Altice Breaks Through at Las Vegas Following Opening-Lap Chaos

Las Vegas, NV — The Bootleg Racing League Super Late Model Series took to the high-stakes environment of The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for a chaotic and historic 100-lap feature. With 17 cars on the grid and the season championship wide open, the tight short track promised intense racing where the slightest throttle mistake could prove costly.

Steve Hilbert started on the pole, but the green flag immediately brought disaster. On the opening lap, Hilbert lost the backend of his car on cold tires, triggering a massive six-car pile-up that involved Joe Segalla and Adam Schoen. Amidst the smoke, Ruben Altice navigated the wreckage to climb 12 spots instantly and inherit the lead. A second caution quickly followed when Hilbert was involved in another incident with Charles Roth and Joseph Snyder. Shortly after, a third yellow flag flew when points leader Louis Flowers drifted into Jeffery Hardin and slammed into the tire barrier, continuing a nightmare evening where Flowers was involved in every early caution.

Once the field settled into a rhythm, the battle for the win became a three-way contest between Altice, Mark Hertzog, and Tre Blohm. While Altice held a slim lead, drivers contended with a disorienting sun glare on the back straightaway and treacherous rumble strips on the apron. Tre Blohm pressured Hertzog for second early on, but his handling faded due to an aggressive front brake strategy, allowing Hertzog to reclaim the spot and begin a relentless pursuit of Altice.

The championship contenders faced a grueling night of attrition. Luke Logan Allen dealt with an ill-handling car and heavy damage but fought to stay on the lead lap to protect his points position over the struggling Flowers. Meanwhile, Todd Liston, who was forced to start from pit road due to technical difficulties, methodically picked up positions as other drivers fell victim to incidents.

As the laps ticked down, the track surface became increasingly slick. With 15 laps to go, Altice and Hertzog were separated by mere car lengths while navigating heavy lap traffic. A tense moment occurred near the end when Hertzog collided with a lapped Luke Logan Allen, overheating his right-front tire and ending his chance to make a pass for the lead. Despite a brief connection blink on the final lap, Ruben Altice held steady to cross the finish line first. This marked a monumental milestone for Altice, securing his first-ever victory in the series in his 55th career attempt.

Mark Hertzog finished second, followed by Tre Blohm in third and Adam Schoen in fourth. John Wilson completed the top five. Mike Corriveau impressed with a sixth-place finish in his series debut, while Jeffery Hardin secured the pole position for the next event at Hickory Motor Speedway due to the field inversion.