Photo Credit - Ryan Roberts Photography
Sometimes it's better not being the leader when battling slower traffic and last night was the case. Bobby Pierce was cruising with 10 laps to go when he was stuck behind the tail of field battling each other for position when Ricky Thornton Jr passed the number one ranked dirt late model driver in the nation to win the 3rd Annual C.J. Rayburn Memorial. Mike Marlar snuck by Pierce at the line to take the runner up spot as Pierce rounded out the podium.
38 Lucas Oil Late Models signed in at Brownstown Speedway. Bobby Pierce took fast time in Group A but it was the Lucas Oil point chaser Ricky Thornton Jr topping Group B as well as overall fast time. Lucas Oil Series awards 10 bonus points for fast time in each group. Moran came in leading by 10 points over Davenport. JD was 2nd fastest in Group A qualifying and barely missed out on them all important 10 bonus points.
Heat race winners were Pierce,Davenport, Thornton Jr. and Hudson O'Neal. Devin Moran struggled in qualifying as well as his heat race having to come out of the B Main to transfer into the 40 lap main event.
Bobby Pierce jumped out to the early lead as RTJ settled into 2nd place when the green flag waved. O'Neal and JD would battle for third on the smoothe racing surface of Brownstown Speedway. Before the feature they moved the infield tires in for a wider racing surface.
Dennis Erb Jr was on the move early from his 9th starting spot battling for a podium finish before he faded to finish 6th. Also on the move was Devin Moran charging from his 21st starting spot and made it as high as 9th before settling for 10th place.
Pierce had a one second lead vanish in just a lap and a half when he couldn't clear cars battling on the tail end of lead lap cars. RTJ pounced on the opportunity and made an inside pass for the lead as Pierce couldn't reel him back in once they cleared the traffic. Thornton himself faced the same situation as Pierce with just a few laps to go but he cleared a handful of slower cars putting a gap between him and the field to win the race and grab the point lead.
Marlar got a much needed runner up finish as he has struggled the last couple of months. Marlar was the defending Rayburn Memorial winner as he came from 10th place to take second.
The 4th Lucas Oil Championship Chaser , Tim McCreadie, didn't have the night he wanted as he finished 19th. TMac brought out a yellow when he nearly spun in turn 4 while running 7th on lap 9. His driver's door was exposed to oncoming traffic forcing officials to wave the yellow flag putting TMac to the rear of the field.
Tonight is a new night as Brownstown Speedway hosts the Jackson 100 paying a track record $50,000 to the winner $2,000 to start.
CJ Rayburn Memorial Feature Finish
RICKY THORNTON JR
Marlar
Pierce
English
O'Neal
Erb Jr
Blair
Sheppard
Davenport
Moran
Alberson
Troutman
Hoffman
Wilson
Stricker
Erb
Owens
Robinson
McCreadie
Stapleton
Heckenast Jr
Ferguson
Briggs
Harris
Smith
Jameson
Lawler
Hess
Opmerkingen