Allen Triumphs at South Boston: Chaotic Round 7 Reshapes the Championship Standings

South Boston, VA — The Bootleg Racing League Super Late Model Series Round 7 at South Boston Speedway delivered a night of high-intensity short-track racing defined by strategic tire management and a chaotic series of incidents. The event began under a cloud of controversy following a three-week suspension issued to defending champion James Lowe for unsportsmanlike conduct last week at Stafford during the BRL Late Model Invitational Series. This absence opened the door for points leader Chris Worrell to try and extend his advantage over Louis Flowers on the tight, high-falloff short track.

Charles Roth started on the pole alongside Steve Hilbert, with Luke Logan Allen and John Wilson making up the second row. Roth took the early lead, but the action was quickly interrupted on lap four when Jeffery Hardin and Tom Hilbert collided. The incident resulted in a rollover for Tom Hilbert and left Ruben Altice with heavy damage. Once racing resumed, Steve Hilbert muscled his way past Roth to take the point before a second caution involving Jeff Sharp and Kurt Smith forced points leader Chris Worrell to the pits, severely damaging his championship cushion.

The middle stages of the 100-lap feature saw Todd Liston and Steve Hilbert engage in a fierce duel for the top spot. Liston eventually took the lead, but Hilbert remained anchored to his bumper. Behind them, Louis Flowers climbed into the top three, eyeing the points lead. A fourth caution was triggered when Kurt Smith tapped Luke Logan Allen; while Allen made a spectacular save, the resulting check-up caused a pile-up that swept up several cars, including Worrell once again. On the restart, Adam Schoen made a bold charge toward the front before Flowers established himself firmly in third.

The race’s defining moment occurred in the final third of the event. While battling for the lead, Kyle Feimster and Steve Hilbert made contact, triggering a multi-car wreck that ensnared many of the fastest cars on the track, including Ed Foster and Adam Schoen. Amidst the carnage, Luke Logan Allen emerged unscathed to inherit the lead.

The final restart saw Allen leading a depleted field. While the young driver focused on maintaining his pace and saving his right-front tire, Chris Haizlip was putting on a clinic, charging all the way from 18th on the grid. Haizlip utilized the outside line to bypass Todd Liston and Ruben Altice to capture second, but he ran out of time to catch the leader. Luke Logan Allen crossed the finish line to claim his first-ever BRL win, while Chris Haizlip secured a series-best second-place finish, followed by Louis Flowers in third.

The fallout from South Boston was immense for the championship hunt. With his third-place finish and Worrell’s 10th-place result, Louis Flowers moved into a provisional tie for the points lead. Top finishers noted that extreme tire saving was the ultimate key to surviving the high-falloff surface, especially given the high frequency of restarts. The series now moves on to the next round of late model action with the championship battle closer than ever.