BRL OUTLAWS S36 R2 Recap

29 June 2024
Bootleg Racing League | Season 36 | Round 2
Outlaw Modified Series | Thompson Speedway

On Saturday, June 29th, the Bootleg Racing League’s Outlaw SK Modified Invitational Series hosted its second round of season 36 at Thompson Speedway. Kurt Smith secured the pole position and immediately faced heavy pressure from Lowell Jewell, Joe Segalla, and Stephen Spies as soon as the green flag dropped. Segalla managed to stay glued to Smith’s rear bumper in the opening laps but struggled to maintain pace when the battle for second intensified. Spies persistently attempted to pass Segalla on the inside, slowing them both and giving Jewell opportunities to vie for the third spot.

The race began with a lengthy green flag run until lap 29, when contact between Allen Wannamaker and Tom Hilbert caused Wannamaker to spin in turn 1, bringing out the caution flag. When racing resumed, Smith maintained his lead while Spies resumed his attempts to get around Segalla for second. Meanwhile, John Wilson quietly worked his way up through the dense traffic, breaking into the top five and soon thereafter overtaking both Spies and Segalla for third place behind Jewell.

As the race progressed into the second half, Jewell increased his pressure on Smith, attempting to force an error. The laps ticked down quickly, with Smith and Jewell pulling away from Wilson in third. Much of the field was running single file around the track, making passing challenging, but Smith continued to dominate at the front. Near the end, contact between Smith and lap traffic nearly caused Smith to spin, but he managed to keep control. Unfortunately, further contact between Smith and Jewell resulted in severe damage to Jewell’s car, sending him to pit road and promoting Wilson to second for the restart.

Smith opted for the outside lane for the final restart, a strategy he had employed all night. He got a great jump off the line, breaking away from Wilson. Wilson fought hard to maintain a podium position but contact with Todd Liston sent him off into the grass on the front stretch. Smith, having led every lap, came around to claim his first win of the new season. Liston capitalized on the incident to finish second, with Donny Moore rounding out the podium.

The Bootleg Racing League will return after the Independence Day holiday, with the next round at Hickory Motor Speedway on July 13th. Catch all the action live at 7:40 PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network!