Lowe Strikes in Hickory Return: Late-Race Surge Upends Roster in Penultimate Round

Hickory, NC — James Lowe completed a spectacular charge from the 16th starting position to capture the victory in the penultimate round of the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series at Hickory Motor Speedway. The 100-lap feature dramatically reshaped the championship hunt as a multi-car accident late in the event altered the path to the title.

The race began with an all-Hilbert front row, as Tom Hilbert started on the pole flanked by his brother, Steve Hilbert. However, the family advantage was short-lived; Jeffery Hardin wasted no time charging from third to the lead within the first four corners. While Hardin established himself at the front, Tom Hilbert lost control and spun off turn two while running in second place. Ruben Altice, the championship points leader, narrowly avoided the incident with a quick high-line maneuver to protect his car.

For the majority of the event, Hardin appeared untouchable, leading every lap through the halfway mark. Behind him, the field scrambled for position as Adam Schoen made a massive early move from ninth to third. The primary storyline of the mid-race was the return of James Lowe following a three-race suspension. Starting deep in the field, Lowe methodically picked his way through traffic. By lap 30, he had entered the top ten, though his progress was momentarily slowed by a multi-car incident involving Luke Logan Allen and John Wilson.

As the laps clicked away, the focus shifted to the tight championship battle between Ruben Altice and Louis Flowers. Altice maintained a steady position in the top three, while Flowers struggled to move forward from seventh, desperate to bridge the thin gap in the standings. Todd Liston, also in the title conversation, challenged Altice fiercely for second place during the middle stages, attempting to use the inside line before Altice eventually prevailed on the high side.

The complexion of the race changed on lap 86 when a massive pile-up triggered a late caution. The wreck claimed several front-runners, most notably Louis Flowers, dealing a severe blow to his championship hopes. During this caution, scoring rules awarded James Lowe the second position for the restart. This placed Lowe on the outside of the dominant leader, Jeffery Hardin, for the final sprint to the finish.

On the restart, Hardin’s tires began to fade, and he struggled to keep his car from drifting up the track. James Lowe used the high line to muscle his way alongside Hardin, eventually clearing him with five laps to go. While Lowe checked out to claim the victory in his return, Hardin continued to lose grip, surrendering second place to Altice on the final lap. John Wilson rounded out the podium in third, followed by Kyle Feimster and Todd Liston in the top five. With only the season finale remaining at Southern National, Ruben Altice sits in prime position to claim the series championship.