Lowe Survives Late Chaos at North Wilkesboro to Claim Super Late Model Opener

North Wilkesboro, NC — The Bootleg Racing League launched Season 26 of the SteelCraft Structures Super Late Model Series with a tense, strategy-heavy 100-lap opener at a freshly resurfaced North Wilkesboro Speedway. What the new surface gave in smoothness, it took away in mercy. With no tire changes allowed, drivers were forced to balance aggression and restraint, and when the night spiraled into late-race chaos, it was James Lowe who kept his composure to emerge with the victory.

Lowe led the field to green from the pole in a striking black-and-green scheme, flanked by Louis Flowers on the outside. While the repave erased many of North Wilkesboro’s traditional bumps, it introduced brutal tire degradation, turning the race into a long exercise in patience. Trouble arrived almost immediately when Flowers slapped the wall on the opening lap, briefly inviting Tre Blohm to challenge for the lead. Behind them, defending champion Kurt Smith endured heavy contact early and was sent tumbling down the order, his night instantly turned into a recovery mission.

The first major caution arrived around lap 11 after Lowell Jewel spun, but the real damage unfolded moments later. Jeffery Hardin, last season’s runner-up in points, entered Turn 3 too aggressively, triggering a multi-car stack-up that involved five machines. Under yellow, Hardin summed up the night’s defining challenge perfectly, warning that overheated rear tires would “turn to butter” and leave drivers helpless. From that point on, survival and tire preservation became inseparable goals.

As the race settled into its middle phase, the charge of Adam Schoen became one of the standout stories. Starting shotgun on the grid, Shane carved through traffic, gaining 11 spots in just 26 laps. At the same time, Rubin Altice, the ever-calculated “Quiet Man,” put on a defensive clinic, using a wide, fading entry to blunt faster cars behind him, including Shane and Hardin, forcing them to burn precious tire life just to stay close.

One of the night’s most talked-about moments came courtesy of Tre Blohm. While battling Schoen, Blohm made slight contact that nearly sent Schoen around in what the booth dubbed the “save of the year.” Rather than press on, Blohm immediately brought his car to pit road and parked it, serving himself a voluntary penalty. The gesture drew widespread respect and underscored the sportsmanship that still defines the series, even in its most competitive moments.

Up front, Lowe appeared firmly in control. With laps winding down, he had stretched his advantage to nearly two seconds over Kyle Feimster, who had finally worked his way past Flowers into second. Then everything unraveled. With only a handful of laps remaining, a violent collision between Joe Segalla and Kurt Smith scattered cars across the racing surface. Shockingly, the caution flag never flew. Lowe, sensing danger, checked up hard to avoid the wreckage, instantly erasing his hard-earned gap.

Feimster pounced. What had been a comfortable margin vanished in an instant, and on the final lap he was glued to Lowe’s rear bumper, closing to within two tenths of a second. Lowe later admitted his “Spidey senses were tingling” as he anticipated trouble ahead and backed off early. That instinctive decision proved decisive. Despite immense pressure through Turns 3 and 4, Lowe held the preferred line and dragged his worn tires across the finish line first, sealing a win that was anything but routine.

After the race, Lowe credited awareness and restraint for the victory, even taking a moment to thank his Aunt Mary Alice for tuning into the broadcast. Feimster, while frustrated by the lack of a late caution, acknowledged that he had more tire left but praised Lowe’s ability to manage the situation under pressure. Flowers rounded out the podium in third, thrilled with a strong result in his first season despite admitting his car grew too tight too early in the run.

Behind the top three, Hardin recovered to finish fourth, followed by Altice, Schoen, Jewel, Chris Worrell, Jeff Sharp, and a battered but determined Kurt Smith in tenth. The series now turns its attention to Martinsville Speedway next Friday, where an inverted top 13 will shake up the grid once again and set the stage for another unpredictable night.