Chris Davis Triumphs at Oswego, Ends James Lowe’s Bid for Perfect BRL Season

Oswego, NY – Chris Davis delivered under pressure in Round 5 of the Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series at Oswego Speedway, scoring his first win of the season and officially ending the perfect season streak attempt of points leader James Lowe. Coming into the night, Lowe had been undefeated through the first four races, but Oswego has historically been one of his tougher venues, and his flawless run finally came to an end.

The starting grid was set by the finishing order of the previous event, placing veteran Steve Hilbert on the pole. Allen Wannamaker elected to start from pit road. Hilbert got a strong launch to begin the 100-lap feature, but the opening lap immediately erupted into a major multi-car incident in Turns 3 and 4. John Wilson, Mike Holloway, Kurt Smith, and Chris Davis all became tangled in the chaos — but Lowe, starting deep in the order, showed the poise that put him atop the standings. He got hard on the brakes, waited for the smoke to clear, and navigated through the mess, jumping seven spots and putting himself right into early contention.

Once the race settled, Hilbert settled into a steady rhythm at the front, leading for 32 laps while holding off multiple pressure waves behind him. As the field began to compress mid-race, the battle for the lead intensified. Davis, who had rallied forward from 11th, worked his way into the top three, while Lowe climbed into second. In a pivotal three-wide fight entering Turn 1, Davis drove low underneath Hilbert, making contact that sent Hilbert spinning into the outside wall and forcing another caution.

The restart placed Davis and Lowe side-by-side. Davis grabbed command and the duel for the win was fully on — but the perfect season machine suddenly looked vulnerable. Lowe’s earlier contact resulted in a bent nose that hindered his handling, giving Davis just enough margin to hold firm. Meanwhile, Tre Blohm put on one of the biggest charges of the race. Starting 15th, he stormed through the field with the fastest lap of the night (19.252) and powered into the top three. He managed to muscle by Lowe, shrinking Davis’s lead down to half a second in the closing laps, but his tires finally surrendered with eight laps remaining and the forward drive evaporated.

A late caution involving Allen Wannamaker and Mike Holloway sent the race into a single Green-White-Checker shootout. Davis executed cleanly, while Adam Schoen made a final-lap surge to second. But before the field could mount one final strike, Rubin Altice spun, freezing the order and ending the race under yellow. Chris Davis crossed the line first, scoring the signature breakthrough win of his season — and the one that finally put a stop to Lowe’s perfect run.

Davis took the victory after starting 11th. Adam Schoen finished second, and James Lowe brought it home third. Tre Blohm’s charge ended with a fourth-place result after torching his right side tires late, while Ryan Senneker completed a standout run through the field from last on the grid to finish fifth.

Post-race, Davis admitted the final laps were nerve-wracking knowing Lowe was coming, but he was relieved to break through cleanly and confirmed he had escaped the opening chaos with no major damage — a stroke of luck that allowed him to save his equipment for the end. Davis’s win also activates another Mission 22 donation — $122 — tied to his season-long personal pledge in honor of his son recently earning Captain rank in the U.S. Army. Lowe, meanwhile, said he was satisfied salvaging third, comparing his night to feeling like a “ping-pong ball,” but happy simply to get Oswego behind him.

The BRL Late Model Series now shifts to Lanier National Speedway as Season 32 continues.