Last Lap Pass Lifts Matus At Tri-City

FRANKLIN, Pa. – It was a last lap pass that Brandon Matus will remember forever.

He rocketed past race leader Carl Bowser on the backstretch to get the Shawgo Real Estate LLC 410 Sprint Car win at Tri-City Raceway Park on Sunday and to gain four additional points, enough to change a two point deficit to a two point advantage in the track championship tilt with the defending title holder, Jack Sodeman Jr. 
 
Bowser and Brandon Matus paced the field in the Shawgo Real Estate LLC 410 Sprints. Brent Matus and Logan McCandless drew the second row, with Clay Riney and Sodeman lined up in the third. Row four had Bob Felmlee and Brandon Spithaler, and the fifth belonged to Ken Rossey, Jr. and Mike Lutz, Jr. Rod Jones and his daughter, Vivian, made up row six.
 
Bowser took the lead at the start of the twenty-five lapper that would decide the track championship. Brandon Matus, who shaved two points from Sodeman’s eight point advantage through heat race action, slid into second. The race was slowed after just two laps due to debris.
 
Racing resumed again with Bowser continuing to lead Matus. But Sodeman did not enter the top five until lap five.
 
A spin by Roman Jones brought out the second caution. On the ensuing restart, Sodeman climbed to fourth. Had the race ended that way, there would have been a tie for the championship. But things were not finished yet.
 
At lap ten, the final caution was displayed, setting up a fifteen lap run to the checkers.
 
Bowser took the point, followed by Brandon Matus, but Sodeman was now up to third after passing Felmlee. That broke the potential tie and would have given Sodeman the nod with two points to spare.
 
While Brandon Matus hounded Bowser, Clay Riney and Bob Felmlee were swapping the fourth place behind Sodeman. Brandon Matus searched in vain, but could not find a way to get by Bowser, who won earlier in the weekend at another area speedway.
 
With the white flag waving and traffic looming ahead, Brandon Matus took the high line off turn two and moved past Bowser on the long back chute. The pass for position was critical, not only for the outcome of the race, but also the point championship.
 
The Wheelman got the win and his title by .904 seconds. It was his second victory of the season and third overall at the track. He was followed by Bowser and Sodeman. Felmlee held off Riney for fourth. Spithaler, McCandless, Gallagher, Rod Jones, and Bryan Salisbury rounded out the top ten.

In other action, Jeremiah Shingledecker clinched the Krill Recycling LLC 358 Modified championship by starting the feature event, but then he led every lap to get his sixth win of the season. Bobby Whitling won his 100th career feature by sailing under the checkered flag waved by his father in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stocks. Dalton Speer, who dominated the early season action before hitting a rough patch, came back to win the final point race in the 4 Your Car Connection Mini Stocks.

Curtis J. Bish and Justin Bailey secured their point championships in the Pro Stocks and Mini Stocks, respectively.