Lowe Navigates Late-Race Chaos to Claim Inaugural Winterfest Derby Title

Lakeland, FL — The 2026 racing season roared to life with a firecracker of an opener as the Bootleg Racing League and Yesteryear Racing joined forces for the inaugural Winterfest Derby at the virtual USA Speedway. The 200-lap ARCA stock car feature was a relentless test of tire discipline, patience, and survival, and when the smoke finally cleared, it was veteran standout James Lowe who emerged victorious, capturing the first Winterfest crown.

Kyle Feimster, the reigning BRL Late Model Rookie of the Year, set the early tone after earning the pole in qualifying. Although Chris Worrell briefly grabbed the lead on the opening lap, Feimster quickly reclaimed control and began stretching the field, eventually building a lead of more than a second and a half. His pace was rooted in careful tire conservation, though Feimster acknowledged early that several drivers behind him were likely saving even more aggressively for the long haul. The opening stages never truly settled into a rhythm, however, as cautions repeatedly interrupted the flow. Early incidents included a lap-nine spin by Chris Haizlip and a heavy wall strike on lap 14 involving Ed Foster and Allen Wannamaker, setting the tone for a night where survival would matter as much as speed.

As the race crossed the halfway mark, tire wear became the defining factor. Most of the field committed to a mandatory four-tire stop around lap 110, shuffling the running order once again. During that sequence, Lowe managed to slip ahead of Feimster on pit exit, briefly taking control before Feimster fought back on the restart. Around them, long-run strategy continued to shape the contenders. Tre Blohm, known as “The Caveman,” showed impressive pace over extended runs, but his charge was complicated by an improper pit exit penalty that dropped him to the rear. Blohm responded with a determined recovery drive, slicing back through traffic and reestablishing himself inside the top five before the closing laps.

The complexion of the race changed entirely with just 11 laps remaining. A fierce battle for second place involving Dalton Williamson, Feimster, and Worrell erupted into the night’s defining moment when contact sent Feimster and Williamson hard into the wall. The “Big One” eliminated the fastest car in the field and abruptly handed the advantage to Lowe, who inherited the lead as the field lined up for a late sprint.

The Winterfest Derby ultimately came down to a dramatic green-white-checker finish. On the final restart, Lowe and Worrell thundered side by side into Turn 1, while Blohm attempted a bold, all-or-nothing move to the inside. The gamble didn’t stick, as Blohm looped the car, allowing Lowe to break free. With clean air finally in front of him, Lowe pulled away and took the checkered flag to secure the inaugural Winterfest Derby victory.

Lowe was joined on the podium by Worrell in second and Jerry Isaacs in third, the latter rebounding impressively from an earlier solo spin. In victory lane, Lowe admitted he felt he had more of a second-place car for much of the night and credited a timely caution and a bit of racing luck for swinging the result in his favor. The win earned him the unique “Soaring Freedom Eagle,” also known as the Baldi Trophy, a 24-inch handmade steel statue crafted by Metal Art of Wisconsin.

Behind the headline result, several performances stood out. Lloyd Moore charged forward to gain 19 positions and finish eighth, while Glenn Jamieson spent much of the night inside the top five before late-race contact derailed his podium hopes. In the end, the Winterfest Derby delivered exactly what it promised: a brutal, unpredictable marathon where patience was priceless, mistakes were costly, and survival proved just as powerful as outright speed.