Skelton’s Sunrise Surge Wins Souza Media 90 at Richmond

Richmond, VA — In a dramatic and strategy-filled opening to the playoffs, James “Bone” Skelton delivered a masterclass in patience and execution, using a bold late-race pit call to charge from the middle of the pack and win the Souza Media 90 at Richmond Raceway. The victory locks Skelton into the Round of 8 in the Red Light Racing Checker Flag Auto Supply Scrambler Series and continues a blistering stretch of form, marking his fourth win in the last six races. What made the performance even more impressive was the path it took to get there, as Skelton himself described much of his night as “awful” before the race flipped in his favor.

The event began under unique conditions, with a 6:25 AM sim-time start that cast long shadows across the track and forced drivers to battle heavy sun glare through their windshields. Visibility became an early storyline, turning braking zones into guesswork and making clean laps difficult to string together. Pole-sitter Max Tero led the field to green and paced the opening lap, but it quickly became apparent that his car was not up to the challenge. Struggling with handling issues, Tero drifted high and began to fall through the field, surrendering the lead to Chris Hammett.

Once out front, Hammett looked untouchable. He quickly settled into a rhythm and began to build a gap, showcasing both speed and consistency on a track that offered very little forgiveness. For 81 of the race’s 90 laps, Hammett controlled the pace, expertly managing a car that many drivers described as tight on entry and unwilling to rotate without aggressive downshifting mid-corner. While Hammett made it look manageable, the rest of the field wrestled with the same issues, and mistakes began to surface early. Just eight laps into the race, playoff nerves showed when David Odendahl and Ryan Oldani were involved in a spin that brought out the first caution of the morning.

As the race settled into longer green-flag runs, Richmond’s demanding nature began to take its toll. The reduced fuel capacity ensured that pit strategy would be a factor, but it was tire wear that ultimately dictated the pace of the race. Drivers had to carefully balance aggression with conservation, particularly when it came to the right-front tire. Too much brake pressure or a slight miscalculation on entry could lock it up instantly, leading to flat spots, loss of grip, and in some cases, disaster. Matthew Duvall found that out the hard way with a self-spin, while contact between Fred LeClair and Ken Allen served as another reminder of how fine the margin for error had become.

Throughout it all, Skelton quietly worked his way through the field, though not without frustration. Mired in traffic and struggling to find the right balance in his car, he spent much of the race searching for speed while others seemed to have things under control. At times, it appeared that a top-five finish might be the best he could hope for, especially with Hammett dominating out front and controlling every restart with confidence.

Then came the moment that changed everything. A late caution bunched the field back together and opened the door for strategy to take center stage. Teams were faced with a critical decision: protect track position or gamble on fresh tires. Hammett, along with Zach Mitchell and Sean Single, chose the safer route, staying out or opting for minimal service to maintain their positions at the front. Skelton and his teammate Trent Potter, however, saw an opportunity and took a risk, diving to pit road for fresh right-side tires.

It was a decision that would define the race.

Restarting in sixth, Skelton immediately showed the advantage of fresh rubber. His car came to life, allowing him to attack both high and low lines as he began carving his way forward. While others struggled to find grip on worn tires, Skelton was able to brake deeper, rotate better through the center, and accelerate off the corners with authority. Within just a handful of laps, he had closed the gap to the leaders and set his sights on Hammett.

The decisive moment came when Skelton recognized Hammett’s vulnerability. The dominant car of the race, now on older tires, simply couldn’t respond.

“I saw where his car was pointing and I was like, ‘Oh, his car is not turning,’” Skelton said. “I just hit the brakes more, and then I cut under him.”

With that move, the race’s narrative flipped completely. Skelton surged into the lead, while Hammett, who had controlled the event from the early laps, was left fighting a losing battle against tire wear. Over the closing laps, he slipped backward, ultimately finishing fourth in a result that hardly reflected how dominant he had been for most of the morning.

Behind Skelton, Trent Potter mirrored the strategy perfectly, charging through the field to secure a second-place finish and complete a strong 1-2 result for their camp. Connor Blasco also capitalized on the late caution, using a two-tire stop to recover from earlier struggles with tire wear and climb back onto the podium in third. Bill Benedict rounded out the top five with a steady and disciplined run, avoiding the mistakes that caught out many others.

The final running order saw James “Bone” Skelton take the victory, followed by Trent Potter in second, Connor Blasco in third, Chris Hammett in fourth after leading 81 laps, and Bill Benedict in fifth. It was a result that perfectly illustrated the balance between speed and strategy at Richmond, where having the fastest car doesn’t always guarantee the win.

As the series now turns its attention to Indianapolis, the playoff picture begins to take shape. The field of 13 Chase drivers continues its battle to advance, but Skelton has already secured his place in the next round, giving him both momentum and breathing room. More importantly, he has sent a clear message to the rest of the competition. At the most critical point in the season, when pressure is at its highest and mistakes are most costly, he is performing at an elite level.

If the Souza Media 90 proved anything, it’s that races aren’t always won by the driver who leads the most laps. Sometimes, they’re won by the one who makes the right move at exactly the right time—and right now, James Skelton is doing that better than anyone.