Lowe Weathers Martinsville Storm to Claim Back-to-Back Wins

Ridgeway, VA — The Bootleg Racing League pressed on with Season 26 of the SteelCraft Structures Super Late Model Series on the tight confines of Martinsville Speedway, where a bruising 100-lap feature tested patience, precision, and tire management. In a race shaped by constant restarts and late-race tension, James Lowe methodically carved his way forward from a mid-pack starting position to earn his second consecutive victory of the season.

With a 13-car invert from the North Wilkesboro opener, Chris Davis led the field to green from the pole alongside John Wilson. From the outset, it was clear Martinsville would be a very different challenge than the previous round, with the bottom lane quickly becoming the preferred groove and passing opportunities at a premium. The night began with early complications even before racing settled in, as Lowell Jewell and Kenny Allen dealt with equipment and technical issues that left both drivers playing catch-up from the opening laps. Further back, defending champion Kurt Smith and rookie Kyle Feimster were also hampered early, never fully able to settle into a rhythm.

Once underway, the race evolved into a chess match of restarts. Davis controlled the pace at the front, frequently manipulating the field on launches to keep challengers boxed in behind him. While effective, the tactic contributed to several congested moments deeper in the pack, as the tight entry into turn one left little margin for error. Cautions stacked up, and each restart reset the balance of power.

Starting 13th, Lowe remained patient through the chaos. Rather than forcing the issue, he picked off positions methodically, keeping his car intact while others struggled with overheating tires and worn brakes. By the midpoint of the race, Lowe had reached the front group and began pressuring Davis, the two veterans trading precision shots at the same narrow strip of pavement. Eventually, Lowe capitalized on a small opening on the inside, completing the pass and taking control of the race as the laps wound down.

Behind them, two notable recoveries unfolded. Luke Logan Allen quietly delivered one of the drives of the night, starting deep in the field and avoiding trouble to climb steadily forward. Jewell, despite a late start coming off pit road and falling half a lap down, used well-timed cautions and wave-arounds to claw his way back into contention, turning what looked like a lost night into a strong finish.

The closing laps brought everything to a head with a green-white-checker finish. Davis attempted to out-time Lowe on the restart, but Lowe launched cleanly and never relinquished control, surviving the final sprint to the line. He crossed the stripe ahead of Davis, while Allen completed a breakthrough podium run in third.

Lowe’s victory makes it two wins from two starts as the series heads next to Five Flags Speedway, a venue where he has traditionally been strong. With momentum firmly on his side, the rest of the field now faces an early-season challenge: finding a way to disrupt Lowe’s rhythm before the championship picture starts to stretch out.