Williamson Triumphs at Langley as Patience Prevails in Skitter Creek Chaos

The second round of the Skitter Creek Modified Series Season 15 delivered a grinding, caution-heavy showdown at Langley Speedway, where discipline mattered as much as speed. On the flat 4/10-mile Old Dominion oval, four-time champion Dalton Williamson outlasted the field and executed when it mattered most, capturing victory after 150 laps defined by restarts, attrition, and short-track survival.

Qualifying set the early tone. AJ Hamel secured the pole with a brisk 15.00-second lap, lining up alongside Williamson on the front row. Points leader and defending champion Eric “Teapot” Stout endured a rare stumble, qualifying 14th after fighting a loose-handling car on cold tires in practice. With only six degrees of banking and a notoriously slick center groove, Langley demanded precision, and early on, the SK Modifieds looked like they were skating across ice rather than asphalt.

The opening laps emphasized how valuable clean air and track position would be. Drivers searched for rhythm while avoiding trouble, but the race barely had time to settle before its first major moment when Rex Hoyle spun into the infield on lap one. Though he later benefited from a lucky dog to regain the lead lap, the incident foreshadowed the night’s lack of forgiveness.

Mid-race momentum swung toward one of the series’ youngest competitors. Twelve-year-old Luke Logan Allen, aptly nicknamed “Kid Lemon Lime,” impressed with a calm, methodical charge through the field. Allen dispatched veterans, including Hamel and Williamson, and led his first laps of the season, momentarily becoming the focal point of the race. That run came to a heartbreaking end on lap 80 when Ricardo Cano spun directly ahead of the leaders. With limited visibility inside the cockpit and nowhere to go, Allen collided with the stopped car, abruptly ending what had been a breakout performance.

The high caution count fractured the field’s strategy. Some leaders chose to protect track position by staying out, while others gambled on fresh tires late. Fred “Always There” LeClair and Brian Bianke were among those who opted for new rubber, hoping grip would outweigh lost positions. After the Allen incident, Jeff Aho inherited the lead and appeared poised to capitalize as the race entered its final phase.

Williamson, however, never drifted far from contention. Staying out on older tires and trusting his long-run balance, he stalked Aaho through the closing laps. With fewer than ten laps remaining, Williamson made the defining move of the night, applying a textbook short-track bump-and-run to move Aho aside and take control. Despite pressure from the fresh-tired LeClair, Williamson held firm through the final sprint and sealed the victory.

Williamson’s win marked a decisive statement in his return to the series. LeClair finished second, admitting the outside lane made him uneasy on late restarts but satisfied with a podium result. Bianke completed the top three after a resilient drive that included recovering from earlier setbacks. Chad Alcares earned big mover honors by charging from 22nd to fourth, while Stout salvaged a seventh-place finish after a night filled with spins and recovery drives.

At Langley, speed alone wasn’t enough. Williamson’s victory was built on restraint, timing, and knowing exactly when to strike, a reminder that on short tracks like this, the race often comes down to who still has something left when everyone else is simply trying to hang on.