BRL OUTLAWS S39 R2 Recap
29 March 2025
Bootleg Racing League | Season 39 | Round 2
Outlaw Modified Series | Hickory Motor Speedway
On Saturday, March 29th, the Bootleg Racing League’s Outlaw SK Modified Invitational Series rolled into Hickory Motor Speedway for round 2 of season 39. Kurt Smith started on the pole, securing a prime position at a track notorious for its tight racing and limited passing opportunities. Lining up alongside him was Todd Liston, ready to challenge for the lead as the green flag waved.
Smith wasted no time settling into the top spot while Liston tucked in behind him, holding onto second place. As the field sorted itself out, a gap quickly formed between the front-runners and the battle for third. John Wilson emerged from a side-by-side fight with Tim Corder to claim the position, but his hold was short-lived. Chris Haizlip was on the charge, methodically working his way forward before making his move past Wilson on lap 33 to take over third.
The long green-flag run played to Smith’s advantage, as he and Liston continued to extend their lead. By lap 75, their gap over the rest of the field had grown to nearly four seconds. However, that margin was erased when contact between Wilson and Jeffery Hardin sent Hardin spinning, bringing out the caution and tightening the field for a crucial restart.
As racing resumed with 20 laps to go, Haizlip’s night took a turn for the worse. A collision with Bruce Pearson sent both drivers hard into the outside wall, ending their races and bringing out another caution. With only 14 laps remaining, the pressure was on as the green flag dropped once more.
Smith continued his ironclad defense of the inside line, forcing Liston to attempt a daring move on the outside. For several thrilling laps, the two ran side by side, but Liston ultimately had to lift to prevent losing his position to Wilson, allowing Smith to regain control. With a flawless performance, Smith led every lap, taking the checkered flag in dominant fashion.
With two rounds in the books, James Lowe holds a narrow lead in the standings over Todd Cousins. The Bootleg Racing League heads to Five Flags Speedway next Saturday, April 5th, with all the action going live at 7:40PM ET, only on the Virtual Grip Network!
Red Light Racing at Hickory
Skitter Creek SK Modifieds
Season 13 Race 12
Hickory Motor Speedway
March 27, 2025
by Tim Corder
Fans would be forgiven if they’ve come to expect the same story at every Skitter Creek SK Modifieds race this season. They may feel that the only suspense often is “what margin of victory will Eric Stout have this time?” Fans for whom this common storyline has started to wear a little thin had a pleasant surprise in store when the series took to historic Hickory Motor Speedway on March 27, 2025. There were so many storylines during the race it resembled a Seinfeld episode . . . a long green flag run saw lap traffic come into play, pit strategy was a major factor, and a no-call by the tower had many fans wondering was anyone in the tower even watching the race? Oh, and Eric Stout didn’t win. It was instead Fred LeClair that took his first league trophy home after deftly picking up 12 positions from his 13th place starting position.
In qualifying, Chad Alcares was the cream of the crop, grabbing the pole with a 13.534 second lap. Jeff Aho, Bradley Stefane, AJ Hamel and TJ Henson rounded out the top five in qualifying, all within 1/10th of a second of Alcares time. Championship leader Eric Stout started in sixth.
The race got off to a rocky start with two cautions within the first ten laps, both of which involved Stout. The first fell on lap 2 when Rob Higgins tapped Eric Stout’s rear bumper in turn 4, sending the two spinning and gathering other drivers along the way. Stout would drop all the way back to 17th for the restart on lap 7. On the restart, Bob Higgins checked up because of those in front of him slowing. Stout was unable to slow down in time to avoid Higgins sending Higgins spinning.
The green flag would again wave on lap 12 with Alcares still at the point. The yellow would not again come out until lap 68. Alcares set a blistering pace over the green flag run and caught the back end of the field. Battling to stay on the lead lap Brandon Feeney spun, Ken Allen also spun as the drivers reacted to Feeney’s car, which brought out the lap 68 caution.
Six of the top ten drivers at the time of the caution pitted to take on tires, including Stout and eventual winner LeClair. Stout and LeClair restarted on lap 73 in 10th and 11th, respectively. The next caution came out on lap 77 when TJ Henson spun in turn 4 with Alcares still leading. After the resulting lap 82 restart, Bradley Stefane took over the point from Alcares on lap 84.
The tower’s decision to keep the race under green despite a massive pileup on the front stretch on lap 89 left the entire grandstand scratching their collective heads. The melee started with AJ Hamel spinning at the exit of turn 4. Car after car then piled-in blocking the front stretch, with the better part of ½ of the field involved. The race stayed green while those involved tried to rejoin the race. Leader Stefane completed lap 90 before hitting Rob Higgins who was trying to get his car pointed in the right direction after being involved in the pileup. The Stefane wreck woke up the assumed-to-be-sleeping officials who finally decided to throw out the caution. As a consolation to Stefane, the tower allowed him to keep the point position.
At the time of this officiating disaster, LeClair had worked his way up to 4th and Stout had risen to 6th, both taking advantage of their fresh tires over the brief green flag run. The green briefly came out again on lap 95 but the yellow waved again before the completion of that lap. As briefly as the green was out, though, LeClair was able to take over 2nd and Stout took over 5th.
The final restart of the night happened on lap 100, resulting in a green-white-checkered finish. Stefane led the field on the restart, but LeClair took over the point with an outside line pass on lap 101. LeClair would not relinquish the lead and took home the checkered flag. Stefane finished second just 0.188 seconds behind LeClair. Rounding out the top five were Alcares, Stout and Chris Haizlip.
The twelve spots LeClair picked up in winning the race were the most spots gained by any driver, so LeClair also claimed the Hard Charger of the Race award. Chad Alcares led 78 laps of the event. Joining Alcares, LeClair, and Stefane as leaders of the race was Jeff Aho who led two laps. Alcares also set the fastest lap of the race, completing lap 18 in 13.582 seconds. No driver escaped the event without any incident points.
Stout stays well in control of the championship point standings. Stefane stayed in second for the championship, 56 points in arrears to Stout. Alcares moved up to third in the points. Kenny Allen stays fourth, and with the race win, LeClair moved into fifth in the championship running.
The series next visits historic North Wilkesboro Speedway on April 3rd with a Twin 50 lap event. The first green flag drops at 7:55 PM Eastern. Catch all the action LIVE on Virtual Grip Network.
YYR Tour Modified Series S2R2 | South Boston Speedway
The YesterYear Racing (YYR) Tour Modified Series revved up for an action-packed showdown on March 25th at South Boston, showcasing Season 2 Round 2 of thrilling racing. Jerry Isaacs stormed through qualifications, clocking in the fastest time at 14.170 seconds.
As the green flag waved for the YYR SOBO 150, it was a neck-and-neck start with Isaacs and Todd Liston side by side. While Liston briefly faltered at the entrance of turn 1, he quickly regained his footing and settled into 2nd place behind Isaacs. Behind them, Brian Bianchi and Daryl Wineinger engaged in a fierce battle for 3rd, with Bianchi ultimately taking the outside lane to claim victory in that duel.
The first caution flew on lap 27, resulting from lapped traffic that tangled with Isaacs, forcing him to pit and allowing Liston to take the lead on Lap 29.
When racing resumed on lap 31, Liston and Bianchi were leading the pack. However, a quick caution on lap 33 halted their momentum. After the restart on lap 38, Liston found himself back in control.
On lap 41, Wineinger made several attempts to squeeze past Bianchi for 2nd but couldn’t find a way through. Meanwhile, Brian Johnson and Bill Martin put on a dazzling side-by-side spectacle from Lap 50 to Lap 56, with Martin eventually edging out Johnson for 10th place. Another caution came on Lap 58, setting the stage for a stacked restart on lap 62, where Liston took the lead again, but not without chaos among the lap cars that ensued.
Green flag racing kicked off on lap 67 with Liston leading, but tensions mounted as Bianchi pressured Liston, both drivers racing ahead of Tom Ogle in 3rd. By Lap 81, Bianchi was breathing down Liston’s neck, looking for an opportunity. A caution on Lap 87 put a pause on the fierce competition.
When the race resumed on lap 92, Liston held the front spot, but Bianchi didn’t let up. By lap 104, he was right on Liston’s tail, ready to make a move. On lap 113, Bianchi took his chance, overtaking Liston and snatching the lead, just before another caution on Lap 114.
As racing resumed on lap 119, Bianchi was back in command. Meanwhile, Rex Hoyle and Jeffery Hardin were locked in a battle for 3rd, with Hoyle eventually securing the position. On Lap 134, Hoyle tried to dive inside Liston for 4th, leading to a side-by-side clash. They battled fiercely until their duel led to a caution on Lap 136.
After another restart on Lap 141, Bianchi led the final stretch with Hardin applying pressure in 2nd. Lowell Jewell charged through the pack, vying for 5th against Johnson in a spirited battle fueled by competitive spirit. As the white flag waved, Bianchi held onto a tight half-second lead over Hardin, while Liston and Brian Neff jostled for 3rd. In the end, Brian Bianchi crossed the finish line first, claiming victory in Season 2 Round 2 of the YYR SOBO 150, with Jeffery Hardin finishing 2nd and Todd Liston rounding out the podium in 3rd.
Mark your calendars! The next exhilarating round of the YesterYear Racing Tour Modified series is set for April 8th at 8:25pm ET at Richmond Raceway. Don’t miss it!
Highlights
🏆 Brian Bianchi wins the YYR Tour Modified Series Season 2 Round 02 race at South Boston Speedway.
🚀 Lowell Jewell was the biggest mover, gaining 18 spots, racing from 24th to 6th!
OBRL CUP SERIES S8 R6 Recap
23 March 2025
OBRL Presented by VCTRYLNSPRTS | Season 8 | Round 6
YesterYear Cup Series | Homestead Miami Speedway
On Sunday, March 23rd, the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series stormed into Homestead-Miami Speedway for round 6 of season 8. Greg McDaniel secured the pole with a blistering 33.664-second lap, lining up alongside Dwayne McArthur on the front row. The race got off to a tense start, with an early caution flying just five laps in, though all drivers escaped unscathed.
As racing resumed, Dale Easterlin wasted no time asserting himself, charging to the lead on the restart. The field saw another caution on lap 22 when three-wide racing went awry in the back half of the pack, but once again, the damage was minimal. Most of the field took advantage of the yellow flag to pit for fresh tires and fuel, but Allen Wannamaker gambled by staying out. It quickly became evident that the call wouldn’t pay off, as he struggled to hold position on worn rubber, dropping like a rock through the field.
Defending series champion Josh Robinson played the strategy game to perfection, using an efficient pit cycle to vault himself into the lead. With a long green flag run unfolding, Robinson put on a masterclass, stretching out an astonishing six-second lead before green-flag pit stops began to shake up the order. While many competitors had already pitted for fresh tires, Robinson stayed out longer, a move that paid dividends when a caution flew on lap 90. The well-timed yellow allowed him to pit under caution and retain the lead, now with fresher tires than most of the field.
Lloyd Moore tried to mount a challenge on the restart, keeping Robinson within striking distance. However, as the laps ticked down, Moore’s aggressive pace took a toll on his tires, and he began fading as Robinson started pulling away once more. A caution on lap 123 brought another round of pit stops, but Robinson nailed the sequence yet again, holding onto the top spot for the restart with just 18 laps to go.
Behind him, Moore was locked in a fierce battle with Daniel Hill for second place, and their fight allowed Robinson to build a comfortable gap. Just as it seemed Robinson had the race in hand, another caution on lap 132 reset the field for a dramatic late-race shootout. With only eight laps remaining, the green flag waved for the final time. Robinson wasted no time putting down blistering laps, keeping Hill and Moore in his rearview mirror to take the checkered flag and his first win of the season.
With the victory, Robinson extends his points lead to 63 points over Tom Ogle. The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series returns next Sunday, March 30th, at Martinsville Speedway. Catch all the action live at 8:00 PM ET, only on the Virtual Grip Network!
BRL Late Model Invitational S30R01 | Martinsville Speedway
The excitement of Season 30 of the Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational ignited at the iconic Martinsville Speedway, setting the stage for an unforgettable showdown. As the green flag waved, the front row featured dynamic rivals Brennan Myers and Kurt Smith, both itching for victory. Myers bolted off to a solid start, but Smith swiftly challenged him from the outside. Just as the field settled, a caution flew before they completed the first lap, tightening the suspense from the get-go.
The race restarted on lap 6, and Smith launched magnificently, granting Myers just enough space to slot into second. However, the caution came out once more, halting the momentum. Back at it on Lap 11, Smith once again took off like a rocket. Myers valiantly defended his position, but Mike Holloway slipped past into second place, with Lowell Jewell close behind, clinching third. As caution waved again on Lap 13, the battle intensified with the field regrouping.
Restarting on Lap 18 with Smith leading and Holloway right on his tail, the thrill continued. Smith’s knack for great starts kept Holloway in tow while Jewell and Todd Cousins fought for positions further back. Caution fell on Lap 32, prompting another restart on Lap 36. Smith and Holloway resumed their duel, with Smith holding strong in the lead.
Lap after lap, the tension mounted, and after another caution on Lap 43, they went green once more on Lap 47. Smith launched again, allowing Holloway to maintain second. As the laps wore on, the drivers engaged in fierce battles for positions, none more thrilling than the showdown between Jewell and Cousins.
On Lap 56, Smith was again commanding the track despite Holloway’s best efforts to push inside. The action divided into an exhilarating showdown as Jewell advanced into second, only to have a massive pileup erupt on Lap 61, further complicating the race.
The stakes grew with each caution, leading to the intense Lap 65 restart where Smith and Jewell faced off anew. Schoen emerged as a fierce competitor, making his move into second by Lap 70 and ultimately seizing the lead after some riveting wheel-to-wheel racing with Smith.
As the laps dwindled, a late caution fell on Lap 83, followed by a late-race tussle with Schoen, Jewell, and Smith battling for supremacy. Tension gripped the spectators as Lap 97 saw Smith and Menda exchange contact, bringing out yet another caution, setting up a thrilling Green-White-Checker finish.
With the lights blazing, Schoen jumped ahead when the race resumed on Lap 101. Jewell secured a clean second, leaving Smith to fend off a spirited challenge from Myers. In the thrilling conclusion, it was Adam Schoen who crossed the finish line first, claiming victory, with Lowell Jewell hot on his heels in second. The fans erupted, knowing they had witnessed a race for the ages!
Be sure to come back next week for Season 30 Round 02 racing at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday march 29th at 9:10pm ET.
Highlights
🏆 Adam Schoen wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 30 Round 01 race at Martinsville Speedway.
🚀 Jason Menda was the biggest mover, gaining 16 spots, racing from 20th to 4th!
🏁 The race featured two leaders with one lead change as Kurt Smith led 69 laps followed by Adam Schoen with 33 laps.
BRL OUTLAWS S39 R1 Recap
22 March 2025
Bootleg Racing League | Season 39 | Round 1
Outlaw Modified Series | Martinsville Speedway
On Saturday, March 22nd, the Bootleg Racing League’s Outlaw SK Modified Invitational Series kicked off season 39 at Martinsville Speedway. Jeffrey Hardin led the field to the green flag from the pole, with Todd Liston lined up alongside him on the front row. Hardin controlled the early laps, fending off Liston’s advances, but the action was quickly slowed by an early caution. A string of failed restarts followed, as the tight confines of Martinsville led to stack-ups deeper in the field.
Once the race finally found its rhythm, Hardin continued to lead as racing resumed on lap 42. James Lowe had methodically climbed through the pack and, on the latest restart, overtook Tre Blohm to claim second place. As the field settled into a long green flag run, the battle for the lead intensified. Lowe stayed glued to Hardin’s rear bumper, matching his every move as the two drivers began to separate themselves from the pack.
Further back, Blohm found himself in a fierce battle for third as Todd Cousins searched for a way around. On lap 62, Cousins made a bold move to the inside, but the attempt backfired when Jason Menda capitalized on the opening, diving low and initiating a hard-fought battle for fourth. Contact between Menda and Cousins added to the intensity, but Menda eventually gained the upper hand, clearing ahead as the laps ticked down.
At the front, Hardin was under immense pressure. His worn tires were making it difficult to hold his line, and Lowe was looking for any opportunity to pounce. Blohm, sensing the struggle, began to close the gap, bringing a trailing pack of cars with him. With just six laps remaining, Lowe made his move, getting a nose to the inside coming out of turn four. Hardin had no choice but to concede, and as soon as Lowe took control, Blohm wasted no time diving under Hardin to steal second place.
Lowe capitalized on the clean air and pulled away in the closing laps, taking the checkered flag and making an early statement to start the season. The Bootleg Racing League returns next Saturday, March 29th, at Hickory Motor Speedway. Catch all the action live at 7:40 PM ET, only on the Virtual Grip Network!
Red Light Racing at Oxford
Skitter Creek SK Modifieds
Season 13 Race 11
Oxford Plains
March 20, 2025
by Tim Corder
A mere 6 days after 3/14, known amongst nerds as Pi Day, Red Light Racing’s Skitter Creek SK Modifieds drivers roared into the most circular track on the schedule. The drivers calculated “2 x Pi x r” 103 times around uniquely shaped Oxford Plains Speedway. The event was extended due to a green-white-checkered finish. The name at the top of the finishing positions was a very familiar one, Eric Stout. However, his winning yet another race this season was in no way a certainty. Pit strategy turned out to be a major deciding factor in the race.
Chad Alcares claimed the top spot in the RaceDayCT.com starting grid with a 14.467 qualifying lap. The remainder of the top-five in qualifying were Eric Stout, Brian Bianchi, Jeff Aho, and Rob Higgins. All of the top-5 qualifiers were within one-tenth of a second of each other.
Alcares led the first 59 laps of the event, with Stout not far behind in second. The duo headed to pit road on a lap 60 caution, which allowed Brian Bianchi to take over the point. When the green came back out on lap 64, Stout and Alcares were in 7th and 8th, respectively.
Bianchi would lead until lap 76 when he pitted under caution. During the green flag run leading up to the caution which saw Bianchi pitting, Stout and Alcares made admirable moves through the field. Stout and Alcares took over first and second with Bianchi on pit road. Bianchi rejoined the field in 13th and finished the event in 10th place. Stout would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the event. Alcares finished in third. Rob Higgins put in a stellar performance, moving up from fifth at the start of the race to finish second.
The race was slowed by 7 cautions totaling 28 laps. Only four drivers finished the event without incident points: Stout, Higgins, Alcares, and Jeff Aho, who finished in 16th after experiencing mechanical issues at the start of the race.
TJ Henson one the Hard Charger of the Race Award, having gained 10 spots from his 16th place starting position to finish 6th. Eric Stout set the fastest lap of the race, completing lap 86 in 14.458 seconds.
Stout’s seventh win of the season further extends his lead in the championship standings, he is now 59 points ahead of Bradley Stefane. Kenny Allen stays in third, Chad Alcares moved up to fourth and Brian Bianchi dropped back to 5th in the standings.
The series next visits historic Hickory Motor Speedway on March 20th for the 12th race of the season. The green flag drops at 7:55 PM Eastern. Catch all the action LIVE on Virtual Grip Network.
OBRL CUP SERIES S8 R5 Recap
16 March 2025
OBRL Presented by VCTRYLNSPRTS | Season 8 | Round 5
YesterYear Cup Series | Las Vegas Motor Speedway
On Sunday, March 16th, the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series stormed into Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the fifth round of season 8. Defending champion Josh Robinson entered the night with a comfortable 28-point lead over Tom Ogle, despite still searching for his first win of the season. With four different winners in the opening four races, the playoff grid was already filling up, and another new face in Victory Lane would only add to the excitement. Dan Hill, one of those previous winners, put his speed on display in qualifying, securing the pole with Ogle lined up beside him on the front row.
The early laps were filled with short runs and quick cautions, prompting many drivers to take advantage of pit stops for small fuel top-offs, anticipating a strategy-heavy race. However, when the green flag waved again on lap 25, no one could have predicted it would be the last restart of the night. What followed was an incredible 125-lap green flag stretch that completely reshaped the race’s outcome.
At the front, Hill found himself under heavy pressure from Ogle as the two battled fiercely for the lead. Their intense fight slowed the overall pace, allowing the pack to stay bunched up and leading to thrilling three-wide battles deeper in the field. As things began to settle, it was Cortney Nelson who took control, using clean air to his advantage and stretching out a gap over the rest of the contenders.
But while Nelson was trying to build a comfortable lead, Andrew Kotska was methodically working his way through the pack. Running a different pit strategy and on fresher tires than those ahead of him, Kotska’s approach became more evident as the laps clicked away. Nelson, realizing the looming challenge, opted to pit on lap 65, not wanting to get caught off-sequence. The rest of the lead pack followed shortly after, handing the lead over to Kotska on lap 69.
Kotska, however, had one more ace up his sleeve. He stretched his fuel run all the way to lap 90, ensuring that he could make it to the end on just one more stop, while the majority of the field would still need an additional splash of fuel. Nelson, recognizing the trap he had fallen into, came back down pit road on lap 100, trying to salvage his race by banking on fresher tires for the closing laps.
That decision handed the lead back to Robinson, but Kotska was charging back through the field at an alarming rate. By the time Robinson finally had to pit, Kotska had already climbed to second, and with 41 laps remaining, he inherited the lead outright. From that point forward, his strategy played out to perfection. While others were forced to pit late, Kotska was able to manage his tires and fuel, maintaining a dominant gap all the way to the checkered flag.
With back-to-back wins in the YesterYear Racing Cup Series, Kotska is proving to be a major force in the championship picture. The OBRL returns to action next Sunday, March 23rd, at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Catch all the racing live at 8:00 PM ET, only on the Virtual Grip Network!
BRL Late Model Invitational S29R11 | New Smyrna Speedway
As the engines revved up for the grand finale of the season, Aiden Young was in the driver’s seat, leading the points race against James Lowe, who was hot on his heels in second place. Lowe knew he had to clinch a victory while hoping for a misstep from Young to snag the championship title. The tension was palpable as the front row, featuring Scott Negus and Lowell Jewell, prepared to drop the green flag for Season 29 Round 11 at New Smyrna.
When the race kicked off, Negus launched into a blistering start, while Tre Blohm attempted to sneak past Jewell on the inside. However, Jewell maintained his position in second, leaving Blohm to hold onto third. Meanwhile, John Wilson was putting on a show, challenging Young for fourth place, eventually making a successful move inside.
By Lap 8, the field was tight and single-file, with the exception of Lowe, who was on a mission, picking off cars one by one as he climbed up the ranks. An intense moment came on Lap 10 when Brennan Myers and Todd Liston had a brief spill in contact, but they quickly regained control, avoiding a caution.
Lowe made his move on Young around Lap 20, taking over fourth as he continued his relentless pursuit of the championship. Negus had established a dominant 1.5-second lead by the race’s quarter mark. Another chaotic situation unfolded on Lap 26, with several cars getting tangled, but again, no caution was thrown.
As the race progressed to Lap 27, Lowe executed a daring maneuver to overtake Blohm, with Ruben Altice and Adam Schoen riding the inside line to follow him past into fourth and fifth positions, relegating Blohm back to sixth.
The competition heated up on Lap 34 as Lowe and Altice both zipped by Jewell to take second and third, with Jewell losing ground to fourth. By halfway, Negus was still leading but Lowe was closing the gap, now about one second behind. The middle pack was showcasing some thrilling racing, with fierce battles for position, while the top five seemed fairly established.
On the final lap, Negus held a firm one second advantage over Lowe, and a commanding five seconds over Altice, locking in the finishing order for Season 29 Round 11. Aiden Young managed to finish in sixth place, but that was enough to secure the coveted Season 29 BRL Late Model Championship!
Looking ahead, the excitement isn’t over as the Season 30 Round 01 of the BRL Late Model Invitational revs up on March 22nd at Martinsville Speedway at 9:10pm ET!
Highlights
🏆 Scott Negus wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 29 Round 11 race at New Smyrna Speedway.
🏆 🏆 Aiden Young is the Season 29 Round 11 Late Model Champion! 🏆 🏆
🚀 Ruben Altice was the biggest mover, gaining 8 spots, racing from 11th to 3rd!
🏁 The race featured only one leader who led all 100 laps: Scott Negus.
Red Light Racing at Southern National
Skitter Creek SK Modifieds
Season 13 Race 10
Southern National
March 13, 2025
by Tim Corder
Red Light Racing’s Skitter Creek SK Modifieds drivers circled Southern National Speedway 25 laps more than they usually do on the series’s short tracks on March 13, 2025. The race had 125 scheduled laps instead of the normal 100 laps per event. Eric Stout, for the sixth time of the season, took home the checkered flag. However, the journey to the win was more challenging than the earlier five wins.
AJ Hamel brought the RaceDayCT.com starting grid to the green flag after turning a 13.426 second lap in qualifying. Eric Stout, Ken Allen, Bradley Stefane, and Chad Alcares started 2nd – 5th, all turning in qualifying laps within a tenth of a second of Hamel’s lap.
Hamel held on to the lead until lap 42 when Stefane took over the point on a restart following a yellow flag. The two drivers later tangled on lap 46 when the yellow flag came out as a result of Brian Neff getting loose off of turn four and making contact with Rex Hoyle. Stefane slowed coming out of turn 2 but Hamel, who was following closely, did not slow down in time to avoid contact with Stefane. Stefane spun as a result and rejoined the field in ninth before race control returned him to the lead position for the restart on lap 58.
The event was slowed by a total of seven cautions. Perhaps the most consequential yellow occurred on lap 58 following the aforementioned restart. Hamel and his teammate Stout restarted in second and third behind Stefane. Heading into turn one, the two teammates made contact, sending them both spinning in front of the rest of the field. Several other cars were collected in the melee. Hamel retired from the event following the spin. Stout restarted in 8th place when the green came back out on lap 67. What likely was the winning move of the race, though, was Stout’s decision to take on fresh outside tires during the caution.
With the fresh rubber, Stout climbed back through the field, ultimately taking over the lead for the first time on lap 111. He would not relinquish the point position for the rest of the race. Stefane finished in second place and Kenny Allen completed the podium in third having led 4 laps of the event. Joshua Buckley finished in 4th. In doing so, he won the Hard Charger of the race award as he picked up 12 spots from his 16th place starting position. Brian Bianchi rounded out the top 5 in 5th.
Other notable performances included Stout setting the fastest lap of the race, completing lap 75 in 13.446 seconds. Only two drivers escaped the event without incident points, those being Kenny Allen and Bob Higgins. Higgins finished in 12th, gaining 7 spots from his 19th place starting position.
With yet another win, Stout further solidified his lead in the championship, now 50 points ahead of second place Stefane. Kenny Allen moved up one spot to 3rd in the championship standings. Brian Bianchi also moved up one spot to 4th, and Rex Hoyle fell from third to fifth place.
The series heads to circular Oxford Plains Speedway on March 20th for the 11th race of the season. The green flag drops at 7:55 PM Eastern. Catch all the action LIVE on Virtual Grip Network.
Virtual Grip Network 