Red Light Racing at Kern Raceway
Skitter Creek SK Modifieds
Season 14 Race 5
Kern Raceway
š Race Stats at a Glance:
- Winner: Eric Stout (90 laps led)
- Podium Finishers: Jeff Aho (2nd), Ethan Troutman (3rd)
- Pole: Ethan Troutman (16.913-second qualifying lap)
- Leaders / Lead Changes: 3 leaders ā¢ 5 lead changes
- Cautions: 9 cautions for 36 laps
- Fastest Lap: Brian Neff (16.776 seconds on Lap 103)
- Clean Machines: Jeff Aho, Ethan Troutman, Rob Higgins
- Hard Charger: Brandon Feeney (+14 spots, finished 9th)
Red Light Racingās SK Modifieds rolled into Kevin Harvickās Kern Raceway on June 26, 2025, for the fifth race of Season 14. The event played out under bright lights and perfect California skies.
It was a night filled with action: 3 different leaders, 5 lead changes, and 9 cautions for 36 laps kept the field on its toes. But when the checkered flag finally flew, it was Eric Stout who parked it in victory lane, capturing his first win of the season.
Stout crossed the line just 0.126 seconds ahead of Jeff Aho, who ran a clean and consistent race to take second. Ethan Troutman completed the podium in third. Josh Buckley and Rob Higgins rounded out the top five with strong finishes.
š Qualifying Recap
Ethan Troutman earned the RaceDayCT.com pole with a razor-thin margin over Kenny Allen ā just 0.001 seconds separated the top two. Troutmanās 16.913-second lap held up against a tight field that saw Bill Benedict, Eric Stout, and Bradley Stefane all qualify within 0.05 seconds of the top spot.
š¦ Race Breakdown
Troutman led the opening 12 laps before Eric Stout took control and dominated the rest of the night, leading 90 laps. Kenny Allen was the only other driver to briefly take the lead. Despite his speed, Allen finished 15th, a result that didnāt reflect the strength of his car early on.
Nine cautions slowed the pace, totaling 36 caution laps. Only three drivers made it through without incident points: Aho, Troutman, and Higgins.
Brandon Feeney earned Hard Charger honors, climbing from 23rd to 9th. Brian Neff laid down the fastest lap of the race a blazing 16.776 seconds Lap 103, the last lap of the race.
š Championship Shakeup
The points standings got a shakeup after Kern:
- š„ Eric Stout jumps to the top of the leaderboard with the win.
- š„ Ethan Troutman now sits second.
- š„ Jeff Aho climbs to third.
- ā¬ļø Fred LeClair, who entered the race with the points lead, drops to fourth after finishing 21st.
- š¼ Rob Higgins moves into the top five with his fifth-place run.
š Next Up: Lanier National Speedway
The series heads east to Lanier National Speedway on July 10 for Race 6. Expect tight racing and more points drama at the 3/8-mile oval.
š Green flag drops at 7:55 PM Eastern
šŗ Watch it live on Virtual Grip Network
Red Light Racing at Thompson
Skitter Creek SK Modifieds
Season 14 Race 4
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
June 19, 2025
by Tim Corder
Red Light Racingās Skitter Creek SK Modifieds headed up north to Connecticut to take on Thompson Speedway for the seriesā fourth race of its 14th season. The race was dominated by a familiar surname – but not the one fans might expect. In a breakout performance, rookie Patrick Stout stunned the field by starting on the pole, leading 105 of 106 laps, and scoring his first win in the series. Fred LeClair moved up from 9th on the RaceDayCT.com starting grid to finish second. āKid Lemon-Limeā Luke Logan Allen improved 9 spots from 12th in qualifying to join Stout and LeClair on the podium in third. Jeff Aho salvaged an impressive 4th place finish after what was, for the most part, a tumultuous race for the past champion. Louis Flowers also put on an impressive performance, finishing fifth despite starting in 24th.
The race was slowed by 8 cautions for a total of 32 laps. The most consequential caution was set up on lap 94 when Brian Neff and Brandon Feeney made contact in turn one sending Neff spinning. The contact and spin brought out the caution flag and ensured the event would see at least one green-white-checker before its end. The top five cars for the ensuing restart were Patrick Stout, brother Eric Stout, Josh Buckley, Rob Higgins, and Kenny Allen. The leaders had barely crossed the start-finish line on the restart when calamity struck. Josh Buckley and Eric Stout made contact, sending Buckley into the outside front stretch wall and Eric Stout spinning toward the inside. The wreck blocked much of the front stretch, and nearly the entire field behind them plowed into the chaos. The melee resulted in a second green-white-checker attempt to end the event, which proved successful.
Flowersā impressive drive to gain 19 spots and finish fifth made him the eventās Hard Charger Award winner. Yet another stat indicative of Patrick Stoutās dominating performance was that he set the fastest lap of the race (19.196 seconds) on lap 23. The numerous cautions and major pile-up ensured no driver escaped the event without incident points.
With his second place finish, Fred LeClair took over the season point lead. Eric Stout managed a 9th place despite being entangled in the huge crash. The finish was good enough to move Eric up to second in the points, just 4 points behind LeClair. Chad Alcares moved up to third in the championship running after his 10th place finish. Louis Flowers and former frontrunner Ethan Troutman are tied for fourth in the championship.
The fifth race of the season will take place at Kevin Harvickās Kern Raceway. The drivers will step into the SKās more powerful brother, the Tour Modified, for the event. The green flag will drop at 7:55 PM Eastern on June 26th. Catch all the action LIVE on Virtual Grip Network.
BRL Late Model Invitational S30R011 | New Smyrna Speedway
BRL Late models took off for the final round of Season 30 at New Smyrna Speedway. James Lowe had a commanding lead in the point standings and barring a massive catastrophe had the championship pretty much wrapped up with any finishing position in the race.
The thrilling Season 30 Round 11 kicked off with Kurt Smith and Jason Menda in the front row. Smith surged ahead at the start, leaving Menda trailing. Tom Hilbert, originally in 3rd, was shuffled outside and began to lose positions as Chris Davis capitalized on the opportunity to move up into 3rd place. By Lap 6, Menda had closed the gap on Smith, seeking a chance to overtake, while Davis remained close behind, making the competition fierce among the top three.
The first caution waved on Lap 20, leading to a restart on Lap 25 with Smith and Menda still battling in front. Smith once again launched effectively, but Menda managed to clear him for 2nd, as Davis and Todd Liston engaged in a fight for 3rd. Although Liston fought hard on the outside, Davis secured the position.
Another caution came out on Lap 27, and when racing resumed on Lap 31, Smith maintained his lead, but Davis seized an opportunity to dive inside Menda, only for Menda to defend his position. Caution again on Lap 33 halted the action. The race restarted on Lap 38, where a late start by Smith allowed Menda to grab 2nd while Davis settled back into 3rd to avoid contact.
Continuing the action, Lap 42 brought another caution, followed by a restart on Lap 46 where Smith started a bit earlier this time. Menda fell back into 2nd as Davis and James Lowe battled fiercely for 3rd. Menda encountered a setback on Lap 54, crashing into the wall and allowing Lowe to take 2nd, while Ruben Altice soon joined the fray, surging to challenge Menda for 3rd.
As Lap 70 approached, Lowe began to challenge Smith for the lead, but Smith held his ground. With just 25 laps remaining, Smith regained control, and with 13 laps left, Lowe made another push for the lead. However, Smith continued to dominate from the top line, fending off each attempt by Lowe.
With 5 laps to go, Lowe made one last bid to pass Smith, but Smith’s momentum was too strong. On the final lap, Smith successfully defended his position to claim victory in Season 30 Round 11 at New Smyrna Speedway. Ruben Altice secured the final podium spot in 3rd.
In a remarkable end to the season, James Lowe emerged victorious in the BRL Late Model Season 30 Championship. Congratulations to Lowe and all season champions!
Highlights
š Kurt Smith wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 30 Round 11 race at New Smyrna Speedway.
š Ruben Altice was the biggest mover, gaining 12 spots, racing from 15th to 3rd!
š James Lowe wins the Season 30 BRL Late Model Invitational Championship!
YesterYear Racing IROC Series | S1R2 | Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course
The YesterYear Racing IROC Series delivered an exhilarating showdown in Season 1 Round 02 at the Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course, evoking nostalgia for the iconic 1985 IROC series. Jeff Aho started on pole, with Tom Ogle alongside him in the front row. As the race commenced, Aho took an early lead, but J R Shepherd quickly moved past Ogle to claim second place.
Shepherd’s aggressive driving paid off as he maneuvered around Aho to take the lead. Chaos ensued when the top three drivers experienced a dramatic spin, allowing Josh Robinson to capitalize and surge into the lead. Meanwhile, Christian Loschen was hot on Robinson’s tail, remaining just 0.3 seconds behind.
By Lap 7, Shepherd had recovered from the incident and reclaimed third place, setting his sights on the leaders. Loschen made a strategic decision to pit on Lap 11, which allowed Shepherd to move into second place. As the race progressed to Lap 14, Shepherd closed the gap on Robinson to just half a second, intensifying the battle for the lead.
On Lap 15, with both drivers trading positions through the corners, Shepherd successfully executed a pass for the lead. With five laps remaining, Robinson made his pit stop for fuel but faced a 15-second deficit. Despite a quick 6.5-second pit stop, he retained second position but found himself significantly behind Shepherd.
Shepherd’s pit stop on Lap 16, conducted with precision, saw him maintain a commanding 16-second lead over Robinson. As he cruised into the final lap, Shepherd extended his lead to 18 seconds. Ultimately, J R Shepherd crossed the finish line first, securing a definitive victory in the YYR IROC Series Season 01 Round 02. Josh Robinson finished strong in second place, while Christian Loschen rounded out the podium in third, finishing a substantial 44 seconds behind the leader.
HIGHLIGHTS!
šJ R Shepherd of BRL wins Season 1 Round 2 of YesterYear Racing IROC!
Allen Wannamaker was the biggest mover of the race, finishing 5th after starting 12th!
šThere were 1 lead changes with two leaders. J R Shepherd led 31 laps while Josh Robinson led 14 laps.
BRL Late Model Invitational S30R10 | South Boston Speedway
The stage was set for an exhilarating showdown as BRL Season 30 Round 10 roared into action at the iconic South Boston Speedway. Making history, Lowel Jewellāknown as āThe Bossman”ācelebrated his 300th start in the Late Models amidst a thrilling 100-lap race. As the green flag waved, it was Chris Haizlip and Jeffrey Kemper commanding the front row, with Haizlip quickly taking charge as he stomped on the loud pedal, darting ahead while Kemper opted to roll the top line. Bruce Pearson slid into the third position, but the excitement was fleeting as caution waved on Lap 4.
When racing resumed on Lap 9, Haizlip and Kemper were back on the front row. Haizlip blasted off once again, while Kemper remained on the outside, attempting to find a way around. Meanwhile, Pearson saw his opportunity to sneak in but was promptly denied as Kemper shut the door! Another caution flagged on Lap 16 paused the action until Lap 21, with Haizlip still in control. He was holding the pack at bay and launched forward, while Kemper bravely defended his second against Pearson.
Mid-race chaos stirred at Lap 45 when a scuffle between the second and third place drivers brought out caution once more, reshuffling the lineup with Kurt Smith and John Wilson taking up the next spots. As racing resumed on Lap 49, it was Haizlip and Smith leading the charge. Smith momentarily found his footing, but Wilson attempted a daring inside move, only to find he lacked the speed.
With each lap, a battle unfoldedāSchoen slipped past Wilson for third by Lap 55, and by Lap 62, Smith was hounding Haizlip for the lead. Tensions escalated on Lap 71 as Smith searched desperately for a way past Haizlip, but with only 23 laps to go, Schoen attempted to make it three-wide, leading to paint swapping and a caution on Lap 78.
When the green flag returned with 17 laps remaining, Haizlip led off again, this time with Todd Liston close behind, and the ever-determined Jewell in third. The pace intensified as Haizlip rocketed ahead, but Liston worked the top line, while Jewell dueled with Jason Menda for position. With just 8 laps left, it was neck-and-neck as Menda edged past Liston for second place while Jewell surged forward.
A late caution shook things up with 4 laps to go, priming the field for a thrilling Green-White-Checker finish. The front row featured Haizlip and Menda as they charged into the final laps. Haizlipās explosive start kept him in the lead, but Menda, seeking glory, ventured for the high line. However, disaster struck as Menda spun out, letting Lowell Jewell catapult into second place, followed by Liston in third. The race concluded under caution, with Chris Haizlip taking the victory, leading from start to finish! Jewell made his 300th start a memorable one with a well-fought second place, and Liston capped off the podium.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 14th, as the Season 30 finale takes us to New Smyrna Speedway at 9:15pm ET. With James Lowe having the championship mathematically secured, join us next week to witness not just a race victor but a new season champion crowned! Is the excitement palpable? You bet it is!
Highlights
š Chris Haizlip wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 30 Round 10 race at South Boston Speedway.
š Allen Wannamaker was the biggest mover, gaining 13 spots, racing from 17th to 4th!
š The race featured only one leader and no lead changes as Chris Haizlip leads 103 laps for the win!
YYR Tour Modified Series S2R7 | South Boston Speedway
The YYR Tour Modified Season 02 Round 07 burst into action at the historic South Boston Speedway, featuring 267 thrilling laps of vintage modified racing, known as the Old Dominion 267. The race ignited as Rex Hoyle and Tom Ogle led the pack to the green flag, with Ogle quickly taking charge, rolling to the front and leaving Hoyle in his wake.
Brian Bianchi made his move, surging past Scott Negus and Luke Allen to clinch the 3rd spot while the racers settled into their rhythm by lap 10. The first caution waved on lap 23, bringing a pause to the adrenaline-fueled racing. When action resumed on lap 28, Ogle maintained his lead as the cars formed a single file.
As the race progressed, excitement simmered until the second caution appeared on lap 40, triggered by Hoyleās spin while in 2nd place. Bianchi capitalized on this misfortune, moving up to 2nd behind Ogle as the race restarted on lap 45. Bianchi quickly attempted to challenge Ogle for the lead but found himself falling behind as Ogle increased his gap.
Midway through the race, another caution emerged on lap 68, giving drivers a chance to strategize their pit stops. Only Brian Johnson stayed out on the track, momentarily seizing the lead. However, Ogle wasted no time reclaiming the top spot on lap 78, with Jerry Isaacs following closely for 2nd. Despite multiple spins between laps 100-112, the race remained under green flag conditions.
At lap 114, caution hit once more, marking the end of a grueling stint for Johnson who had been on older tires. Restarting on lap 119, Ogle shot off leading with Isaacs hot on his trail, prompting yet another caution. Ogle, determined to hold his position, maintained a bit more distance over Isaacs this time around.
As the race pushed into the final stretches, Ogle found himself with a commanding lead of a second over Isaacs by lap 151, showcasing his dominance. However, a significant caution on lap 169 involved the leader, turning the tides once again. With strategic pit stops, Bill Martin emerged as the new frontrunner, leading the pack to green on lap 174.
In a dramatic turn of events, Martin and Isaacs clashed, causing chaos in turn 4 as the field got stuck on lap 176. Ken Allen seized the opportunity, becoming the new leader on lap 180. Isaacs, undeterred, began to apply pressure on Allen, but it wasnāt until lap 199 that he found a pathway to the front, passing Allen with just 67 laps remaining.
As the laps wound down, Isaacs seemed poised for victory, extending his lead to 1.4 seconds by lap 218. However, with a final caution on lap 223, drivers took one last pit stop, shuffling the leaderboards once more and handing the lead back to Johnson.
The action returned on lap 229, with Todd Liston making a late push to 3rd place by lap 238. In a nail-biting finish, Johnson and Negus battled fiercely. Johnsonās slip allowed Negus to vault into the lead, utilizing lapped traffic to stretch his advantage. In the end, Scott Negus emerged triumphant, winning the S2R7 YYR Tour Modified race, while Liston narrowly edged out Johnson for 2nd in a thrilling finish that saw both drivers collide as they crossed the line!
The next race of the YYR Tour Modified Series will be Season 2 Round 08 at Stafford for the Camden Classis on August 26 at 8:30pm.
Highlights
š Scott Negus wins the YYR Tour Modified Series Season 2 Round 08 race at South Boston Speedway.
š Jeff Lemire was the biggest mover, gaining 09 spots, racing from 16th to 7th!
šThe race had six leaders with eight lead changes. Tom Ogle led 159 laps followed by Brian Johnson with 45 laps, Jerry Isaacs with 27 laps, Ken Allen with 24 laps, Scott Negus with 7 laps, and Bill Martin with 5 laps.
Red Light Racing S14 Martinsville
Skitter Creek SK Modifieds
Season 14 Race 3
Martinsville Speedway
June 5, 2025
by Tim Corder
Red Light Racingās Skitter Creek SK Modifieds roared into historic Martinsville Speedway for its third race of Season 14. The race played out in three phases. Phase 1 saw the caution flag waving often as the drivers worked their way into a rhythm. Phase 2 saw a long green flag run with much of the field running in single file. In Phase 3 the flagman re-entered the chat with frequent appearances. Phase 3 also saw some of the best racing of the event. Ultimately, it was pole sitter Chad Alcares who took home the victory. Brian Bianchi moved up from 10th on the RaceDayCT.com starting grid to finish second. Eric Stout fought hard all day, often on the outside line, to complete the podium after starting on the outside pole. Josh Buckley finished in 4th after starting in 8th and Bradley Stefane rounded out the top five finishers improving on his 16th place starting position.
Alcares claimed the pole with a 19.080 second qualifying lap. Stout was just 0.1 seconds slower than Alcares in claiming the outside pole. Ken Allen, last weekās winner Ethan Troutman, and Jeff Aho started in 3rd ā 5th place, all within 0.15 seconds of Alcaresā qualifying time.
The caution flag waved 7 times resulting in 28 of the eventās 100 laps being run behind the pace car. The event started slowly with two cautions within the first 13 laps. Then, a long green flag run of 50 laps saw Alcares lead the whole run. The caution started waving again on lap 63 and would come out regularly for the rest of the event. Some outstanding battles were held on the restarts, especially at the front of the field. Alcares and E Stout put on a clinic for tight, tough, but clean racing, usually with Alcares on the inside line and E Stout on the outside. In total, Chad Alcares led 90 of the 100 laps. Eric Stout led the other 10 laps that Alcares did not.
Bruce Pearson picked up the most spots during the race. He finished 8th after starting in the 22nd spot. In addition to winning the race, the poll, and leading the most laps, Alcares also set the fastest lap during the race. He turned his 93rd lap in just 19.247 seconds. Only three drivers completed the race without incident points: Alcares, E Stout, and Stefane.
Ethan Troutman came into the event with the early championship lead. Despite what was likely a disappointing 18th place run, Troutman keeps the lead in the early standings. Eric Stout is just 3 points behind Troutman. Fred Leclair, Chad Alcares, and Brian Bianchi complete the top five in the point standings.
The fourth race of the season will be run at Thompson Speedway. The green flag will drop at 7:55 PM Eastern on June 19th. Catch all the action LIVE on Virtual Grip Network.
BRL Late Model Invitational S30R09 | Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway
In an exhilarating Season 30 Round 09 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Jeffery Kemper and Chris Haizlip led the pack to the green flag. Kemper quickly surged ahead, while Haizlip defended his position from Brennan Myers to maintain second place as Myers slotted into third. The first caution appeared on lap 1.
Racing resumed on lap 6 with Kemper and Haizlip still at the front. Kemper seized the lead again, facing a determined Myers who tried to overtake Haizlip for second. However, Haizlip regained his momentum and reclaimed second spot before another caution on lap 7.
When the race resumed on lap 12, Kemper and Haizlip retained their positions as Myers attempted another inside move on Haizlip, but the latter held his ground on the high line to keep second place. Meanwhile, on lap 16, Todd Liston entered the fray, overtaking Myers for third position. By lap 19, Liston pressed on and took second from Haizlip, while Myers regained third on lap 20.
Liston established his prowess on lap 22 by taking the lead from Kemper utilizing the outside line. A caution came out on lap 23, but racing resumed on lap 28 with Liston and Kemper now leading the pack. Liston unleashed a powerful start as Myers and Kemper battled for second, but another caution interrupted their duel on lap 28.
After the restart on lap 33, Liston showcased another strong performance, while Kemper struggled momentarily, allowing Myers to briefly take the lead into the backstretch. Kemper, however, fought back, but lost the second position to Myers. On lap 36, Adam Schoen joined the battle for third, ultimately securing the spot from Kemper.
With a caution on lap 44, the race continued on lap 48 with Liston and Myers at the forefront. Liston launched away from the start, while Myers defended his position from Ruben Altice. Altice successfully engaged in a fierce battle with Schoen for third and then focused on Myers, gaining ground on lap 50 as they battled for second place.
On lap 52, Altice overtook Myers for second, while Liston expanded his lead to half a second. As the race approached its conclusion, Altice mounted pressure on Liston but couldn’t mount a challenge for the lead. Ultimately, Jeffery Kemper secured victory in Season 30 Round 09, with Ruben Altice taking second and Brennan Myers finishing third.
Catch more action in the BRL Late Model series as the racers head to South Boston Speedway for Round 10 on Saturday, June 7th at 9:15pm ET!
Highlights
š Todd Liston wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 30 Round 06 race at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
š Todd Liston was the biggest mover, gaining 11 spots, racing from 12th to 1st!
š The race featured two leaders with only one lead change. Todd Liston led 79 laps while Jeffrey Kemper led 21 laps.
YYR Tour Modified Series S2R6 | Thompson Speedway
In an exhilarating showdown at Thompson Speedway, Ken Allen and Jeff Lemire kicked off the YesterYear Tour Modified Series Connecticut 100 for Season 2 Round 6. Allen surged ahead at the start, allowing Tom Ogle to slip into second place, overtaking Lemire. The first caution waved on Lap 3 and the race resumed on Lap 8, with Allen maintaining his lead during a single-file restart. Pressure was mounting on Lemire from Bianchi, unable to make the pass for third.
As the laps progressed, another caution on Lap 15 halted the action, but racing resumed on Lap 20 with Allen once again leading the pack. The restart maintained a single-file formation, but another caution on Lap 29 forced another interruption. Racing resumed on Lap 33, but Allen’s late restart allowed Ogle to close in, running a lower line but unable to match Allen’s speed on the straights.
Caution reappeared on Lap 44, but Allen held strong at the front again on the restart from Lap 48. Another late restart from Allen allowed Ogle to dive inside on the backstretch, with Allen initially holding position at the line. However, a slip into the marbles cost him valuable spots, dropping him to fifth, while Ogle emerged as the new leader, with Bianchi and Lemire following in second and third.
By Lap 58, Ogle extended his lead to 1.5 seconds. The race saw yet another caution on Lap 63, which was quickly followed by Ogle asserting dominance at the front once more on Lap 67. A brief challenge from Bianchi saw the gap close to 0.5 seconds before Ogle got loose, letting Bianchi cut the distance to just 0.2 seconds on Lap 73, ramping up the pressure.
With only 14 laps to go, the action intensified. After another caution, the race resumed with only 9 laps left, with Ogle still in front. Bianchi, utilizing the lower line, crept up close to Ogle, and as the white flag waved with two laps remaining, he was right on Ogleās tail, looking for a way past.
In a thrilling finish, Tom Ogle crossed the finish line first to claim victory at the Season 2 Round 6 of the Tour Modified Series at Thompson Speedway. Behind him, Brian Bianchi secured second place, while Jeff Lemire rounded out the top three.
Mark your calendars for the nostalgia-heavy racing action as the YYR Tour Modified Series heads to South Boston Speedway for Season 2 Round 07 on June 3rd at 8:30pm ET!
Highlights
š Tom Ogle wins the YYR Tour Modified Series Season 2 Round 07 race at Thompson Speedway.
š Torrance Childs was the biggest mover, gaining 12 spots, racing from 16th to 4th!
šThe race had two leaders with only one lead change. Tom Ogle led 52 laps while Ken Allen led 48 laps.
Red Light Racing S14 Phoenix
Skitter Creek SK Modifieds
Season 14 Race 1
Phoenix Raceway
May 22, 2025
by Tim Corder
The first race of season 14 for Red Light Racingās Skitter Creek SK Modified series was an event with some rare occurrences. First, it wasnāt an SK Modifieds race. The drivers instead got a chance to climb into the SKās big brother ā the Whelen Tour Modifieds. This put at their disposal 600+ horsepower compared with the normal 385 horsepower in the SKs. Another rarity ā the event was held on a track 1 mile in length, that being, Phoenix Raceway, rather than the ānormalā truly short tracks the series visits.
Another rarity ā last seasonās dominator and Champion, Eric Stout, led the most laps of the race (51) but didnāt take home the checkered flag. Fellow frequently fast driver Jeff Aho led 29 laps but also didnāt take home the win. In the end, it was the driver that led the third most laps, and series newcomer, Bill Benedict, that claimed the checkered flag. Benedict led 6 of the Green-White-Checkered extended 94 lap event. Fellow series newcomer, and the eventās pole-sitter, Eric Troutman led four laps, as did Josh Buckley.
Troutman claimed the pole with a 27.251 second qualifying lap, besting Chad Alcares by just 0.066 seconds for the pole. Stout, Brian Bianchi, and yet another series newcomer, Louis Flowers, rounded out the top five in qualifying.
Despite Stout and Aho leading 85% of the events laps, there were several entertaining battles for the lead, indeed there were quality battles throughout the field, during the course of the race. The ultimate battle for the lead reached a crescendo when Benedict and Stout were side-by-side on lap 89 after a restart. Benedict was ever so slightly ahead of Stout when the yellow came out after Josh Buckley and Chris Oliver tangled on the back stretch. Benedict chose the preferred inside line on the green-white-checker restart and held on to win as a first time driver in the series. In the end, Fred LeClair took home second after starting 12th on the field. Stout slid to 3rd to round out the podium. The rest of the top five finishers were pole-sitter Troutman, who finished fourth, and TJ Henson who gained one spot from his sixth place starting position to finish fifth.
The race was slowed by six cautions for a total of 18 laps. Fred LeClair turned the fastest lap, finishing the last lap of the race in 27.186 seconds. Only 3 of the 23 drivers finished the event without incident points. Those were: LeClair, Glenn Jamieson (finished 6th) and Adin All-Vecchione (finished 8th). Jamiesonās clean run was especially impressive as he also was the Hard Charger of the race, picking up 16 spots from his 22nd place qualifying position.
This being just the first race of the season, the top five in the run for the championship mirrors the raceās finishing order. With Stout garnering one more bonus point than LeClair did, Stout and LeClair are tied for second in the early point standings. Troutman and Jamieson are 6 and 7 points, respectively, outside of the top points position.
The second race of the season will be contested at rather circular Oxford Plains Speedway. The green flag will drop at 7:55 PM Eastern on May 29th. Catch all the action LIVE on Virtual Grip Network.
Virtual Grip Network 