Altice Capitalizes on Late Chaos to Win Martinsville Thriller

Ridgeway, VA — On a cool Saturday night in April 2026, the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Invitational Series rolled into Martinsville Speedway for Round 2 of Season 34, delivering a 100-lap battle where patience, tire conservation, and survival proved just as critical as outright speed. The absence of three-time defending champion James Lowe loomed large, as the previous week’s winner elected to take provisional points rather than tackle the tight confines of the “Paperclip,” leaving the door wide open for a new winner to emerge.

From the drop of the green flag, Todd Liston took full advantage of the inverted start, jumping out front and controlling the early portion of the race with authority. Liston methodically managed the opening run, building a comfortable gap while the field behind him wrestled with tight corners and limited racing room. Early contact between Adam Schoen, Ed Foster, and Tre Blohm set the tone for a night where tempers and sheet metal would both be tested, while Louis Flowers and Chris Worrell showed impressive speed advancing through the pack.

The first caution came after a stack-up involving Ruben Altice and Lowell Jewell sent John Wilson spinning, erasing Liston’s early advantage and tightening the field. From there, aggression escalated—most notably in a mid-pack incident when Ed Foster attempted a bold move on Chris Davis that went wrong, triggering a multi-car accident that collected several drivers, including Mike Holloway, and significantly thinned the field.

Despite the chaos unfolding behind him, Liston remained composed out front, leading a race-high 82 laps and appearing well on his way to victory. However, Martinsville’s unforgiving surface began to take its toll in the closing laps. As Liston’s tires faded, the metallic-blue No. 36 of Jeffery Hardin came alive. Hardin closed the gap and eventually made the pass for the lead, while Liston slipped backward as his worn tires could no longer keep pace.

A late incident involving Ed Foster and Chris Worrell—sparked by a failed block attempt—brought out a crucial caution and set the stage for a green-white-checkered finish.

On the final restart, Hardin led the field to green with Altice lined up in second after an impressive charge from 16th on the grid. As the green flag waved on the front stretch, Altice made an aggressive move low, attempting to tuck in behind Hardin to secure the position heading into Turn 1. However, the move developed too quickly. Carrying momentum and diving low early, Altice came down the track faster than anticipated and clipped the right rear of Hardin’s car.

The contact sent Hardin spinning down the front stretch, igniting chaos behind the leaders as the field scrambled to avoid the incident. Altice, able to gather his car and slip through the unfolding wreckage, emerged with the lead.

From there, Altice held on through the final lap to secure a dramatic and hard-fought victory, capping off one of the most chaotic finishes of the young season. Kurt Smith skillfully avoided the incident to finish second, while Adam Schoen completed an impressive drive from 19th on the grid to round out the podium.

In the end, Martinsville once again proved that survival is often just as important as speed. With worn tires, rising tempers, and no room for error, the absence of a champion created an opportunity—and Ruben Altice seized it in spectacular fashion as the series heads toward Round 3.