Papa Kenny Conquers Bristol Chaos in Tennessee 150

The YesterYear Racing League returned from its summer break with a trip to Bristol Motor Speedway, and the Tennessee 150 wasted no time reminding everyone why the half-mile concrete bullring is one of the most demanding venues on the schedule. The Tour Modifieds were thrown into a 150-lap battle of sparks, tire wear, contact and survival, with the championship taking a dramatic turn before the night was over.

Entering Bristol, James Lowe held a 30-point advantage over Luke Logan Allen, the “Kid Lemon Lime.” By the time the checkered flag fell, that comfortable cushion had disappeared entirely.

Luke Logan Allen started from pole with Todd Liston alongside him, while Jerry Isaacs and Lowe occupied the second row. The opening laps were a delicate balancing act as the drivers wrestled the high-powered modifieds around the steep banking. The cars were essentially glued to the throttle, but cold tires and the aggressive transitions at Bristol left very little room for error.

The first major incident came when Jeff LeMire and Roger Hurley became tangled up, with Hurley unable to avoid the trouble. The visibility from inside the modifieds made the situation particularly difficult, with the steep banking and bulky bodywork creating enormous blind spots.

At the front, Luke Logan Allen settled into the lead, but Jerry Isaacs was steadily applying pressure. On Lap 44, Isaacs finally completed the pass to take control of the race.

Behind them, Lowe was playing the long game.

Rather than immediately attacking Isaacs, Lowe worked the outside lane and forced the leader to maintain a tighter line through the corners. The goal was to increase the load on Isaacs’ right-front tire and allow the tire wear to do the work. It was a patient strategy, but Lowe would never get the opportunity to find out whether it would pay off.

The race’s championship-changing moment came during a chaotic restart involving Brian Neff and Josh Buckley. The two made contact, setting off a chain reaction that caught Lowe with nowhere to escape.

The points leader slammed into the resulting melee and suffered terminal left-front suspension damage. His car was effectively crippled, and Lowe was forced to tow back to the pits.

The 30-point championship advantage that he had carried into Bristol was suddenly in jeopardy.

While Lowe’s championship hopes took a major hit, the race at the front continued to evolve. Brian Bianchi, who had gambled earlier by taking only right-side tires, found himself in position to lead the field. The strategy initially looked brilliant, and Bianchi managed to lead for 19 laps despite the enormous punishment being placed on his tires.

But Todd Liston was closing. Liston used the high side to build momentum through the corners before executing one of the best moves of the night. He carried his speed around the outside, then cut underneath Bianchi on the front stretch with a textbook crossover, taking the lead.

For a while, it appeared Liston had found the winning combination. Then Bristol did what Bristol does.

As Liston ran the high side, he got loose and drifted down into Bianchi. The two cars made heavy contact, sending both into the outside wall. The dominant contenders were suddenly out of the fight, leaving the door wide open for someone who had quietly survived the chaos.

That someone was Kenny Allen. “Papa” Kenny had avoided the major wrecks and inherited the lead just as the race entered its final Green-White-Checkered finish. Despite dealing with a vibration in the steering wheel, Allen remained composed and immediately went to work protecting his position.

Scott Negus was the man trying to take it away. Negus repeatedly searched for an opening, but Allen expertly defended the corner entry and continually took away the preferred arc. Every time Negus attempted to build momentum, Allen positioned his car to force him into the same line.

Two laps later, Kenny Allen was a winner at Bristol. And the podium had a family connection that made the victory even more memorable. Scott Negus finished second, while Luke Logan Allen recovered from his earlier tire strategy gamble to finish third.

Luke’s third-place finish was enormously important for the championship. He also collected the five-point bonus for leading the most laps, having paced the field for 44 circuits. With Lowe’s DNF, the “Kid Lemon Lime” emerged from Bristol with a projected three-point championship lead.

For Kenny Allen, the victory was as much about survival as outright speed. He admitted that the car had developed a significant steering vibration during the race, but he managed to keep it together when the opportunity finally arrived.

Negus, who had been considered one of the favorites coming into the event, found himself unable to get around the veteran Allen during the final sprint. He joked afterward that he needed a much bigger front bumper to make the pass, while also describing just how violently the car was bottoming out around Bristol.

Luke Logan Allen’s night was a mixture of frustration and celebration. His two-tire strategy had left the right-front tire heavily abused, but he managed to salvage third and, more importantly, leave Tennessee with the championship lead.

The result completely transformed the title fight. James Lowe entered Bristol with a 30-point advantage. He leaves with Luke Logan Allen in front. After a summer break, the championship has been turned upside down in one brutal night at the Coliseum.

The series now heads north to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, where the high banks of Bristol give way to another technical challenge. The points lead has changed hands, the championship fight has tightened dramatically, and the road to the title is suddenly wide open.

Skelton Reigns Supreme in Scrambler Series Regular Season Finale

The regular season finale of the RLR Checkered Flag Auto Supply Scrambler Series Season 22 delivered exactly what Irwindale Speedway promised: tire management, changing track conditions, spectacular wrecks, and a championship picture that came down to surviving the chaos. The Souza Media 150 featured the lower-horsepower ARCA cars on Irwindale’s progressive banking, where the preferred groove gradually became littered with tire marbles and drivers were forced to balance momentum against grip.

At the center of it all was James Skelton, who started from pole and quickly established himself as the driver to beat. Skelton chose the outside lane for the start, recognizing that the extra banking and momentum would give him an advantage over Zach Mitchell on the flatter inside. The decision paid immediate dividends as Skelton settled into the lead and began controlling the opening stages.

The race quickly became a survival contest, however. The first caution came around Lap 12 when Ben Coultes hit the wall, collecting Ethan Troutman and Kyle Haddock in the aftermath. Josh Buckley was caught up in the early trouble and his night went from bad to worse shortly afterward when another incident involving Jeff LeMire collected him again.

Buckley’s problems eventually became mechanical. A damaged rear suspension and broken toe link left his car crab-walking down the straightaways, forcing him to wrestle an increasingly unwilling machine around the track. Despite the damage, Buckley continued rather than giving up.

The pivotal moment came around Lap 45, when another caution presented the leaders with a major strategic decision. With the track temperature falling to around 77 degrees, Skelton and Mitchell elected to take fresh tires, while DJ Anderson and Ethan Troutman stayed out to gain track position.

It didn’t take long for the fresh rubber to prove its worth.

Skelton and Mitchell sliced through the front-runners on the restart, reclaiming the top two positions in just over a lap. Their advantage was especially significant at Irwindale, where the cars could easily become unstable over the bumps and crests entering the corners. The drivers who could preserve their tires and keep the car underneath them had a major advantage.

As the laps accumulated, the high line became increasingly treacherous. Rubber marbles piled up near the wall, transforming what had initially been the preferred groove into a skating rink.

David Odendahl learned that lesson the hard way.

Odendahl had climbed to a career-best fourth position when he carried too much speed into Turn 3 and got caught in the marbles. His car snapped around, triggering a wreck that also collected Chris Worrell, Connor Blasco, and Jeffrey Souza. Despite the incident, Odendahl managed to recover and finish eighth, doing enough to preserve his championship hopes and officially secure his place in the Chase.

The middle of the pack continued to unravel as the race entered its closing stages. Souza and LeMire found themselves occupying the same piece of real estate exiting Turn 4, sending Souza’s car off the racing surface and onto an access road behind the grandstands.

Fred LeClair added another spectacular moment when his car performed an unlikely wall ride, grinding along the outside barrier before later becoming involved in a massive pileup triggered by Sean Single.

Then came one of the night’s wildest incidents. DJ Anderson made contact on the backstretch and went airborne, flipping multiple times and shedding bodywork in spectacular fashion. By the time the car came to rest, it looked less like a race car and more like something that had been put through a blender.

While the rest of the field battled for survival, Skelton remained remarkably composed at the front.

The biggest threat to his victory came from reigning seven-time champion Maxime Theriault. Starting outside the top 10, Theriault took a completely different approach to the changing track. Rather than chasing the increasingly dangerous cushion, he worked the lower groove and concentrated on preserving his tires.

That strategy paid off handsomely.

Theriault avoided much of the late-race carnage and steadily climbed through the field, eventually reaching second place. Chris Hammett also put together a strong run, surviving the chaos to secure the final spot on the podium.

Up front, however, nobody could match Skelton.

The pole-sitter maintained control through the final laps to score a dominant victory and close the regular season with a statement performance. His post-race explanation was almost hilariously understated considering what he had just accomplished.

“This was the one race I really didn’t practice… I guess I just don’t need to study and just wing it.”

Theriault credited his decision to stay low and preserve his tires, knowing that drivers who took fewer tires would eventually find themselves trapped on the marbles and unable to recover.

Hammett’s third-place finish provided an equally important championship boost as he and his 4X teammates headed into the postseason.

The result officially closed the book on the Season 22 regular season and set the stage for the 12-driver Chase. Now the championship fight moves away from the abrasive short-track environment of California and heads to Texas Motor Speedway. The Chase will switch to the O’Reilly Cars, bringing a completely different set of demands and putting the championship contenders into a five-race battle where every mistake carries considerably more weight.

After the chaos of Irwindale, the regular season is finished. The Chase is officially on.

Guyon Wins at Long Beach as Sirois Charges from 15th to Fourth

The concrete canyons of the Long Beach Street Circuit provided a punishing stage for Round 13 of the Sim Gaming Expo ISRA Retro Series, where a field of Lotus 79s tackled 55 minutes of high-speed ground-effect racing with almost no margin for error. The narrow Southern California street course demanded precision from the opening standing start to the final trip through the famous hairpin, and by the end of the night, Alex Guyon emerged with the victory while championship leader David Sirois delivered one of the race’s most impressive drives.

Guyon started from pole alongside Michael Goodman, but Goodman got the jump when the lights went out and charged into Turn 1 with the lead. Richie Hearn, meanwhile, suffered a disastrous start and tumbled from fifth to 14th, while trouble farther back saw a spinning car leave Vern Hawkins multiple laps behind early in the race.

Goodman controlled the opening laps, but Long Beach quickly reminded the field that even the smallest mistake could carry a heavy price. The early leader had a scare when he slid wide in the parking-lot section coming off the back straight, managing to escape without significant damage but giving Alex Guyon an opportunity to close the gap.

By Lap 5, Guyon was firmly attached to the back of Goodman’s Lotus. Using the draft down Shoreline Drive, Guyon made his move into Turn 1, diving to the inside and completing a clean pass for the lead. Goodman stayed close, however, refusing to let the polesitter escape as Chris Valenzuela remained in contention behind them.

The race settled into a strategic rhythm as the field approached the halfway point. Most drivers committed to a one-stop strategy, with pit stops beginning around the 27-to-29-minute mark. Guyon made a clean stop and retained the effective lead, despite later admitting that he had accidentally left his default fuel strategy active and carried more fuel than intended into the second half of the race.

Valenzuela attempted to gain an advantage by extending his first stint and pushing hard before his stop, but Guyon’s smooth pit cycle kept him in control of the race. The stops also shuffled the midfield, with Christopher Ragan emerging ahead of Hearn and setting the stage for a dramatic battle later in the event.

One of the most determined performances of the night belonged to Craig Forsythe, who continued racing after suffering early damage to his right-front wing. Forsythe fought on with a severely compromised Lotus, refusing to retire despite the loss of valuable downforce. His battered machine survived deep into the race before a later crash finally brought his night to an end.

As the final 10 minutes approached, Goodman began closing back in on Guyon. He experimented with wider exits from the hairpin in an effort to maximize his run onto Shoreline Drive and create an opportunity to challenge for the lead. The strategy helped him keep the pressure on, but Long Beach’s concrete barriers were never far away.

A late wall strike disrupted Goodman’s momentum and opened the door for Valenzuela, who slipped past to take second. Goodman recovered to secure third place, earning his first podium finish of the season after spending much of the race in the fight for victory.

While the battle at the front produced the podium, the drive of the race belonged to David Sirois.

Starting from 15th, the championship leader faced a long night of threading his Lotus through traffic. Sirois steadily worked his way forward, avoiding the mistakes and wall contact that claimed positions throughout the field. By the closing stages, he had reached the back of a three-car fight with Ragan and Hearn for fourth place.

With less than two minutes remaining, the battle tightened dramatically. Ragan initially held the position, but a heavy encounter with the wall destroyed his momentum. Sirois capitalized immediately, moving through and turning his attention toward Hearn.

The final lap delivered one last twist. Entering the famous hairpin, Hearn locked his brakes and slid wide, leaving just enough room for Sirois to slip underneath. After starting 15th, Sirois crossed the finish line in fourth place, completing an impressive 11-position charge through the field.

Guyon took the checkered flag to claim victory, followed by Valenzuela in second and Goodman in third. Sirois’ remarkable recovery drive earned him fourth, while Hearn salvaged fifth after his difficult start and late-race mistake.

Guyon described the race as an exhausting mental and physical challenge, particularly with the pressure from Goodman and Valenzuela throughout the event. Valenzuela was pleased with his second-place finish and the performance of his team, while Goodman celebrated his first podium of the season despite the late mistake that likely ended his hopes of challenging for the win.

With only one round remaining, the championship picture now heads toward its final showdown, and after slicing his way from 15th to fourth through the unforgiving streets of Long Beach, David Sirois once again showed why he has been the driver to beat all season.

Ogle Outlasts Nelson in a Three-Caution Thriller at Bristol

Bristol, TN — Round 24 of the OBRL NASCAR Gen 4 Cup Series Season 9 brought 27 drivers to Bristol Motor Speedway for a brutal 175-lap battle around the half-mile concrete bullring. With the track temperature reaching 132°F, the 900-horsepower Gen 4 cars were exceptionally difficult to handle, making tire management and patience critical as the playoff picture tightened around the championship cutoff.

Tom Ogle wasted little time establishing control from the pole, taking the lead from the inside lane and quickly settling into the preferred bottom groove. The high line was treacherous in the extreme heat, with marbles accumulating near the wall and turning the outside lane into what amounted to a skating rink. Greg McDaniel brushed the wall early, while Ben Sheppard ventured into the marbles and lost several positions after sliding into the outside wall.

One driver taking a very different approach was Clay Walker. Rather than attacking the corners aggressively, Walker kept the steering wheel remarkably calm and planted his car against the yellow line. As other drivers burned through their tires, Walker patiently worked his way forward. By Lap 55, he had dispatched Dwayne McArthur for fourth and was closing on Matt Watkins.

The first caution finally arrived on Lap 70 after a three-wide battle involving Cortney Nelson, Roger Hurley, and Andy Thomas went wrong in traffic. Nelson made contact with Hurley’s right rear, sending Hurley spinning and leaving him with heavy nose damage. The leaders headed for pit road, with Ogle, Nelson, and Walker emerging as the top three.

Ogle continued to control the restart, but Nelson was relentless. He repeatedly turned laps several hundredths faster than the leader and began applying serious pressure. Passing, however, was another matter entirely. The dirty air made it difficult for Nelson to get the nose of his car underneath Ogle without risking a push toward the wall.

Behind them, Walker continued his patient march. He passed Watkins for third and steadily erased the gap to the leaders as Nelson’s tires began to overheat. Nelson was forced to drive the car increasingly sideways through the corners just to maintain his pace.

The second caution came on Lap 136 when Chris Bates and Scott Negus made contact after a major speed differential developed between the two cars. Bates slammed into the wall, while the leaders once again headed to pit road for fresh tires. The ensuing 40-lap sprint would decide the race.

It took almost no time for another caution to appear. On the restart, a three-wide battle broke apart when Alan Wannamaker lost control in the middle lane, unaware that John Hastings was alongside him. The contact collected Jack Jagerman and brought out the third yellow of the night.

The final restart produced one of Nelson’s best moments of the race. He launched perfectly and led a lap for the first time all evening, but Ogle quickly regained the advantage once the cars settled into the clean-air groove. Walker, meanwhile, was shuffled back to seventh after restart contact, seemingly ending his shot at another podium finish.

Instead, Walker went hunting.

With the laps winding down, Walker began tearing through the field. He passed Greg McDaniel, then Lloyd Moore, and with only three laps remaining made a spectacular move around Dwayne McArthur to reclaim fourth. It was a remarkable recovery after being pushed deep into the pack on the final restart.

Up front, Ogle finally had some breathing room. Nelson had been his biggest threat all night, but the combination of clean air and the difficulty of passing at Bristol allowed the pole-sitter to maintain control. Even a dramatic last-lap spin involving Nick Self and Andrew Medlin couldn’t produce another caution, allowing Ogle to race unchallenged to the checkered flag.

Tom Ogle captured the victory after leading almost from flag to flag, with Cortney Nelson finishing second and Matt Watkins completing the podium. Walker’s late charge earned him fourth, while McArthur rounded out the top five.

The result was especially impressive given how clean the race remained. A 900-horsepower Gen 4 car around a half-mile Bristol is normally a recipe for a caution festival, yet the event produced only three caution periods, a remarkable demonstration of the OBRL field’s racecraft.

Ogle admitted that Nelson had the pace to challenge him throughout the race, but the timing of the cautions repeatedly worked in his favor. Nelson, meanwhile, acknowledged that he had pushed too hard during the opening stint and had to change his approach later in the race. Watkins called his third-place finish “absolutely a win at Bristol,” particularly after improving his tire management during the second stint.

With the playoffs drawing closer and the points battle tightening around the cutoff, Bristol delivered exactly the kind of high-pressure test the OBRL field needed: blistering heat, fading tires, unforgiving concrete, and 175 laps where one mistake could erase an entire night’s work.

Chris Worrell Sweeps the Weekend at South Boston With BRL

South Boston, VA — Round 8 of the Bootleg Racing League (BRL) Late Model Invitational Series Season 35 took place on August 22, 2026, at South Boston Speedway, delivering 100 laps of short-track warfare on the tight Virginia bullring. With tire changes prohibited, the race became a grueling exercise in tire conservation, throttle control, and simply keeping the car pointed in the right direction. Championship leader James Lowe entered the night with a 22-point advantage over Luke Logan Allen, who was absent, giving Lowe a valuable opportunity to strengthen his position in the title fight.

The race began with Steve Hilbert leading the field to green, but Chris Davis immediately went to work on the pole-sitter. Davis attacked from multiple lanes, using the apron and working the car hard through the corners as he eventually wrestled the lead away from Hilbert. Behind them, the championship contenders were already making progress through the field. Chris Worrell charged forward aggressively, with Lowe following in his wake as the pair sliced through traffic. John Wilson also found speed on the high side, adding another threat to the increasingly crowded battle at the front.

The first major caution arrived around Lap 27 when Lowell Jewell and Wilson tangled while fighting for position. Jewell drifted upward into Wilson’s line, sending both cars into trouble and bunching the field back together. The restart created another opportunity for the drivers working their way forward, with Worrell continuing his charge while Lowe tried to stay out of trouble and conserve his tires.

The race’s biggest turning point came on Lap 61, when Todd Liston made an aggressive move underneath Davis for the lead. The two cars made heavy side-to-side contact as they battled through the corner, ultimately collecting Davis and championship leader Lowe in the resulting wreck. The incident completely reshuffled the running order and left Lowe facing another difficult climb through the field.

Worrell emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the chaos. He battled Liston for the lead and eventually powered around him on the outside to take control of the race. From there, the cautions continued to pile up. Jewell and Davis tangled again, while Steve Hilbert and Chris Haizlip were involved in another incident through Turns 3 and 4. South Boston’s tight confines left little room for error, and every restart seemed capable of producing another wreck.

For Lowe, the night went from difficult to disastrous. During a late-race restart, the points leader lost control and spun while attempting to fight his way back toward the front. The mistake was particularly costly given his championship position, and Lowe ultimately elected to tow back to the pits and retire from the race. After entering the night with a comfortable points advantage, the championship leader was left with a frustrating result.

That left Chris Worrell in control heading into the final shootout, with defending champion Ruben Altice directly behind him. Worrell nailed the restart and appeared to have the race under control, but Altice refused to let him escape. As the white flag flew, Altice closed rapidly through Turns 1 and 2 and prepared to make one final attempt at the victory. He pushed the issue on the exit of Turn 2, but the car washed up the track and cost him the momentum needed to complete the pass.

Chris Worrell held on to cross the finish line first and claim a dramatic victory at South Boston. Ruben Altice settled for second, while Ricky Hardin completed the podium after executing a patient tire-management strategy that allowed him to charge forward late in the race.

The victory was especially impressive given the attrition and constant restarts that defined the second half of the event. Worrell had to survive repeated challenges from Altice and the rest of the field while managing tires that had endured nearly the entire race distance. Altice’s runner-up finish kept the defending champion firmly in the championship conversation, while Hardin’s third-place result rewarded his decision to preserve his equipment early rather than burn through his tires battling for every position.

The series now heads to Langley Speedway for Round 9, where the flat, tight Virginia short track will provide another demanding test of patience and tire management.

Chris Worrell Wins Chaotic South Boston Showdown

South Boston, VA — The eighth round of Season 28 of the BRL Bushtalk Radio Super Late Model Series at South Boston Speedway delivered the short-track chaos, dramatic saves and hard-nosed racing that fans have come to expect from the historic Virginia venue. On the tight and narrow oval, managing the wide, high-horsepower Super Late Models required a delicate balance of throttle control, tire conservation and simply keeping the car pointed in the right direction.

Championship leader James Lowe entered the night with a slim 10-point advantage over teammate Chris Worrell, with the two “Dodge Boys” having established themselves as the only drivers to reach the top step of the podium all season. Their championship battle received a little extra breathing room with Luke Logan Allen absent while on vacation in New Hampshire. The biggest surprise before the race, however, came from Marlo Stoutman, who shocked the field by topping practice with a 14.74-second lap despite using a basic Logitech PlayStation wheel, three pedals clamped to a desk and a laptop from a hotel or dorm room. Stoutman started 17th, while polesitter Todd Liston lined up alongside Joe Segalla on the front row.

Liston immediately grabbed the advantage on the high line when the green flag fell, but the race barely had time to settle before the first caution appeared on Lap 1. A check-up in Turn 3 resulted in Stoutman’s No. 34 tagging the right rear of Segalla’s car, sending Segalla into a spin. Liston handled the restart well and retained the lead, but another caution followed almost immediately when Robbie Hensley and Jeffery Hardin collided, leaving Hardin’s No. 36 with heavy right-front suspension and tire damage. Tom Hilbert then spun on entry during the next restart, bringing out another yellow and creating a stop-and-go opening 40 laps.

Once the field finally settled into a longer green-flag run, Liston maintained control while Chris Haizlip battled John Wilson for third. Wilson, known as the “Canadian Goose,” found himself struggling to get around Haizlip’s defensive line, while Worrell began making serious progress around the outside. James Lowe was also quietly working his way forward, reaching sixth before another caution changed everything. Wilson got too close to Lowe’s left rear entering Turn 4 and sent the championship leader spinning. Lowe’s car became an obstacle in the narrow racing surface, with Ruben Altice also getting caught up in the chaos and spinning wildly through the field. Lowe survived but dropped to 15th, while Hensley’s race was effectively ended by the resulting damage.

On the restart around Lap 35, Worrell made his move. Starting behind Liston and Segalla, Worrell used the outside lane to carry tremendous momentum through the corners, sweeping past Segalla for second and immediately putting pressure on the leader. Meanwhile, Stoutman was struggling with significant front- and rear-end damage, while Lowe found himself trapped behind the compromised No. 34 car. A second attempt to get around Stoutman ended with Lowe being clipped and spun again, dropping the points leader a lap down.

At the front, Liston and Worrell eventually became locked in a duel. Worrell used a spectacular crossover maneuver to take advantage of his momentum on the outside, driving deep into the corner before cutting underneath Liston and taking the lead. The battle was interrupted again on Lap 60 when Haizlip spun his tires in the restart zone, drifted upward and triggered a massive chain reaction that collected nearly the entire field. Worrell, Liston and Michael Goodman were among the few leaders able to escape the carnage with their cars intact.

Another restart brought more trouble for Stoutman, who was tag-teamed with Altice and sent hard into the Turn 1 wall, while Hardin managed to slip through. The most remarkable moment of the race came shortly afterward when a slower lapped car, the No. 93 “Racing Ref,” lost control exiting Turn 4 and slammed on the brakes directly in front of the leading pair. Worrell and Liston reacted instantly, dodging the spinning car without contact and somehow preserving their lead-lap battle. It was easily the save of the night.

As the race entered its final stages, Jeff Sharp, Michael Goodman and Segalla battled fiercely for the final podium position. Goodman attempted a late dive underneath Sharp exiting Turn 4, but Sharp aggressively closed the door. A final caution with 15 laps remaining was triggered when Hardin and Segalla made contact off Turn 2, with the incident also collecting Lowe and Haizlip. Hardin was forced to retire, leaving just seven cars on the lead lap for the closing restart.

Worrell took advantage of the clean track ahead and immediately began pulling away, eventually stretching his advantage beyond one second. Chris Worrell crossed the finish line to score a clean, scratch-free victory and gain valuable ground on his championship-leading teammate. Todd Liston settled for second, while Jeff Sharp held off the late challengers to complete the podium. James Lowe recovered from his earlier problems to finish 10th.

Following the race, Worrell credited his starting position deep in the field for helping him conserve his tires while Liston was forced to set the pace from the front. Liston acknowledged that Worrell simply had the faster car during the final 15 laps as his tires began to fade, adding that because he was not focused on the championship points this season, he had no regrets about pushing for the win. Sharp was equally pleased with his podium performance, joking that his car had been “pushing from lap 50 on” but somehow survived the relentless South Boston punishment.

Matt Wagner Dominates Iowa, Holds Off Forsythe and Herrick in Round 12

Newton, IA — The 12th round of the Sim Gaming Expo’s ISR Retro Series took the Lotus 79s to Iowa Speedway for a 75-minute battle on the 7/8-mile oval. Known for its progressive banking, bumpy surface and ground-effect aerodynamics, Iowa presented a unique challenge for the field as the drivers battled to keep the high-powered open-wheel machines planted while managing tire wear. With David Sirois entering the event with the championship title nearly certain, the fight for the race victory remained wide open.

Matt Taylor led the field to the green flag, but David Sirois quickly established himself as the dominant force in the opening stages. The Quebec road racer adapted once again to the oval and proceeded to lead the first 49 laps, with a strong front group forming behind him that included Matt Wagner, Craig Forsythe, Taylor and Michael Goodman. The racing was fast and physical over Iowa’s bumps, forcing drivers to be careful about bottoming out the Lotus 79s. Vern Hawkins produced one of the more impressive early saves after a violent wiggle following contact with Christopher Ragan, while Lionel Calisto began another trademark charge from the back of the field after failing to set a qualifying time.

As the race approached the halfway point, pit strategy became increasingly important. The combination of high speeds and heavy right-front tire wear suggested that three stops would likely be necessary, although some drivers hoped they could stretch their fuel and tires enough to make a two-stop strategy work. Sirois was the first of the leaders to make his way onto pit road, prompting speculation from the broadcast team that he was either attempting to save fuel or had simply used too much while leading the field. As the various pit cycles unfolded, Garry Lovern and Lionel Calisto briefly moved into contention by extending their fuel runs, but the final strategy cycles eventually put Matt Wagner and Craig Forsythe at the head of the field.

Wagner’s advantage grew once he found himself in clean air. Rather than having to follow another car and deal with the turbulent air that could cause the Lotus 79 to push and chew through its right-front tire, Wagner was able to run his preferred line and carefully manage the car. The strategy paid enormous dividends as he eventually stretched his advantage to roughly seven seconds over the chasing pack. Behind him, the battle for the remaining podium positions remained much closer, with Forsythe trying to maintain his position while Jim Herrick began putting together an impressive late-race charge.

The race took another turn when Mike Rigney endured a lengthy pit stop that effectively removed him from contention. Herrick, meanwhile, had successfully double-stinted his tires and was able to use the fresher track conditions and his preserved rubber to move through the field. As the 75-minute clock wound down, Wagner remained comfortably in control, eventually taking the white flag after leading 116 laps. The fight for second, however, went right down to the final corner as Forsythe fought to keep Herrick behind him.

Matt Wagner crossed the finish line to secure the Round 12 victory, capping a dominant performance built around clean air, tire conservation and consistency. Craig Forsythe held on for second, while Jim Herrick completed the podium with a strong third-place finish after his late charge. Chris Stofer finished fourth, with Lionel Calisto rounding out the top five after his impressive drive from the back of the field.

In the post-race interviews, Wagner credited Forsythe with providing the clean-air opportunity that allowed him to control the race, noting that he did not even need to change his tires during the second half of the event. Forsythe admitted that tire wear had been his biggest challenge throughout the race and that he was changing his right-front tire at nearly every stop. Herrick was delighted with his podium result, pointing to the cooler track temperatures as a major factor in allowing him to preserve his tires and make his late push toward second. The ISR Retro Series now turns its attention toward Long Beach, where the Lotus 79s will trade Iowa’s short oval for the very different challenge of a street circuit.

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.