FORT WORTH. — Mother Nature threatened the Drydene Stockyard Stampede powered by RelaDyne all day long, but she was unable to deter the action as Texas Motor Speedway kicked off a huge weekend with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing leading the way.
Drawing 28 cars for the first of two sprint car shows on the dirt track this weekend, Thursday’s event was largely dominated by a man who will race more at TMS than anyone else on the property this weekend, that being Kyle Larson.
The 33-year-old Elk Grove, California native led the way in hot laps, earned his fifth-career quick time, topped the dash, and led all 25 laps in the A-Main to earn his second trip to Whiskey Myers Victory Lane this year.
For “Yung Money,” the win marked his first victory at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track – following efforts of 14th, 9th, and 2nd with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing.
He is now capable of going four-for-four this weekend in DFW with three more events on his schedule – including Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race and the Stockyard Stampede finale, before Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event.
Larson’s 11th career win with the series also marked his second of the season – making he and the Silva Motorsports No. 57 the fourth team to win multiple features through the first 11 nights. They joined the likes of Aaron Reutzel and Ridge & Sons Racing, Tanner Thorson and Rod Gross Motorsports, and Corey Day and Jason Meyers Racing.
Following Larson to the stripe, in the reverse order of last year’s Stockyard Stampede finale, was Rico Abreu. The Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Carquest No. 24 pilot eased himself out of a recent rough patch with his fifth podium in Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing competition this year.
Closing out the podium at Texas Motor Speedway was a Texas native himself as Clute’s Aaron Reutzel ran third in the Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87.
Last year’s championship runner-up has narrowed the gap down to 45 points as he continues to chase Tanner Thorson for the early-season control of the title.
Finishing out the top-five on Thursday night was Giovanni Scelzi with his 13th consecutive top-10 finish aboard the Spire Motorsports, Chili’s Grill & Bar No. 88 and then recent winner Kerry Madsen running fifth with the Vermeer Motorsports No. 55.
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson[1]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[5]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel[4]; 4. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[7]; 5. 55-Kerry Madsen[3]; 6. 14-Corey Day[11]; 7. 88-Tanner Thorson[10]; 8. 9R-Chase Randall[20]; 9. 17GP-Hank Davis[13]; 10. 24D-Danny Sams III[17]; 11. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[8]; 12. 26-Justin Peck[15]; 13. 5-Brenham Crouch[9]; 14. 13-Tanner Holmes[16]; 15. 9-Daison Pursley[19]; 16. 42-Sye Lynch[18]; 17. 95-Matt Covington[21]; 18. 45X-Rees Moran[14]; 19. 71-Christopher Townsend[25]; 20. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[22]; 21. 4-Austin Mundie[24]; 22. 0-Eric Baldaccini[23]; 23. 87X-Logan Seavey[6]; 24. 19-Brent Marks[2]; 25. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[12]
