PRYOR CREEK, Okla. — It was a near perfect weekend for Johnny Scott, as the driver of the XR1 Rocket chassis notched his second $5,000 Lucas Oil MLRA win of the weekend on Saturday night at the Salina Highbanks Speedway.
The victory backed up his first career series win on Wednesday at the Lucas Oil Speedway, followed by a pair of runner-up finishes over the past two events.
The 40-lap feature event got off to a rough start as a nine-car pile-up brought out a red flag on the opening circuit of the event.
With the race going green on the third attempt, it was Terry Phillips taking control from his outside front row starting position. Phillips, the 116-time Lucas Oil MLRA feature winner, set the pace early on with polesitter Payton Looney in tow. As the race continued under green, Phillips began his march through lapped traffic, all the while Scott was working his way to the front from his sixth-starting position.
Scott moved into the runner-up spot on lap 15, and quickly began his move towards the lead. Just two laps later, he would use the moisture on the bottom of turn four, to rocket off the corner, with Phillips getting pinned behind lapped traffic.
As the pair crossed the stripe it was Scott, the driver of the Mesilla Valley Transport/Rancho Milagro/Top of the World Ranch entry taking the race lead from the veteran Phillips.
A late race caution would fly with just three laps remaining, as Jake Timm slowed down the front stretch, surrendering a top ten position.
On the restart, it was all Johnny Scott, powering away from the field, recording his second career series win by 1.38 seconds over Phillips.
Tony Jackson Jr. brought home a podium finish in third, with defending Freedom Classic winner Jesse Stovall finishing fourth. Chad Simpson extended his MLRA series point lead to 20 points over Payton Looney with his fifth-place run.
“We tried some stuff tonight which put us a little bit behind because we were too tight in time trials, but it worked out for us. I didn’t know how the track was going to end up, but whatever they did watering it made it pretty racy or good enough to pass anyway for a few laps,” Scott said. “I told my crew guy to make a few little changes there before the feature, and this thing came alive.”
The finish
Feature (40 Laps): 1.Johnny Scott 2.Terry Phillips 3.Tony Jackson Jr. 4.Jesse Stovall 5.Chad Simpson 6.Jeremiah Hurst 7.Garrett Alberson 8.Payton Looney 9.Mason Oberkramer 10.Jordan Yaggy 11.Justin Duty 12.Logan Martin 13.Kaeden Cornell 14.Mitch McGrath 15.Daniel Hilsabeck 16.Jason Papich 17.Preston Luckman 18.Jake Timm 19.Raymond Merrill 20.Will Vaught 21.Joseph Gorby 22.Aaron Marrant 23.Joe Godsey 24.Jeremy Grady