Altice Holds Off Lowe to Win Chaos-Filled BRL Late Model “Equator” Race at Lanier

Braselton, Georgia — The Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series hit its season midpoint with a wild and unpredictable showdown at Lanier National Speedway, where chaos, cautions, and tire wear ruled the night. When the dust settled, the ever-calm Rubin Altice delivered a masterclass in composure, leading every lap from the pole and fending off a late charge from points leader James Lowe to capture his first victory of Season 32.

The race marked the “equator” of the eleven-race season — round six, the dividing line between the front and back halves of the championship. Lowe entered the event as the clear favorite after winning four of the first five rounds, holding a narrow lead over Chris Davis in the standings. That lead only widened when Davis failed to make the grid, leaving Lowe free to strengthen his title position with another strong finish.

The field was set by the league’s traditional inversion of the top 13 finishers from the previous race — a format designed to mix things up and force the fast drivers to earn their way forward. The shuffle placed Altice on pole, while Lowe rolled off ninth. Adam Schoen started alongside Lowe, and Todd Liston lined up mid-pack, all with eyes on moving forward in the 100-lap feature. With no tire changes allowed, drivers knew their success would depend on managing grip over a long green-flag run.

When the green flag dropped, Altice immediately took command from the inside lane and never looked back. Behind him, the opening laps were anything but smooth. Allen Wannamaker nearly looped his car off Turn 2 on cold tires, gathering it up just in time to avoid a bigger incident but falling to the rear. Lowe, meanwhile, began carving his way through traffic with surgical patience, jumping from ninth to fifth in the early going without using up his tires.

The action intensified mid-race as Liston, Brennan Myers, and Bruce Pearson traded paint in a hard-fought battle for top-five positions. Lowe took advantage of the chaos to slip by when gaps opened, while Kurt Smith quietly picked his way forward from deep in the field, saving his tires for a late charge. Darryl Wineinger also made steady progress, running just outside the top five and keeping his car clean through the rough middle stages.

The first caution of the night flew after contact between Schoen and Myers triggered a chain reaction that collected John Wilson. Myers sustained right-front damage but managed to stay on the lead lap. The restart that followed reshuffled the order and ignited another round of drama. Altice held firm out front, while Wilson and Wineinger tangled in a hard-fought battle behind them that sent Wilson spinning, bringing out the second yellow.

That set the stage for a tense closing run. Lowe cleared traffic after the restart and began tracking down Altice, cutting into the lead with each lap as the field settled into a sprint to the finish. With ten laps to go, Lowe was glued to Altice’s rear bumper, searching for any opening. Altice, however, never wavered. Running a near-perfect line along the inside curb, he defended every corner with veteran precision.

Lowe tried the high side off Turn 2 in the final laps, but Lanier’s tight confines left him no room to complete the move. Altice held his ground, holding off Lowe by less than half a car length at the checkered flag to score his first win of the season. He later admitted the closing laps “felt like forever,” adding that he wasn’t sure he could’ve held Lowe off for another five.

Kurt Smith completed the podium after a patient and consistent drive from 13th, avoiding trouble and making his move late to secure third. John Wilson rebounded to finish fourth after his earlier spin, and Wineinger rounded out the top five with another solid run.

The win was a statement for Rubin Altice, who proved that calm execution can still trump chaos in the Bootleg Racing League. For James Lowe, the runner-up finish extended his championship advantage as the Late Model Invitational Series crossed its midpoint and headed into the backstretch run.