Allen Capitalizes on Lowe’s Misfortune at Southern National

Lucama, NC — The BRL Late Model Invitational Series returned to Southern National Motorsports Park for Round 5 of Season 35 on a sweltering Saturday night in August, where 16 drivers faced 100 laps of unforgiving short-track racing. With no pit stops, no tire changes, and no opportunity to repair damage, the race became a test of patience and tire management on one of the darkest and most demanding tracks on the schedule.

As per series tradition, the starting lineup was determined by inverting the top 13 finishers from the previous race, placing series organizer Lil Jewell on the pole alongside Todd Liston. Jewell made the most of his front-row starting spot, leading the opening laps while Todd Liston, Joe Segalla, and Donnie Moore settled into an early battle for the top positions. By Lap 11, Liston began applying heavy pressure to the race leader, and four laps later he completed the pass to take control of the race. Segalla followed him through into second, dropping Jewell to third as the veteran established himself as the driver to beat.

Further back, championship leader James Lowe quietly began carving his way through the field. Starting 10th, Lowe methodically worked his way forward, reaching fifth by Lap 26 and continuing to close on the leaders. Before long, the No. 99 had climbed into second place and appeared poised to challenge Liston for the lead.

Then came the defining moment of the evening.

Exiting Turn 2, Lowe made an uncharacteristic mistake, losing control of his car and spinning by himself. Although he avoided contact with the outside wall, the costly error dropped him all the way back to 15th, erasing what had looked like a certain shot at victory and opening the door for his championship rivals. The mistake also placed his once-comfortable points lead over Luke Logan Allen in serious jeopardy.

With Lowe forced into recovery mode, the spotlight shifted to a compelling battle between Todd Liston and the young Luke Logan Allen, better known around the league as “Kid Lemon Lime.” Liston controlled the pace for much of the race, ultimately leading 72 laps while doing everything he could to keep the youngster behind him. Allen repeatedly challenged on the bottom groove, searching for an opening as the laps wound down.

The decisive move came around Lap 80 during what the broadcast team affectionately called “Boogie Time.” Allen finally found enough grip on the inside lane to pull alongside Liston, and after several tense laps racing door-to-door, the younger driver completed the pass for the lead. Despite Liston’s best efforts to maintain momentum around the outside, Allen’s car came to life in the closing stages and allowed him to pull clear.

Allen remained mistake-free over the final laps to earn a well-deserved victory, snapping what he described as an unlucky stretch of races. Liston settled for second after leading the majority of the event, while Donnie Moore completed the podium with one of his strongest performances in recent memory after returning to competitive form. Chris Worrell finished fourth ahead of Mike Holloway, John Wilson, Kenny Allen, James Lowe, who impressively recovered to eighth after his spin, Ruben Altice, and Joe Segalla.

In Victory Lane, Allen admitted the car had been a handful throughout the race, explaining that it constantly wanted to push toward the outside wall if driven too aggressively. Liston praised the young winner’s performance, joking that he had “given the frog a perfect kiss” to wake up a prince after their memorable duel for the lead. Moore was equally upbeat following his podium finish, saying the result confirmed that both his confidence and his passion for sim racing had returned after stepping away for a mental and physical reset.

Lowe’s recovery drive prevented what could have been an even bigger points loss, but the damage was done. Heading into the next round, his championship advantage had been trimmed to a single point over the surging Luke Logan Allen, setting the stage for what promises to be an intense battle for the Season 35 title.