MADERA, Calif. — 15-year-old Ethan Nascimento became the latest first-time winner in the Lunkerdaddy Pro Late Models at Madera Speedway, dominating the second half of round number two from the one-third mile speedway on Saturday night.
With the win, Nascimento has Madera victories in INEX Bandoleros, INEX Legends, four wins and the 2022 51FIFTY Jr. Late Model championship, and a Pro Late Model triumph on his young resume.
“Right before the break we lost brake pressure. We tightened up the car after the break and pretty much did not look backwards,” Nascimento said. “I’ve grown a lot. Been racing ARCA cars and super lates. Going to Nashville tomorrow to race five races in the Legends cars. Hopefully we can some more Ws and keep up this momentum.”
2021 51FIFTY Jr. Late Model champion Brody Armtrout scored the pole position after the redraw, while Jr. graduate Jake Bollman scored fast-time but drew tenth in the redraw.
Armtrout led the way at the start of the 80-lap affair, while Kenna Mitchell found herself pinned on the outside groove. She drifted from fourth to seventh, then battled back to retake sixth from Tyler Herzog. A great battle ensued between multi-time champion Matt Erickson and season opening winner Robbie Kennealy. Erickson used his front bumper to slide past Kennealy for fourth on lap 31. Kennealy fell back to seventh in the midst of the battling.
Jacob Smith had a brake line issue that saw him slip and slide backwards before the lap 50 break as well. Nascimento led Armtrout, Erickson, Mitchell, and Smith into the scheduled break for adjustments.
Armtrout tagged the wall from the outside line on the restart, allowing Erickson to drive underneath into second. Herzog was the biggest mover of the second half, driving from seventh position past both Smith and Armtrout. Armtrout lost four laps with a flat right rear tire after additional contact.
Nascimento cruised to a 1.259 second advantage at the checkered flag in a caution-free event followed by Erickson, Herzog, Smith, and Mitchell. Bollman finished sixth.
11-year-old Vito Cancilla became just the third driver to win the opening two rounds of the 51FIFTY Jr. Late Model Series in track history, leading all 70-laps for the decisive win.
The field of 10-16 year old drivers took their lumps with some spins throughout the race, but without much damage, for the crop of fresh rookie contenders. Chase Hand collided with Cam Carraway on the opening lap, with both drivers forced to restart at the rear of the pack.
Taylor Mayhew was in the center of much of the first half battling, falling as low as sixth when he was freight trained on the outside. Hand made quick work of the pack, driving from 11th to fourth by lap 11.
Joey Kennealy fell out of the second position with a flat right front tire. A pit stop saw him fall to the tail of the field. Mayhew and Skyler Schoppe collided for a caution on lap 19. Hand emerged in second position but was unable to wrestle the lead from Cancilla on the restart. Mayhew used a series of cautions to drive from seventh to third, then passed Hand for second before the lap 40 break. Cancilla led Mayhew, Hand, Tristan Pena, and Kennealy at the stoppage.
After adjustments, racing action resumed with Mayhew and Hand battling for second position while Pena and Kennealy dueled for fourth. Hand finally cleared Mayhew for second on lap 51 but was unable to claw back towards Cancilla. Vito Cancilla claimed the win by a 3.8 second advantage followed by Hand, Mayhew, Pena, and Carraway.
Kaine Betancourt won a shortened INEX Bandolero feature. Tayler Mitchell and Andrew Williams collided on the backstretch on lap 13, with Williams flipping wildly. He was uninjured and able to walk away on his feet.