BRL OUTLAWS S36 R8 Recap

17 August 2024
Bootleg Racing League | Season 36 | Round 8
Outlaw Modified Series | New Smyrna Speedway

On Saturday, August 17th, the Bootleg Racing League’s Outlaw SK Modified Invitational Series took to the high banks of New Smyrna Speedway. This was for round 8 of season 36. The stakes were high as the series entered the final stretch of the season, with Todd Liston holding a narrow points lead over the field. Starting from the pole for the night was Chris Haizlip, with veteran driver Joe Segalla lined up alongside him on the front row. John Heyn, one of the early contenders, started 3rd, while points leader Liston faced a challenging task, starting from 13th deep in the pack.

As the green flag waved, Haizlip got a solid start, but Heyn wasted no time making his presence known. He quickly dove to the inside of Segalla and began applying pressure on Haizlip for the race lead. Segalla, meanwhile, found himself defending his position from a hard-charging Donny Moore, who had already climbed into 3rd place. However, the action was quickly halted by an early caution further back in the field, forcing a reset. On the restart on lap 7, Heyn took full advantage of his inside line position and made a decisive move, dropping under Haizlip and powering into the lead. The move left an opening for Segalla, who seized the opportunity to follow suit and snatch 2nd from Haizlip, relegating the pole-sitter down the order.

As Heyn settled into the lead, Segalla found himself under relentless pressure from Moore, who had quickly gained momentum. Moore, known for his methodical driving, patiently bided his time, sizing up Segalla as the race progressed. Behind the front trio, Liston was quietly working his way through the field, picking off positions one by one. His steady progress went largely unnoticed as the battle at the front intensified, but by the halfway point, Liston had already climbed into the top 10 and was inching closer to the leaders.

The first half of the race remained clean, with Heyn defending his lead from Segalla. Lap after lap, Segalla was glued to Heyn’s bumper, looking for any opportunity to pounce, but Heyn was unwavering in his defense, hitting his marks perfectly and preventing Segalla from getting alongside. Despite the pressure, Heyn seemed to be in control as they crossed the halfway mark, with the top three drivers maintaining a steady rhythm around the high-speed oval.

However, as the race transitioned into the second half, the intensity ramped up significantly. The patience that had characterized the early stages began to wear thin, and drivers throughout the field became more aggressive in their attempts to gain ground. This shift in tone led to a series of short green flag runs, as close-quarters racing and frequent restarts resulted in several incidents, shuffling the order multiple times. Moore eventually made his move on Segalla, getting around him to claim 2nd place and setting his sights on Heyn for the lead.

As Moore closed in on Heyn, drivers throughout the pack were finding themselves involved in chaotic battles for position. Attrition started to take its toll, with several competitors falling by the wayside after getting caught up in incidents. Liston, meanwhile, continued his relentless march forward, staying out of trouble and quietly moving into the top five. His methodical approach paid off as the laps ticked down, and by the time the race reached the final 20 laps, he had worked his way into 3rd place, solidifying his strong points night.

A late-race caution on lap 93 proved to be a pivotal moment in the race. The yellow flag erased Heyn’s lead and bunched up the field for what would be a high-stakes dash to the finish. On the restart, Moore saw his chance and took full advantage of the situation. As the green flag waved, Heyn struggled to get a clean start, allowing Moore to get a run on the outside. The two drivers made contact as they raced into turn 1, and that sent Heyn into a lazy spin, dropping him to the back of the field as the caution flew once again, setting up a GWC finish.

With Heyn out of contention, Moore found himself in control of the race, lining up on the front row for the final restart. Behind him, Liston had moved up to 2nd place, capitalizing on the chaos ahead of him. As the green flag dropped for the final time, Moore got a perfect launch, breaking away from the pack and leaving Liston to fend off a charging field. Despite Liston’s best efforts, Moore held on in the final laps, crossing the finish line to claim a well-deserved victory.

For Liston, his 2nd-place finish was another important step in solidifying his points lead. With another strong performance, he extended his advantage over his closest rivals, including Moore, who despite winning the race, was unable to close the gap significantly in the points standings. Moore finished 11th after facing trouble earlier in the race.

The Bootleg Racing League will return to action next Saturday, August 24th, for round 9 of the Outlaw SK Modified Invitational Series at South Boston Speedway, with the action going live at 7:40 PM ET, only on the Virtual Grip Network!