NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Stephen Nasse handily won Sunday’s 100-lap JEGS/CRA All Stars Tour pro late model feature at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, but it didn’t come without some late-race drama.
Nasse was well on his way to victory when a late yellow flag with seven to go waved for a skirmish between Derek Thorn and Hunter Wright, who were battling for second when Thorn tagged Wright’s bumper and sent Wright’s No. 29 spinning.
That incident erased Nasse’s 1.675-second lead, stacked the field up on his back bumper and opened the door for Nashville pro late model ace Michael House to take a shot at the No. 51.
However, the Pinellas Park, Fla., native held off every advance House made over the final four miles en route to victory – setting himself up nicely ahead of the 300-lap super late model headliner on All American 400 Weekend at the .596-mile Tennessee short track.
All told, Nasse led 77 of 100 laps in the pro late model feature, taking command from polesitter and early leader Kyle Ivey on lap 16 and controlling the race through its midway point.
He lost command on a lap-57 restart after West Coast star Derek Thorn fought past to lead eight laps, but retook the lead in similar fashion on lap 66 after a restart and never looked back from there.
House ended as the runner-up, .375 seconds back, with Dylan Fetcho claiming the final spot and earning his first Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville pro late model championship as a result.
Fetcho and seventh-finishing Cole Williams entered the Nashville finale in a dead heat for the track title, with whoever finished highest laying claim to the crown. Fetcho outran Williams virtually all afternoon.
Trey Craig, Austin Wilson and Ivey were fourth through sixth, respectively, with Williams, Chase Burda, Daniel Bolden and Jim Wall filling out the top 10.
Nine cautions slowed the pace during the pro late model 100-lapper, which took just shy of 90 minutes to complete.
Stacey Crain, who was fast in practice on Saturday and appeared to be a pre-race favorite, was the first retiree of the event and brought out the day’s second caution when the engine aboard his No. 11 expired after just 20 laps.
The finish:
1. 51-Stephen Nasse, 2. 1-Michael House, 3. 89-Dylan Fetcho, 4. 15-Trey Craig, 5. 01w-Austin Wilson, 6. 53k-Kyle Ivey, 7. 46-Cole Williams, 8. 18b-Chase Burda, 9. 09-Daniel Bolden, 10. 91w-Jim Wall, 11. 55-Benny Hamlet, 12. 11w-JoJo Wilkinson, 13. 29-Hunter Wright, 14. 148-Max McDonald, 15. 20j-Chase Johnson, 16. 83-JP Crabtree, 17. 43t-Derek Thorn, 18. 43s-Dakota Stroup, 19. 22-Evan Shotko, 20. 26-Willie Allen, 21. 62-William Hale, 22. 9-Michael Bolden, 23. 20h-Hudson Halder, 24. 53t-Zachary Tinkle, 25. 33-Wes Griffith, 26. 114-Mike Murray, 27. 16s-Billy Sisco, 28. 12-Bryson Shaffer, 29. 88-Trevor McCoy, 30. 14-Davey Coble, 31. 8-Mark Day, 32. 11c-Stacey Crain.