WAYNESVILLE, Ga. — Defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented FloRacing National Champion Devin Moran came from the 22nd starting position to win a wild Wieland Winter Nationals feature on Saturday night at Golden Isles Speedway.
Moran, who was the fifth different leader of the 50-lap main event, led the final four laps to pick up the $25,000 victory and close out the Georgia-Florida Speedweeks for 2026.
Max Blair, who at one point came from the 25th and last starting position to lead laps 43 through 46, finished second, followed by Garrett Alberson, Clay Harris, and Brandon Overton.
Mark Whitener grabbed the lead at the start of the race and led the first 14 laps. The car on the move was 17-year-old Trey Mills, who started seventh and quickly made his way to the front. Mills moved into second by lap five and challenged Whitener before taking the top spot on lap 15.
Mills, who was looking for the biggest win of his young career, was holding off 19th-place starter Hudson O’Neal and Brandon Overton until he made contact with the turn-two wall. The impact launched him over the wall and collected second-place-running O’Neal, ending both drivers’ nights on lap 42.
Blair then picked up the lead and held it until Moran wrestled it away on lap 47. Moran led the rest of the way, winning by 0.826 seconds.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the third time this year and the 27th time in his career, the Dresden, Ohio native picked up his second career win at Golden Isles Speedway.
“I don’t know what just happened. It’s unbelievable and definitely not what we expected after the week we’ve been having. Honestly, until Trey (Mills) and Huddy got into it, I was thinking maybe we could get a top three,” Moran said. “I felt like I was better than Max. I never really saw those guys up front because they were slicing and dicing. Then when they started sliding each other, I knew if I put myself in the right position we could do it. Once they took themselves out, I knew I just needed to get a run.”
Blair, who had to use an emergency provisional, nearly pulled off a stunning victory, charging from the 25th and final starting position to lead late in the race before Moran passed him.
“He (Moran) is one of the good guys. It’s hard to be mad. It just sucks. I think we had a shot at that one,” Blair said. “I would have liked to have seen him try to keep it off me like I did him once on that next restart. I didn’t do anything stupid. I went in there and raced him through the corner. But he is one of the best there is, so congrats to those guys. He did what he had to do to win and there are absolutely no hard feelings. Hopefully we can keep racing with him and maybe we can beat him every now and then.”
Alberson had his best finish of Speedweeks as he rounded out the podium after pitting during the race for a shredded right-rear tire.
“This is huge for our team right here for Speedweeks,” Alberson said. “This has been one of my toughest tracks historically, and this is by far our best night. Man, what a crazy race, but hats off to Devin and Max. He’s been fast all week here. That was the best I have ever been here. These were unique conditions for Golden Isles. It was kind of more like an Illinois track right there. We actually had traction and could move around. That was a crazy race. I am just happy to be here.”
In the 604 Late Model feature, Ross Bailes won for the second night in a row, leading all 20 laps. Colton Troullie finished second after starting ninth. Griffin Smith was third, followed by Bubba Whitener and Austin Yarbrough.
The 602 Late Model feature went to Griffin Smith for the second time this week.
Results
Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (50 Laps):
Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings
1 – 22 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $26,100
2 – 25 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $8,600
3 – 8 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $6,700
4 – 24 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $4,700
5 – 1 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $4,200
6 – 5 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $3,800
7 – 11 – 16 – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – $2,500
8 – 6 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $3,000
9 – 20 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $2,200
10 – 2 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $2,100
11 – 18 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $2,700
12 – 15 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,600
13 – 9 – 74X – Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – $1,800
14 – 17 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $1,700
15 – 7 – 14 – Trey Mills – St. Augustine, FL – $1,700
16 – 19 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $2,700
17 – 14 – 16S – Sam Seawright – Fort Payne, AL – $1,500
18 – 12 – 81F – Jadon Frame – Winchester, TN – $1,500
19 – 10 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $1,500
20 – 21 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – $1,500
21 – 23 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $2,200
22 – 16 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $1,500
23 – 13 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – $1,500
24 – 4 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,500
25 – 3 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $1,500
