BRL Late Model Invitational S26R09 | South Boston Speedway
The anticipation was high as Matt Hoose and Chris Haizlip led the field to the green flag for Round 9 of Season 26 at South Boston Speedway. Hoose wasted no time, rocketing off the line, while Haizlip found himself quickly overtaken by Steve Hilbert and Scott Negus. However, an early caution on Lap 2 temporarily slowed the action.
When racing resumed on Lap 8, Hoose and Steve Hilbert occupied the front row. Hoose’s lightning start allowed Negus to slot into second place, leaving Haizlip in the rearview mirror. Meanwhile, Joe Segalla attempted an inside move on Hilbert but couldn’t quite make it stick. Further back in the pack, Tre Blohm and Joseph Snyder engaged in a fierce battle for fifth, with Donny Moore also joining the fray.
By Lap 12, the initial jostling for position had settled, and the field stretched out into single file. But the calm didn’t last long. Blohm and Moore turned up the heat on Segalla and Hilbert, applying pressure on Lap 21. Segalla’s car got loose off Turn 4 on Lap 35, allowing Blohm to execute a high-side pass for fourth. Blohm then set his sights on Hilbert, but maintaining momentum proved challenging.
From Lap 38 to Lap 49, Blohm and Hilbert waged a side-by-side battle, with Moore also closing in on Segalla. The caution flag waved on Lap 52, briefly interrupting the action.
When racing resumed on Lap 58, Hoose and Negus led the charge. Hoose’s strong start kept him in the lead, while Blohm continued his duel with Hilbert—this time on the outside line. Unfortunately, the battle would have to wait for the next restart due to another caution on Lap 62.
Lap 67 saw another green flag, with Hoose maintaining his position at the front. Negus comfortably secured the inside line for second, while Hilbert and Adam Schoen fought tooth and nail for third. Blohm, once again, made a move on Hilbert, successfully passing him for fifth on Lap 72.
As the laps ticked away, the rest of the field engaged in intense side-by-side battles. A caution on Lap 74 added further drama to the mix. When racing resumed on Lap 80, Hoose and Negus resumed their duel up front, but another caution interrupted the action.
Lap 86 brought yet another restart, with Hoose and Negus leading the way. Hoose and Moore both launched well, but Moore eventually settled into second place. Meanwhile, Schoen and Negus engaged in a thrilling side-by-side battle for third, resulting in a drag race to the finish. Schoen clinched third place by a mere 0.015 seconds!
In the end, Matt Hoose emerged victorious in Round 9 of Season 26 at South Boston Speedway. Donny Moore secured second place, and Adam Schoen rounded out the podium in third.
Be sure to come back for more exciting BRL Late Model racing action next Saturday June 8th at 8:55PM ET at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Highlights
🏆 Matt Hoose wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 26 Round 09 race at South Boston Speedway.
🚀 Adam Schoen was the biggest mover of the race, finishing in 3rd, up 17 spots.
🏁 Matt Hoose led the race from Lap 1 to 100
🌟 The race featured intense battles and impressive displays of skill from the drivers.
BRL Late Model Invitational S26R08 | New Smyrna Speedway
Steve Hilbert and Tre Blohm bring the field to green for Round 8 racing at New Smyrna Speedway. Hilbert gets a great start, and Blohm falls into second behind, with Scott Negus behind in 3rd. Mike Holloway is peaking underneath Joe Segalla for 4th on Lap 4, racing side by side before Holloway secures the lead. On Lap 5, Blohm passed on the inside of Hilbert to claim the lead, followed closely by Negus, who made the pass for 2nd. Holloway also capitalized and made a move inside for 3rd. On Lap 8, the whole field was a single file. First caution on lap 10. Racing resumed on Lap 15 with Blohm and Negus on the front row. Blohm gets a good jump and clears the outside. Holloway, keeping a nose inside Negus, gets side by side in turns 3 and 4 and completes the pass for 2nd, with J R Shepherd racing behind them for fourth. He gets inside Negus for 3rd on lap 18—caution on Lap 23. Racing resumed on Lap 28 with Blohm and Holloway on the front row. Late restart caused a stack up on the restart and brought out the caution right away. Racing resumed on Lap 34 with Blohm and Holloway out front. Blohm gets a considerable start, allowing Shepherd to get into 2nd passing Holloway. Behind was Negus and Donny Moore racing for 4th. Shepherd moved under Blohm on Lap 35 and ran side by side for a bit with Holloway close behind before Shepherd clinched the lead. Racing once again cooled to single-file racing on Lap 40. On Lap 42, Holloway made the pass for 2nd outside of Blohm. On Lap 46, Negus started peaking inside of Moore but couldn’t complete the pass for 4th. Negus tried again on Lap 51 and could get to the inside on the turns but lost the position on the straights. This allowed the top three drivers to get ahead by a second from the rest of the field—caution on Lap 66. Racing resumed on Lap 72 with Shepherd and Holloway out front. Shepherd gets a good start, and Holloway can get down for 2nd. Blohm and Donny Moore battle for 3rd behind, and Blohm finishes the battle for 3rd. Kurt Smith started challenging Moore for 4th and made the pass—caution on Lap 77. Racing resumed on Lap 82 with Shepherd and Holloway out front. Shepherd gets a good jump, Blohm gets along with Holloway to battle for 2nd with Kurt Smith close behind, and another caution occurs on Lap 84. Racing resumed on Lap 90 with Shepherd and Blohm out front. Contact on the restart between Blohm and Holloway allowed for Todd Liston to move to 3rd. With only ten laps to go, Shepherd maintained the lead and claimed his 7th win in a row while Tre Blohm got 2nd and Todd Liston got 3rd.
That’s a wrap for the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 26 Round 08 race. We’ll be off for Memorial Day Weekend, but mark your calendars for June 1st. Round 9 action is coming to South Boston Speedway at 8:55pm ET. Don’t miss it!
Highlights
🏆 J R Shepherd wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 26 Round 08 race at New Smyrna Speedway.
🚀 Austin Boelke was the biggest mover of the race, finishing in 4th, up 19 spots.
🏁 There were three leaders for two lead changes: J R Shepherd led 66 laps, Tre Blohm with 30 laps, and Steven Hilbert with four laps.
🌟 The race featured intense battles and impressive displays of skill from the drivers.
BRL Late Model Invitational S27R06 | Myrtle Beach Speedway
Tom Hilbert and Donny Moore were at the forefront of the field to start Round 6 of Season 27, as the engines revved up and the anticipation in the air grew. Hilbert made a swift move to take the lead, and Moore was right behind him in second place. Meanwhile, John Wilson wasted no time and quickly made his way up to third. On the second lap, Moore made a daring move and overtook Hilbert to take the lead, and Wilson followed suit to secure second place.
Further back in the pack, Adam Schoen and Kenny Kibbey were locked in a fierce battle for sixth place, while the season championship contenders raced closely behind. However, on lap 19, a caution brought the race to a halt. The drivers had to put their skills to the test again when the race resumed on lap 24, with Moore and Wilson leading the pack. Moore showed his prowess once again and took the lead, with Joe Snyder hot on his tail, trying to deny Wilson second place. Unfortunately, another caution interrupted the battle, and the drivers had to slow down once again.
The race resumed on lap 30, with Moore and Snyder in the lead. Moore was in his element and maintained his lead, while Wilson managed to stay inside Snyder and took second place. Meanwhile, Scott Negus and Matt Shinoski battled for fourth place, with Negus gaining momentum and making a move to get inside Snyder. Although he couldn’t make the pass, Kibbey soon joined the fray and challenged Negus on the outside for fourth place. In a rare outside pass, Kibbey managed to secure fourth place.
By around lap 40, the drivers had settled into single-file racing, with little change in position. However, the excitement was far from over. On lap 50, the race resumed with Moore and Wilson leading the pack. Moore wasted no time and took the lead once again, with Kibbey also starting strong and taking second place from Wilson. J.R. Shepherd followed closely behind Kibbey to secure third place.
A caution shortly after the restart brought Moore and Kibbey to lead the field to restart on lap 57. Moore maintained his lead, but Kibbey had other plans. He dove under Shepherd and challenged for second place, with the two drivers battling it out side-by-side until lap 62, when Shepherd clinched second place. Meanwhile, Wilson rounded out the lead pack in fourth place, with a half-second lead on the rest of the pack.
The drivers largely maintained their positions for the remainder of the race. Kibbey put a lot of pressure on Shepherd, but the latter managed to pull away slowly and secure his sixth victory in a row on the season, with a half-second lead. Kibbey finished in second place, and Wilson finished in third place. The next race will take place on Saturday, May 18th at 8:55 PM ET at New Smyrna Speedway, and fans can expect more thrilling racing action.
Highlights
🏆 J R Shepherd wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 26 Round 07 race at Myrtle Beach Speedway.
🚀 J R Shepherd was the biggest mover of the race, finishing in 1st, up 13 spots.
🏁 There were three leaders with two lead changes. Donny Moore led the most laps (64), followed by J R Shepherd (35), and Tom Hilbert (1).
🌟 The race featured intense battles and impressive displays of skill from the drivers.
BRL Late Model Invitational S26R06 | Irwindale Speedway
The BRL Late Model race at Irwindale Speedway was a thrilling event that kept spectators on the edge of their seats. Tom Hilbert and Scott Negus started on the front row and quickly took the lead. Steve Hilbert followed suit by passing Negus and taking second place. However, a minor scuffle caused a caution, which allowed points leader Jeffery Hardin to move into 2nd place.
The race resumed on Lap 6 with Hilbert and Hardin leading the pack. Hilbert made an excellent start and maintained his lead, while Hardin settled into 2nd place. Meanwhile, Negus moved into 3rd place, and behind them, there was some exciting 3-wide racing for 6th place.
On Lap 7, Hardin made a daring pass on Tom Hilbert to take the lead. Negus started challenging Hilbert for 2nd place and continued to battle side by side until Lap 17. Brennan Myers and Mike Holloway were also vying for podium positions on Lap 9, adding to the excitement.
A caution on Lap 17 interrupted the intense race for positions 2nd to 7th. The race resumed on Lap 23 with Hardin and Negus on the front row. Hardin made a great start, and Shepherd moved into 2nd place, overtaking Negus. On Lap 24, Negus made a move to pass Shepherd and regain 2nd place, but failed. Ruben Altice saw an opportunity to put pressure on Negus for 3rd place.
A caution on Lap 30 again halted the exciting action. The race resumed on Lap 36 with Hardin and Shepherd leading the pack. Shepherd made a bold move on the inside line to challenge Hardin for 1st place but settled back into 2nd. However, on Lap 39, Shepherd tried again to get the inside line to work and was able to lead the lap on Lap 40. Hardin attempted to pass Shepherd with an over-under move but couldn’t complete it.
The front positions remained the same until Lap 85 when Kenny Kibbey started challenging Negus for 3rd place, and Altice was putting pressure from behind. On his own up front with a 4.5s lead, J R Shepherd won the race at Irwindale, with Jeffery Hardin finishing 2nd and Kenny Kibbey finishing 3rd.
The BRL Late Models race at Irwindale Speedway was an enthralling and action-packed event that saw thrilling moves, daring passes, and intense battles for podium positions. Fans of the sport should check out the next round of the competition, which will take place at Myrtle Beach Speedway on Saturday, May 11th, at 8:55 PM ET.
Highlights
🏆 J R Shepherd wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 25 Round 06 race at Irwindale Speedway.
🚀 Ruben Altice was the biggest mover of the race, finishing in 4th, up 15 spots!
🏁 There were three leaders with two lead changes: J R Shepherd led the most with 62 laps, followed by Jeffery Hardin with 32 laps, and Tom Hilbert with 6 laps.
🌟 The race featured intense battles and impressive displays of skill from the drivers.
BRL Late Model Invitational S25R05 | Kern Raceway
Hello racing fans! This is a make-up recap of the BRL action from last weekend (April 27th, 2024) at Kern Raceway. Tom Hilbert and Jeffrey Kemper led the field to the start, with Hilbert getting an excellent start. Joseph Snyder peaked to the inside, while Kemper rolled the outside, and Snyder made it three-wide for a moment, while Kemper was able to maintain momentum to take the lead just as a caution came out.
Racing resumed on Lap 7 with Kemper and Hilbert out front. This time Kemper started well, while Snyder snuck in under Hilbert. Behind him, Tre Blohm took 3rd, followed closely by Kenny Kibbey and the rest of the field. Blohm made an inside pass on Snyder on Lap 10 but got loose on exit, giving Kibbey a chance, and they almost went three-wide into turn 3. Mike Holloway started challenging for fourth against Snyder. A caution came out on Lap 14.
Racing resumed with Kemper and Blohm on the front on Lap 20. Kemper started, but a checkup back in the field caused a massive pileup right as the race resumed. Racing resumed with Kemper and Bruce Pearson up front again on Lap 26. Kemper got another great start, and Pearson rolled the top line while Holloway followed in 3rd. Kibbey moved to the inside of Blohm with season point leader Jeffery Hardin followed closely behind. A caution came out on Lap 29.
Working on Lap 35, Kemper and Holloway led the field to the green. Kemper started well, and Kibbey was able to pass Holloway for 2nd. Blohm and Hardin worked behind for 4th. Kibbey moved to the inside of Kemper on Lap 36, working side by side, but Kibbey took the lead on Lap 37. J R Shepherd made a big run off Turn 2 to go inside of Hardin on Turn 3 and grabbed 5th place on Lap 41. Holloway peaked inside of Kemper on Lap 42, challenging for 2nd. Lap 43 had two rows side by side for position battles on 2nd and 3rd. There was a great battle between Kemper and Blohm for 4th, for a few laps, with side by side racing, and Blohm was finally able to make the pass on Lap 57, with Young and Hardin following suit on the inside line, passing Kemper.
On Lap 61, Shepherd peaked inside Holloway on exit of turn 4 for 2nd and made the pass. A caution came out on Lap 72. Racing resumed with Kibbey and Shepherd out front on Lap 77. Kibbey got a great jump, and Shepherd had to lag back to avoid jumping the leader, but they both battled fiercely on the restart, and Shepherd made a crossover maneuver to claim the lead on Lap 78. Kibbey tried to follow suit but didn’t quite have the momentum.
Racing resumed on Lap 88 with Shepherd out front and Kibbey behind in 2nd. Aiden Young and Mike Holloway battled for 3rd. Young secured 3rd, and Holloway secured 4th but under pressure from Brennan Myers. A late race caution with 3 laps remaining came out to give the dramatic Green-White-Checker restart. Shepherd lead the field, followed closely by Kibbey, but Young fought inside but wasn’t able to get 2nd from Kibbey. The white flag flew, and Shepherd had a convincing 0.5s lead and claimed his 4th win in a row, followed by Kenny Kibbey and Aiden Young.
Highlights
🏆 J R Shepherd wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 26 Round 05 race at Kern Raceway.
🚀 J R Shepherd and John Heyn were the biggest movers of the race, finishing in 1st and 10th respectively, both drivers up 12 spots.
🏁 There were three leaders for two lead changes: Kenny Kibbey led the most with 42 laps, followed by Jeffrey Kemper with 35, and finally J R Shepherd with 28 laps led.
🌟 Ruben Altice accomplished 5000 Late Model laps during the race, congrats Ruben!
BRL Late Model Invitational S26R04 | Slinger Speedway
The fast-paced BRL Late Model racing event took place at the “World’s Fastest ¼ Mile” track. The race began with John Wilson and Chris Haizlip in the front row, with Wilson getting an excellent start and Bruce Pearson closely following behind to claim second place from Haizlip. However, an early caution during Lap 3 brought the thrilling start to a pause.
Racing resumed on Lap 8 with Wilson and Pearson leading the pack, and Wilson once again got a great start followed by Pearson, while Tom Hilbert gained third place. Up until Lap 30, the race consisted of mostly single-file racing, but then Aiden Young started applying pressure on Tom Hilbert in third place, with Mike Goodman in fourth. This allowed Todd Liston in sixth place and J R Shepherd in seventh place to catch up, and it became a five-car battle for third place.
On Lap 36, Young peaked inside of Hilbert, and the three cars went 3-wide heading into turn 3, but there were no casualties. Goodman was able to secure third place, but Young and Shepherd continued to apply pressure. The second caution of the night came out during Lap 41.
Racing resumed on Lap 46 with Wilson and Pearson leading the pack. Wilson started well, but the top line struggled, and Young quickly moved up to claim 2nd place. Pearson claimed 3rd place, but Shepherd put pressure on the outside line and claimed 3rd place, but a caution came out on Lap 48. Racing resumed on Lap 54 with Wilson and Young leading the pack.
Shepherd and Young were fiercely battling for 2nd place behind Wilson, and a quick caution caused the race to resume on Lap 62 with Wilson and Shepherd leading the pack. Shepherd was rolling the top line, but Wilson wasn’t backing down on the inside, but a caution came out on Lap 66 right in front of the leaders.
On Lap 86, Shepherd had a 2-second lead, and Wilson was battling for 2nd place against Young. Wilson won the battle for 2nd place on Lap 96 against Young. As the race concluded, it was J R Shepherd who crossed the finish line in first place, followed by John Wilson in 2nd place and Aiden Young in 3rd place.
Make sure to come back next Saturday, April 27th, for more exciting BRL Late Model action, where we will head to the west coast for some California sun at Kern Raceway at 8:55 pm ET.
Highlights
🏆 J R Shepherds wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 26 Round 04 race at Slinger Speedway.
🚀 Brennan Myers was the biggest mover of the race, finishing in 4th, up 15 spots.
🏁 There were only 2 leaders with 1 lead change. John Wilson led 61 laps and J R Shepherd led 39 laps. Jeffery Hardin leads the season points by 9 points.
🌟 The race featured intense battles and impressive displays of skill from the drivers.
*Photo Credit: Mike Goodman
BRL Late Model Invitational S26R03 | Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway
The BRL Late Model race for Season 26 Round 3 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway was an exciting event. Steve Hilbert and Chris Haizlip led the field to green, and Hilbert got an excellent start to take the lead. Bruce Pearson battled with Haizlip for 2nd, and after a few laps, he claimed the position. The first caution of the night occurred early on Lap 3, but Hilbert and Pearson restarted on Lap 8.
Michael Goodman challenged Pearson on the inside, but Pearson was able to hold him off to keep his 2nd position. By Lap 20, Hilbert had extended his lead to two seconds, and by the next caution on Lap 38, he had increased it to four seconds.
The race resumed on Lap 44 with Hilbert and Pearson on the front row. Hilbert got a great start, but Pearson was able to claim 2nd position from Goodman. J R Shepherd chose the outside line and battled Goodman for 3rd. On Lap 55, Shepherd got to the inside of Pearson, but a caution came out, putting a pause on their battle.
The race resumed on Lap 62 with Shepherd and Hilbert on the front row. Shepherd made a great move and claimed the lead from Hilbert on Lap 63. Pearson started challenging Hilbert for 2nd place, but another caution came out. Racing resumed on Lap 70 with Shepherd and Pearson out front.
Jeffrey Hardin challenged Pearson for 2nd and eventually claimed it. A caution then interrupted the race, but racing resumed with 15 laps to go with Shepherd and Hardin leading the pack. Shepherd had a 1.5 second lead with two laps left, and Hardin, Young, and Boelke were fighting for 2nd place. In the end, J R Shepherd won the race, with Hardin coming in 2nd, and Young taking 3rd after an impressive last-second dive inside of Boelke.
Mark your calendars for the next BRL Late Model race on Saturday, April 20th, at 8:55 pm ET at Slinger Speedway.
Highlights
🏆 J R Shepherd wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 26 Round 03 race at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
🚀 Aiden Young was the biggest mover of the race, finishing in 3rd, up 16 spots from starting 19th.
🏁 The race had 2 leaders with only one lead change. Steve Hilbert led 61 laps followed by J R Shepherd with 39 laps led.
🌟 The race featured intense battles and impressive displays of skill from the drivers.
BRL Late Model Invitational S26R02 | Martinsville Speedway
In Round 2 of Season 26, Chris Haizlip and Joseph Snyder were the initial leaders. Snyder passed Haizlip and took the lead by lap 2. A thrilling three-wide battle for 3rd place occurred early in the race. By Lap 10, the entire field was single file, with Todd Liston pressuring Jeffrey Kemper for second place. However, a major accident on the exit of turn 4 brought the race to a stop. After the restart on Lap 19, Kemper and Snyder led the field. Liston and Snyder fought for second place, with Snyder ultimately holding onto 3rd. Liston managed to overtake Kemper on Lap 21 and claimed the lead. A caution was issued on Lap 23. Racing resumed on Lap 29 with Liston and Kemper in the front row, but a poor restart further back in the field led to an immediate caution. Another restart took place on Lap 35 with Liston and Kemper in the lead. Adam Schoen was able to pass Kemper and move into 2nd place on Lap 38. A caution on Lap 40 paused the race again. The race restarted on Lap 45 with Liston and Schoen in the front row. Meanwhile, Spies and Kemper battled for 3rd place, but another caution interrupted the race. The green flag came out on lap 51 with Liston and Schoen leading, but another issue on the restart caused another caution. The race restarted on Lap 59 with Liston and Shepherd in the front row. On Lap 67, Shepherd passed Liston for the lead after starting in 19th place. Liston and Schoen fought for 2nd place, quickly pulling a 1-second gap from the rest of the field. J R Shepherd convincingly led by 2.5 seconds on the final lap and won round 2, followed by Todd Liston in 2nd and Adam Schoen in 3rd.
Don’t miss the next round of racing action on Saturday, April 13th at 8:55 PM ET at Nashville Fairgrounds!
Highlights
🏆 J R Shepherd wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 26 Round 02 race at Martinsville Speedway.
🚀 J R Shepherd was the biggest mover of the race, finishing in 1st, up 18 spots.
🏁 There were 4 leaders with 3 lead changes. Todd Liston led the most laps at 46 followed by Shepherd (34), Snyder (12), and Kemper (8).
🌟 The race featured intense battles and impressive displays of skill from the drivers.
*Photo credit: Mike Goodman
BRL Late Model Invitational S26R01 | Southern National Speedway
The BRL Late Model Invitational has kicked off a new season with thrilling racing at Southern National Speedway! The race began with Kurt Smith and Mike Holloway leading the field. Smith had a strong start, with Holloway swiftly moving to the inside to secure second place and avoid losing positions on the outside. Meanwhile, John Wilson and Jeffery Hardin were locked in a side-by-side battle for third. After five laps, the top five drivers settled into single file, with much of the field following suit. Holloway made a move on lap 6, overtaking Smith and claiming the lead on lap 7. Throughout the race, it was challenging to pass on the inside line, as cars struggled to maintain momentum and stability compared to those on the high side. The drivers impressively completed 68 green flag laps before the first caution. When racing resumed on lap 73, Holloway and Smith led the pack, with Hardin seizing the opportunity to pass Smith on the inside. However, a caution on lap 77 interrupted their battle, with Smith in second place when the caution flag was raised. After the restart on lap 81, another caution quickly followed on lap 82. Racing resumed on lap 87, with Holloway and Hardin at the front. Smith managed to hold his position on the inside, engaging in a battle with Hardin for second place. Behind them, Mike Goodman and Adam Schoen were fighting for third. With 10 laps to go, Smith secured second place, leaving Hardin in third. As the white flag waved, Holloway and Smith surged ahead, with Holloway widening the gap to claim the first victory of Season 26. Kurt Smith finished in second place, with Jeffery Hardin in third. BRL will take a break for Easter, and the racing action will resume on April 6th at 8:55pm EDT at Martinsville Speedway.Highlights
🏆 Mike Holloway wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 26 Round 01 race at Southern National Speedway.
🚀 Jeffrey Kemper was the biggest mover of the race, finishing in 12, up 7 spots.
🏁 Mike Holloway begins Season 26 first in points and led a convincing 95 laps to start the season out
🌟 The race featured intense battles and impressive displays of skill from the drivers.
*photo credit = Mike Goodman
BRL Late Model Invitational S25R11 | Five Flags Speedway
The final round of Season 25 at Five Flags Speedway was led by Todd Liston and John Heyn. The drivers started well at the drop of the flag and were side by side into turn 1 before settling down into line, while many drivers behind them did the same before more side-by-side racing back in 12th between Ruben Altice and Jason Menda. On Lap 5, Tre Blohm made a move on the inside of John Heyn for second, but a wreck occurred behind them to bring out the first caution of the race. Racing resumed on Lap 11 with Liston and Blohm up front. Liston made a great jump and pulled away from the pack, and Blohm was able to get down to the inside, but another caution came out to disrupt the racing action.
Racing resumed on Lap 17, with Liston and Blohm still leading the pack. Liston restarted well, and Heyn behind him took the second position from Blohm. The inside line kept rolling by those stuck on the outside line. On Lap 20, Adam Schoen was able to get inside of John Heyn for second, and then Matt Hoose followed suit to fight for the third position. By Lap 33, the whole field was pretty much single file, possibly doing a bit of tire saving for the moment and waiting for opportunities to pass.
A caution on lap 37 was followed by a green flag on Lap 42 with Liston and Schoen on the front row. On lap 46, Schoen got a nose to the inside of Liston to fight for the lead, and they battled side by side for a couple of laps until the pass was completed on Lap 49. But then Liston did the ol’ over and under and got back to the inside of Schoen and claimed the lead again on Lap 51. Now, J R Shepherd was in third and starting to reel in the leaders.
A caution on Lap 59 was followed by a green flag on lap 65 with Liston and Schoen up front. Schoen slammed the door on Shepherd to come down to the inside for 2nd in front of Shepherd in 3rd. Another caution on lap 66 was followed by a restart on Lap 72 with Liston and Schoen again, but Schoen almost jumped the start, having to slow down, which allowed Shepherd to jump to 2nd and leaving Schoen in that difficult outside line. Shepherd got to the inside of Liston on Lap 75 and claimed the lead on lap 76 from Liston.
Matt Hoose, in 3rd, was starting to put pressure on Liston, battling for second. Jason Menda made a pass on Hoose on Lap 80 for 3rd. A caution on Lap 85 was followed by a green flag on Lap 90 with Shepherd and Liston on the front row. Shepherd got a great start, and Menda stayed to the inside of Liston to fight for second. Behind them, Hoose and Schoen had a side-by-side battle for 4th. On Lap 92, Mike Holloway accomplished his 10,000th lap in BRL, making him 6th all-time!
As the remaining laps went on, J R Shepherd claimed the 8th victory of the season and his 18th BRL Late Model Championship. Jason Menda brought home 2nd, and Matt Hoose took 3rd. Season 25 is in the books, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more racing action! Come back for the start of Season 26 Round 1 at Southern National Speedway on Saturday, March 23rd, at 8:55 pm EDT!
Highlights
🏆 J R Shepherd wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season Round 25 race at 11.
🚀 Jason Menda was the biggest mover of the race, finishing in 2nd after starting 19th, up 17 spots.
🏁 J R Shepherd is the Season 25 Champion, his 18th championship. Congrats J R!
🌟 The race featured 3 leaders with 3 lead changes. Todd Liston led the most laps at 71, followed by J R Shepherd with 26 and Adam Schoen with 3 laps.
*Photo credit: Mike Goodman
Virtual Grip Network 