Altice Steals Season 33 Opener in North Wilkesboro Carnage

North Wilkesboro, NC — The Bootleg Racing League opened Season 33 of the Late Model Invitational Series with a bruising, controversy-soaked 100-lap feature at the virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway. The race carried historical weight, arriving 4,284 days after the league’s inaugural event, and much of the pre-race focus centered on James Lowe’s pursuit of becoming only the second driver in league history to win three championships. Instead, the night unraveled into a survival test defined by tire decay, hard racing, and a final-lap wreck that handed victory to the last driver anyone expected.

With the top 13 finishers from the previous season inverted, Allen Wannamaker rolled off from the pole and immediately asserted control. Using the preferred inside lane, Wannamaker led the opening 41 laps and looked every bit like the driver to beat. As the run stretched past lap 20, the track began to widen just enough for the high line to come alive, allowing drivers like Mike Holloway and Rubin Altice to start probing for momentum. Under strict “run what you brung” rules with no tire changes and no fast repairs, every lap demanded restraint. Pushing too hard early would leave rear tires feeling like melted butter by the closing stages.

The tone of the race shifted sharply once Chris Davis, living up to his “Mr. Aggressive” reputation, began leaning on Steve Hilbert. The pressure boiled over into a multi-car incident that swept up Hilbert, defending champion James Lowe, and Altice, instantly scrambling the running order and igniting debate over racecraft. North Wilkesboro’s layout only amplified the tension, with the downhill plunge into Turn 1 and uphill charge into Turn 3 punishing impatience and magnifying mistakes. Amid the chaos, a moment of sportsmanship stood out when Tre Blohm made contact with Adam Schoen, triggering a spectacular save that kept Schoen off the wall, even as Blohm’s own race soon unraveled.

As the race entered its final third, a new star emerged. Rookie Chris Worrell, making his series debut, methodically worked his way to the front and appeared to have the field covered on pace. Lap after lap, Worrell looked poised to cap his first BRL start with a statement win. That confidence evaporated when a late caution involving Kyle Feimster and Davis set up a green-white-checker finish, a sequence that drew sharp criticism from the broadcast booth as tempers flared and lines blurred between hard racing and retaliation.

On the final restart, Worrell controlled the field and powered through the final lap with the checkered flag seemingly in sight. Then everything went wrong. Allen Wannamaker, still circulating after earlier troubles, was caught in a collision and left stationary in the middle of Turn 4. With nowhere to go, Worrell slammed into the stopped car just yards from the finish line, a crushing end to what had been a brilliant debut.

Out of the smoke and debris emerged Rubin “The Quiet Man” Altice. Scarred from earlier incidents but still rolling, Altice threaded his way through the wreckage and crossed the line first, later admitting he simply found himself in the “right spot at the right time.” Behind him, Adam Schoen completed a remarkable drive from 22nd to finish second, while Brennan Myers climbed from 21st to claim third, both navigating the chaos with patience and timing.

What began as a milestone celebration ended as a reminder of North Wilkesboro’s unforgiving character, where speed alone is never enough and sometimes the quietest survivor is the one who takes the trophy. The series now turns to Martinsville Speedway for Round 2, where another inverted grid promises fresh drama and very little forgiveness.