failed to produce a caution because the track remained clear. Wilson inherited the lead and settled into a rhythm that allowed him to control the field for the opening 65 laps.

For much of the first half, the race resembled a tightly packed parade around Oxford Plains, with most drivers committed to the inside groove. The high-horsepower Super Late Models demanded careful throttle control, while trail braking became essential for keeping the cars stable through the corners. Wilson proved particularly effective at managing the pace, running just fast enough to keep the field behind him. Lowe, meanwhile, quietly worked his way forward, climbing to sixth by Lap 10. Worrell had a more difficult time making progress through traffic, eventually advancing from 13th to seventh while spending considerable time trapped behind Donnie Moore.

As the race passed the halfway mark, the track began to change. The inside groove gradually lost some of its advantage, allowing the outside lane to become a legitimate passing route. Lowe took advantage of a mistake by Ruben Altice to move into the top five, while Charles Roth and Luke Logan Allen, known as “Kid Lemon Lime,” began experimenting with the high side. The changing track produced an unusual sight at Oxford Plains as the field managed to run three-wide on two separate occasions without incident. Roth continued his recovery from the opening-lap contact, using the outside groove to work his way back toward the front.

The pivotal moment came on Lap 65 when Lowe finally made his move on Wilson. Lowe powered underneath the longtime leader and took control of the race, immediately shifting his focus from attacking to preservation. With no cautions to reset the field, Lowe carefully managed his tires and brakes, occasionally “dipping his nose out” to catch some air while maintaining a comfortable advantage. Behind him, Allen used an unconventional approach of repeatedly putting the left-front tire onto the curb to maintain momentum, helping him secure a position among the leaders.

Worrell saved his best charge for the closing stages. After starting deep in the field and battling through traffic for much of the race, he passed Kurt Smith to move into fourth, completing a strong recovery drive and keeping the championship battle in view. Up front, however, Lowe remained firmly in control. Roth’s remarkable recovery earned him second, while Luke Logan Allen held on for third and Worrell completed the top four ahead of Smith.

James Lowe crossed the finish line to secure his fourth victory of the season, extending his championship advantage over Worrell. Lowe called Oxford Plains the “ultimate test of patience,” explaining that he waited for the other drivers’ tires to fade before making his decisive move. Roth expressed regret over the opening-lap contact with Hilbert but was thrilled to recover and make the three-wide racing work. Allen admitted that his curb-hitting technique was not exactly part of the original game plan, but it nevertheless helped deliver a podium finish.

After 100 laps of close-quarters racing, the most remarkable statistic was the one that never appeared on the caution board: zero yellow flags. At a track where patience is often worth more than raw speed, Lowe played the long game perfectly and walked away with another victory and an even healthier championship lead.

Troutman Wins Summer Shootout Finale by 0.001 Seconds as LeClair Secures Championship

Loudon, NH — The season finale of the Red Light Racing (RLR) Summer Shootout at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on August 13, 2026, delivered a finish measured in the smallest possible sliver of time. With double points on the line, the “Magic Mile” provided a brutal test for the field of Tour Modifieds, with its low banking, high speeds and heavy weight transfer putting tremendous strain on the right-rear tires. When the dust settled, Ethan Troutman had won the race by just 0.001 seconds, while Fed LeClair survived an early disaster to claim the championship.

Ethan “The Mountain” Troutman led the 16-car field to the green flag from pole, but the championship picture became chaotic almost immediately. On Lap 3, Fed LeClair, who entered the finale with a commanding points advantage, was involved in a heavy collision with Jeff LeMire. The incident left LeClair with a meatball flag and significant left-front suspension damage, suddenly opening the door for rivals Brian Neff and Joshua Buckley to potentially steal the championship. The race remained green despite several other early incidents, including a spin by Kenny Allen and hectic mid-pack battles that saw Devin Visnaw weaving through traffic. Meanwhile, Eric Stout began a patient charge from 14th, methodically picking his way toward the front.

The first caution finally appeared on Lap 36 when Brian Neff and AJ Hamel made contact on the backstretch. The yellow flag triggered a flurry of pit-road strategy, with some drivers opting for two tires or fuel-only service while others, including Troutman and Stout, took four fresh tires. Another caution soon followed when Patrick Stout spun while battling underneath Todd Sargent. After the restart, Eric Stout emerged as the dominant force, taking control of the race and building a lead of more than a second as the field reached the halfway point.

That advantage gradually disappeared as Troutman found an unconventional way to attack the flat New Hampshire corners. By placing his left-side tires onto the apron, Troutman was able to rotate the car more effectively and gain valuable time. The unusual “grip strip” approach allowed Troutman and Trent Potter to steadily close the gap on Stout. By Lap 80, the three drivers were locked into a fierce battle for the victory, with Troutman eventually reclaiming the lead and Potter staying firmly attached to his rear bumper.

The final lap delivered the kind of drama that makes a season finale worth the price of admission. Entering Turn 3, Potter launched a “dipsy-doo” move to the inside and briefly wrestled the lead away from Troutman. Troutman anticipated the attack and immediately executed the crossover, setting up a drag race to the finish. The two Tour Modifieds charged toward the checkered flag side-by-side and even touched wheels as they crossed the stripe, but Troutman had just enough momentum to claim the victory by an astonishing 0.001 seconds, the narrowest margin possible in iRacing. Potter settled for second, while Eric Stout finished third after leading 29 laps.

Despite finishing 14th after his early-race wreck, Fed LeClair’s massive points cushion proved impossible to overcome, allowing him to secure the RLR Summer Shootout championship. The championship nearly slipped away in spectacular fashion, but LeClair ultimately had enough of a buffer to survive the disaster. Afterward, he joked that he had to shut off the game and go get ice cream to recover from the stress before realizing he had officially clinched the title. In a finale that delivered everything from championship panic to a finish separated by one thousandth of a second, the Summer Shootout went out with the stopwatch practically smoking.

Shepherd Dominates Oulton Park, Moves Closer to Second Straight IROC Championship

Little Budworth, UK — The fourth round of the YYR IROC Racing Series brought the field to the challenging Oulton Park Circuit International for the European road course leg of the five-race schedule. Entering the night, defending champion J R Shepherd held an eight-point advantage over his closest rival, Chris Hammett. With 15 top-tier drivers competing in equally prepared Cadillac Touring Sedan V Series cars, the starting grid was set by reversing the championship standings, putting Shepherd at the very back of the field and giving him a significant challenge if he wanted to protect his points lead.

The green flag immediately unleashed a scramble through Oulton Park’s collection of twists, turns, kinks and bumps. Shepherd and Hammett wasted no time slicing through traffic, with Shepherd climbing to fourth and Hammett settling into third by the end of the opening lap. Shepherd quickly went after Hammett and completed the pass for third before setting his sights on the leaders, David Shreve and Chris Worrell. By the third lap of the 40-lap race, Shepherd had dispatched both drivers to take control of the race.

The early laps also brought a steady stream of attrition and technical mistakes. Ken Allen gained six positions before a heavy encounter with the curbs caused significant damage and eventually ended his race. The championship picture then shifted dramatically when Hammett, running second, clipped a curb and spun. The incident damaged his left-front suspension and resulted in a race-ending DNF, removing Shepherd’s most immediate championship threat and allowing the leader to stretch his advantage beyond 20 seconds.

The mandatory pit cycle for fuel and tires arrived around Lap 18. David Shreve attempted to gain an advantage with an early stop, but Chris Worrell produced a quicker pit service, spending just 27.2 seconds in his stall compared with Shreve’s 28.5 seconds. Worrell emerged in effective second place, while Shreve’s afternoon took another turn for the worse when he spun across the track and was struck by Roger Hurley. Shreve was eventually disqualified after reaching the 13x incident limit.

From there, Shepherd’s performance became a demonstration in controlled domination. He began lapping the field, picking off competitors including Greg McDaniel, Scott Negus and Jerry Issacs. Issacs’ night ended after a hard impact with an inner barrier left his “Darth Vader” machine limping on three wheels. With only five laps remaining, Worrell’s challenge for second disappeared when he “blinked away” from the session after reaching his own incident limit, leaving Josh Robinson in position to inherit the runner-up spot.

J R Shepherd crossed the finish line to complete a remarkable performance, leading 38 of the 40 laps and ultimately lapping every other car in the field. Despite describing the Cadillac as a “handful,” Shepherd credited his success to attacking aggressively on cold tires early while avoiding the dangerous tire barriers scattered around the chicanes. Josh Robinson turned a strategy built around survival and attrition into a career-best second-place finish, while Roger Hurley battled through the final laps with a damaged car to secure third. Scott Negus and Greg McDaniel rounded out the only five drivers to finish the race. The dominant victory puts Shepherd firmly on course for a second consecutive IROC championship with only the season finale remaining.

Hammett Wins Daytona Thriller by 0.061 Seconds

Daytona Beach, FL — The eighth round of the RLR Checkered Flag Auto Supply Scrambler Series brought the field to the iconic Daytona International Speedway Road Course for the final three races of the regular season. The event marked the series’ lone road-course stop of the campaign, with the NextGen Cup cars tackling the demanding 14-turn layout that includes the International Horseshoe, the Bus Stop chicane, and the NASCAR-specific chicane leading onto the tri-oval. Under the lights, the race quickly developed into a battle of tire management, pit strategy and outright nerve.

Luke Logan Allen started from the pole with Trent Potter alongside him on the front row. Allen held the advantage through the opening corner, but Potter immediately applied pressure before eventually making his move into Turn 1 to take control of the race. Chaos struck early toward the back of the field when a driver missed the chicane, triggering a multi-car incident. Zach Mitchell, considered one of the stronger road-course specialists in the field, showed plenty of speed early but also found the limits of the NextGen car when a sideways snap under braking sent him scrambling to recover.

As the race settled down, Chris Hammett began applying heavy pressure to Potter. The battle eventually forced Potter to overdrive the International Horseshoe, allowing Hammett to move into the lead. With tire wear becoming increasingly important in the hot track conditions, the pit window arrived around halfway through the 25-lap event. Potter elected to pit early for an undercut, hoping the fresh tires would give him enough of an advantage to regain the lead when Hammett made his stop a lap later. The gamble paid off, and Potter cycled back to the front. Championship leader Maxime Theriault, meanwhile, suffered a costly setback when a black flag penalty during the pit cycle dropped him deep into the field.

Once the pit sequence was complete, Hammett went back to work. He steadily closed the gap to Potter and eventually reclaimed the lead with a move through the infield. Luke Logan Allen remained a distant third, nearly 18 seconds behind the two leaders, while the fight at the front became increasingly intense. Zach Mitchell’s night came to an abrupt end when his car snapped under braking in Turn 1 and slammed into the tire barriers, producing heavy damage and dealing a major blow to his regular-season points position.

The closing laps produced a two-car battle that had the rest of the field nowhere in sight. Potter stayed glued to Hammett’s rear bumper, applying relentless pressure as the laps wound down. On the final lap, Hammett made a small mistake and clipped the wall, allowing Potter to close the gap to just a quarter of a second. The two cars charged toward the finish side by side, making contact as they crossed the stripe in a spectacular drag race to the checkered flag.

Hammett held on to win by just 0.061 seconds, securing his first victory of the season in one of the closest finishes in series history. Potter settled for second, with Luke Logan Allen completing the podium in third. James Skelton finished fourth and Sean Single rounded out the top five. After the race, Hammett described the NextGen car as a “handful,” citing wheel hop and heavy tire fall-off as major challenges throughout the event. With Daytona now in the books, the series heads into the final two races of the regular season at Phoenix and Irwindale.

Sirois Survives Four-Wide Chaos to Win Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN — Round 11 of the ISRA Sim Gaming Expo Retro Series brought the Lotus 79s to the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a 100-lap, 250-mile “half-scale” running of the greatest spectacle in racing. With the championship battle heating up, French Canadian David Sirois arrived as the points leader with five wins, facing a high-stakes event where every point counted toward the final standings.

The race began with Lewis Hayes on the pole, but he was immediately challenged by Vern Hawkins, who took the lead into Turn 1. The early laps were characterized by intense drafting and frequent lead changes among a competitive front pack that included Richie Hearn, Chris Stofer, and Matt Wagner. Wagner, known as the “Ovalmeister,” made a particularly impressive charge, picking off cars one by one to take the lead in a three-wide maneuver.

Pit strategy became the focal point as the race reached its midpoint. While most of the field aimed for a two-stop strategy around lap 40, Matt Taylor executed a lightning-fast pit stop of only 27 seconds, significantly shorter than the 37-second average, propelling him to a massive 6.2-second lead. This gap held for many laps as the chasing pack, including Hearn and Hawkins, struggled to cooperate and draft back to Taylor’s rear wing. Meanwhile, Craig Forsythe attempted an “early peel” strategy, pitting on lap 50 to ensure he could reach the finish without further stops, banking on a late-race caution.

The race lead eventually cycled to Jim Herrick, who was the last driver to pit on lap 88. Herrick held a narrow lead, but he was quickly hunted down by a six-car train consisting of Sirois, Alex Guyon, Lionel Calisto, Wagner, and Cristobal Valenzuela. Just as the battle for the win reached a fever pitch, a caution was triggered on lap 96 by an incident involving Hayes and Hawkins in the back of the field, setting up a single-lap, 2.5-mile shootout to the checkered flag.

The final restart was nothing short of “the humanity.” Coming off Turn 4, the leaders fanned out four-wide in a desperate sprint for the Yard of Bricks. A massive collision occurred at the finish line, resulting in cars cartwheeling across the track. David Sirois emerged through the chaos to secure his sixth win of the season. The podium was completed in bizarre fashion, with Cristobal Valenzuela finishing second despite hitting both walls, while Matt Wagner took third with only three tires remaining on his car. Most remarkably, Lionel Calisto was credited with fourth place while crossing the finish line upside down on his roll hoop.

Ogle Holds Off Nelson in Watkins Glen Thriller

Watkins Glen, NY — The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series 2026 returned from its summer break for Race 22 at Watkins Glen International, featuring a 45-lap event with no cautions. The race utilized the high-speed “cup layout” featuring the bus stop chicane, challenging drivers to manage 900-horsepower Gen 4 cars on the newer, smoother track configuration.

Tom Ogle started from the pole position with Eric Essary joining him on the front row. Behind them, Ben Sheppard and Matt Watkins occupied the second row, followed by Dwayne McArthur and Roger Hurley. Two drivers, Cortney Nelson and Sean Foltz, were forced to start from the end of the line, with Nelson also facing a green-flag pass-through penalty that significantly hindered his start. As the green flag waved, Ogle successfully held the lead into the downhill braking zone of Turn 1. The field managed a remarkably clean start, quickly settling into a nose-to-tail rhythm through the S’s.

The non-caution format meant that any mistake was costly. Early in the race, Robert Guarisco and Patrick Martindale both spun while attempting to get the power down off a corner. A more severe incident occurred when Greg McDaniel got loose and, while trying to rejoin the track, was clobbered by Kenny Allen, ending the race for both drivers.

In the battle for the podium, Matt Watkins made an aggressive move on Ben Sheppard to take over third place. Sheppard subsequently lost another position to Dwayne McArthur within two turns. Later, Sheppard’s strong run ended prematurely when he hit the wall on the front stretch, causing significant right-side damage.

As the race neared the midpoint, the strategy game began. Dwayne McArthur was the first of the leaders to pit on Lap 16, attempting an “undercut” to gain track position. Essary and Watkins followed shortly after, while Ogle stayed out for several additional laps.

When Ogle finally pitted and returned to the track, he found himself in a fierce side-by-side battle with Eric Essary through the high-speed S’s. Ogle managed to hold the position as Essary backed off to preserve his tires. Meanwhile, Essary’s race later took a hit when he suffered front-end damage that dropped him down the order.

The story of the race was Cortney Nelson, who, despite his early 40-second penalty, began carving through the field with superior pace. By Lap 15, he had already reached the top 10. Nelson utilized extreme aggression, often being two seconds per lap faster than the leaders.

By Lap 27, Nelson had moved into second place as other drivers cycled through their stops. Although he briefly considered a “fuel-only” pit stop to save time, he ultimately decided to take four fresh tires to maintain his speed for the final sprint.

With 10 laps remaining, Tom Ogle maintained a steady lead, but the “Jaws” theme began to play as Nelson continued to close the gap. Matt Watkins, who had been running a strong race in the top three, suffered a heartbreaking spin after clipping a curb in the final turns, falling to sixth place.

This move promoted Nelson to second, but he simply ran out of time to catch the leader. Tom Ogle delivered a “perfect” performance, hitting every mark and managing his tires to take the checkered flag.

Tom Ogle took the victory, with Cortney Nelson finishing second, only 1.3 seconds behind after overcoming his early penalty. Dwayne McArthur finished third, followed by Roger Hurley in fourth and Eric Essary in fifth.

Ogle credited his win to mental concentration and tire management, noting that the Gen 4 cars were easy to “smoke the back tires” on if a driver lost focus. Despite the win, Ogle praised Nelson’s performance, stating that Nelson likely would have “killed us” had he not started with a penalty. The series now moves to the D-shaped oval of Michigan International Speedway for the next round.

Lowe Masters Lanier to Take Round 6 Victory

Braselton, GA — The sixth round of the Boot Lake Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series took place on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at the challenging Lanier National Speedway. Dubbed the “equator” of Season 35, the race marked the pivotal midpoint separating the first five rounds from the final five. With a healthy field of 20 drivers and an inverted grid based on the previous race’s top 13 finishers, the stage was set for another high-intensity short-track battle.

Joseph Snyder led the field to the green flag from the pole with Michael Goodman alongside on the front row, but the clean air didn’t last long. On the opening lap, Goodman found the wall while Kenny Allen looped his car after making contact with the rear of James Low and Mike Holloway, bringing out an early caution. It was an ominous preview of the messy race to come as drivers wrestled with the high-grip cars on Lanier’s tight confines. Another significant caution followed when Chris “Mr. Manners” Davis and the “Racing Rev” Chris Haizlip made contact. Davis attempted to work underneath Haizlip, but the two touched at the right rear, sending Davis spinning into the corner.

While the early leaders fought to hold their positions, three-time champion James Lowe, who started sixth thanks to the inverted lineup, began his methodical march toward the front. By lap 27, Lowe executed an impressive three-wide maneuver to take the lead. The frequent restarts worked in his favor, repeatedly giving him access to the preferred inside line, and once he reached the front, Lowe settled into the rhythm that has made him such a formidable presence on short tracks.

The race continued to produce its share of controversy and attrition. Kurt Smith and Ruben Altice became involved in one of the more debated incidents of the night when Altice appeared to come down on Smith, although replays suggested Altice may have received a “boost” from Luke Logan Allen that sent him sideways. Another multi-car wreck involving Marino Valente and Louis Flowers collected Davis once again as he attempted to avoid the initial spin. Jeff Sharp was also among the night’s standout performers, gaining 11 positions at one point to race among the leaders before his fortunes turned south in the closing stages.

With 15 laps remaining, Chris Worrell emerged as Lowe’s primary challenger. Worrell had spent much of the night fighting the disadvantage of outside-lane restarts, but finally secured an inside restart and charged into second with roughly 12 laps to go. He closed the gap significantly, but Lowe’s experience and patience with his tires proved decisive. Lowe managed the final laps without making the mistake Worrell needed, securing the Round 6 victory.

The battle for third became a “kamikaze” duel between Mike Holloway and Luke Logan Allen. Holloway, who started ninth, managed to edge out the younger Allen in the closing corners to secure the final spot on the podium. Lowe led more than 34 laps on his way to victory, while Worrell settled for second and Holloway took third. Lowell Jewell was the night’s hard charger, storming from 15th to finish fifth.

In the post-race interviews, Lowe joked about benefiting from the inverted grid and the repeated restarts before revealing that his preferred “deserted island” cereal is Fruit Loops with coconut milk. Worrell expressed frustration that there simply weren’t enough laps remaining to mount a serious challenge for the win, while Holloway explained that passing at Lanier was at such a premium that he had to switch to “kamikaze mode” to secure his podium finish. With the season now reaching its halfway point, the BRL Late Model Invitational Series heads into the final five rounds with the championship battle wide open.