While the first feature didn’t go as well as Rick Walt would’ve hoped for, the second feature would produce a solid top-10 finish.
Walt started off the night on a strong note, posting a 14.998 second lap during time trials. As a result, that would set him up to start 10th in the first feature. He would move up a spot virtue of an incident on the opening start of the race.
Looking to stay clean and stuck in traffic, the progress moving up the field was slow. Walt would get alongside Thayne Hallyburton for eighth at lap 15, grabbing the spot before the caution flew for a pair of cars going around. He would then move up another spot to seventh before the caution flew once again.
The progress looked to be on a strong note to continue, however on lap 30, trouble would unfortunately strike the Walt Motorsports team. The trailing arm would break on the No. 31 Cindy Snow ReMax, Rust Check Canada, Eisses Pumping Services, Oro Collision, Abstract Salon, Simone Autosport, HOTC, Walt Fab, Seaton Structures, Pizzaville, Redline Graphics and Apparel, Innovative Plumbing Solutions, Red Castle Performance Late Model, resulting in Walt going for a spin. Unfortunately, that meant the end of the feature.
With the DNF in the first feature, that would set Walt up to start 22nd in the second feature later that night. He would quickly begin his climb to the front of the field, moving up to 17th by lap 10. He would then move into 16th before the first caution flew at lap 11, and worked his way up to 12th by the caution at lap 21.
Walt used the restart to move up to ninth, setting himself up good for the final 10 laps of the 35-lap feature. On lap 29, contact would happen in front of him, resulting in a pair of cars going around with another two cars sustaining damage. Walt found a hole through the wreck, escaping turns three and four without damage. As a result, he would get to restart seventh with six laps to go.
The final six laps of the feature brought forth a tough, tight battle for all the spots within the top-10. That battle would result in Walt ending up ninth place finish at the checkered flag.
With the first night under his belt, Rick Walt and Walt Motorsports will now look towards the second night to run even stronger. Be sure to join the team at Sunset Speedway on May 9th for the second round of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Sauble Falls Tent and Trailer Park Late Models. Front gate at the track opens at 3 p.m. EST, with time trials at 3:30 p.m. Opening ceremonies will kick off the night at 5 p.m. EST.
