BYRAM, Miss. — Jason Martin picked up where he left off last season by winning the opener for the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series Thursday night at Jackson Motor Speedway.
Martin, who won last year’s season finale, beat Seth Bergman to the checkered flag by .049 seconds.
“I’m pretty excited. That was a hell of a finish,” stated Martin. “Definitely wish I was better there towards the end. That restart with fifteen to go, I already had the wing in the trunk, so I was holding on for dear life the last half of that.”
Fending off the last-lap charge of Seth Bergman, the No. 23 pounded the cushion at both ends of the Jackson Motor Speedway through the final six-lap run. Chasing Landon Britt for silver the first 15 laps, the No. 10 put the left-side tires to the sky momentarily and left the door open.
Bergman stalked Martin into traffic numerous times, only to have a caution clear the way for Martin. The final caution came on lap 24. Rushing the top on the restart in one and two, Martin switched low in three and four.
Varying his approach to the cushion, Bergman found the run with two to go. Putting the Hoosiers on the curb off the final turn, the pair shot the line in a photo finish.
Landon Britt held on for third, with Howard Moore earning the KSE Hard Charger Award with an eight-spot run to fourth. Brandon Anderson completed the top five.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 36-Jason Martin[1]; 2. 23-Seth Bergman[5]; 3. 10-Landon Britt[2]; 4. 3-Howard Moore[12]; 5. 55B-Brandon Anderson[4]; 6. 47-Dale Howard[9]; 7. 14-Jordon Mallett[7]; 8. 45X-Kyler Johnson[11]; 9. 95-Matt Covington[6]; 10. 13-Chase Howard[3]; 11. 6G-Koty Adams[16]; 12. 187-Landon Crawley[15]; 13. 91-Michael Day[14]; 14. 10K-Dewayne White[18]; 15. 28S-Rusty Sanford[19]; 16. 13X-Todd Fayard[8]; 17. 6-Christopher Townsend[10]; 18. 44-Ronny Howard[13]; 19. 71T-Channin Tankersley[17]; 20. 71-Bradyn Baker[20]; 21. (DNS) B52-Bill Mason