MOBERLY, Mo. — For the fourth time in 2022, “Primetime” Tony Jackson Jr. proved to be the class of the field as he charged to his biggest win of the season, winning Sunday nights 2nd Annual Wiener Nationals at the Randolph County Raceway.
A field of 37 Lucas Oil MLRA drivers signed in for battle in the $10,000-to-win main event in front of a packed house, the first race of the season at RCR, and first under the direction of new promotor Reid Millard.
Unlike his win from one night ago, Jackson had to start the 30 lapper from 10th on the grid after fading in his heat race after setting the nights fast time for the third consecutive night.
Early on it was Aaron Marrant taking control from his pole position, leading the first eight laps, while setting a blistering pace along the high line.Â
Outside pole sitter Billy Moyer Jr. used patience and slowly reeled in Marrant to take the lead on lap nine. That lead would be short lived as the duo swapped the lead back and forth over the next three laps. Â
With Moyer in front the nights only caution would wave on lap 14 as Kayden Clatt spun in turns one and two, collect Logan Martin and ending the night for both drivers.Â
Jackson had worked his way up to fourth from tenth on the grid for the restart, and slowly worked his way to the front to contend with Moyer, and Chad Simpson for the win. Â
With just three laps to go, Jackson set up Moyer off the exit of two and drove by for the lead amidst a pack of lapped traffic.Â
The two-time series champion would go on to record his biggest MLRA win of the season while Moyer would come home in the second spot.Â
Chad Simpson recorded another podium run in his quest for a third series title while Aaron Marrant and Mason Oberkramer rounded out the top five.Â
“I messed the heat race up tonight and we wanted to try some stuff since we started so far back there and it was really good,” commented Jackson. “I just really tired to stay in the mud, I saw Billy trying to be smooth there and was saving his tires, but with these 30’s you kind of get used to the characteristics and when my tires got hot I would just go back to the cushion or back down in the mud or something and try to make something happen.”Â
Moyer’s runner up finish was bittersweet after dropping out one night ago at the Lucas Oil Speedway while running in third due to rear end issues. “I was probably being a little too easy on the tires and should have been trying to knock the deck out of it instead in one and two,” commented Moyer. Â
The Finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[10]; 2. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[2]; 3. 25-Chad Simpson[4]; 4. 1X-Aaron Marrant[1]; 5. 93-Mason Oberkramer[6]; 6. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[12]; 7. 0K-Dewayne Kiefer[7]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 9. 99-Dylan Hoover[16]; 10. 11-Trevor Gundaker[14]; 11. 10-Jacob Magee[9]; 12. 33F-Rickey Frankel[3]; 13. 1ST-Justin Reed[20]; 14. 23-Chad Walter[19]; 15. 00B-Matt Becker[21]; 16. 3-Brennon Willard[24]; 17. 00S-Chris Smyser[17]; 18. 78S-Steve Stultz[23]; 19. 12-Brandon Queen[15]; 20. 6-Mike Wallace[25]; 21. (DNF) 7D-Dusty Leonard[18]; 22. (DNF) 11K-Shannon Kuhn[11]; 23. (DNF) 36M-Logan Martin[8]; 24. (DNF) 50-Kaeden Cornell[13]; 25. (DNF) 50C-Kayden Clatt[22]