BRL OUTLAWS S36 R5 Recap

27 July 2024
Bootleg Racing League | Season 36 | Round 5
Outlaw Modified Series | Kern Raceway

On Saturday, July 27th, the Bootleg Racing League’s Outlaw SK Modified Invitational Series ran the 5th round of Season 36 at Kern Raceway. Going into the night, Todd Liston held a slim 1-point lead in the standings over Bruce Pearson. John Wilson started on the pole, leading a smaller-than-usual field of 13 drivers, which led to long green flag runs.

Wilson had a strong start, breaking away from Tom Hilbert, who quickly found himself defending the 2nd spot against Liston. After several laps of side-by-side battling, Liston managed to secure the position and set his sights on Wilson. Meanwhile, Stephen Spies, last week’s winner from Slinger Speedway, was making rapid progress through the field. Within the first 10 laps, Spies had moved into the top 3 and began reeling in Liston and Wilson.

Fifteen laps into the run, Liston caught up to Wilson’s rear bumper, but before he could attempt a pass for the lead, a caution from a spin further back in the field restacked the grid for a restart on lap 25. When racing resumed, Spies took advantage of the restart to challenge Liston, engaging in several intense laps of door-to-door racing. Liston successfully defended his spot for the time being and soon after made a decisive move under Wilson, swiftly taking the lead. Spies also capitalized on the opportunity to move up to 2nd place.

As the laps ticked by, Liston and Spies broke away from the rest of the field, with Spies staying tight on Liston’s bumper. They continued to battle for the lead, and once again, Liston used the outside line to defend his position, with Spies temporarily conceding the fight. On lap 65, Spies made another attempt and this time managed to gain the upper hand, clearing Liston a few laps later.

Liston patiently waited behind Spies, letting his tires cool down before making a last-moment attempt to reclaim the win. However, Spies held on, crossing the finish line just 0.07 seconds ahead of Liston, becoming the first repeat winner of the season. Despite losing the race win, Liston had a strong points night as the series heads to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Catch the next round of the BRL on Saturday, August 3rd, with the action going live at 7:40 PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network!