BRL LATE MODELS S28 R8 Recap

16 November 2024
Bootleg Racing League | Season 28 | Round 8
Late Model Series | Indianapolis Raceway Park

The Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series delivered high drama on Saturday, November 16th, as the 8th round of the season unfolded at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Mike Holloway entered the night with a slim 1-point lead over Todd Liston in the championship battle, but by the end of the chaotic evening, the standings would see a significant shakeup.

Allen Wannamaker started on the pole alongside Ruben Altice, using the clean air to break away early. Meanwhile, Liston adopted a cautious approach, saving his equipment toward the back of the field in anticipation of late-race cautions. Altice, however, bided his time, gradually closing the gap to Wannamaker as the leader’s aggressive pace began to take its toll on his tires. Holloway played the long game, carefully climbing through the field to keep himself in contention.

The race ran green through the first half until contact between Steve Hilbert and Joseph Snyder brought out a caution just before the halfway point. This reset the field and set the stage for a series of chaotic restarts. While Altice capitalized on one such restart to wrestle the lead away from Wannamaker on lap 58, the battle behind him intensified. Wannamaker found himself under fire from Kurt Smith and Jason Menda, and after a daring move, Menda took over second, bringing Adam Schoen with him.

Tensions boiled over when contact between Schoen and Wannamaker sent Wannamaker into Holloway, who slammed into the wall, ending the points leader’s night. As Holloway’s car was towed away, Liston was still in the thick of the action, charging through the chaos in an effort to seize the points advantage. However, Liston’s night unraveled late when a collision with Menda dashed his hopes, leaving him out of contention.

The final restart saw Altice maintain control, holding off Schoen to claim his first win of the season in dominant fashion. Despite his late-race misfortune, Liston’s earlier efforts paid off, allowing him to take over the championship lead, now 4 points ahead of a tie for second between Holloway and Smith.

The BRL Late Model Invitational Series heads to Kern Raceway next Saturday, November 23rd, with live coverage beginning at 9:10 PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network!