Foltz Doubles Down in Vegas: Two-Tire Gamble Locks Up Spot in OBRL Cup Finale

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series hit Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Round 3 of the 2025 playoffs, where 150 laps turned into a tense battle of pit strategy, tire management, and playoff survival. What began as a race of patience ended in bold calculation — and it was Sean Foltz’s daring two-tire gamble that paid off big, earning him another playoff victory and locking him into the OBRL Cup Series finale.

From the drop of the green flag, pole-sitter Andrew Kotska set the early tone while Tom Ogle struggled to get up to speed. Within the opening laps, tire falloff became apparent, with lap times dropping nearly a full second by Lap 20. Championship hopeful Daniel Hill found speed running the high line against the wall and used that momentum to pass Kotska for the lead around Lap 29. Further back, Lloyd Moore made an incredible save after a massive slide that could have easily ended his night, losing less than a second in the process.

The first round of green-flag pit stops began early, around Lap 46, with Kotska and Dwayne McArthur pitting in unison to gain track position through the undercut. Ogle briefly cycled to the front but lost time after overshooting his pit box. Then, the race flipped on its head when the first caution came out on Lap 71 after Brian Lynch ran into the back of Ken Huff while entering pit road. The timing of the yellow completely neutralized the early pit advantage for Kotska and McArthur and handed the upper hand to Hill, who had stretched his fuel window longer than most. Restarting as the leader, Hill seemed to have his strategy working to perfection.

But Vegas rarely lets anyone off easy. Around Lap 87, the second caution flew when Robert Guarisco lost control and hit the wall, collecting several others including Roger Hurley and Lynch. That incident reshuffled the field once again and left several playoff contenders scrambling to recover lost ground.

As the laps wound down, the race evolved into a masterclass in strategy. Sean Foltz, who had pitted later than most of the front-runners on Lap 79, began carving through the field on fresher tires. When the final green-flag pit cycle began near Lap 125, Foltz made the move that would define the race. While Hill and Ogle pitted together — Hill losing time when he had to back up after the jack dropped — Foltz took only two tires on his final stop, a strategy he’d tested during the week. The gamble loosened his car slightly, but it slashed his pit time and gave him the track position he needed.

The call worked flawlessly. Foltz rocketed through the field, blowing past Ogle and McArthur in the final stretch. When Greg McDaniel, who had stretched his fuel beyond the window, finally pitted on Lap 133, Foltz inherited the lead and never looked back. He crossed the line more than a second ahead of Ogle, claiming his second playoff victory and securing his spot in the championship finale.

Tom Ogle rebounded from a tough start to finish second, while McArthur brought home a strong third after running near the front all night. Kotska finished fourth, with Cortney Nelson rounding out the top five after a clean and consistent run. Dale Copeland, Lloyd Moore, David Brann, Scott Negus, and McDaniel completed the top ten.

Not all playoff hopefuls were so lucky. Daniel Hill’s late-race strategy gamble — pitting under green and hoping for a caution — backfired, dropping him a lap down and leaving him 17th at the finish. Jerry Isaacs took 13th after a fierce battle with Jeffery Lyden, leaving him in a precarious points position heading into the next round.

As the series now shifts to Talladega, the stakes couldn’t be higher. With Foltz locked into the finale and Hill suddenly vulnerable, the Round of 8 will be a minefield for those still chasing the title. Ogle summed up the mood perfectly after the race: “Talladega’s about survival. Horrible things can happen there, and you just have to hope you’re not the one in it.”

One thing is clear — momentum belongs to Sean Foltz, who’s quickly become the man to beat in this playoff run.

James Lowe Stays Perfect at Kern Raceway with Dominant Late Model Win

The Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series rolled into Kern Raceway for Round 2 of Season 32, with sixteen drivers ready to tackle the high-banked half-mile for one hundred laps of tire-conserving chaos. The grid was set by an inversion of the top thirteen finishers from the previous round, putting veterans and champions deep in the field and promising plenty of action from the drop of the green flag.

John Wilson started from pole, joined on the front row by Chris Haizlip, with Bruce Pearson and Tom Hilbert filling out the second row. The field behind them was stacked — Round 1 winner James Lowe rolled off from seventh, defending champion Kurt Smith from ninth, and former champion Aiden Young from twelfth. Series rookie contender Kyle Feimster lined up in eleventh, eager to prove his strong debut was no fluke.

The opening laps were surprisingly clean, though Joe Segalla’s spin across the start/finish line immediately tested the nerves of the pack. No yellow was thrown, and the race stayed green as Wilson used the inside line to surge ahead early. Pearson and Chris Davis followed close behind, but all eyes were on James Lowe, who sliced through the pack like a man possessed. By lap 20, Lowe was already hunting down the leaders, showing the pace and patience that won him the season opener.

Bruce Pearson played the long game, backing off to save his tires, while rookie Feimster impressed by moving up several positions, challenging the veterans. The first caution finally flew when Haizlip got loose and tagged the wall, scattering debris. Under yellow, Feimster kept his composure in his live interview, calmly stating that his plan was to conserve tires until the final thirty laps — a strategy that proved wise as tire wear became the story of the night.

On the restart, Wilson held serve for a moment, but Lowe’s relentless charge couldn’t be contained. As Davis struggled on the outside, Lowe slipped through to take second, then set his sights on Wilson. The pair fought hard for several laps, trading lines and braking points, before a second caution — triggered by contact between the 52 and 8 machines — froze the field with Lowe just ahead. When the green returned, the outcome felt inevitable.

From that point forward, James Lowe was untouchable. The #99 machine rocketed away from the field, building a gap that grew lap after lap. Behind him, the battle for second heated up as Aiden Young, who had started deep in twelfth, came alive in the final quarter of the race. Saving his tires early, Young methodically reeled in Feimster, making the decisive pass for second with ten laps remaining. Feimster, in just his second start, held strong for a career-best third, though his worn tires left him hanging on by the end.

Further back, defending champion Kurt Smith rebounded to a solid fifth-place finish, while Bruce Pearson clawed his way to sixth after an early spin and lost bodywork. Adam Schoen, Ryan Senneker, Chris Davis, and Darryl Wineinger rounded out the top ten, each surviving their share of close calls in a race that surprisingly went the distance with minimal cautions. Pole-sitter John Wilson’s night unraveled after leading early, eventually finishing fifteenth, while Segalla’s early crash ended his race before it could truly begin.

When the checkered flag waved, it was James Lowe once again standing tall — two-for-two to start the season, with both wins earned in commanding fashion. “I still had plenty of tire left,” Lowe remarked afterward, a confident statement that will send shivers through the rest of the field. As the series leaves Kern, it’s clear that if anyone wants to stop Lowe’s streak, they’ll need more than speed — they’ll need a flawless night and a perfect strategy to match his pace and composure.

With back-to-back victories, Lowe has quickly established himself as the man to beat as the Late Model Invitational Series heads into Round 3 at the legendary Irwindale Speedway. The question now is whether anyone — perhaps Young with his renewed pace, or the steady veteran Smith — can rise to the challenge and slow Lowe’s momentum before he turns Season 32 into his personal victory tour.

Hill Tames the Roval as Playoff Picture Tightens

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series rolled into Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval for the final race of Round 2 in the 2025 season playoffs delivered every ounce of tension expected from the treacherous road course. With no caution flags over the entire distance, the pressure on drivers was relentless as every mistake had lasting consequences. Daniel “Black Cat” Hill, already locked into Round 3 with his New Hampshire win, showed why he’s one of the toughest drivers in the series by starting from pole and controlling much of the race, leaving his competitors scrambling for survival in the playoff cutline battle.

Cortney Nelson entered the night eight points below the cut line, and his race nearly unraveled in the opening laps when he was handed a drive-through penalty. What initially seemed like a disaster surprisingly became an advantage, as the penalty put Nelson into clean air, allowing him to click off fast laps while the rest of the field fought through traffic. His alternate strategy kept him in contention longer than many expected, though his playoff hopes still depended on the misfortune of others.

Behind Hill, Christian Loschen turned heads by running second for long stretches, showing he had the pace to challenge if Hill slipped up. Meanwhile, the playoff drama played out further back. James Hislop, clinging to a crucial transfer spot, spun early and dropped through the order. He regrouped, however, and clawed his way forward, making a bold pass on Andrew Kotska for sixth that could prove pivotal in the standings. Kotska, the winningest driver of the regular season, found himself under pressure all race long, while Andrew Medlin’s playoff hopes faded as repeated off-track excursions cost him valuable time and positions.

Pit strategy added another layer of intrigue. Nelson’s early stop, forced by his penalty, gave him stretches of clear track to post quick laps, but without cautions to reset the field, he had little margin to make up for the lost track position. In the end, the Roval proved to be the end of the road for Nelson. Despite showing pace after serving his early penalty, the deficit in points was simply too much to overcome, and he was eliminated from playoff contention. Andrew Medlin, who fought hard but struggled with costly mistakes and off-track excursions, also saw his postseason hopes come to a close. Both drivers had moments of brilliance in this round, but consistency proved to be the deciding factor as the field gets trimmed for the Round of 8.

When the checkered flag fell, Hill once again stood tall, adding another road course triumph to his season and underscoring his status as a title favorite. But the real story was the razor-thin playoff battle behind him, where every slip, spin, and strategy call at the Roval carried season-defining consequences. With the season quickly winding down, the remaining playoff field now faces a high-stakes fight for survival in every single race left to go as the championship march continues.

Foltz Steals Kansas Win, Secures Playoff Spot in Dramatic Fashion

Sean Foltz pulled off a dramatic victory at Kansas Speedway, taking advantage of perfectly timed luck and flawless execution to steal a playoff win in the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series. The 150-lap race was filled with tension from the drop of the green, as drivers knew the unpredictable Charlotte Roval loomed just one week away. For Foltz, who admitted afterward that he will miss the cutoff race at Charlotte, the Kansas win was more than just a highlight—it was a necessity to keep his playoff hopes alive.

The night began with urgency in the air, and it quickly spilled onto the racetrack. Tire wear was far more severe than expected, with many drivers already using half of their allotted sets before the race even hit halfway. The combination of worn tires and close racing sparked multiple incidents, including a big pileup on lap 27 that collected Daniel “The Black Cat” Hill. Hill’s New Hampshire win had already secured him a playoff transfer, but others weren’t so lucky. Victor Lane and Fred Wolford both suffered major setbacks in separate wrecks, putting their postseason hopes in jeopardy.

As the field settled into a rhythm, long green-flag runs gave way to strategy. The pivotal moment came around lap 110, when Bill Martin spun while trying to enter pit road during a cycle of green-flag stops. The resulting caution trapped several front-runners, including Andrew Kotska and Dwayne McArthur, a lap down. Foltz, who had yet to make his stop, inherited the lead and suddenly found himself in control of the race. From there, he executed with precision, using the advantage of clean air and track position to keep the field behind him.

The closing laps were set up by another caution with just over 20 laps remaining when Michael Dow went around, giving the field one final chance to challenge Foltz. Daniel Hill, who had been nursing damage from earlier contact, pitted from eighth for his last set of fresh tires and immediately became the driver to watch. In a furious charge, Hill picked off cars one by one, climbing to a fifth-place finish that stunned the crowd and further reinforced his reputation as one of the toughest drivers in the series.

Up front, Foltz was untouchable. McArthur, who had battled his way back onto the lead lap, mounted a late charge and secured second place, while Tom Ogle kept himself firmly in the playoff picture with a solid third. For Kotska and Nelson, however, the night was bitter. Kotska, the winningest driver of the regular season, could only manage 13th after being caught out by the ill-timed caution, while Nelson’s playoff chances were dealt a crushing blow when he crashed out and finished 24th.

When the checkered flag fell, Foltz had not only won the race but effectively saved his season. With his spot now secured in the next playoff round, the fight for the remaining transfer positions will head to Charlotte, where chaos is all but guaranteed. For the drivers still on the bubble, Kansas was a warning shot—the margin for error has vanished, and the Roval will decide who survives and who gets left behind.

Hill Punches Ticket to Round of 8 with New Hampshire Win

Daniel Hill punched his ticket to the Round of 8 in the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series playoffs with a masterclass performance at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The 170-lap event began with Tom Ogle looking unstoppable, leading confidently from the pole after his win the previous week at Bristol. Early on, the race was interrupted by two quick cautions—Patrick Martindale’s spin on lap 10 and a separate incident for Torrance Childs—but once the field settled in, the night turned into a grueling green-flag run where tire management and pit strategy took center stage.

James Hislop nearly sparked disaster when he locked up the brakes on a restart while running second, spinning to the infield but avoiding contact. The mistake dropped him to the back, forcing him into a recovery drive that defined the rest of his night. Up front, Ogle, Hill, and Cortney Nelson set the pace while Greg McDaniel conserved tires and Jerry Isaacs carved his way forward from 17th, showing the speed that has made him a consistent presence all season.

The race shifted dramatically once green-flag pit stops began. Andrew Medlin tried to steal track position with an early stop, but the most impactful moves came from the leaders. Nelson pitted six laps earlier than Hill and Ogle, leapfrogging both and building a healthy lead. Ogle admitted later that he stayed out too long, costing himself dearly once he rejoined in dirty air, while Hill’s timing worked to perfection as he slotted ahead of Ogle and into striking distance of Nelson.

From there, it became a high-stakes duel. Nelson defended with everything he had, sliding the car hard off turn four while Hill patiently stalked him, preferring the outside line. With just over 50 laps to go, Hill finally made his move, committing to a daring run around the high side and completing the pass for the lead. Once in clean air, the driver nicknamed “The Black Cat” never looked back, pulling away to secure the win and automatically advancing to the next playoff round.

Nelson held on for second after his bold pit call, keeping himself in strong playoff contention as the series heads to Kansas and the Roval, while Ogle crossed the line third, frustrated by his strategic misstep but comforted by solid points. Jerry Isaacs impressed with a climb to fifth after starting 17th, a crucial performance for a driver below the cut line, and Hislop clawed back to finish tenth after his early spin. On the other end, Dwayne MacArthur’s season took a hit with a disappointing 20th-place finish, a lap down, leaving him in danger of needing a must-win at the Charlotte Roval. League founder Victor Lane also had a rough night, coming home 23rd and facing a steep uphill battle to keep his playoff hopes alive.

In the end, it was Hill’s perfect blend of patience, precision, and strategy that made the difference, proving once again why he’s one of the toughest drivers in the series when the stakes are at their highest.