BRL Late Model Invitational S30R02 | Hickory Motor Speedway

Get ready for some high-octane excitement as Ricky Hardin and James Lowe rev up for Season 30 Round 02 at the legendary Hickory Motor Speedway! The tension is palpable as the green flag drops and Hardin rockets off the line, snatching the lead right away. Ruben Altice is on the hunt, slipping beneath Lowe for a fierce battle over second place. John Wilson doesn’t sit idle either; he joins the fray and tussles with Lowe for third, while Lowe smartly tucks himself into fourth.

By Lap 6, Altice is applying pressure, peeking inside Hardin and eyeing the top spot, but can’t quite make a move just yet. On Lap 10, Altice makes his bold move, taking the lead from Hardin, with Wilson hot on his trail. Just as it looks like things are heating up, caution flies on Lap 13, with Hardin holding strong in second.

Once racing resumes on Lap 18, it’s Altice and Hardin once again leading the pack. Altice launches off the restart like a rocket, allowing Hardin to settle comfortably in second—until lap 18’s caution as well puts their momentum on pause once again.  When the action starts again on Lap 23, Altice proves his dominance with another stellar restart, while Wilson tries to squeeze under Hardin but can’t quite snag the position, holding onto third.

Meanwhile, the battle for sixth heats up as Kurt Smith gangs up against Joseph Snyder, but a caution at Lap 28 halts their showdown. When the race kicks back to life on Lap 33, it’s déjà vu for Altice and Hardin, with Altice effortlessly commanding the lead yet again, and Wilson comfortably holding down third.

Fast forward to halfway through the race: Lowe fights his way past Wilson to claim third place, just as another caution comes out on Lap 63, keeping everyone on their toes. Racing resumes on Lap 68 with Altice holding strong and Hardin on the outside, flanked by Lowe. Lowe zips past into second, while Brennan Myers tries to sneak by Hardin, who skillfully shuts the door—what a race!

The tension escalates on Lap 79 when Lowe challenges Altice, side by side in turns 1 and 2 on Lap 80, and snags the lead—only for caution to be waved on Lap 81! Action picks back up on Lap 86 with Lowe and Myers at the forefront. Lowe nails the restart while Myers finds himself tussling with Todd Cousins; they battle fiercely, but a little contact leads to caution on Lap 88.

Racing once again kicks off on Lap 92 with Lowe and Smith leading the charge! Lowe defies gravity, launching ahead early and allowing Smith to slip into second, but the chaos comes crashing down during a massive pileup in turn 2 on Lap 93.

When the race resumes for the final laps on Lap 97, Lowe and Smith are back in control, with Lowe taking off like a rocket! But brace yourselves—turn 4 is mayhem, and as the dust settles, Myers emerges as he steals third among the wreckage. In an exhilarating finish, James Lowe crosses the line in first place to take the victory for Season 30 Round 02 at Hickory, with Lowell Jewell and Brennan Myers rounding out the podium!

Mark your calendars—join us for Season 30 Round 03 racing next Saturday, April 5th at 9:10pm ET, live on VGN at Five Flags Speedway! Don’t miss out on the action!

Highlights

🏆 James Lowe wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 30 Round 02 race at Hickory Motor Speedway.

🚀 Lowell Jewell was the biggest mover, gaining 9 spots, racing from 11^th to 2^nd!

🏁 The race featured three leaders with two lead changes. Ruben Altice led the most laps (70), followed by James Lowe (25) and Ricky Hardin (9).