Just when you think you couldn't top last night's race Brandon Overton took it to the next level. The bottom was the preferred racing line as RTJ was riding behind the tail of the lead lap cars with $25,000 just laps away from being deposited before Brandon Overton would go the top side on lap 57 beating the 20 at the line by inches for the win.
Photo Credit - Josh James Artwork
The night started off with Brandon Overton taking the fast time honors over the 52 entrants then going on collecting the heat race win to once again take the green flag from P1. Hudson O'Neal,Moran,RTJ,Clanton,and Sheppard would take the other 5 heat race wins. Tyler Bruening and Carson Ferguson would take the B Main wins.
Saturday's Feature Results
1) Overton 16) Alberson
2) ThortonJr. 17) Herrington
3) English 18) G.Smith
4) Sheppard 19) Nothdurft
5) O'Neal 20) Roberson
6)McCreadie 21) Wilson
7) Davenport 22) Choquette
8) Zeigler 23) Robinson
9) Clanton 24) Moran
10) Bronson 25) G.R. Smith
11) Pearson 26) Henderson
12) Shirley 27) Bruening
13) Hughes 28) Ferguson
14) Owens 29) T.Erb
15) D.Erb
The 60 lap feature had some issues getting started as the on the initial start a huge pileup would happen in turn 2 involving Clanton,GR Smith,Garrett Smith,Tyler Erb,Spencer Hughes. Clanton who was making his first start after being under the weather the first two nights was able to continue but GR Smith and Carson Ferguson were done. Spencer Hughes crew would work nonstop to repair his damaged machine and would make it back out on the third attempt to get the feature started.
The second attempt would see Brian Shirley spin in turn 4 collecting Burning,Henderson,and GR Smith once again caught up. Hughes crew would finish the repairs and rejoin the feature as the field would once again take the green flag.
Overton would jump out to the lead and O'Neal,Moran,RTJ, and Sheppard would be the top 5. On lap 3 Thornton would pass Moran for the third spot. The third yellow would wave for the 99 with what appeared to be a rear end problem on lap 8 while he was running 4th. Top 5 would be Overton,O'Neal,Thornton,English,and BShepp.
The green flag would wave again and Hudson O'Neal would push up in turn 2 falling back a couple of spots. Hudson has had issues all weekend long with restarts with a tight car. Thornton would take the runner up spot and set his sights once again on the 76. Those two cars have been consistently up front all three nights.
Lap 10 would see the Capital Race Car of Shane Clanton move into the top 5 as he was one of the first cars to venture up to high groove but was short lived as he would be moved out of the top 5 on lap 14.
Lap 23 Ricky Thornton would put the SSI Motorsports Longhorn Chassis to the top side to move around leader Brandon Overton. Once he took the lead he would dive back down to the preferred line on the bottom.
Halfway point the running order would be RTJ,Overton,English,O'Neal,and Sheppard. They were pretty much all content running the bottom waiting for someone to slip up to pounce on them for position.
Lap 34 Daulton Wilson's bad night got worse as he would come to a stop near the flagstone while flirting with a top 10 spot after losing a rear end earlier in the night while leading a heat race. That would be the last yellow of the night to set up the dramatic finish.
With less than 10 laps to go leader Thornton was catching some of the tail end cars. At this point the entire field were all glued to the bottom. This was the same thing that happened the night before when Larson would move to the outside to pass RTJ for the win while Overton took note and did the same thing as Larson on lap 57 started running the top. It took Overton two and half laps to get enough momentum to surge ahead of Thornton at the line to take the win.
Some random notes from the 3 night swing at Golden Isles... Longhorn Chassis continues to dominate victory lane with three more wins... Brandon Overton led the majority of the laps all 3 nights.. Overton would also win Heat race 1 all 3 nights earning the pole position... Ricky Thornton Jr lost the lead with 2 to go last night and at the flagstone tonight... His worst finish was 3rd all weekend long logging a 3rd Thursday night and back to back runner up spots... Next Lucas Oil race is tomorrow at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala,FL
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