BRL LM S24R9 | Myrtle Beach Speedway

04 December 2023

Bootleg Racing League S24R9 | Myrtle Beach Speedway

The ninth round of the Myrtle Beach Speedway race was a thrilling event that saw some intense racing action. The front row was led by John Wilson and Joseph Snyder, who got off to a great start. Kurt Smith, starting from third, quickly joined the fray and challenged Snyder for second place. Meanwhile, the points leader, Kenny Kibbey, made a bold move to take seventh place from Aiden Young. The rest of the field was mostly sorted out in single file racing, with occasional position battles. However, a good battle was heating up between Young and J R Shepherd, which kept the spectators on the edge of their seats.

On Lap 29, Kibbey put pressure on Snyder to take the third spot, and the top four drivers had a one-second gap over fifth-place Shepherd. By Lap 31, Kibbey had made a move to take the second spot from Snyder, while Smith was working on the leader, Wilson. This three-car battle culminated in Kibbey passing both Smith and Wilson to take the lead on Lap 36. The intensity of the race continued to increase as the drivers battled for position, and the tire wear became more noticeable.

On Lap 41, Shepherd made a move under Young to take third place, and the top three drivers, consisting of Kibbey, Shepherd, and Smith, had a one-second gap on the rest of the field. The first caution of the night occurred on Lap 53, slowing down what was a great 52 laps of racing action. The race resumed on Lap 59 with Kibbey and Shepherd in the front row. Kibbey got a great start, and Shepherd quickly shut the door on Smith to avoid losing positions on the outside. However, a caution came out quickly after the restart.

Racing resumed with the same front row of Kibbey and Shepherd on Lap 64, and Kibbey again had a great start. Shepherd was able to maintain his second-place position, and behind them, double file racing continued with the fresh restart. With three-quarters of the race complete, the drivers were pushing their limits, and the tire wear was becoming more evident. Another caution on Lap 77 slowed down the race, but it resumed on Lap 82 with Kibbey and Shepherd still retaining the top two spots with 18 laps to go.

Kibbey got a great start for the third time, and this time Kurt Smith fought right away with Shepherd, forcing him to stay on the outside line. Shepherd was able to get a great drive off turn two, though, to take back his second-place spot. Mark Hertzog quietly worked his way into the top five and on Lap 93 took fourth place away from Aiden Young, who was then under pressure from Ruben Altice and Stephen Spies, all battling for fifth.

Up front, Kibbey and Shepherd had a two-second lead on the field, both fighting for that top spot in the standings. A last-minute caution on Lap 99 set the field up for a Green-White-Checker. The race restarted on Lap 104, and Kibbey and Shepherd continued their restart battle. One final time, Kibbey started nicely, and so did Shepherd, to be able to keep the inside line in second. With the final lap, the top three drivers of Kibbey, Shepherd, and Smith were single file, and Kibbey nabbed his second win of the season, increasing his points lead over JR Shepherd.

Highlights

🏆 Kenny Kibbey wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 24 Round 9 race at Myrtle Beach Speedway.

🚀 Brendan Myers was the biggest mover of the race, finishing in 7th after starting from 20th.

🏁 Kenny Kibbey’s victory gave a big point boost for his battle for the season championship

🌟 The race featured intense battles and impressive displays of skill from the drivers.