Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
Taking the lead around the midway point, Brandon Watson never looked back en route to his second victory of the season.
In time trials, it’d be Travis Hallyburton setting the quick time at 15.046 seconds behind the wheel of the No. 39 HILLSDALE SERVICE CENTER, KNIGHTWORKS Design Late Model. Nick Goetz set the second quickest time (15.104), followed by Gord Shepherd (15.129), Taylor Holdaway (15.132) and Brandon Watson (15.144).
Lane Zardo qualified sixth, followed by Chris Morrow, Ryan Kimball, Billy Zardo and Brittney Gresel. Mike Bentley finished 11th, followed by Thayne Hallyburton, Scott Wylie, Dwight Brown, Tom Walters, Paul Maltese, Danny Benedict, Jordan Howse, Mike Wilkinson, Al Inglis and Chance Isherwood.
Off the drop of the green flag, Travis Hallyburton jumped out to the early lead as Goetz and Shepherd battled for second. Goetz got the spot on Lap 4, with Watson following him through five laps later. Shepherd now ran fourth ahead of Holdaway and Gresel as Morrow and Thayne Hallyburton battled for seventh. Behind them, Kimball ran ninth ahead of Walters and Bentley.
At the front of the field, Travis Hallyburton continued to lead ahead of Goetz, Watson, Shepherd and Holdaway. Gresel now ran sixth as of Lap 15 ahead of Thayne Hallyburton as Morrow and Kimball ran side-by-side for eighth. Kimball got the spot two laps later, bumping Morrow back to ninth ahead of Bentley, Walters, and Lane Zardo. Bentley then got alongside Morrow, passing him for ninth at Lap 22. Morrow now ran 10th ahead of Walters, Lane Zardo, Wylie, Maltese, Benedict, Howse, Wilkinson and Inglis.
The 35-lap feature didn’t go caution-free as the first caution flew at Lap 26 when Nick Goetz was spun by the lap car of Chance Isherwood.
Brandon Watson got a good restart to put the No. 9 SHEAR METAL PRODUCTS, KNIGHTWORKS DESIGNS Late Model out front ahead of Travis Hallyburton as Shepherd and Holdaway battled for third. Shepherd managed to hang on, clearing Holdaway at Lap 30 with Gresel moving into fifth ahead of Bentley.
Unfortunately, the next couple of laps saw a group of drivers find trouble. Howse cut a tire down at Lap 31, forcing him down pit road. Meanwhile, contact happened between Bentley and Gresel, causing Gresel to climb the backstretch wall at Lap 32. The incident caused a whole check-up through the field and once around on the frontstretch, Morrow got hit from behind, causing him to spin and make heavy contact with the inside wall, drawing the caution.
Brandon Watson got a good restart, picking up the win for his second of the season behind the wheel of the Limited Late Model. Travis Hallyburton finished second, followed by Taylor Holdaway, Gord Shepherd and Thayne Hallyburton. Mike Bentley finished sixth, followed by Ryan Kimball, Tom Walters, Scott Wylie and Paul Maltese.
Nick Goetz finished 11th, followed by Lane Zardo, Al Inglis, Mike Wilkinson, Danny Benedict, Brittney Gresel, Chance Isherwood, Jordan Howse, Chris Morrow and Billy Zardo.
