Worrell Goes Wire to Wire at Concord as Foster Seizes Points Lead

Concord, NC — Redemption arrived at speed Saturday night as Chris Worrell delivered a flawless, flag-to-flag performance in Round 6 of Season 33 for the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Invitational Series. At Concord Speedway, the self-proclaimed “world’s fastest half-mile tri-oval,” Worrell led all 100 laps to secure his first career broadcasted victory and etch his name into the season’s tightening title fight.

The race opened with instant drama. Pole-sitter Chris Haizlip stumbled at the start after instinctively reaching for paddle shifters instead of his H-pattern gearbox, a muscle-memory mix-up that handed Worrell the early advantage. Worrell needed no second invitation. He launched cleanly and never relinquished control.

Behind him, tire conservation became the night’s currency. Adam Schoen stayed within striking distance, testing the leader with calculated dives to the inside, while Ruben Altice kept the pressure steady in the opening segments.

Meanwhile, Ed Foster, nicknamed “The Adelaide Blade,” began carving through the field with surgical patience. Foster worked past seasoned competitors, including Haizlip, steadily positioning himself inside the top five. His charge was aided by six total cautions, including an early incident between Todd Liston and Benny Ellison, and a later tangle that saw James Lowe spin Altice as tensions rose in the championship battle.

The points fight took another sharp turn when Lowe and Chris Davis made contact, sending Lowe around and derailing his bid for a strong finish. In a twist the broadcast booth dubbed “Aussie Justice,” Foster later tangled with Davis, a moment that ultimately benefited Foster’s track position while Lowe was left clawing forward from deep in the field.

Through it all, Worrell remained composed. After narrowly losing a race earlier this season in the final corner, he admitted that memory rode shotgun for all 100 laps. But this time, there would be no heartbreak.

A late Green-White-Checkered restart added one final pulse of tension. Worrell executed flawlessly, maintaining a two-car-length cushion to the stripe. Schoen secured second, while Foster completed his relentless climb with a third-place finish. Steve Hilbert thrilled fans in the closing moments, sliding sideways across the line to claim sixth in dramatic fashion.

For Worrell, the win lifted the weight of five previous winless starts this season. For the championship, the night reshuffled the deck entirely. Foster’s podium run was enough to vault him into the points lead heading into South Boston, while Lowe salvaged an eighth-place finish but now finds himself chasing.

Six rounds in, Season 33 has transformed into a short-track pressure cooker. And at Concord, Worrell finally let it whistle.