BRL Late Model Invitational S25R02 | Stafford Motor Speedway
15 January 2024
The second race of Season 25 took place at Stafford Motor Speedway, a 0.5-mile asphalt oval track located in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. Ruben Altice and Joe Segalla led the race at the start, with Altice getting a good start and taking an easy lead. However, Segalla struggled on the outside, allowing Tre Blohm to maneuver underneath for 2nd. The rest of the bottom line followed suit, while Segalla tried to find breathing room to get inside. Finally, on Lap 3, Segalla managed to get inside and keep the fourth position.
Meanwhile, the top season standings leaders were fighting hard mid-pack, with some impressive driving skills on display. The race had single-file racing for a while, with the lead cars’ paces starting to fall back a little by lap 25. The veterans, however, were making positions and inching closer to the front, with some intense battles going on.
On Lap 35, Hardin, one of the veterans, made a move to the inside of Blohm to take second, followed by Segalla and Shepherd before settling down to the fifth position. On Lap 49, Hardin made a daring move to the inside of Altice, and the two cars were side by side down the backstretch. Hardin completed the pass for the lead, while Segalla also put his hat in the ring for second, completing the pass on Lap 52. On Lap 66, Shepherd made the pass for second from Segalla, and the top three cars continued to dominate the race.
However, lapped traffic added some drama to the latter third of the race, with Hardin and Shepherd battling in first and second with about a one-second lead over the rest of the field. Finally, coming down to the finish line, there was some impressive and intense racing between Hardin and Shepherd. On Lap 87, Shepherd started gaining some ground on the inside but wasn’t able to get enough momentum to pull to the side of Hardin. Shepherd was on the bumper of Hardin on Lap 91, and Hardin closed the door right away on Shepherd across the line for Lap 92. Shepherd went to the outside, and they were side by side going into Lap 93. They were still side by side in the corners, with a little contact between them. By the white flag, they were still side by side racing against each other, with the crowd on the edge of their seats.
Shepherd made a move to the inside and inched just in front of Hardin in turns 1 and 2, clinching the lead. However, he was still almost side by side, with Shepherd at least sideways across the finish line taking the win. For the final 20ish laps, there was some amazing and intense racing between the top two cars until the finish, with both drivers pushing their cars to the limit. Ultimately, J R Shepherd won the race, with Jeffrey Hardin taking second and Joseph Snyder taking third.
Overall, the entire race was run under green flag conditions, which is a remarkable feat and a testament to the drivers’ skills and professionalism. The fans witnessed some excellent racing, with some close calls and intense battles, making for an exciting and unforgettable night of racing. To keep up with the exciting racing, be sure to come back next Saturday, January 20th, at 8:55 pm ET for Round 3 racing at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Highlights
🏆 J R Shepherd wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 25 Round 02 race at Stafford Motor Speedway.
🚀 J R Shepherd and Jason Menda were the biggest movers of the race, finishing in 1nd and 6th, both gaining 10 spots.
🏁 This race featured exciting 1st and 2nd battle for the lead for almost 20 laps and a caution free race
🌟 The race featured intense battles and impressive displays of skill from the drivers, with an interesting late-race tire twist that caused some drama and intense racing action.
Virtual Grip Network 