LAKE VIEW, S.C. – Christian Thomas scored a dominant win in the Larry Long Memorial Saturday afternoon at Lake View Motor Speedway.
The race honored longtime Carolinas race announcer Larry Long, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 74.
Michael Rouse blistered the track in qualifying with a lap of 16.306 seconds to start from the pole in the 30-lap main event for dirt late models. At the start Thomas got the advantage from the outside pole position to take the lead on the opening lap. The first caution of the night waved on lap 12 when Brad Fowler made slight contact with the inside guardrail on the backstretch.
Following a couple of quick cautions for minor incidents, the field was set for a restart on lap 17. Top runners Steve Banal, Shaun Harrell, and Matthew Bissette caught together in turn one to bring out another yellow flag. With just seven laps to go, second place runner, Rouse, had a flat right rear tire to bring out another caution. Thomas went unchallenged to take his third win of the season over track champion Willie Milliken, Brian Strickland, Johnny Pridgen, and Cody Wright. Rounding out the top 10 were Blake Sanderson, Rouse, Dustin Perritt, Jimmy Ray, and David Baker.
Daryl Moran started from the pole and led every lap for his fourth Crate Racin’ USA Street Stock win of the year. The caution waved early in the going on lap four when Ed Mason and Donald Williams spun in turn two. Following Moran at the finish were Marshall Jones, track champion Michael Butler, Chris Powers, and Tyler Doyle.
Dustin Watkins got the advantage over pole sitter Jonathan Ward on lap one and led the rest of the way for his first 602 Modified win at Lake View. Following him at the finish were track champion Tyler Davis, Ward, Josh Fields, and Jacky Gerald.
The SCDRA Sport Compact feature was a game of survival and it was Andrew Register coming out on top at the end for his for win of the year. Outside pole sitter Derek Kemper took the lead when the green flag waved, but Trent Herring bypassed him for the top spot on lap two. A lap four bobble by Kemper exiting turn four resulted in he, Jason Brown, and Colin Brown spinning in turn one.
Julio Cifuentes Jr. was able to get around Herring briefly for the lead, before Herring reassumed the lead. Herring would be bitten by the bad luck bug though, falling out with mechanical problems. Register took the lead and led the rest of the way for the win over Cifuentes, J. Brown, C. Brown, and Chelsey Richardson. Kemper would come home with his second straight championship.
Anthony Spivey led every lap from the pole for his first ever Stock V8 win over Tim Lovett, champion Jaden Locklear, Chip Fenoff, and John Charles.
Michael Fulwood prevailed in a great battle with Jeremy Cumbee for the Bell & Bell Vintage car win in Pro Modifieds. Bladen Core was the Sportsman winner, while Frankie Swann won Modified, Edward Jordan was the winner in 6-Cylinders, and Bobby Kellam in Seniors.