BURNSIDE, Ky. — The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern and Southern Series visited Lake Cumberland Speedway on Saturday for the fourth annual Hall of Fame 40 and Josh Rice turned in a dominant performance.
Rice took the lead on lap 12 and cruised to a $7,500 payday.
For the 24-year-old Rice, a second-generation racer, it would be his third series win of the season and his ninth career Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series victory and would come behind the wheel of a Rocket Chassis.
Outside polesitter Michael Chilton would grab the lead at the start of Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern/Southern Series Hall of Fame 40 main event, with Josh Rice, Jadon Frame, Camaron Marlar, and Ricky Weiss giving chase.
Weiss would take fourth from Marlar on lap three, while Chilton and Rice would set a torrid pace at the front and would begin working slower traffic by lap nine. Rice would close in and make his move for the lead and take the top spot on lap 12, while Weiss would close in on Frame for third and take that positon on lap 15.
Rice maintained the lead over Chilton and the front duo weaved their way in and out of lapped traffic as the race reached its halfway point, with Marlar taking fourth from Frame as the field saw the halfway signal.
Rice would begin to really flex his muscles at this point and at times would open up an almost four second lead over Chilton. Will Roland would start going at this point as well and would make his way into the fifth position lap 28.
Rice would continue to put distance on the field and would lap up to the fifth-place machine of Roland as the checkered flag would wave for Rice, with Chilton and Weiss taking second and third, while Marlar and Roland completed the top five.
Bryan Barber led wire-to-wire to capture the Brucebilt Performance Parts Iron-Man Open Wheel Modified Series $1,500 victory.
The finish:
Josh Rice, Michael Chilton, Ricky Weiss, Camaron Marlar, Will Roland, Jadon Frame, Stormy Scott, Adam Ahl, Josh Deitz, Heath Hindman, Jeff Watson, Chase Oliver, Josh Henry, Austin Lay, Rod Carter Jr., Jimmy Smith, Kenny Cobble, Shane Irvin, Hayden Ownbey, Grayson Brewer, Jason Trammell, Larry Martin Jr.